noun
Meaning 1
The state or quality of being stern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
sternness
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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: S T ER1 N N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2: S T ER1 N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
The result or product of being stern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
uncompromising resolution
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: strictness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: unpermissiveness, restrictiveness
Narrower terms: Puritanism, severity, severeness, harshness, rigor, rigour, rigorousness, rigourousness, inclemency, hardness, stiffness
noun
Meaning 4
the quality (as of scenery) being grim and gloomy and forbidding
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the sternness of his surroundings made him uncomfortable
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: asperity, grimness, hardship, rigor, rigour, severity, severeness, rigorousness, rigourousness
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English stern Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English sternness From stern + -ness.
Across languages
Translations
5 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- German: Strenge — state or quality of being stern
- German: Härte — state or quality of being stern
- German: Ernst — state or quality of being stern
- German: Strengheit — state or quality of being stern
- German: Gestrengigkeit — state or quality of being stern