Meanings
comparative more abhominal · superlative most abhominal
- obsoleteInhuman; obsolete form of abominable.
Tyrrel was, on the accession of Henry VII. arraigned, and after a full confession beheaded on Tower hill; and King Richard himself, "after this abhominal dede dooen never was quiet in his minde, he never ...
1826, Thomas Wright (of Ludlow.), The history and antiquities of ... Ludlow; with lives of the presidents, and accounts of gentlemen's seats, &c, page 651 more example
Reader, what could I have written more fully and freely in the cordial detestation of such abhominal* libels? […] This is one of Fuller's humorous exemplifications of verbal criticisms, deriving our common word "abominable" from ab and homo, homonis, and thus converting it into the very expressive term abhominal, "unworthy of a man," "unmanly,", "inhuman."—EDIT.
1840, Thomas Fuller, The History of the University of Cambridge, London: Printed for T. Tegg by J. Nichols, page 517
Origin
- Latinabhominalis
- Englishabhominal
From Latin abhominalis, from ab (“away from”) + hominis (“man”), but in practice from English abominable, which was erroneously folk-etymologized as this word, leading to this spelling and abhominable, which see for more.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
abhominal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abhominal
“abhominal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abhominal. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “abhominal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abhominal.
Source: abhominal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.