rotund

1 of 2

adjective

ro·​tund rō-ˈtənd 

ˈrō-ˌtənd

1

: marked by roundness : rounded

2

: marked by fullness of sound or cadence : orotund, sonorous

a master of rotund diction

3

: notably plump : chubby

rotundity

rō-ˈtən-də-tē 

noun

rotundly

rō-ˈtənd-lē 

ˈrō-ˌtənd-

adverb

rotundness

rō-ˈtən(d)-nəs 

ˈrō-ˌtənd-

noun

rotundity

2 of 2

noun

ro·​tun·​di·​ty -ndətē 

-ətē, 

-i

plural -es

1

a

: the quality or state of being rotund : roundness

the thick rotundity o' the world

—Shakespeare

b

: a round mass or object

laid his hand caressingly upon the consoling rotundity of a five-gallon keg

—Elinor Wylie

2

a

: rounded fullness of language

scholars disputing … with leisured rotundity of phrase

—R. W. Southern

b

: a rotund phrase

its adorable simplicities compensate even for its Johnsonian rotundities

—H. J. Laski

3

a

: roundness of the body : plumpness

a sparer diet had checked the movement towards rotundity

—John Buchan

b

: a rounded part of the body

a cozy creased rotundity between waistcoat and table

—Clemence Dane

Synonyms of rotund

Adjective

• plump
• fat
• round

Examples of rotund in a Sentence

Adjective

a rotund little man who, predictably, was asked to play Santa every year

the actor's distinct baritone and his clear and rotund elocution are especially effective in dramatic readings

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The doc noted that Winne The Pooh is banned in China after its president was once compared to the rotund bear of the classic children’s story. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 June 2026

Joe Gargery, comparing slices of bread; the rotund voice of Mr Jaggers in Great Expectations. — Literary Hub, 12 May 2026

Briefly appearing in a TikTok video about the new MacBook Neo, a brand-new, rotund character based on Apple's iconic Finder application, the file manager on Apple computers, is taking the internet by storm. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

His rotund frame and bald head gave him the appearance of a human bowling ball. — Gabriel Sherman, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin rotundus, probably alteration of Old Latin *retundus; akin to Latin rota wheel — more at roll

Noun

Latin rotunditat-, rotunditas, from rotundus round + -itat-, -itas -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for rotund

• fecund
• refund
• secund
• and
• bund
• fund
• gunned
• hund
• mund
• shunned
• stunned

Kids Definition

rotund

adjective

ro·​tund rō-ˈtənd 

ˈrō-ˌtənd

1

: somewhat round

2

: plump entry 5

rotundity

rō-ˈtən-dət-ē 

noun