sumptuary
English
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
sumptuary
- /ˈsʌm(p)t͡ʃʊəɹi/ UK
- /ˈsʌm(p)tjʊəɹi/ UK
- /ˈsʌm(p)t͡ʃəɹi/ UK
- /ˈsʌm(p)tjʊɹi/ UK
- /ˈsʌm(p)t͡ʃuˌɛɹi/ US
- /-tju-/ US
- /-t͡ʃəˌwɛɹi/ US
Where it comes from
From Latin sūmptuārius (“of or relating to expenditure, sumptuary; person in charge of household expenses”) + English -ary (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Sūmptuārius is derived from sūmptus (“charge, cost, expense”) + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives); and sūmptus from sūmō (“to catch, seize, take; to acquire, get, obtain; to apply, employ, use; to consume, spend”) (from sub- (prefix meaning ‘below, beneath, under’) + emō (“to acquire, procure; to buy, purchase”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to distribute; to take”))) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns from verbs).
Cognates
* Middle French sumptuaire (modern French somptuaire)
* Italian sontuario
* Portuguese suntuário
* Spanish suntuario
adjective more sumptuary · most sumptuary
- Relating to expenditure or expense, especially on luxury goods. Among the trade goods mentioned are not only luxury items but also food produce, which contradicts the idea of exclusively sumptuary trade. Quite possibly these northern lords maintained sporadic trade with Guayaquil in pre-Hispanic times.
- Chiefly in sumptuary law: of a law, regulation, etc.: intended to limit or restrain the expenditure of citizens in apparel, food, furniture, etc., or to forbid the use of certain articles (especially luxurious ones), to regulate the prices of commodities and the wages of labour, or to reinforce morals or social hierarchies. Some vvill vvonder, that Empſon and Dudley (the Royal Promoters then in prime) did not catch him [Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron Vaux of Harrowden] by the Collar, or pick an hole in his Govvn, upon the breach of ſome ruſty ſumptuary Statute; the rather, becauſe lately the Earl of Oxford vvas heavily fined
- Of or relating to sumptuary laws or regulations.
Translations
Talk about this word "sumptuary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sumptuary. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. sumptuary. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sumptuary "sumptuary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sumptuary.Cite this
@misc{sumptuary_2026,
title = {sumptuary},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sumptuary},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
