Phrase guide

Petrarchan sonnet

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A sonnet comprising an octave and a closing sestet, following the rhyme scheme of either abba abba cde cde or abba abba cd cd cd or abba abba cce dde or abba abba cdd cee.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: communications, journalism, literature, media, poetry, publishing, writing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Italian sonnet

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a sonnet consisting of an octave with the rhyme pattern abbaabba, followed by a sestet with the rhyme pattern cdecde or cdcdcd

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Italian sonnet

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sonnet

History

Etymology

Named after Italian scholar, poet and humanist Francesco Petrarca (1304–1374), who did not invent but made large use of this form in his authorship.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: իտալական սոնետ (italakan sonet) — type of sonnet
  • Belarusian: італья́нскі сане́т (italʹjánski sanjét) — type of sonnet
  • Bulgarian: италиански сонет (italianski sonet) — type of sonnet
  • Bulgarian: петраркистки сонет (petrarkistki sonet) — type of sonnet
  • Gan Chinese: 迫式十四行詩 /迫式十四行诗 — type of sonnet
  • Chinese Mandarin: 意大利十四行詩 /意大利十四行诗 (Yìdàlì shísì hángshī) — type of sonnet
  • Czech: italský sonet — type of sonnet
  • Czech: Petrarcový sonet — type of sonnet
  • Danish: italienske sonet — type of sonnet
  • Dutch: Italiaans sonnet — type of sonnet
  • Dutch: petrarcaans sonnet — type of sonnet
  • Estonian: Itaalia sonett — type of sonnet
  • Estonian: Petrarca sonett — type of sonnet
  • Finnish: petrarcalainen sonetti — type of sonnet
  • Finnish: italialainen sonetti — type of sonnet
  • French: sonnet pétrarquien — type of sonnet
  • French: sonnet pétrarquiste — type of sonnet
  • French: sonnet italien — type of sonnet
  • Galician: soneto italiano — type of sonnet
  • Georgian: იტალიური სონეტი (iṭaliuri soneṭi) — type of sonnet
  • German: Petrarca-Sonett — type of sonnet
  • German: italienisches Sonett — type of sonnet
  • Greek: πετραρχικό σονέτο (petrarchikó sonéto) — type of sonnet
  • Greek: ιταλικό σονέτο (italikó sonéto) — type of sonnet
  • Hungarian: petrarcai szonett — type of sonnet
  • Italian: sonetto petrarchesco — type of sonnet
  • Japanese: イタリア風ソネット (Itaria-fū sonetto) — type of sonnet
  • Japanese: ペトラルカ風ソネット (Petoraruka-fū sonetto) — type of sonnet
  • Korean: 이탈리안 소네트 (itallian soneteu) — type of sonnet
  • Latin: sonētum Petrarchiānum — type of sonnet
  • Latvian: Petrarkas sonets — type of sonnet
  • Limburgish: Italiaons sonnèt — type of sonnet
  • Lithuanian: itališkas sonetas — type of sonnet
  • Lithuanian: Petrarkos sonetas — type of sonnet
  • Macedonian: петраркистички сонет (petrarkistički sonet) — type of sonnet
  • Macedonian: петрархистичка поезија (petrarhistička poezija) — type of sonnet
  • Malayalam: ഇറ്റാലിയൻ ഗീതകം (iṟṟāliyaṉ gītakaṁ) — type of sonnet
  • Norwegian: Petrarca-sonett — type of sonnet
  • Norwegian: italiensk sonett — type of sonnet
  • Polish: sonet włoski — type of sonnet
  • Polish: sonet Petrarki — type of sonnet
  • Portuguese: soneto italiano — type of sonnet
  • Portuguese: soneto petrarquiano — type of sonnet
  • Romanian: sonet petrarchist — type of sonnet
  • Romanian: sonet italian — type of sonnet
  • Russian: италья́нский соне́т (italʹjánskij sonét) — type of sonnet
  • Russian: петрарки́стский соне́т (petrarkístskij sonét) — type of sonnet
  • Serbo-Croatian: петраркѝстичкӣ со̀не̄т — type of sonnet
  • Serbo-Croatian: италѝја̄нскӣ со̀не̄т — type of sonnet
  • Serbo-Croatian: талѝја̄нскӣ со̀не̄т — type of sonnet
  • Serbo-Croatian: petrarkìstičkī sònēt — type of sonnet
  • Serbo-Croatian: italìjānskī sònēt — type of sonnet
  • Serbo-Croatian: talìjānskī sònēt — type of sonnet
  • Slovene: italijȃnski sonẹ̑t — type of sonnet
  • Spanish: soneto italiano — type of sonnet
  • Spanish: soneto petrarquista — type of sonnet
  • Spanish: soneto petrarquiano — type of sonnet
  • Swedish: italiensk sonett — type of sonnet
  • Turkish: İtalyan sone — type of sonnet