Added 9 October 2026
lamentation
/ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/ noun
In Latin: lāmentātiō Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lamentation at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A cry of sorrow and grief.
their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward
- The passionate and demonstrative activity of expressing grief.
Origin
Recorded since 1375, from Middle English lamentacioun, from Middle French lamentation and its etymon Latin lāmentātiō (“wailing, moaning, weeping”), from the deponent verb lāmentor, from lāmentum (“wail; wailing”), itself from a Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (“to howl”), presumed ultimately imitative. Replaced Old English cwiþan. By surface analysis, lament + -ation.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)