method

A2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈmɛθəd/ See IPA manual

Freq #4262

Meanings

1

noun
A particular way of doing something, especially a planned or organized one.

If one method doesn't work, try another.
2

noun
An orderly or systematic way of working.

There seemed to be no method to how the files were arranged.
3

noun
A function or routine that belongs to an object or class in programming.

You call the method and pass it the values it needs.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a function or routine that... member function

Word family

Forms methods

Related forms methodicmethodiusmethodological methodology

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

eclectic method
an approach that combines useful ideas from different traditions or systems

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Method came through Latin from Greek methodos, meaning “pursuit of knowledge” and based on hodos, “way.” In its earliest English use, a method was a medical treatment for a disease.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *me Proto-Indo-European *meth₂? Ancient Greek μετᾰ́ (metắ) Ancient Greek μετα- (meta-) Proto-Indo-European *sed-der. Proto-Indo-European *sodós? Proto-Hellenic *hodós Ancient Greek ὁδός (hodós) Ancient Greek μέθοδος (méthodos)der. Latin methodusbor. Middle French methodebor. English method From Middle French methode, from Latin methodus, from Ancient Greek μέθοδος (méthodos). By surface analysis, met- + -hod. See also -ode and hodo-.

*sed- Proto-Indo-European methode Middle French methodus Latin μέθοδος Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# method

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɛθəd/
**Frequency rank:** 4262

## Meanings
1. A particular way of doing something, especially a planned or organized one.
2. An orderly or systematic way of working.
3. A function or routine that belongs to an object or class in programming.

## Examples
- If one method doesn't work, try another.
- There seemed to be no method to how the files were arranged.
- You call the method and pass it the values it needs.

## Related Forms
- methodic
- methodius
- methodological
- methodology

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sed-
- Root: methode
- Root: methodus
- Root: μέθοδος

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *me Proto-Indo-European *meth₂? Ancient Greek μετᾰ́ (metắ) Ancient Greek μετα- (meta-) Proto-Indo-European *sed-der. Proto-Indo-European *sodós? Proto-Hellenic *hodós Ancient Greek ὁδός (hodós) Ancient Greek μέθοδος (méthodos)der. Latin methodusbor. Middle French methodebor. English method From Middle French methode, from Latin methodus, from Ancient Greek μέθοδος (méthodos). By surface analysis, met- + -hod. See also -ode and hodo-.

## AI Etymology
Method comes from Middle French methode, from Latin methodus, from Ancient Greek μέθοδος (méthodos). By surface analysis, met- + -hod. See also -ode and hodo-. In present-day English its meanings include a particular way of doing something, especially a planned or organized one, an orderly or systematic way of working, and a function or routine that belongs to an object or class in programming. The historical chain runs through *sed- (Proto-Indo-European), methode (Middle French), methodus (Latin), and μέθοδος (Ancient Greek). Related and derived forms include methodic, methodius, and methodological.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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