supererogatory
/suːpəɹɛˈɹɒɡətəɹi/
"supererogatory" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“supererogatory” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining to supererogation; doing more than is required.
Corpus desk
Index EN-supererogatory · supererogatory · English
supererogatory · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 14 letters
- VOW-7 7 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "S" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | supererogatory |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /suːpəɹɛˈɹɒɡətəɹi/ |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “supererogatory” in English
Rare enough to double-check
supererogatory is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /suːpəɹɛˈɹɒɡətəɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for supererogatory in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin superērogātōrius (“supererogatory”), from superērogātiō (“payment in addition”), from superērogō (“pay out over and above”), from super (“above”) + ērogō (“pay out, expend”); from ex (“out of, from”) + rogō (“ask; request”). The correct English form is supererogatory, spelled S-U-P-E-R-E-R-O-G-A-T-O-R-Y.
Definition
- 1Pertaining to supererogation; doing more than is required.
- 2Of a deed or action, morally benevolent and exceeding the strict requirement of God.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how supererogatory appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
They passed into the ancient shipyard which lay beyond, and which was now a mere vague, grass-grown approach to the waterside, bestrewn with a few remnants of supererogatory timber.
"In now you come," she ordered, "and we make love." That seemed supererogatory to David Jones, who, under the gaze of the painted deer, got in there and did as he was told.
Etymology
From Latin superērogātōrius (“supererogatory”), from superērogātiō (“payment in addition”), from superērogō (“pay out over and above”), from super (“above”) + ērogō (“pay out, expend”); from ex (“out of, from”) + rogō (“ask; request”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.