aureate

adjective

au·​re·​ate ˈȯr-ē-ət 

1

: of a golden color or brilliance

aureate light

2

: marked by grandiloquent and rhetorical style

aureate diction

Did you know?

This History of Aureate Is Golden

Aureate is among several adjectives in English pertaining to gold that derive from the Latin name for the metal, aurum. While its relatives auriferous and auric are more likely to appear in scientific contexts to describe substances containing or made from gold (or Au, to use its chemical symbol), aureate has tended to have a more literary allure since it was first used in English in the early 15th century. Over time, the word's use was extended from "golden" to "resplendent," and it finally lost some of its luster as it came to mean "grandiloquent."

Synonyms

• florid
• flowery
• grandiloquent
• high-flown
• high-sounding
• highfalutin
• hifalutin
• magnific
• ornate
• purple
• rhetorical
• rhetoric

Examples of aureate in a Sentence

the aureate speeches that are traditionally given at graduation ceremonies

Recent Examples on the Web

Finally, last year, Lil Nas X’s gaze was punctuated by a set of gilded wing decals that complete his aureate ensemble. —Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2022

Because emotionally, they are spirited by your aureate leadership heart. —Peter Weedfald, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2021

Go for the gold with Knesko’s multi-masking collection, which includes made-for-Instagram aureate treatments for the face, neck, décolleté, eyes, and lips. —Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 17 Dec. 2020

If monochrome is more your speed, Pecheux swept swathes of deep aureate pigment across the lids for the downtown girls at Saint Laurent. —Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aureat, from Medieval Latin aureatus decorated with gold, from Latin aureus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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