magniloquenza

Magniloquenza, or magniloquence in English, is a rhetorical style defined by inflated, high-flown language intended to convey grandeur, authority, or solemnity. The term derives from Italian magniloquenza, which in turn comes from Latin magniloquentia, combining magnus "great" and loquens "speaking." In practice, magniloquenza describes passages that aim to elevate tone through elaborate diction and formal syntax.

Characteristics commonly include long, syntactically complex sentences, ornate vocabulary, and frequent use of metaphor and embellishment. Rhetorical devices such as antithesis, polysyndeton, hyperbole, and ceremonial repetition are often employed to magnify effect. Magniloquenza can appear in oratory, ceremonial writing, epic poetry, and political or religious prose. While it can convey authority and gravity, it is frequently perceived as pretentious or opaque when overused or misapplied.

Historically, grandiose language appears across rhetoric and literature, from classical orators to Baroque and Romantic writers. In modern criticism magniloquenza is discussed as a conscious stylistic choice—either as a deliberate artifice or as a flaw that undermines clarity and accessibility. The label is typically descriptive, and its value depends on context and audience.

Example: a paragraph that uses breathless, ornate diction to describe a sunrise or a king's decree demonstrates magniloquence, while a critical observer might call it overblown. The term is also used pejoratively to critique speeches or passages that prioritize ornament over meaning.

Related terms include grandiloquence, elevated diction, ornate style, and rhetorical excess.