vernal
Americanadjective
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of or occurring in spring
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poetic of or characteristic of youth; fresh
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vernal
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin vernālis, equivalent to vern(us) “of spring” ( vēr “spring” + -nus adjective suffix) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
If you enjoy the vernal lushness of the landscape, that’s a kind of fancy way to say you like the way nature looks in the springtime. The word vernal entered English in the sixteenth century, tracing all the way back to the Latin word ver, meaning spring. Use the adjective vernal to describe something that occurs in springtime or is related to springtime. You might be familiar with the vernal equinox, which indicates the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The word vernal can also be used more broadly to describe something youthful or fresh — springlike.
Vocabulary lists containing vernal
The Vernal Vocabulary of Spring
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March Vocabulary Words
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"
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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.
“Summer,” in full bloom, offers bursts of pink and orange while a spectrum of greens sets the stage for the vernal bounty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
The season then runs until the vernal or spring equinox which in 2026 is Friday 20 March.
From BBC • Nov. 23, 2025
The odds also tend to increase around equinoxes — the vernal equinox occurred last week — due to a more favorable tilt in the Earth’s axis, Murtagh said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2024
In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox will officially take place this Tuesday, March 19, at 11:06 p.m.
From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2024
I have been green, too, Miss Eyre,—ay, grass green: not a more vernal tint freshens you now than once freshened me.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
