Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • High-sounding; lofty or pompous, as language: as, “altisonant phrases,” Evelyn, Sylva (To the Reader).

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective High-sounding; lofty or pompous.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective High-sounding; lofty or pompous.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin altus high + sonans, present participle of sonare to sound.

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Examples

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Comments

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  • (archaic) Lofty or pompous: high-sounding; loud.

    Oh, the things one can do with a word like this. ;-)

    September 22, 2007

  • What a pretentious word.

    September 22, 2007