Congratulations

How to spell congratulations

15 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce congratulations

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does congratulations mean?

1. nounAn expression of good wishes or praise offered to someone on a happy event or achievement.

Congratulations in a sentence

• The card simply read congratulations on your retirement.

• The whole team sent congratulations when she passed her final exams.

Where does congratulations come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin verb congratulari, meaning 'to wish someone joy' or 'to rejoice together with', formed from con- 'together' and gratulari 'to give thanks or express joy'. That second part was built on gratus, an adjective meaning 'pleasing, welcome, or thankful', the same root that gives English 'grateful', 'gratitude', and 'gratuity'. English took up the verb 'congratulate' in the sixteenth century, and the noun 'congratulation' followed, with the plural 'congratulations' becoming the standard exclamation offered on happy occasions. The spelling trap lives in the unstressed middle: the 'grat' is clear enough, but the '-ul-' syllable is easy to slur or drop, and the ending '-ations' can tempt writers toward a wrong vowel. Remembering its kinship with 'grateful' and 'gratitude' anchors the crucial 'grat' in the middle.

How the word is built

• con- (together, with)
• grat (from Latin gratus: pleasing, thankful)
• -ul (diminutive element)
• -ation (noun-forming suffix)
• -s (plural)