solemn means of or pertaining to religious ceremonies and rites; (generally) religious in nature; sacred. It carries an Arena rating of 1659, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, solemn ranks #452 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #3,533 of 17,130 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #4,240 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words, #4,578 of 17,140 for The Improbable.
solemn is pronounced /ˈsɒləm/.
Why “solemn” is a great word
Characterized by deep seriousness, gravity, and formal dignity, often in a religious or ceremonial context. From Middle English solempne, solemne, from Old French solempne, and directly from Late Latin sōlempnis, sōlennis, from Latin sollemnis ("customary, traditional; ceremonial, religious, solemn"). Unlike "serious," which broadly indicates a lack of levity, or "festive," which is celebratory and merry, solemn carries the weight of sacred obligation and inherited ritual. It is the hush that falls when a coffin passes, the measured tread of a procession through candlelit streets, and the fixed, sober gaze of an oath-taker—a gravity not chosen but inherited, the silence between breaths when the world seems to bow its head.
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”) (ultimat
adj
- Of or pertaining to religious ceremonies and rites; (generally) religious in nature; sacred.
- Characterized by or performed with appropriate or great ceremony or formality.
- Deeply serious and sombre; grave.
- Inspiring serious feelings or thoughts; sombrely impressive.
- Cheerless, gloomy, sombre.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.