defecation

/ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/

//ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

"defecation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defecation” is uncommon English (frequency #52,261 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,261
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or process of voiding feces from the bowels.

Corpus desk

Index EN-defecation · defecation · English

defecation · rank #52,261 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,261
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dees

Nearest frequency peer: dees (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “defecation”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “defecation” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for defecation
PropertyValue
Headworddefecation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#52,261
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “defecation” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).defecationfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “dees” (#52,260), “defund” (#52,262), “deejay” (#52,259). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “defecation” is #52,261. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

defecation is uncommon English at frequency #52,261 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for defecation in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: 17th century, borrowed from Late Latin dēfaecātiō. The correct English form is defecation, spelled D-E-F-E-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or process of voiding feces from the bowels.
  2. 2
    Any of several processes for the removal of impurities, or for clarifying various materials.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how defecation appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The juice after it leaves the mill has a more or less green color, due to the presence of large quantities of chlorophyl and other vegetable substances, which must be removed. This process is known as defecation.

Etymology

17th century, borrowed from Late Latin dēfaecātiō.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "defecation"?
"defecation" is spelled D-E-F-E-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "defecation" mean?
As a noun, "defecation" means: The act or process of voiding feces from the bowels.
How do you pronounce "defecation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defecation" is /ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "defecation"?
17th century, borrowed from Late Latin dēfaecātiō. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "defecation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list