chronogram

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noun

A sentence or inscription whose letters, when interpreted according to a system (such as Roman numerals) in which letters correspond to numeric values, stand for a particular date (usually the date of inscription) when rearranged.

OriginAncient Greek χρόνος →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

nounchronogram (plural chronograms)

plural chronograms

  1. A sentence or inscription whose letters, when interpreted according to a system (such as Roman numerals) in which letters correspond to numeric values, stand for a particular date (usually the date of inscription) when rearranged.
  2. biologyA phylogenetic tree that has branch spans proportional to evolutionary time.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekχρόνος“time”
  2. Englishchronogram

From chrono- + -gram, from Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”) + γράμμα (grámma, “writing”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian хронограма
  • хронограма (hronograma)a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
Catalan cronograma
  • cronogramaa sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
Chinese Mandarin 紀年銘 /纪年铭
  • 紀年銘 /纪年铭 (jìniánmíng)a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
French chronogramme
  • chronogrammea sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
German Chronogramm
  • Chronogramma sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
Japanese クロノグラム
  • クロノグラム (kuronoguramu)a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
Russian хроногра́мма
  • хроногра́мма (xronográmma)a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
Spanish cronograma
  • cronogramaa sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged
Cite this entry
APA

chronogram. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chronogram

MLA

“chronogram.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chronogram. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chronogram,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chronogram.

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