Noun Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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noun

[naÊŠn ]

Definition

Context #1 | Noun

grammatical term

A noun is a part of speech that denotes a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns can function as the subject or object of a verb in a sentence. They are often accompanied by adjectives to provide more detail. In English, nouns can be categorized into proper nouns, common nouns, abstract nouns, and collective nouns, among others.

Synonyms

name, substantive, term.

Examples of usage

  • Dog is a noun referring to a domestic animal.
  • Freedom is an abstract noun representing a state of being.
  • Paris is a proper noun denoting a specific city.
  • The committee is a collective noun representing a group.
  • Table is a common noun for a piece of furniture.

Translations

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Origin of 'noun'

The word 'noun' originates from the Latin word 'nomen', meaning 'name'. It was adapted into Middle English as 'noun', with the same meaning of a word representing a person, place, thing, or idea. The classification of words into parts of speech, including nouns, dates back to Latin grammar. The concept became more formalized in the 12th and 13th centuries as English speakers began to adopt comprehensive grammatical frameworks. Throughout history, nouns have been an essential part of language, allowing for the identification and categorization of the world around us.


Word Frequency Rank

At #6,444 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.