vernal

American  

[vur-nl] / ˈvɜr nl /

adjective

1. of or relating to spring.

   vernal sunshine.

2. appearing or occurring in spring.

   vernal migratory movements.

3. appropriate to or suggesting spring; springlike.

   vernal greenery.

4. belonging to or characteristic of youth.

   vernal longings.

   Synonyms:

   new, fresh, youthful

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vernal British  

/ ˈvɜːnəl /

adjective

1. of or occurring in spring

2. poetic of or characteristic of youth; fresh

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Other Word Forms

• vernally adverb

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

Example Sentences

“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

One map reveals the locations of streams, wetlands, vernal pools and tidal flats that were buried or drastically altered to accommodate urban development.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2023

But there's no small amount of controversy when it comes to marshes, mires, fens, bogs, vernal pools, prairie ponds, pocosins, sloughs, small streams, seasonal streams, and rain-dependent streams.

From Salon • May 2, 2023

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