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intonate

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intonate¹

  • /ˈɪntəʊneɪt/ UK

Where it comes from

First attested in 1795; borrowed from Medieval Latin intonātus, perfect passive participle of intonō (“to vocalize, chant”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- (inchoative prefix) + tonus (“pitch, tone”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix); doublet of intone. Cognate with French entonner, Italian intonare.

verb intonates · intonating · intonated

  1. dated, intransitive, transitive To intone or recite (words), especially emphatically or in a chanting manner. […] we have no doubt whatever that the recitation of verse on the stage was of an artificial and semi-musical character. It was undoubtedly much more sustained and intonated with a slow and measured stateliness, which, whilst harmonizing it with the other circumstances of solemnity in Greek tragedy,
  2. dated, transitive To say or speak with a certain intonation. “Is this Mr. O’Connor’s chamber?” inquired a voice of peculiar richness, intonated not unpleasingly with a certain melodious modification of the brogue […]
  3. dated, transitive To intone or vocalize (musical notes); to sound the tones of the musical scale; to practise the sol-fa. The composer so ordered it, that the king’s part should be one holding note, in a pitch proper for a Contratenor, for that was the king’s voice. Nor was he inattentive to other particulars, for he contrived his own part, which was the Bass, in such a manner, that every other note he sung was an octa

intonate²

Where it comes from

First attested in 1631; borrowed from Latin intonātus, perfect passive participle of intonō (“to thunder forth”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

verb intonates · intonating · intonated

  1. obsolete To thunder or to utter in a sonorous or thunderous voice. But agaynst all such as contemne the holy scriptures & cast awaye the law of theyr LORDE God, wyllynge neither to enter them selues, nor yet suffryng other, christ intonateth and thonderethe on this manner […]

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MLA

"intonate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/intonate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

intonate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/intonate

Chicago

"intonate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/intonate.

BibTeX
@misc{intonate_2026,
  title = {intonate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/intonate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}