etymology

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For example, prompts that encourage models to think about word origins and structure using etymology lead to more unexpected associations and higher creativity scores.

From Science Daily • Jan. 25, 2026

But both etymology and history suggest something more complicated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

As a child, Kim enjoyed looking up words in the dictionary and learning their etymology, a hobby that endured into adulthood.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2025

There are corners of the internet that spend more time worrying about the etymology of Darth Vader’s name than the policies of any politician.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2024

The etymology of the term ‘jazz’ is hotly debated but the most likely derivation is from a non-musical nineteenth-century slang word, jasm, meaning energy, vigour or liveliness.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall