"polythetic" meaning in All languages combined

See polythetic on Wiktionary

Adjective [English]

Forms: more polythetic [comparative], most polythetic [superlative]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor. English poly- Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis) Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English polythetic From poly- + Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “arrangement”) + English -ic. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|poly-|grc:θέσις<t:arrangement>|-ic|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor. English poly- Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis) Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English polythetic [Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "der.", "keyword_label" : "Derived from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "fill", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*pleh₁-", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*polh₁ús", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Ancient Greek", "term" : "πολῠ́ς", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "grc" } ], "keyword" : "lbor" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "poly-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }, { "gloss" : "arrangement", "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Ancient Greek", "term" : "θέσις", "status" : "missing", "lang" : "grc" }, { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjectival suffix", "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "bor.", "keyword_label" : "Borrowed from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjectival suffix", "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "lbor.", "keyword_label" : "Learned borrowing from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjectival suffix", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ic", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-ikos", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*-ikos", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "-icus", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword" : "lbor" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old French", "term" : "-ique", "lang" : "fro" } ], "keyword" : "bor" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-ik", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-ic", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "polythetic", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="polythetic"> From poly- + Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “arrangement”) + English -ic. Head templates: {{en-adj}} polythetic (comparative more polythetic, superlative most polythetic)
  1. (of a class of things) Having many, but not all properties in common. Wikipedia link: Family resemblance Related terms: monothetic
{
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "*pleh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pleh₁-#Proto-Indo-European:_fill"
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/polh₁ús"
    ],
    [
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      "πολύς#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
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      "poly-#English"
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    [
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    [
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  "etymology_templates": [
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        "2": ":af",
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        "4": "grc:θέσις<t:arrangement>",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *pleh₁-der.\nProto-Indo-European *polh₁ús\nAncient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor.\nEnglish poly-\nAncient Greek θέσις (thésis)\nProto-Indo-European *-ikos\nProto-Italic *-ikos\nLatin -icuslbor.\nOld French -iquebor.\nMiddle English -ik\nEnglish -ic\nEnglish polythetic\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"fill\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pleh₁-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*polh₁ús\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"πολῠ́ς\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"poly-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"gloss\" : \"arrangement\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"θέσις\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectival suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectival suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"lbor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Learned borrowing from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectival suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ic\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ikos\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ikos\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-icus\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-ique\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ik\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ic\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"polythetic\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"polythetic\">\nFrom poly- + Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “arrangement”) + English -ic.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *pleh₁-der.\nProto-Indo-European *polh₁ús\nAncient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor.\nEnglish poly-\nAncient Greek θέσις (thésis)\nProto-Indo-European *-ikos\nProto-Italic *-ikos\nLatin -icuslbor.\nOld French -iquebor.\nMiddle English -ik\nEnglish -ic\nEnglish polythetic\nFrom poly- + Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “arrangement”) + English -ic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more polythetic",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most polythetic",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
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      "args": {},
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      "name": "en-adj"
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
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          "name": "English entries referencing missing etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ic",
          "parents": [],
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          "parents": [],
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          "source": "w"
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "source": "w"
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              12
            ]
          ],
          "text": "A polythetic taxon is one where the constituent organisms share a large number of characteristics.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Having many, but not all properties in common."
      ],
      "id": "en-polythetic-en-adj-hF0RdiBU",
      "links": [
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          "many"
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          "all",
          "all"
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        [
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          "properties"
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        [
          "common",
          "common"
        ]
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        "(of a class of things) Having many, but not all properties in common."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a class of things"
      ],
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        {
          "word": "monothetic"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Family resemblance"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "polythetic"
}
{
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "*pleh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pleh₁-#Proto-Indo-European:_fill"
    ],
    [
      "*polh₁ús",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/polh₁ús"
    ],
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      "πολῠ́ς",
      "πολύς#Ancient_Greek"
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      "poly-#English"
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      "poly-#English"
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      "θέσις#Ancient_Greek"
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      "name": "ety"
    }
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  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *pleh₁-der.\nProto-Indo-European *polh₁ús\nAncient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor.\nEnglish poly-\nAncient Greek θέσις (thésis)\nProto-Indo-European *-ikos\nProto-Italic *-ikos\nLatin -icuslbor.\nOld French -iquebor.\nMiddle English -ik\nEnglish -ic\nEnglish polythetic\nFrom poly- + Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “arrangement”) + English -ic.",
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      "tags": [
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      "form": "most polythetic",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
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  "lang_code": "en",
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    {
      "word": "monothetic"
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        "Having many, but not all properties in common."
      ],
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        "(of a class of things) Having many, but not all properties in common."
      ],
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        "of a class of things"
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      "wikipedia": [
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      ]
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  "word": "polythetic"
}

Download raw JSONL data for polythetic meaning in All languages combined (5.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (1a05e46 and e3d6d4e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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