Etymologically
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geographical

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:35. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /d͡ʒiəˈɡɹæfɪkl̩/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Late Latin geōgraphicus and -al,[2][3] from Ancient Greek γεωγραφικός (geōgraphikós), from γεωγράφος (geōgráphos, “geographer”),[3] from γῆ (gê, “earth”) and γράφω (gráphō, “to write, draw”) (see geography).[3][2] The New Oxford also allows French géographique.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of or relating to geography: 1559 in the OED, the 1550s in Etymonline, the mid-16th century in the Shorter Oxford.[4][2][5]

Semantic evolution

Fancifully, resembling a map, it is from 1885.[4] Geographical latitude is the angle made with the equator by a perpendicular to the earth's surface.[5] It also means relating to location, as a large geographical area.[6]

Timeline

  • 1559 – geographical.[4]
  • 1885 – resembling a map.[4]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Relating to geography.
  2. Relating to the location of a place or area: a wide geographical area.

Word family

  • geographically
  • nongeographical
  • ungeographical

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2009), 5th ed., Harlow: Pearson Longman