ENGLISH
REFERENCE

titanic

adj.
C1 Advanced US //taɪˈtænɪk// UK //taɪtˈænɪk// ti·tan·ic

adj. having great strength, size, or power. You use this to describe something that is much bigger or more important than usual.

adj. possessing exceptional strength, size, or power; of enormous scope or magnitude. Often used to describe significant struggles, efforts, or physical structures.


SIMPLE

The two companies are locked in a titanic struggle for market control.

CONTEXTUAL

The construction of the new dam was a titanic task that required thousands of workers and years of planning.

COMPLEX

The novel depicts a titanic clash between traditional values and the rapid industrialization of the early twentieth century.

Etymology 1

From Late Latin Titanicus, or its etymon Ancient Greek Τιτανικός (Titanikós, “of or relating to the Titans”), from Τιτᾶνες (Titânes, “Titans”) + -ικός (-ikós, “suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives”). Τιτᾶνες (Titânes) is the nominative or vocative plural of Τῑτᾱ́ν (Tītā́n, “a Titan”), and then possibly: from τῐ́σῐς (tĭ́sĭs, “payment; atonement, penalty, punishment, retribution, reward; vengeance”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷey- (“to pay; to avenge”); or from τιταίνω (titaínō, “to extend, stretch”), from τείνω (teínō, “to extend, stretch; to spread; to exert, push to the limit, strain”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten- (“to extend, stretch”); or * from τίτο (títo, “sun; day”), originally borrowed from Anatolian. The English word is analyzable as Titan + -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives from nouns).

Etymology 2

The proper noun is derived from Titanic (etymology 1, adjective senses 1 and 2.1), as the ship was the largest and thought to be the strongest in the world at the time it was constructed. The common noun is derived from the name of the ship.

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before the noun it modifies.

Idioms1 entry

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