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exorbitant

Etymology and origin of the English word exorbitant

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From
Latin exorbitans

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt/, /ɛɡˈzɔːbɪtənt/ (UK); /ɪɡˈzoɹbətənt/, /ɛɡˈzoɹbətənt/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English,[2][3] from Late Latin exorbitāns (“deviating”),[2][4][5][3][6] the present participle of exorbitāre “to go out of the track”,[2][4][5][3][6] from ex- “out of” and orbita “wheel track, rut”.[2][4][5][3][6] It is related to orbit.[2][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A legal term, deviating from rule or not coming within the scope of a law (mid-15th century).[5][3][7] Barnhart dates it to 1437, in the sense “offensive”.[4]

Semantic evolution

Its first meanings were of leaving a set track or rule: anomalous in law, eccentric in conduct, erring morally.[7][5] The general sense of excessive or immoderate is dated by Barnhart to 1440[4] and by Etymonline to the 1620s,[5] and its use for prices and charges dates from the 1660s.[5] This is now the only common sense.[2][3][6]

Timeline

  • 1437 – offensive, per Barnhart.[4]
  • about 1460 – not within the intended scope of a law.[7]
  • 1534 – deviating from a rule or principle.[7]
  • 1620s – excessive, immoderate.[5]
  • 1646 – exorbitance, excessiveness.[4]
  • 1660s – of prices and rates.[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Going far beyond what is fair, reasonable or customary, especially in amount or price; excessive.
  2. (law) Outside the scope of the law.

Word family

  • exorbitantly
  • exorbitance
  • orbit

Usage notes

Random House gives inordinate, outrageous, extreme, extravagant, unreasonable and unconscionable as synonyms, and fair and reasonable as antonyms.[6]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d e f Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Exorbitant.” Etymologically, 12 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/exorbitant. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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