etymology
Americannoun
plural
etymologies-
the derivation of a word.
- Synonyms:
- origin, derivation
-
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.
-
the study of historical linguistic change, especially as manifested in individual words.
noun
-
the study of the sources and development of words and morphemes
-
an account of the source and development of a word or morpheme
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The editors have also added sidebar features with etymology and trivia.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
Among the notes included in the “Furlough’s Paradise” script is an etymology of the word “furlough” — as in, “permission, liberty granted to do something.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025
Not because those words aren’t fitting descriptors for Ani, but because she’s far more complex than a couple of attributes you can pull from the etymology section of a mommy blog.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2024
“I just said I never heard it before and I wondered what the etymology of your name is.”
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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.
