What does "quotidian" mean?
A fever which recurs every day; quotidian malaria.
Quotidian
/kwoʊˈtɪdiən/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A fever which recurs every day; quotidian malaria.
- Grammar: quotidian is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: annual, biannual, biennial, biweekly.
- Useful contrasts: quartan, exceptional, exceptional life.
- Usage evidence: The film's ending was too quotidian.
How to use "quotidian"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "quotidian" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "quotidian" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "quotidian" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "quotidian" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "quotidian" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "annual" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "quotidian", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A fever which recurs every day; quotidian malaria. archaic, historical
"If I could meet that Fancie-monger, I would giue him some good counsel, for he seemes to haue the Quotidian of Loue vpon him."
- 2 A daily allowance formerly paid to certain members of the clergy. historical
- 3 Commonplace or mundane things regarded as a class. usually, with-definite-article
"More than opposable thumbs and the invention of the flinthead axe, it was our ability to transcend the quotidian by weaving tales of awe and wonder that set us apart from the beasts."
Adjective
- 1 Happening every day; daily.
"I know that the government's daily idea to solve the country's law and order problem is not meant to be taken too seriously, but every now and again I am moved to raise an eyebrow at the quotidian suggestion."
- 2 Having the characteristics of something which can be seen, experienced, etc, every day or very commonly.
"The story or the painting would serve to connect the part with the whole, the event with the myth, the quotidian with the sacred."
- 3 Recurring every twenty-four hours or (more generally) daily (of symptoms, etc).
"Quotidian periodicity we find in greater or less degree in nearly all fevers, particularly in fevers associated with suppuration."
- 4 Something which is considered humdrum or dull.
"His life took on a quotidian humdrum."
Adjective
- 1 found in the ordinary course of events wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The film's ending was too quotidian."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "quotidian"?
Common synonyms include: annual, biannual, biennial, biweekly, centennial, common.
How do you use "quotidian" in a sentence?
The film's ending was too quotidian.
How do you pronounce "quotidian"?
Pronounced /kwoʊˈtɪdiən/.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman cotidian, cotidien, Middle French cotidian, cotidien, and their source, Latin cottīdiānus, quōtīdiānus (“happening every day”), from adverb cottīdiē, quōtīdiē (“every day, daily”), from an unattested adjective derived from quot (“how many”) + locative form of diēs (“day”).