Etymograph

English

preponderation

Preponderation comes from Latin praepondero ‘outweigh, turn the scale’, 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 CEpraepondero3‘outweigh, turn the scale’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1743preponderation3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin pondero
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin praepondero
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English preponderation
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1743, Isaac Watts: “But where the reasons on both sides are very…”.

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 CEpraeponderoWiktionary, English preponderation‘outweigh, turn the scale’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1743preponderationWiktionary, English preponderation. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1743, Isaac Watts: “But where the reasons on both sides are very…”

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

noun The act or state of preponderating; preponderance.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “preponderation”; 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 / preponderation

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