ametrical
|a-met-ri-cal|
/eɪˈmɛtrɪkəl/
without meter
Etymology
'ametrical' originates from Greek combining prefix 'a-' meaning 'not' and 'metrical' ultimately from Greek 'metron' meaning 'measure'.
'metrical' comes from Greek 'metron' → Late Latin 'metricus' → Middle English 'metrical'; the negative prefix 'a-' (Greek) was attached in English to form 'ametrical'.
Initially formed simply as a negative of 'metrical' meaning 'not measured' or 'without measure'; it has come to be used mainly in prosody to mean 'lacking regular poetic meter'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not metrical; lacking a regular metrical structure (in poetry, verse, or rhythm).
The poet deliberately wrote ametrical lines to create a sense of natural speech.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/10 11:40