Added 10 October 2026
physiognomy
/fɪziˈɒnəmi/ noun
Latin root: physiognomia Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about physiognomy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The art or pseudoscience of deducing the predominant temper and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially from the features of the face.
- The face or countenance, with respect to the temper of the mind; particular configuration, cast, or expression of countenance, as denoting character.
- The art of telling fortunes by inspection of the features.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English phisonomie, from Anglo-Norman phisenomie, Middle French phisonomie et al., ultimately from Late Latin physiognomia, from Ancient Greek φυσιογνωμία (phusiognōmía, “physiology”), from φύσις (phúsis, “physique, appearance”) + γνώμη (gnṓmē, “means of knowing”). Middle English phisonomie would regularly develop into *physnomy /ˈfɪznəmi/ (forms of this type are common in Early Modern English, such as fisnomie in All's Well that Ends Well); the modern spelling and pronunciation are due to learned influence.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)