etymology

American  

[et-uh-mol-uh-jee] / ˌɛt əˈmɒl ə dʒi /

noun

plural

etymologies

1. the derivation of a word.

   Synonyms:

   origin, derivation

2. a chronological account of the birth and development of a particular word or element of a word, often delineating its spread from one language to another and its evolving changes in form and meaning.

3. the study of historical linguistic change, especially as manifested in individual words.

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etymology British  

/ ˌɛtɪməˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the sources and development of words and morphemes

2. an account of the source and development of a word or morpheme

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Other Word Forms

• etymologic adjective
• etymological adjective
• etymologically adverb
• etymologist noun
• pseudoetymological adjective
• pseudoetymologically adverb
• subetymology noun
• unetymologic adjective
• unetymological adjective
• unetymologically adverb

Etymology

Origin of etymology

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin etymologia, from Greek etymología, equivalent to etymológ(os) “studying the true meanings and values of words” ( étymo(s) “true” + lógos “word, reason”) + -ia noun suffix; etymon, -y ³

Example Sentences

For example, prompts that encourage models to think about word origins and structure using etymology lead to more unexpected associations and higher creativity scores.

From Science Daily • Jan. 25, 2026

But both etymology and history suggest something more complicated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

As a child, Kim enjoyed looking up words in the dictionary and learning their etymology, a hobby that endured into adulthood.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2025

There are corners of the internet that spend more time worrying about the etymology of Darth Vader’s name than the policies of any politician.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2024

The etymology of the term ‘jazz’ is hotly debated but the most likely derivation is from a non-musical nineteenth-century slang word, jasm, meaning energy, vigour or liveliness.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall