peremptory

/pəˈɹɛmptəɹi/

//pəˈɹɛmptəɹi// adj

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

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

The verdict

“peremptory” is uncommon English (frequency #86,623 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#86,623
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal

Corpus desk

Index EN-peremptory · peremptory · English

peremptory · rank #86,623 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #86,623
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pentagonal

Nearest frequency peer: pentagonal (-2 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 “peremptory”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for peremptory
PropertyValue
Headwordperemptory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pəˈɹɛmptəɹi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#86,623
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “peremptory” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).peremptoryfalls 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: “pentagonal” (#86,621), “pedicel” (#86,620), “Peto” (#86,626). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “peremptory” is #86,623. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

peremptory is uncommon English at frequency #86,623 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /pəˈɹɛmptəɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for peremptory in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman peremptorie, parentorie et al. (Modern French péremptoire), and its source, Latin peremptōrius (“deadly; precluding debate, decisive”), from perimō (“destroy, thwart”), from per- (“thorough”) + emō (“I obtain, buy”). The correct English form is peremptory, spelled P-E-R-E-M-P-T-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal
  2. 2
    (of a date or deadline) Absolutely requiring compliance or attendance; brooking no further delay; to proceed whether a party attends or not; final.
  3. 3
    Positive in opinion or judgment; absolutely certain, overconfident, unwilling to hear any debate or argument (especially in a pejorative sense); dogmatic.
  4. 4
    Firmly determined, resolute; obstinate, stubborn.
  5. 5
    Accepting no refusal or disagreement; imperious, dictatorial.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. there is no reason but if any of the outlawries be indeed without error, but it should be a peremptory plea to the person in a writ of error, as well as in any other action.
  2. As this trial has now been postponed multiple times, there will be an adjournment to April 24, peremptory on the parties.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman peremptorie, parentorie et al. (Modern French péremptoire), and its source, Latin peremptōrius (“deadly; precluding debate, decisive”), from perimō (“destroy, thwart”), from per- (“thorough”) + emō (“I obtain, buy”).

This word in other languages

irrefutable(Español)irréfutable(Français)unabweisbar(Deutsch)irrefutável(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 "peremptory"?
"peremptory" is spelled P-E-R-E-M-P-T-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈɹɛmptəɹi/.
What does "peremptory" mean?
As an adjective, "peremptory" means: Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal
How do you pronounce "peremptory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peremptory" is /pəˈɹɛmptəɹi/. 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 "peremptory"?
From Anglo-Norman peremptorie, parentorie et al. (Modern French péremptoire), and its source, Latin peremptōrius (“deadly; precluding debate, decisive”), from perimō (“destroy, thwart”), from per- (“thorough”) + emō (“I obtain, buy”). 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 "peremptory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

pentagonal#86,621polyclonal#86,644oppositely#86,598neurogenic#86,565

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list