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solemn
[ sol-uhm ]
/ ËsÉl Ém /
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adjective
OTHER WORDS FOR solemn
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Origin of solemn
First recorded in 1275â1325; Middle English solem(p)ne, from Old French or directly from Late Latin sĆlennis, sĆlempnis, Latin sĆlemnis, variant of sollemnis âconsecrated, holy,â derivative of sollus âwholeâ
synonym study for solemn
1. See grave2.
historical usage of solemn
The English solemn ultimately comes from the Latin adjective sollemnis âperformed or celebrated according to correct religious forms.â Sollemnis has no secure etymology, but the Romans themselves thought that it came from the adjectives sollus âwhole, completeâ and a derivative adjective formed from the noun annus âyear,â and therefore interpreted sollemnis as meaning âtaking place every year, annual.â
In English, the extension of solemn from applying to rites, ceremonies, holy days, or oaths to nonreligious actions or feelings arose in the mid-15th century. One imagines early religious rites and ceremonies as being (like modern ones) serious and reverential affairs, and that the individuals performing or participating in them did so with a corresponding grave and serious demeanor. So it is not hard to see how the current sense of "grave, sober, or mirthless" developed: applying first to the people who participated in religious rites, and then losing the connection with the rites themselves.
In English, the extension of solemn from applying to rites, ceremonies, holy days, or oaths to nonreligious actions or feelings arose in the mid-15th century. One imagines early religious rites and ceremonies as being (like modern ones) serious and reverential affairs, and that the individuals performing or participating in them did so with a corresponding grave and serious demeanor. So it is not hard to see how the current sense of "grave, sober, or mirthless" developed: applying first to the people who participated in religious rites, and then losing the connection with the rites themselves.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use solemn in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for solemn
solemn
/ (ËsÉlÉm) /
adjective
characterized or marked by seriousness or sinceritya solemn vow
characterized by pomp, ceremony, or formality
serious, glum, or pompous
inspiring awea solemn occasion
performed with religious ceremony
gloomy or sombresolemn colours
Derived forms of solemn
solemnly, adverbsolemnness or solemness, nounWord Origin for solemn
C14: from Old French solempne, from Latin sĆllemnis appointed, perhaps from sollus whole
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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