asyndeton

A1S1Y4N1D2E1T1O1N1
/əˈsɪndətən//əˈsɪndətɒn//æ-//eɪ-/

noun

Omission of conjunctions, especially for rhetorical effect.

Similar
dissolutioasyndesisasyndetism
OriginLatin asyndeton ← Ancient Greek ἀσύνδετον →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounasyndeton (countable and uncountable, plural asyndetons or asyndeta)

plural asyndetons · plural asyndeta

  1. countablerhetoricuncountablegrammarOmission of conjunctions, especially for rhetorical effect.

    Asyndeton the Cop'latives denies. Faith, Justice, Truth, Religion, Mercy dies.

    1740, Benjamin Martin, Bibliotheca Technologica, 2nd edition, page 145
    2 more examples

    Asyndeton, or the Loose language... as thus. I saw it, I said it, I will sweare it.

    1589, George Puttenham, The Arte of English Poesie, page 145

    Asyndeton the copulative denies; And sometimes haste and rage sometimes implies.

    1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Figures.] Asyndeton.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 50

    Synonyms: dissolutio, asyndesis, asyndetism

Synonyms & antonyms

nounOmission of conjunctions, especially for rhetorical effect.

Similar
dissolutioasyndesisasyndetism
Also see
asyndesis

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀσύνδετον
  2. Latinasyndeton
  3. Englishasyndeton

From Latin asyndeton, from Ancient Greek ἀσύνδετον (asúndeton), from ἀ- (a-, “a-, un-, non-”) and the neuter substantive of σῠ́νδετος (sŭ́ndetos, “bound, joined”), from συνδεῖν (sundeîn, “to join, to bind”), from σῠν- (sŭn-, “together”) + δεῖν (deîn, “to bind, to tie”). Equivalent to a- + syndeton.

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀσύνδετον
  • ἀσύνδετον (asúndeton)rhetoric scheme
Catalan asíndeton
  • asíndetonrhetoric scheme
Czech asyndeton
  • asyndetonrhetoric scheme
Finnish asyndeton
  • asyndetonrhetoric scheme
French asyndète
  • asyndèterhetoric scheme
German Asyndeton
  • Asyndetonrhetoric scheme
Greek ασύνδετο
  • ασύνδετο (asýndeto)rhetoric scheme
Hungarian aszindeton
  • aszindetonrhetoric scheme
Italian asindeto
  • asindetorhetoric scheme
Latin asyndeton, dissolūtiō
  • asyndetonrhetoric scheme
  • dissolūtiōrhetoric scheme
Polish asyndeton
  • asyndetonrhetoric scheme
Portuguese assíndeto
  • assíndetorhetoric scheme
Spanish asíndeton
  • asíndetonrhetoric scheme
Tagalog lakdaw
  • lakdawrhetoric scheme

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

nonsteady
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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