Meanings
nounenclitic (plural enclitics)
plural enclitics
- human sciencesA clitic that joins with the preceding word phonetically, graphically, or both.
The English possessive 's is an enclitic.
adjectiveenclitic (not comparable)
- not comparablegrammarAffixed phonetically.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐγκλιτικός“inclined towards”
- Late Latinencliticus
- Englishenclitic
From Late Latin encliticus, from Ancient Greek ἐγκλιτικός (enklitikós, “inclined towards”), from ἐγκλίνειν (enklínein, “lean on”), from ἐν (en, “upon”) + κλίνειν (klínein, “to lean, incline”).
More words from Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἐγκλιτικός
- ἐγκλιτικός (enklitikós)affixed phonetically
Arabic مُتَّصِل, مُحَاط
- مُتَّصِل (muttaṣil)clitic which joins with the preceding word
- مُحَاط (muḥāṭ)clitic which joins with the preceding word
Bulgarian енклитика
- енклитика (enklitika)clitic which joins with the preceding word
Catalan enclític, enclític
- enclíticclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enclíticaffixed phonetically
Chinese Mandarin 附属字, 後附語素 /后附语素
- 附属字 (fùshǔzì)clitic which joins with the preceding word
- 後附語素 /后附语素clitic which joins with the preceding word
- 附属的 (fùshǔde)affixed phonetically
Czech enklitikon
- enklitikonclitic which joins with the preceding word
Danish enklitikon, enklitisk
- enklitikonclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enklitiskaffixed phonetically
Dutch encliticum, enclitisch
- encliticumclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enclitischaffixed phonetically
Finnish liitepartikkeli, enkliitti
- liitepartikkeliclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enkliitticlitic which joins with the preceding word
- enkliittinenaffixed phonetically
French enclitique
- enclitiqueaffixed phonetically
German Enklitikon, enklitisch
- Enklitikonclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enklitischaffixed phonetically
Greek εγκλιτικό, εγκλιτικός
- εγκλιτικό (egklitikó)clitic which joins with the preceding word
- εγκλιτικός (egklitikós)affixed phonetically
Hungarian tapadószó, simulószó
- tapadószóclitic which joins with the preceding word
- simulószóclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enklitikumclitic which joins with the preceding word
- tapadószócskaclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enklitikusaffixed phonetically
- simulóaffixed phonetically
- tapadóaffixed phonetically
- csüggőaffixed phonetically
Icelandic viðskeyttur
- viðskeytturaffixed phonetically
Indonesian enklitik
- enklitikclitic which joins with the preceding word
Irish iarchlaonán
- iarchlaonánclitic which joins with the preceding word
Italian enclitica, enclitico
- encliticaclitic which joins with the preceding word
- encliticoaffixed phonetically
- encliticaaffixed phonetically
Japanese 前接語
- 前接語 (zensetsugo)clitic which joins with the preceding word
Latin encliticum, encliticus
- encliticumclitic which joins with the preceding word
- encliticusaffixed phonetically
Norwegian Bokmål enklitikon, enklitisk
- enklitikonclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enklitiskaffixed phonetically
Polish enklityka
- enklitykaclitic which joins with the preceding word
Portuguese enclítico, enclítico
- enclíticoclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enclíticoaffixed phonetically
Russian энкли́тика, энклити́ческий
- энкли́тика (enklítika)clitic which joins with the preceding word
- энклити́ческий (enklitíčeskij)affixed phonetically
Spanish enclítico, enclítico
- enclíticoclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enclíticoaffixed phonetically
Swedish enklitikon, enklitisk
- enklitikonclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enklitiskaffixed phonetically
Welsh enclitig, gogwyddair enclitig
- enclitigclitic which joins with the preceding word
- gogwyddair enclitigclitic which joins with the preceding word
- enclitigaffixed phonetically
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with enclitic
criticanalyticcatalyticSemiticparalyticcliticgranulocyticdiacriticUgariticchondriticneriticamylohydrolyticanti-semiticaphaniticArvaniticautolyticbiolyticdialyticEthiosemiticHadramitichelicitichepatiticHimyariticisolytic
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
enclitic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enclitic
MLA
“enclitic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enclitic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enclitic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enclitic.
Source: enclitic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.