# abecedarius

CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abecedarius
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

a poem or text that follows the order of the alphabet. It starts with a word beginning with 'a', then 'b', and so on until 'z'.

For teachers: a poem or text arranged in alphabetical order, typically following the sequence of the Latin alphabet. Often used to describe a specific form of acrostic poetry.

## Examples

- The student wrote an abecedarius for his final project.
- The author's abecedarius was a challenging feat of wordplay, requiring every line to begin with the next letter in the sequence.
- While the abecedarius is a traditional form of constrained writing, modern poets often use it to explore the relationship between language and the rigid structures of the alphabet itself.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.