Download the app
educalingo
Search
If we want to make a statement about a man's nature on the basis of his physiognomy, we must take everything into account; it is in his distress that a man is tested, for then his nature is revealed.
Paracelsus

Meaning of "physiognomy" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PHYSIOGNOMY

From Old French phisonomie, via Medieval Latin, from Late Greek phusiognōmia, erroneous for Greek phusiognōmonia, from phusis nature + gnōmōn judge.
info
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp
section

PRONUNCIATION OF PHYSIOGNOMY

physiognomy  [ˌfɪzɪˈɒnəmɪ] play
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PHYSIOGNOMY

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Physiognomy is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES PHYSIOGNOMY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

physiognomy

Physiognomy

Physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character or personality from his or her outer appearance, especially the face. The term can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object, or terrain, without reference to its implied characteristics, as in the physiognomy of a plant community. Credence of such study has varied from time to time. The practice was well-accepted by the ancient Greek philosophers, but fell into disrepute in the Middle Ages when practised by vagabonds and mountebanks. It was then revived and popularised by Johann Kaspar Lavater before falling from favour again in the late 19th century. Physiognomy as understood in the past meets the contemporary definition of a pseudoscience. No clear evidence indicates physiognomy works, though recent studies have suggested that facial appearances do "contain a kernel of truth" about a person's personality. Physiognomy is also sometimes referred to as anthroposcopy, though the expression was more common in the 19th century when the word originated.

Definition of physiognomy in the English dictionary

The first definition of physiognomy in the dictionary is a person's features or characteristic expression considered as an indication of personality. Other definition of physiognomy is the art or practice of judging character from facial features. Physiognomy is also the outward appearance of something, esp the physical characteristics of a geographical region.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH PHYSIOGNOMY


aeronomy
ɛəˈrɒnəmɪ
agronomy
əˈɡrɒnəmɪ
archaeoastronomy
ˌɑːkɪəʊəˈstrɒnəmɪ
astronomy
əˈstrɒnəmɪ
autonomy
ɔːˈtɒnəmɪ
bionomy
baɪˈɒnəmɪ
chemotaxonomy
ˌkiːməʊtækˈsɒnəmɪ
craniognomy
ˌkreɪnɪˈɒnəmɪ
Deuteronomy
ˌdjuːtəˈrɒnəmɪ
economy
ɪˈkɒnəmɪ
folksonomy
fəʊkˈsɒnəmɪ
gastronomy
ɡæsˈtrɒnəmɪ
heteronomy
ˌhɛtərˈɒnəmɪ
isonomy
aɪˈsɒnəmɪ
plutonomy
pluːˈtɒnəmɪ
taphonomy
təˈfɒnəmɪ
taxonomy
tækˈsɒnəmɪ
teleonomy
ˌtiːlɪˈɒnəmɪ
theonomy
θɪˈɒnəmɪ
zoonomy
zəʊˈɒnəmɪ

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE PHYSIOGNOMY

physio
physiocracy
physiocrat
physiocratic
physiognomic
physiognomical
physiognomically
physiognomist
physiographer
physiographic
physiographical
physiographically
physiography
physiol.
physiolater
physiolatry
physiologic
physiological
physiological psychology
physiologically

WORDS THAT END LIKE PHYSIOGNOMY

antinomy
black economy
cash economy
chirognomy
command economy
false economy
free-enterprise economy
free-market economy
knowledge economy
market economy
mixed economy
molecular gastronomy
new economy
pathognomy
planned economy
political economy
principle of economy
radio astronomy
service economy
the principle of economy

Synonyms and antonyms of physiognomy in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «PHYSIOGNOMY»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «physiognomy» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of physiognomy

Translation of «physiognomy» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF PHYSIOGNOMY

Find out the translation of physiognomy to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of physiognomy from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «physiognomy» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

面相
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

fisonomía
570 millions of speakers

English

physiognomy
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

मुख का आकृति
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

علم الفراسة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

физиогномика
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

fisionomia
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

বাহি্যক গঠন
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

physionomie
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Physiognomy
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Physiognomie
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

人相
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

관상학
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Physiognomy
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

thuật coi vẻ mặt
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

சாமுத்திரிகா
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

शरीराची रचना
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

çehre
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

fisionomia
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

fizjonomia
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

физиогномика
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

fizionomie
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

φυσιογνωμία
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

fysionomie
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

fysionomi
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

fysiognomi
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of physiognomy

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «PHYSIOGNOMY»

The term «physiognomy» is normally little used and occupies the 113.495 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Little used
47
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «physiognomy» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of physiognomy
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «physiognomy».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «PHYSIOGNOMY» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «physiognomy» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «physiognomy» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about physiognomy

