lectio difficilior

noun

The more difficult reading, held to be the more likely when faced with two manuscripts that disagree on a particular reading, according to the principle of lectio difficilior potior.

OriginLatin lectiō difficilior →
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Meanings

nounlectio difficilior (plural lectiones difficiliores)

plural lectiones difficiliores

  1. human sciencesThe more difficult reading, held to be the more likely when faced with two manuscripts that disagree on a particular reading, according to the principle of lectio difficilior potior.

Origin

  1. Latinlectiō difficilior“more difficult reading”
  2. Englishlectio difficilior

Borrowed from Latin lectiō difficilior (“more difficult reading”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lectio difficilior. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lectio%20difficilior

MLA

“lectio difficilior.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lectio%20difficilior. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lectio difficilior,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lectio%20difficilior.

Source: lectio difficilior on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.