Altisonant
/ˌæl.tɪˈsoʊ.nənt/noun
High-sounding, lofty, or grandiloquent in style.
Did you know?Altisonant is a learned Latin-based word built from roots meaning “high” and “sounding,” the kind of elevated diction Renaissance writers loved for grand, ceremonial prose.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
altisonans
“high-sounding; lofty in tone”
Late Latin
Latin
altisonantem
“being high-sounding, resonant”
Middle French
French
altisonant
“high-sounding, pompous”
16th Century
English
altisonant
“high-sounding, grandiloquent”
Modern English
English
altisonant
“grandiloquent or pompously elevated in style”