etymology

noun/ˌɛtɪˈmɑlədʒi/

Frequency rank: #13,784 most common English word

Meaning

The origin and historical development of a word.

Illustration for the English word “etymology”

Example sentence

The professor explained the etymology of the word 'salary', tracing it back to ancient Roman payments in salt.

Synonyms & related words

Practice this word in the quiz

More words in ranks 13,701–13,800