autumnal

adjective

au·​tum·​nal ȯ-ˈtəm-nəl 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of autumn

autumnal weather

autumnal colors

the autumnal equinox

I am often surprised to see rising amid these trees the rounded tops of apple-trees glowing with red or yellow fruit, in harmony with the autumnal tints of the forest.

—Henry David Thoreau

autumnally

ȯ-ˈtəm-nə-lē 

adverb

These days on the verge of winter were autumnally fair, struck through with warmth until the swift lengthening of the shadows.

—John Updike

Examples of autumnal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seeing a jumble of hard squash in different colors, shapes, and sizes is one of those seasonal things that always gives me a warm, autumnal feeling. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025

Rye and apple brandy are fast friends—the apple brandy adding an autumnal echo to rye’s grainy persistence. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025

Adding autumnal accents and swapping out your decor is one of the easiest ways to transition your home for the fall. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2025

This fall, look for dresses in earthy or neutral tones—think browns, mossy greens, beige, black, or gray—that will suit an autumnal palette, with flat shoes with metallic, velvet, or patent leather detail in a complementary color. —René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin autumnālis, from autumnus autumn + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above