Dictionary / gratitude
gratitude
- noun
- from French
The state of being grateful.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “gratitude” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- countableuncountableThe state of being grateful.
She showed deep gratitude for the support she received.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (1)
- nouna feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)gratitude
- Frenchgratitude
- Medieval Latingrātitūdō “thankfulness”
- Latingrātus “thankful”
From French gratitude, from Medieval Latin grātitūdō (“thankfulness”), from Latin grātus (“thankful”). Displaced Old English þancung.
Derivatives — words built from “gratitude”
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “gratitude” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “gratitude” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
gratitude n. [F. gratitude, LL. gratitudo, from gratus agreeable, grateful. See Grate, a.]
- The state of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favor received; thankfulness.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: The state of being grateful.
She showed deep gratitude for the support she received.
He bowed his head in gratitude to the donors.
nounMeaning: a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
he was overwhelmed with gratitude for their help
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
gratitude
/ˈɡɹæ.tɪ.tjuːd/ · grat·i·tude
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
gratitude
/ˈɡɹæ.tɪ.tjuːd/ · grat·i·tude · noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “gratitude” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “gratitude” and what each means:
Step 4 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin grātus. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 5 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — gratitude
Origin: C. French (French gratitude)
Journey: English gratitude ← French gratitude ← Medieval Latin grātitūdō ← Latin grātus
Some derivatives: gratitudinal, overgratitude
Original meaning: Latin grātus — “thankful”
Etymology: From French gratitude, from Medieval Latin grātitūdō (“thankfulness”), from Latin grātus (“thankful”). Displaced Old English þancung.
Sources: Wiktionary “gratitude” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gratitude#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/gratitude