autumnal

adjective

au·​tum·​nal ȯ-ˈtəm-nəl 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of autumn

autumnal weather

autumnal colors

the autumnal equinox

I am often surprised to see rising amid these trees the rounded tops of apple-trees glowing with red or yellow fruit, in harmony with the autumnal tints of the forest.

—Henry David Thoreau

autumnally

ȯ-ˈtəm-nə-lē 

adverb

These days on the verge of winter were autumnally fair, struck through with warmth until the swift lengthening of the shadows.

—John Updike

Examples of autumnal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fall can be an autumnal festival or murder mystery. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2025

Nestled in a region of Ohio that looks more like Middle-Earth than the middle of the Midwest, Cuyahoga Valley National Park transforms into autumnal paradise by mid-October. —Erica Zazo, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2025

Plus, in its autumnal shades of orange and pink, Lively’s look matched the mood of the season. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2024

The autumnal equinox is one of two points in Earth’s orbit where the sun creates equal periods of daytime and nighttime across the globe. —Michael Roston, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin autumnālis, from autumnus autumn + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above