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Glite Dictionary
pentasyllabic

pentasyllabic

8.6
Having five syllables
  • adjective
  • /ˌpɛn.təˈsɪl.ə.bɪk/
: pentasilábico
  • The teacher explained that a pentasyllabic word consists of five distinct syllables, making it longer than most common words.

Examples

  • In our poetry class, we were asked to write a verse that included at least one pentasyllabic line to challenge our rhythm skills.

  • Next words, starting with monosyllables and working up two pentasyllabic tongue twisters.

  • The word 'antidisestablishmentarianism' is an example of a pentasyllabic term that is often used in discussions about political movements.

How Long

pentasyllabic
8.6
disyllabic
  • Specialized
7.7
monosyllabic
5 7.4

Surface Forms

pentasyllabic positive

Morphology

pentasyllabic = syllabic (transparent) = penta + syllable + ic

Formed by adding the combining form 'penta-' (five) to 'syllabic' (relating to syllables), yielding the straightforward meaning 'having five syllables'.

Etymology

Pentasyllabic comes from the parts penta- meaning 'five' and syllable meaning 'a unit of sound', and you can see penta- in the word pentagon. So, a pentasyllabic word is simply a word that has 'five' 'syllables'.