ridiculus

Ridiculus is a Latin adjective meaning “laughable” or “ridiculous.” In classical Latin it agrees with the noun in gender and number: masculine ridiculus, feminine ridicula, neuter ridiculum. It can occur attributively to modify a noun or predicatively, as in est ridiculus (“it is laughable”).

Etymology and related forms: Ridiculus derives from ridere, “to laugh,” with related words such as risus, “laughter,” and ridiculum, “a jest” or “a laughing matter.” The form ridiculus appears in various Latin phrases and contributed to the development of later Romance languages as well as English.

English usage: The English adjective ridiculous ultimately comes from Latin ridiculus, through Old French and medieval Latin. In modern English, ridiculous means “deserving of ridicule” or “absurd, laughable.” The term spans a range of nuance from light humor to sharp criticism, depending on context and tone. It remains a common descriptor in everyday speech, literary analysis, and rhetorical discussion.

See also: ridicule, laughter. In scholarly works on philology or rhetoric, ridiculus is noted as part of the historical lineage linking Latin to the modern English term ridiculous.