The Beautiful History of Pulchritude

Pulchritude is a descendant of the Latin adjective pulcher, which means "beautiful." Pulcher hasn't exactly been a wellspring of English terms, but it did give English both pulchritude and pulchritudinous, an adjective meaning "attractive" or "beautiful." The verb pulchrify (a synonym of beautify), the noun pulchritudeness (same meaning as pulchritude), and the adjective pulchrous (meaning "fair or beautiful") are other pulcher offspring, but those terms have proved that, in at least some linguistic cases, beauty is fleeting.

Examples of pulchritude in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Why, at this moment celebrating body positivity and diversity, the natural pulchritude of all figures, do women continue to wrap wire around their breasts, hoisting them inches above their innate resting position? — Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2022 For Morris Isby III, also known as B-Boy Morris, the pulchritude in such mentorship lies in helping the next generation be as advantageous as possible. — Kenneth J. Williams Jr., Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021 Its outlier pulchritude tells us something important about the business of volume-production car building: Beauty costs money. — Dan Neil, WSJ, 15 Oct. 2020 The place of beauty in our lives is a profound subject, and Harmon offers a complex understanding that respects the hazardous yet life-enhancing power of physical pulchritude. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2019 Portraits of two icons of pulchritude hang on the walls—namely, Marilyn Monroe and the very 2019 version of Marilyn: Cardi. — Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Feb. 2019 There were the unabashed helpings of male pulchritude served up by the sportswear designers Parke & Ronen. — New York Times, 11 July 2018 Feminine pulchritude mattered to Balanchine; many of his dancers had the looks of the movie stars or models of their day. — Alastair Macaulay, New York Times, 31 May 2018 Offering an appropriate example of plus-size pulchritude to heavier men, as well as to the fashion industry, required a candidate who seemed relatable, in Mr. Bart’s words. — Michelle Green, New York Times, 4 May 2016 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pulchritude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.