imprimatur

/ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tə/

//ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tə// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“imprimatur” is uncommon English (frequency #68,316 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,316
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An official license to publish or print something, especially when censorship applies.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imprimatur · imprimatur · English

imprimatur · rank #68,316 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,316
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH impingement

Nearest frequency peer: impingement (-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 “imprimatur”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for imprimatur
PropertyValue
Headwordimprimatur
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#68,316
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “imprimatur” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).imprimaturfalls 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: “impingement” (#68,315), “Incan” (#68,318), “immobilization” (#68,313). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “imprimatur” is #68,316. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

imprimatur is uncommon English at frequency #68,316 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for imprimatur, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin imprimātur (“let it be printed”), third person singular present subjunctive passive form of imprimere (“to imprint”). The correct English form is imprimatur, spelled I-M-P-R-I-M-A-T-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An official license to publish or print something, especially when censorship applies.
  2. 2
    Any mark of official approval.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Cheats · A Comedy · Written in the Year, M.DC.LXII. Imprimatur, Roger L'estrange. Nov. 5. 1663. By John Wilson
  2. Sometimes 5 Imprimaturs are ſeen together dialogue-wiſe in the Piatza of one Title page, complementing and ducking each other with their ſhav'n reverences, whether the Author, who ſtands by in perplexity at the foot of his Epiſtle, ſhall to the Preſſe or to the ſpunge.

Etymology

From Latin imprimātur (“let it be printed”), third person singular present subjunctive passive form of imprimere (“to imprint”).

Synonyms

approvalendorsementsanction

This word in other languages

imprimátur(Español)imprimatur(Français)

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 "imprimatur"?
"imprimatur" is spelled I-M-P-R-I-M-A-T-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tə/.
What does "imprimatur" mean?
As a noun, "imprimatur" means: An official license to publish or print something, especially when censorship applies.
How do you pronounce "imprimatur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imprimatur" is /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tə/. 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 "imprimatur"?
From Latin imprimātur (“let it be printed”), third person singular present subjunctive passive form of imprimere (“to imprint”). 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 "imprimatur", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

intertwine#68,325hullabaloo#68,298Hofstadter#68,293judicially#68,349

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list