An autological word (also called homological word) is a word expressing a property which it also possesses itself (the word "short" is short, "common" is common, "noun" is a noun, "English" is English, "pentasyllabic" has five syllables, "word" is a word, "sesquipedalian" is sesquipedalian). The opposite is heterological, a word that does not apply to itself ("long" is not long, "verb" is not a verb, but rather a noun, "Englisch" is German).
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Famous quotes containing the word word:
“Through all opposition the personal benefits of the reform [dress] [bracketed word in original] have compensated; but had it been mainly sacrifice, the thought of working for the amelioration of women and the elevation of humanity would still have been the beacon-star guiding me on amid all discouragements.”
—Susan Pecker Fowler (1823–1911)