solemn

[ sol-uhm ]
/ ˈsɒl əm /

adjective

Origin of solemn

1275–1325; Middle English solem( p) ne (< Old French) < Late Latin sōlennis, sōlempnis, Latin sōlemnis, variant of sollemnis consecrated, holy, derivative of sollus whole

synonym study for solemn

1. See grave2.

historical usage of solemn

The English solemn ultimately comes from the Latin adjective sollemnis “performed or celebrated according to correct religious forms.” Sollemnis has no secure etymology, but the Romans themselves thought that it came from the adjectives sollus “whole, complete” and a derivative adjective formed from the noun annus “year,” and therefore interpreted sollemnis as meaning “taking place every year, annual.”
In English, the extension of solemn from applying to rites, ceremonies, holy days, or oaths to nonreligious actions or feelings arose in the mid-15th century. One imagines early religious rites and ceremonies as being (like modern ones) serious and reverential affairs, and that the individuals performing or participating in them did so with a corresponding grave and serious demeanor. So it is not hard to see how the current sense of "grave, sober, or mirthless" developed: applying first to the people who participated in religious rites, and then losing the connection with the rites themselves.

OTHER WORDS FROM solemn

Example sentences from the Web for solemnly

British Dictionary definitions for solemnly

solemn
/ (ˈsɒləm) /

adjective

characterized or marked by seriousness or sincerity a solemn vow
characterized by pomp, ceremony, or formality
serious, glum, or pompous
inspiring awe a solemn occasion
performed with religious ceremony
gloomy or sombre solemn colours

Derived forms of solemn

solemnly, adverb solemnness or solemness, noun

Word Origin for solemn

C14: from Old French solempne, from Latin sōllemnis appointed, perhaps from sollus whole