luxuriant
/lʌɡˈʒʊəri.ənt/
adjective
Origin
Latin
luxuriare — to be luxuriant, to flourish
Overview
Meaning Now
- Growing profusely; characterized by vigorous and healthy growth.
- Abundant, profuse, or elaborate in style or decoration.
Literal older meaning
abounding in excess
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
luxurians
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term originated from the Latin 'luxuria', which implies both physical abundance and moral extravagance. While 'luxuriant' is now used primarily for natural, positive abundance, its etymological cousin 'luxurious' retains the sense of moral or material indulgence.
Evolution
- Latin
luxuria
“excess, extravagance”
- Latin
luxurians
“growing rankly or profusely”
Present participle of luxuriare
- 17th-century English
luxuriant
“growing in abundance”
Connections
Word parts
luxur-
root
excess or luxury
-iant
suffix
characterized by
Related across languages
French
luxuriant
Italian
lussureggiante
luxuriant
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Related to luxuriant
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.