precious

/pˈɹeʃəs/PREH-shuhs

/pˈɹɛʃəs/PREH-shuhs

Meaningof great price

Common meaning: of great value

preciworth, priceLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1442 · scan
ousadjective ending: full of, having

Journey through time

Latinpretium‘worth, price’
Old Frenchpreciossource
Middle Englishprecioussource
Englishprecious‘of great value’ · today

preci also in: price praise appreciate depreciate

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin pretium ‘worth, price’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry pretium, p. 1442 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry PRAISE, p. 461 · dictionary scan

Roots

pretium Latin “worth, price”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app