appellative

A1P3P3E1L1L1A1T1I1V4E1
/əˈpɛlətɪv/

adjective

Of or pertaining to an appellative noun or common noun.

Similar
namingdenotativedenotiveappellationdenominationdesignation
OriginLate Latin appellātīvus →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectiveappellative (not comparable)

alternative abbreviation appel.

  1. not comparablegrammarOf or pertaining to an appellative noun or common noun.
  2. not comparableOf or pertaining to ascribing names.

    as these things of nature, or natures of things, were sometimes deified by the Pagans plainly and nakedly in their own appellative names

    1678, R[alph] Cudworth, The True Intellectual System of the Universe: The First Part; wherein All the Reason and Philosophy of Atheism is Confuted; and Its Impossibility Demonstrated, London: […] Richard Royston, […], →OCLC
nounappellative (plural appellatives)

plural appellatives · alternative abbreviation appel.

  1. A common noun.
  2. An epithet.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveinclined to or serving for the giving of names

Similar
namingdenotativedenotive

nounidentifying word or words by which someone or something is called and classified or distinguished from others

Similar
appellationdenominationdesignation
Broader
name
Also see
appellationcommoncommon noundenominationdenotativedenotivedesignationnaming

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Late Latinappellātīvus
  2. Englishappellative

From the Late Latin appellātīvus, from the stem appella- (“to call”), with the adjectival suffix -ive.

More words from Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek προσηγορικός
  • προσηγορικός (prosēgorikós)of or pertaining to a common noun
Catalan apel·latiu
  • apel·latiuof or pertaining to a common noun
Chinese Mandarin 普通名稱 /普通名称, 通稱名詞 /通称名词
  • 普通名稱 /普通名称 (pǔtōng míngchēng)of or pertaining to a common noun
  • 通稱名詞 /通称名词 (tōngchēng míngcí)of or pertaining to a common noun
Finnish appellatiivinen, appellatiivinen
  • appellatiivinenof or pertaining to a common noun
  • appellatiivinenof or pertaining to ascribing names
  • epiteettiepithet
French appellatif
  • appellatifof or pertaining to a common noun
German appellativ
  • appellativof or pertaining to a common noun
Greek προσηγορικός
  • προσηγορικός (prosigorikós)of or pertaining to a common noun
Latin appellativus
  • appellativusof or pertaining to a common noun
Portuguese apelativo
  • apelativoof or pertaining to ascribing names
Russian нарица́тельный, апелляти́вный
  • нарица́тельный (naricátelʹnyj)of or pertaining to a common noun
  • апелляти́вный (apelljatívnyj)of or pertaining to a common noun
Spanish apelativo
  • apelativoepithet
Cite this entry
APA

appellative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/appellative

MLA

“appellative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/appellative. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “appellative,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/appellative.

Source: appellative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.