prostration

/pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən/

//pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən// noun

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

"prostration" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prostration” is uncommon English (frequency #85,667 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,667
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or condition of prostrating oneself (lying face-down), as a sign of humility.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prostration · prostration · English

prostration · rank #85,667 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,667
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Promethean

Nearest frequency peer: Promethean (-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 “prostration”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for prostration
PropertyValue
Headwordprostration
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#85,667
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “prostration” 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).prostrationfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Promethean” (#85,666), “providential” (#85,668), “Pripyat” (#85,665). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prostration” is #85,667. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

prostration is uncommon English at frequency #85,667 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for prostration in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin prōstrātiō, from prōstrātus, past participle of prōsternō. The correct English form is prostration, spelled P-R-O-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or condition of prostrating oneself (lying face-down), as a sign of humility.
  2. 2
    A part of the ordination of Catholic and Orthodox priests, in which the ordinand lies prostrate in a gesture of submission to the will of God.
  3. 3
    The state of lying face down (prone).
  4. 4
    The condition of being prostrated, as from heat; complete loss of strength.
  5. 5
    A reverential bow performed in Middle Eastern cultures.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The ordination ceremony includes a variety of rituals, rich in meaning and history, e.g., the prostration, laying on of hands, anointing of hands, giving of the chalice and paten, and sign of peace. — Diocese of Rochester, NY
  2. I slept after the prostration of the day, with a stringent and profound slumber which not even the nightmares that wrung me could avail to break.

Etymology

From Latin prōstrātiō, from prōstrātus, past participle of prōsternō.

This word in other languages

postración(Español)prosternation(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 "prostration"?
"prostration" is spelled P-R-O-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən/.
What does "prostration" mean?
As a noun, "prostration" means: The act or condition of prostrating oneself (lying face-down), as a sign of humility.
How do you pronounce "prostration"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prostration" is /pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən/. 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 "prostration"?
From Latin prōstrātiō, from prōstrātus, past participle of prōsternō. 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 "prostration", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

photosphere#85,647Rastafarian#85,687philologist#85,644overworking#85,612

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list