Esperanto

[ es-puh-rahn-toh, -ran- ]

/ ˌɛs pəˈrɑn toʊ, -ˈræn- /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for Esperanto on Thesaurus.com

noun

an artificial language invented in 1887 by L. L. Zamenhof (1859–1917), a Polish physician and philologist, and intended for international use. It is based on word roots common to the major European languages.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Esperanto

1890–95; originally pseudonym of inventor; literally, the hoping one. See esperance

OTHER WORDS FROM Esperanto

Es·pe·ran·tism, nounEs·pe·ran·tist, noun

Words nearby Esperanto

esparto, espec., especial, especially, esperance, Esperanto, espial, espionage, Espírito Santo, Espíritu Santo, esplanade

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Esperanto in a sentence

And Mangum swears that his knowledge of Esperanto better prepared him to learn Spanish.
Do You Speak Klingon?|Stephen Brown|June 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Esperanto fell well short of Zamenhof's goal of a universal second language, but it was not a complete failure.
Do You Speak Klingon?|Stephen Brown|June 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Nowhere is this pipe dream more obvious than in the history of Esperanto, one of the world's most well-known invented languages.
Do You Speak Klingon?|Stephen Brown|June 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
To this day, many Esperanto enthusiasts, including Doug Mangum of Greensboro, N.C., share in this frustration.
Do You Speak Klingon?|Stephen Brown|June 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST

It is curious to notice that the apparently innocent invention of Esperanto receives support from the same quarter.
Secret Societies And Subversive Movements|Nesta H. Webster
Here is a leaflet about the Panama Exposition published in Esperanto.
Esperanto: Hearings before the Committee on Education|Richard Bartholdt and A. Christen
Here is a bookseller in Paris issuing a catalogue entirely in Esperanto.
Esperanto: Hearings before the Committee on Education|Richard Bartholdt and A. Christen
For instance, in Paris and Barcelona there are many thousands who understand Esperanto.
Esperanto: Hearings before the Committee on Education|Richard Bartholdt and A. Christen
The town of Antwerp publishes an illustrated guide of the town in Esperanto.
Esperanto: Hearings before the Committee on Education|Richard Bartholdt and A. Christen

British Dictionary definitions for Esperanto

Esperanto

/ (ˌɛspəˈræntəʊ) /

noun

an international artificial language based on words common to the chief European languages, invented in 1887

Derived forms of Esperanto

Esperantist, noun, adjective

Word Origin for Esperanto

C19: literally: the one who hopes, pseudonym of Dr. L. L. Zamenhof, who invented it

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