lenten
- adjective
- /ˈlɛntən/
- The church held a lenten retreat to help parishioners reflect on their faith.
Examples
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Every year, she participates in a lenten series of community service projects.
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But I'm not going to be joining you because I took a vow, my Lenten vow to give up swearing for Lent.
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During Lent, many people choose to eat lenten meals that are simple and meatless.
Compounds
A garden plant with thick green leaves and purplish green flowers that blooms in early spring
Surface Forms
Morphology
lenten = Lent (transparent) = Lent + en
The adjective is a direct formation from the noun 'Lent' with the adjectival suffix '-en', so meaning is clear to learners who know 'Lent'.
Etymology
The word lenten comes from Lent, which comes from an old English word lencten meaning 'spring' or 'the time when days get longer', and it is related to the English word lengthen. Because Lent is the springtime of fasting and quiet thought, lenten describes things for that season, like plain clothes or simple meals.