alphabetical

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌælfəˈbɛtɪkəl/ UK /ˌæl.fəˈbɛt.ɪ.kəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #26520

Meanings

1

adj
Arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet.

All the names were placed into an alphabetical list.
2

adj
Relating to or using the letters of the alphabet.

Children first learn the alphabetical symbols before they can read.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · arranged in the order of... alphabetic

2 adj · relating to or using the... alphabetic

Word family

Derived forms alphabeticalityalphabeticallyalphabeticalnessalphagramalphamericalalphamosaicasciibeticalnonalphabeticalprealphabeticalunalphabeticalzetabetical

Related forms alphabet alphabetize

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

alphabetical order
an arrangement that follows the sequence of letters in the alphabet

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Latin alphabēticus + -al. By surface analysis, alphabet + -ical.

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# alphabetical

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌælfəˈbɛtɪkəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌæl.fəˈbɛt.ɪ.kəl/
**Frequency rank:** 26520

## Meanings
1. Arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet.
2. Relating to or using the letters of the alphabet.

## Examples
- All the names were placed into an alphabetical list.
- Children first learn the alphabetical symbols before they can read.

## Derived Forms
- alphabeticality
- alphabetically
- alphabeticalness
- alphagram
- alphamerical
- alphamosaic
- asciibetical
- nonalphabetical
- prealphabetical
- unalphabetical
- zetabetical

## Related Forms
- alphabet
- alphabetize

## Etymology
From Latin alphabēticus + -al. By surface analysis, alphabet + -ical.

## AI Etymology
Alphabetical is from Latin alphabēticus plus -al. By surface analysis, alphabet plus -ical. The adjectival suffix attaches the word to Latin alphabēticus semantically, giving it the sense of being of, relating to, or characterized by the base. In use as an adjective, alphabetical denotes arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet and relating to or using the letters of the alphabet. The same word family continues in derived forms such as alphabeticality, alphabetically, alphabeticalness, and alphagram and related entries such as alphabet and alphabetize.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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