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solemn

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 10 March 2021

Etymology

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From Middle English solempne, solemne (“performed with religious ceremony or reverence; devoted to religious observances, sacred; ceremonious, formal; of a vow: made under a religious sanction, binding; religious celebration, celebration of a feast day; famous, well-known; important; grand, imposing; awe-inspiring, impressive; grave, serious; dignified; enunciated or held formally”) [and other forms],[1] from Old French solempne, solemne (“serious, solemn”) [and other forms], or from its etymon Late Latin sōlempnis, sōlennis, from Latin sōlemnis, from sollemnis (“appointed, established, fixed; common, customary, ordinary, ritual, traditional, usual; ceremonial, religious, solemn; festive; annual, yearly”) [and other forms]. The further etymology is uncertain;[2] sollus (“entire, whole”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole”)) + epulum (“banquet, feast”) (in the sense of a ritual; perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed- (“to eat”)) has been suggested.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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solemn (comparative solemner or more solemn, superlative solemnest or most solemn)

  1. (religion, specifically Christianity) Of or pertaining to religious ceremonies and rites; (generally) religious in nature; sacred.
  2. (by extension)
    1. Characterized by or performed with appropriate or great ceremony or formality.
      • 1993, Miklós Boskovits, The Origins of Florentine Painting, 1100-1270, volume 1, page 33:
        Whereas the accentuated linearism, the angular stylization of the folds, the rhythmical course of the outlining and the solemn frontality conjoined with an air of regality in the pose seem to recall the formal repertory of the Corbolinus Master and his group […]
    2. Deeply serious and sombre; grave.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:serious
      Antonyms: lighthearted, unserious
    3. Inspiring serious feelings or thoughts; sombrely impressive.
      Synonym: awe-inspiring
    4. (obsolete) Cheerless, gloomy, sombre.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:cheerless
      Antonyms: cheerful; see also Thesaurus:blissful

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “solempne, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “solemn, adj. (adv. and n.)”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1913; “solemn, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Romanian

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Etymology

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    Learned borrowing from Latin sollemnis.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    solemn m or n (feminine singular solemnă, masculine plural solemni, feminine/neuter plural solemne)

    1. solemn, grave, serious
      Synonyms: grav, serios
    2. impressive, exalted
    3. festive, celebratory
      Synonyms: festiv, sărbătoresc

    Declension

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    Declension of solemn
    singular plural
    masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
    nominative-
    accusative     		indefinite solemn solemnă solemni solemne
    definite solemnul solemna solemnii solemnele
    genitive-
    dative     		indefinite solemn solemne solemni solemne
    definite solemnului solemnei solemnilor solemnelor
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