libation

Name: libation, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/laɪˈbeɪʃən/

//laɪˈbeɪʃən// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“libation” is uncommon English (frequency #75,156 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,156
frequency rank, English: 16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of pouring a liquid, most often wine, in sacrifice on the ground, on a ritual object, or on a victim, in honor of some deity.

Key facts for libation
Property	Value
Headword	libation
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/laɪˈbeɪʃən/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#75,156
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “libation” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). libation lands here:

#75,156

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

libation is uncommon English at frequency #75,156 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /laɪˈbeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for libation in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin lībātiō, from lībāre (“to take a little from anything, to taste, to pour out as an offering”). The correct English form is libation, spelled L-I-B-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

1
The act of pouring a liquid, most often wine, in sacrifice on the ground, on a ritual object, or on a victim, in honor of some deity.
2
The wine or liquid thus poured out.
3
A beverage, especially an alcoholic one.

Etymology

From Latin lībātiō, from lībāre (“to take a little from anything, to taste, to pour out as an offering”).

This word in other languages

libación(Español)libation(Français)Trankopfer(Deutsch)libação(Português)

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 "libation"?

"libation" is spelled L-I-B-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /laɪˈbeɪʃən/.

What does "libation" mean?

As a noun, "libation" means: The act of pouring a liquid, most often wine, in sacrifice on the ground, on a ritual object, or on a victim, in honor of some deity.

How do you pronounce "libation"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "libation" is /laɪˈbeɪʃən/. 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 "libation"?

From Latin lībātiō, from lībāre (“to take a little from anything, to taste, to pour out as an offering”). 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.

Using “libation”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is L-I-B-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /laɪˈbeɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.