Word
sundry
/ˈsəndɹi/
Definition
adj. various or different kinds of things. You use this when you want to describe a group of items that are not the same.
adj. various or miscellaneous in kind; diverse. Often used in the plural to describe a collection of different items.
Examples
“The shop sells sundry goods like paper and pens.”
“The old trunk contained sundry items from his childhood, including toys, books, and old photographs.”
“The legal document was signed by sundry witnesses, each of whom provided a unique perspective on the events that transpired during the trial.”
Examples
simple
“The shop sells sundry goods like paper and pens.”
contextual
“The old trunk contained sundry items from his childhood, including toys, books, and old photographs.”
complex
“The legal document was signed by sundry witnesses, each of whom provided a unique perspective on the events that transpired during the trial.”
Real-World Examples
“Philip Larkin, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens and sundry others have all been criticised for their personal conduct.” “After all, who among us would want our gossipy missives and messages to our nearest and dearest read by all and sundry?” “After vigintillions of years great Cthulhu was loose again, and ravening for delight."
Spread through popular culture after Lovecraft's death, now seen in fan fiction, sundry internet memes and even crafts (above).” Etymology
The adjective is derived from Middle English sondri, sondry, syndry (“individually; occasionally; separately; variously”) [and other forms], from Old English syndriġ (“alone, distinct, separate, single; sundry, various; concerning a single person, own, particular, peculiar, private; exceptional, remarkable, set apart, special; (distributive) one each”) [and other forms], from sundor (“differently; privately; separate, separately”) (from Proto-Germanic sundraz (“alone, isolated; separate”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European senH- (“apart; for oneself; without”)) + -iġ (“suffix forming adjectives”). The English word is analysable as sunder + -y. The noun and pronoun are derived from the adjective. Cognates * Dutch zonderlijk (“separate”) (rare), Dutch afzonderlijk (“separate”) * Low German sunderig (“single; special”) * Middle High German sunderig (“private; separate; special”) * Swedish söndrig (“broken; tattered”)
From Middle English sondri, sondry, syndri (“individually; now and then, occasionally; physically apart, separately; variously”) [and other forms], from Old English syndrige [and other forms], from Old English syndriġ (adjective): see further at etymology 1. Cognates * Old High German suntarīgo
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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