Synonyms

diacritical

American

[dahy-uh-krit-i-kuhl] / ˌdaɪ əˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

adjective

serving to distinguish; distinctive.
capable of distinguishing.
Phonetics. serving as a diacritic.

diacritical British

/ ˌdaɪəˈkrɪtɪkəl /

adjective

of or relating to a diacritic
showing up a distinction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

diacritically

adverb

Etymology

Origin of diacritical

First recorded in 1740–50; diacritic + -al ¹

Vocabulary lists containing diacritical

Dictionary Words: Lexicography Lingo

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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.

Out of respect for the previously banned Hawaiian language, we are using diacritical marks in this column that more accurately convey meaning and pronunciation.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 21, 2023

Note: The Vietnamese words in the original version of this essay used diacritical marks.

From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2023

The 'e' vowel though had no diacritical mark, so was largely absent.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2022

The correct Spanish pronunciation of “Angeleño” is “Ahn-hell-len-yo,” as dictated by the tilde, the diacritical mark above the second n.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2022

I repeat, Ha, and wish I knew enough English to tell her to listen for the diacritical mark, this one directing the tone downward.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023