versification

noun

ver·​si·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌvər-sə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce versification (audio)
1
: the making of verses
2
a
: metrical structure : prosody
b
: a particular metrical structure or style
3
: a version in verse of something originally in prose

Examples of versification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Slathering your emotions across the page while crossing your fingers about the versification was what bad readers expected and what bad poets did. Christopher Tayler, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 Auden’s career presents a sight unique in the annals of English literature: a vision of someone claiming as personal playground the entirety of English versification. Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 But this is bad advice, as showy and even showoffy rhymes are one of the special glories of English versification. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'versification.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin versificātiōn-, versificātiō, from versificāre "to versify" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of versification was circa 1576

Dictionary Entries Near versification

Cite this Entry

“Versification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/versification. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

versification

noun
ver·​si·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌvər-sə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce versification (audio)
: the making of verses

More from Merriam-Webster on versification

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