adorable
/əˈdɔːrəbəl/
adjective
Origin
Latin
adorabilis — worthy of adoration
Overview
Meaning Now
- Inspiring great affection; delightful or charming.
- Worthy of being adored or worshipped.
Literal older meaning
able to be adored
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
adorable
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word originally carried a heavy theological weight, referring specifically to God or idols deserving of prayer (from Latin 'orare', to speak/pray). By the late 17th century, the sense evolved into the more casual term of endearment used today to describe someone or something lovely or cute.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
adorabilis
“worthy of being prayed to or worshipped”
- Old French
adorable
“worthy of worship”
- Late 16th century
adorable
“highly esteemed or charming”
Semantic broadening from strictly religious worship to secular endearment.
Connections
Word parts
ador
root
to pray to or worship
able
suffix
capable of being
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Related to adorable
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.