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serious

[ seer-ee-uhs ]
/ ˈsɪər i əs /
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See synonyms for: serious / seriousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun
that which is of importance, grave, critical, or somber: You have to learn to separate the serious from the frivolous.
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Origin of serious

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French serieux and Latin sērius “grave, earnest” or Late Latin sēriōsus; see -ous, -ose1

synonym study for serious

3. See earnest1.

OTHER WORDS FROM serious

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

How to use serious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for serious

serious
/ (ˈsɪərɪəs) /

adjective

Derived forms of serious

seriousness, noun

Word Origin for serious

C15: from Late Latin sēriōsus, from Latin sērius; probably related to Old English swǣr gloomy, Gothic swers esteemed
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
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