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Adumbrated: meaning, definitions and examples

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adumbrated

 

[ ˈædʌmˌbreɪtɪd ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

to suggest subtly

To adumbrate means to indicate or represent something in an incomplete or vague way. It often refers to the act of outlining or sketching out ideas without giving full details.

Synonyms

foreshadow, hint, indicate, outline, sketch

Examples of usage

  • The author's notes adumbrated his ideas for the upcoming novel.
  • During the presentation, she adumbrated the main points of her proposal.
  • His comments adumbrated the need for further research in the field.

Translations

Translations of the word "adumbrated" in other languages:

🇵🇹 sugerido

🇮🇳 संकेतित

🇩🇪 angedeutet

🇮🇩 diisyaratkan

🇺🇦 намічений

🇵🇱 naszkicowany

🇯🇵 暗示された

🇫🇷 suggéré

🇪🇸 sugerido

🇹🇷 belirtilmiş

🇰🇷 암시된

🇸🇦 مُشير إليه

🇨🇿 naznačený

🇸🇰 naznačený

🇨🇳 暗示的

🇸🇮 nakazan

🇮🇸 fyrirbyggður

🇰🇿 белгіленген

🇬🇪 მიუთითებდა

🇦🇿 işarə edilmiş

🇲🇽 sugerido

Etymology

The word 'adumbrate' comes from the Latin 'adumbratus', which is the past participle of 'adumbrare', meaning 'to cast a shadow upon' or 'to overshadow'. The roots of this term can be traced back to the combination of 'ad-', meaning 'to' and 'umbra', meaning 'shadow'. This etymology reflects the word's association with suggesting or indicating something without providing a full detail, much like a shadow does not reveal the entire object. The evolution of 'adumbrate' into English occurred in the early 17th century, and it was initially used in the context of art and literature to describe the process of outlining ideas. Over time, its usage expanded to various fields including philosophy and criticism, where it describes the act of hinting at broader or deeper concepts without elaborating them fully.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #31,589 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.