adjuration
Americannoun
-
an earnest request; entreaty.
-
a solemn or desperate urging or counseling.
an adjuration for all citizens of the beleaguered city to take shelter.
Etymology
Origin of adjuration
1605–15; < Latin adjūrātiōn- (stem of adjūrātiō ), equivalent to adjūrāt ( us ), past participle of adjūrāre to adjure + -ion- -ion
Explanation
Use the noun adjuration to describe the serious, whole-hearted way you begged your parents to let you have a puppy when you were little. During your adjuration to get that puppy, did you say, "I swear I'll feed it and walk it every day! I swear to clean up after it!"? If so, you were really in tune with the origin of adjuration, the Latin ad- or "to" and jurare, "swear" — in the sense of taking an oath of honesty. Adjuration involves both begging and promising.
Vocabulary lists containing adjuration
Frankenstein
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Wuthering Heights
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Novel Study: Frankenstein, Chapters 14–24
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But this time, too, her adjuration failed to awaken an echo.
From The Song of Songs by Hermann Sudermann
"Chuck some of his own coals at 'im!" was the frantic adjuration of a foolish virgin who had already expended all her ammunition against the shutters of the gate-lodge.
From A Safety Match by Ian Hay
"Not too many of you," was his final adjuration, as, giving me a look, he slipped out into the hall.
From The Amethyst Box by Anna Katherine Green
See here,"—an unnecessary adjuration since the Sailor was looking in solemn wonder with both eyes—-"my pal Dinkie Dawson has just been engaged for three years by the Blackhampton Rovers at four thick uns a week.
From The Sailor by J. C. Snaith
Yet at times, rising upon the flood of feeling, he shot out a solemn adjuration or asserted an opinion with a fiery emphasis that electrified the audience into applause.
From From the Easy Chair, series 3 by George William Curtis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
