adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of autumnal
From the Latin word autumnālis, dating back to 1630–40. See autumn, -al 1
Explanation
Anything autumnal has to do with autumn: the fall season. Pumpkins are a popular autumnal food. This word has to do with anything related to or associated with autumn. Sweater weather is autumnal. Pumpkin spice tea is autumnal. Leaves changing colors are autumnal. Halloween is an autumnal holiday. If you feel a chill in the air in August, you could say that's a sign of autumnal weather coming. Because of the mild weather, many people enjoy autumnal weather more than any other season's weather.
Vocabulary lists containing autumnal
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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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.
A spell of rain and stronger winds will accompany the colder air, adding to the autumnal feel.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
A powerful autumnal storm lashed the heavily populated US Northeast corridor on Sunday with wind, rain and large waves, knocking out power for thousands and killing at least one person.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Something’s in the air this fall — and it’s not just the autumnal chill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Museums are turning to Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein and the Surrealists to lure crowds out of the autumnal chill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
The tree’s autumnal leaves trembled, reminding navigator Valya Kravchenko of “little yellow flames, in the rays of the setting sun.”
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
