English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Etymology — The origins of English words

Where do words come from? Trace the origin and history of any English word, from its Latin, Greek or Old English roots through to its modern meaning. Every etymology is sourced.

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Coined in 1933 by psychologists Paul Whiteley and Gerald Blankfort, later popularized in the 1946 book "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, deliberately as the opposite of "reactive."

From "practician," which came from French "practicien," ultimately from Greek "praktikos" ("fit for action") — the same root behind "practical" and "practice."

From Latin articulatus, "jointed" or "distinct," from articulus, "a small joint" — the sense shifted from physical joints to clearly "joined-up" speech.

Believed to be a back-formation from sulky, ultimately traced to an Old English word meaning slothful or languid.

From "ring" (as in to ring a bell) plus "-er," originally someone who rang bells.

From the German word Herr, meaning "gentleman" or "sir."

Borrowed directly from German Frau, "woman, wife."

From Old French disposition, from Latin dispositio, "an arranging" — related to "dispose."

From Latin probabilitas, "credibility" or "likelihood," from probabilis, "provable" or "credible."

An imitative word, mimicking the clicking sound made with the tongue against the teeth.

From Latin cis, "on this side of" — the opposite of "trans", "across" or "on the other side".

From Old French haut, meaning "high," the same root that gives English "altitude" — the spelling shifted over time to look more like "naughty."

From Latin allegare, "to bring forward as evidence" — the same root as "allege."

From French baroque, originally describing an irregularly shaped pearl, likely from Portuguese barroco. Over time it came to describe the ornate, dramatic art style of the 1600s and 1700s, and eventually anything excessively elaborate.

Borrowed from French capote, related to "cape."

From Old French impression, from Latin impressio, from imprimere ("to press into") — related to impress.

From Latin decorātus, the past participle of decorāre ("to adorn, honour"), from decus ("ornament, honour").

From Latin decorātus + -ive, matching French décoratif.

From Old French littérature, from Latin litteratura ("writing, grammar"), from littera ("letter").

From Old English weorþig, built on worth plus the adjective suffix "-y."

From Greek poietes, "maker, creator," from poieo, "to make."

From Greek poietes, "maker, poet," via Old French poeterie.

From "intense" + the noun-forming suffix "-ity."

From Greek poiema, "a thing made," from poieo, "to make" — a poem is literally something "made" or crafted.