SOLEMN

earnest, sincere, solemn

(adjective) characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions; ā€œboth sides were deeply in earnest, even passionateā€; ā€œan entirely sincere and cruel tyrantā€; ā€œa film with a solemn social messageā€

grave, sedate, sober, solemn

(adjective) dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises; ā€œa grave God-fearing manā€; ā€œa quiet sedate natureā€; ā€œas sober as a judgeā€; ā€œa solemn promiseā€; ā€œthe judge was solemn as he pronounced sentenceā€

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

solemn (comparative more solemn, superlative most solemn)

Deeply serious and somber.

Somberly impressive.

Performed with great ceremony.

Sacred.

Gloomy or sombre.

Anagrams

• Lemnos, Melson, Selmon, Smolen, lemons, losmen, melons, nmoles

Source: Wiktionary


Sol"emn, a. Etym: [OE. solempne, OF. solempne, L. solemnis, solennis, sollemnis, sollennis; sollus all, entire + annus a year; properly, that takes place every year; -- used especially of religious solemnities. Cf. Silly, Annual.]

1. Marked with religious rites and pomps; enjoined by, or connected with, religion; sacred. His holy rites and solemn feasts profaned. Milton. The worship of this image was advanced, and a solemn supplication observed everry year. Bp. Stillingfleet.

2. Pertaining to a festival; festive; festal. [Obs.] "On this solemn day." Chaucer.

3. Stately; ceremonious; grand. [Archaic] His feast so solemn and so rich. Chaucer. To-night we hold a splemn supper. Shak.

4. Fitted to awaken or express serious reflections; marked by seriousness; serious; grave; devout; as, a solemn promise; solemn earnestness. Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage With solemn touches troubled thoughts. Milton. There reigned a solemn silence over all. Spenser.

5. Real; earnest; downright. [Obs. & R.] Frederick, the emperor, . . . has spared no expense in strengthening this city; since which time we find no solemn taking it by the Turks. Fuller.

6. Affectedly grave or serious; as, to put on a solemn face. "A solemn coxcomb." Swift.

7. (Law)

Definition: Made in form; ceremonious; as, solemn war; conforming with all legal requirements; as, probate in solemn form. Burrill. Jarman. Greenleaf. Solemn League and Covenant. See Covenant, 2.

Syn.

– Grave; formal; ritual; ceremonial; sober; serious; reverential; devotional; devout. See Grave.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

22 February 2025

ANALYSIS

(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ā€˜the father of the brideā€™ instead of ā€˜the brideā€™s fatherā€™


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee press is 230 cm (7 ft 6 in) in height and 72 cm (2 ft 4 in) in diameter and was created by Salzillo Tea and Coffee (Spain) in Murcia, Spain, in February 2007. The cafetiĆØre consists of a stainless steel container, a filtering piston, and a superior lid.

coffee icon