immense English · revision 15370

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1426|origins=la mētior}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɪˈmɛns/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|immense]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from [[la|immēnsus|t=immeasurable, boundless]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from [[m|la|in-|t=not]] and [[m|la|mēnsus|t=measured]], the past participle of [[m|la|mētior|t=to measure]] (see [[measure]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Great beyond measure: about 1426 (immens) in Barnhart, the early 15th century in Etymonline;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) the OED's first quotation, for much beyond the ordinary size, is from 1490.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Unmeasured, too great to be measured, is from 1599,^(OED 1989) and boundless or infinite from the 16th century.^(Hoad 1986) It was a vogue word in the 18th century, mocked for phrases like ''immense great'' and ''immense little'';^(Etymonline) in slang it meant superlatively fine from 1762.^(OED 1989) Immensity is probably from 1440.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1426 – immens.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1440 – immensity.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1490 – extremely great.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1599 – immeasurable.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1762 – splendid (slang).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Extremely large; [[huge]], [[vast]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Without limits; [[immeasurable]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' Very good; excellent.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[immensely]]

+ * [[immenseness]]

+ * [[immensity]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[measure]]

+ * [[dimension]]

+ * [[commensurate]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In north Yorkshire dialect immense meant exactly the thing required.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}