EXAMPLES

3 QUOTES WITH «PHYSIOGNOMY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word physiognomy.
1
Henry Walter Bates
Their elegant shape, showy colours, and slow, sailing mode of flight, make them very attractive objects, and their numbers are so great that they form quite a feature in the physiognomy of the forest, compensating for the scarcity of flowers.
2
Bobby Darin
You're either sexy or you're not. I'm very self-conscious about my physiognomy.
3
Paracelsus
If we want to make a statement about a man's nature on the basis of his physiognomy, we must take everything into account; it is in his distress that a man is tested, for then his nature is revealed.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PHYSIOGNOMY»

Discover the use of physiognomy in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to physiognomy and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Physiognomy
1881. A practical and scientific treatise on reading faces, being a manual of instruction in the knowledge of the human physiognomy and organism, considered chemically, architecturally and mathematically; embracing the discoveries of local ...
Mary Olmstead Stanton, 2010
2
About Faces: Physiognomy in Nineteenth-Century Britain
Sharrona Pearl reveals the way that physiognomy, the study of facial features and their relationship to character, shaped the way that people understood one another and presented themselves.
Sharrona Pearl, 2010
3
Physiognomy in Profile: Lavater's Impact on European Culture
Johann Caspar Lavater's richly illustrated Physiognomische Fragmente was published in Germany between 1775-78 and was rapidly translated into the major European languages.
Melissa Percival, Graeme Tytler, 2005
4
Physiognomy and Expression
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.
Paolo Mantegazza, 2012
5
Mahler: A Musical Physiognomy
Since its appearance in 1960 in German, Mahler has established itself as a classic of musical interpretation. Now available in English, the work is presented here in a translation that captures the stylistic brilliance of the original.
Theodor W. Adorno, 2013
6
Physiognomy and the Meaning of Expression in ...
This is a 2001 study of the emergence of physiognomy as a form of popular science.
Lucy Hartley, 2005
7
Physiognomy: The Mark Seliger Photographs
A wild ride through the famous faces of our decade--from a frisky Drew Barrymore to a world-weary Mick Jagger--portraits that run the gamut from sexy to humorous, poignant to compelling. 104 color and 84 duotone photos.
‎1999
8
Shakespeare and the Art of Physiognomy
This book deals with the poetics of the human face, the art of physiognomy, and strategies of nonverbal communication in Shakespeare’s plays.
Sibylle Baumbach, 2008
9
Reading the Face: Understanding a Person's Character Through ...
With the help of numerous photos and drawings, Glas presents the physiognomy of three basic types of people, and further analyses the specifics of the human head, forehead, ears, eyes, mouth and nose.This book will be valuable to doctors, ...
Norbert Glas, 2008
10
"Bodies that Tell": Physiognomy, Criminology, Race and ...
The four remaining chapters examine how specific authors and composers were impacted by Lombroso and criminal anthropology.
Jonathan Robert Hiller, 2009

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PHYSIOGNOMY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term physiognomy is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Humans episode 7 review
They differ only in their physiognomy. Still, try telling that to the police. Niska's unfortunate notoriety is, as the TV in the Hawkins' kitchen ... «Den Of Geek, Jul 15»
2
Let's face it
I am glad that she sees no sign of selection by physiognomy among her journalist colleagues. – Yours, etc,. Dr JOHN DOHERTY,. «Irish Times, Jul 15»
3
Genetic contribution to multiple sclerosis risk among Ashkenazi Jews
Members of each group differ in physiognomy and life style suggesting significant admixture as the force driving Jewish population diversity. «BMC Blogs Network, Jul 15»
4
Student Essay Contest Winner: First Place
His corpse lies mangled and bloodied, and his eyes, like Hippolite's detestable physiognomy, proclaim the dreadful word that causes all who ... «First Things, Jul 15»
5
Avignon: France's medieval Vatican City is the gateway to Provence
The move altered Avignon's place in history and changed its architectural physiognomy forever. It was a decision that even today is a major ... «Communities Digital News, Jul 15»
6
The past 100 years, July 26, 2015
But with the passing of physiognomy drapery the Buffalo went down and out. Until, like the Bull Moose, there is nothing left of his former ... «Santa Fe New Mexican, Jul 15»
7
Simon Pegg: Tom Cruise is 'far more human'
... with memorable faces; one look at Sean Harris or Jens Hultén, and their physiognomy remains burned into our memory for the whole film. «TV Newsroom, Jul 15»
8
Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, in his own words
... with no living and vital traditions, without it's own unmistakeable cultural and spiritual physiognomy, which one can fill up indiscriminately with ... «Catholic World Report, Jul 15»
9
Four-Legged Snake Fossil Hints Burrowing Ancestors
Several of the details of physiognomy that this prototypical snake possesses are like its modern counterpart. The shortened mouth, elongated ... «I4U News, Jul 15»
10
Chinese Surgeons Use 3D Printing to Aid in Intricate Spinal Surgery
... locations affected, physiognomy, and degrees of severity. Being able to have a 3D model of an individual's spine prior to entering the surgical ... «3DPrint.com, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Physiognomy [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/physiognomy>. Apr 2024 ».
Download the educalingo app
en
English dictionary
Discover all that is hidden in the words on
index
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z