matronly
/ˈmeɪtɹənli/adjective, adverb
matronly is spelled M-A-T-R-O-N-L-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 106,501st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, matronly means “In the capacity of a matron; serving as a housekeeper or head nurse” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in matronly?
| Letters | 8: M-A-T-R-O-N-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 13 million words; the 106,501st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is matronly?
Matronly appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 106,501st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce matronly?
- /ˈmeɪtɹənli/
Matronly has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-matronly.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of matronly
- more matronly comparative
- most matronly superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does matronly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
In the capacity of a matron; serving as a housekeeper or head nurse.
- 2
Exuding the authority, wisdom, power, and intelligence of an experienced woman.
- 3
Having the appearance of a mature woman, often of larger physical stature and somewhat unkempt or dowdy.
27 April 2009, LA Times https://web.archive.org/web/20090427074230/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/04/susan-boyle-gets-a-makeover-is-she-going-hollywood-already.html Gone is her matronly gray frizzy hair and those bushy brow
adverb
- 1
In the manner of a matron.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Matronly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | matronenhaft |
| Spanish | matronal , matronalmente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does matronly come from?
From matron + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).