# carnation

> English word · Noun · IPA /kɑːˈneɪ.ʃən/ · frequency rank #41,543

## Definitions
1. A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for its flowers.
2. A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for its flowers.
3. The type of flower they bear, originally flesh-coloured, but since hybridizing found in a variety of colours.
4. A rosy pink colour
5. The pinkish colors used in art to render human face and flesh
6. A scarlet colour.

## Etymology
From Middle French carnation (“flesh color, complexion”), either via Italian carnagione (“flesh color”) or directly from Late Latin carnātiō (“fleshiness”), from Latin carō (“flesh, meat”) + ātiō (“-ation”). As a flower and its color, possibly instead from corruption in French of coronation (“crowning, crowned thing”) under the influence of carnation, from the flower's supposed resemblance to a crown.

## Easily confused with
- **creation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/carnation-vs-creation)
- **curation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/carnation-vs-curation)
- **causation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/carnation-vs-causation)
- **coronation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/carnation-vs-coronation)

## Common misspellings (14)
`acrnation`, `canration`, `carantion`, `carnaiton`, `carnasion`, `carnatino`, `carnationn`, `carnatoin`, `carnattion`, `carnnation`, `carntaion`, `carrnation`, `ccarnation`, `cranation`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/carnation