Voluminose

Voluminose is the feminine plural form of the Italian adjective voluminoso. It describes something that has a large volume or occupies significant space, and it can also be used metaphorically to indicate abundance or complexity. The word derives from Latin volumen, meaning “a roll or volume,” with the adjectival suffix -os(o/a).

Etymology and meaning

Voluminose comes from volumin- + -ose, a pattern common in Romance languages for adjectives indicating fullness or largeness. In Italian, voluminose is used with feminine plural nouns to express bulk, density, or extensive scope. It conveys the sense of substantial size without specifying exact measurements.

Usage

In everyday Italian, voluminose agrees with the noun it modifies. Examples include:

- pagine voluminose (voluminous pages)

- mani voluminose (bulky hands)

- figure voluminose (voluminous figures)

For masculine nouns, the corresponding form is voluminosi (e.g., libri voluminosi).

Context and nuance

Voluminose typically marks physical bulk or visual mass, such as objects, books, or architectural features. It can also appear in descriptions of clothing, fabrics, or documents that are physically thick or extensive. In figurative use, it may describe content-rich or verbose material, though in such cases other adjectives like prolisso or lungo are sometimes preferred.

Cross-linguistic notes

Voluminose is specific to Italian. Closely related languages have cognates with similar meanings (for example, voluminoso/voluminosos in Portuguese and voluminoso/voluminoso in Spanish), but the exact form voluminose is Italian and governs feminine plural nouns.