solemn
/ˈsɑləm/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.41 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of or pertaining to religious ceremonies and rites; (generally) religious in nature; sacred.
adj
Characterized by or performed with appropriate or great ceremony or formality.
Example Sentences
- "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 […]"
Etymology
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], 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; 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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsɑləm/
- British English: /ˈsɒləm/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
oversolemn
semisolemn
solemncholy
solemnify
solemniously
solemnly
solemnness
solemnsides
supersolemn
ultrasolemn
unsolemn