Etymograph

English

preponderate

Preponderate comes from Latin praeponderatus ‘preponderated, outweighed, overweighed’, from pondero ‘to weigh’, and ultimately from pendere.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendere1‘to weigh’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpondus1‘weight’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpondero2‘to weigh’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraeponderō3as praeponderāre, past participle‘to outweigh’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraeponderatus3‘preponderated, outweighed, overweighed’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1642preponderate3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin pondero
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin praepondero
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English preponderate
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1642, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State: “The desire to spare Christian blood preponderates him for…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendereWiktionary, Latin pondero‘to weigh’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpondusWiktionary, Latin pondero‘weight’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEponderoWiktionary, Latin praepondero‘to weigh’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraeponderōWiktionary, English preponderateas praeponderāre, past participle‘to outweigh’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraeponderatusWiktionary, English preponderate‘preponderated, outweighed, overweighed’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1642preponderateWiktionary, English preponderate. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1642, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State: “The desire to spare Christian blood preponderates him for…”

Linked words

through Latin pendere ‘to weigh’

suspension, dispense, penchant, pend, 8 more

through Latin pondus ‘weight’

penny, pound, ponder, 10 more

Today it means

verb To outweigh; to be heavier than; to exceed in weight.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “preponderate”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin pondero, Latin praepondero. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin pendere / preponderate

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