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plenary
adjective
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In the 14th century, the monk Robert of Brunne described a situation in which all the knights of King Arthur's Round Table were present at court by writing, "When Arthures court was plener, and alle were comen, fer and ner.…" For many years, plener (also spelled plenar) served English well for both senses that we reserve for plenary today. But we'd borrowed plener from Anglo-French, and, although the French had relied on Latin plenus ("full") for their word, the revival of interest in the Classics during the English Renaissance led scholars to prefer purer Latin origins. In the 15th century, English speakers turned to Late Latin plenarius and came up with plenary. (Plenarius also comes from plenus, which is the source of our plenty and replenish as well.)
Synonyms
full, complete, plenary, replete mean containing all that is wanted or needed or possible.
full implies the presence or inclusion of everything that is wanted or required by something or that can be held, contained, or attained by it.
complete applies when all that is needed is present.
replete implies being filled to the brim or to satiety.
Examples of plenary in a Sentence
Word History
Middle English plenarie, borrowed from Late Latin plēnārius, from Latin plēnus "full" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at full entry 1
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing plenary
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Cite this Entry
“Plenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plenary. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
plenary
adjectiveLegal Definition
plenary
adjectiveMore from Merriam-Webster on plenary
Britannica English: Translation of plenary for Arabic Speakers
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