remarkable
UK[rɪˈmɑːkəbl]US[rɪˈmɑːrkəbl]
adj
unusual or surprising in a way that causes people to take notice
adj
worthy of attention; striking
Morpheme Breakdown
re
mark
able
re
again
mark
notice
able
capable of
Etymology
the word "remarkable" entered english in the 17th century from the french remarquable, itself derived from the verb remarquer (to remark). its latin components are the intensive prefix re- and the verb marcare, meaning to mark. the literal sense of "capable of being noticed again" evolved from the idea of something so distinctive it compels repeated observation. over time, this shifted to the modern abstract meaning of being sufficiently noteworthy or exceptional as to attract attention and comment.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + mark (notice) + able (capable of)
- re: a prefix of latin origin meaning "again" or "back".
- mark: from latin marcare (to mark), via old english mearc (boundary, sign). here it functions as the core root meaning "to notice" or "to observe".
- able: a suffix of latin origin (-abilis) via old french, meaning "capable of" or "worthy of".
Examples
the team made a remarkable recovery to win the championship.
she has a remarkable ability to remain calm under pressure.
the resemblance between the two paintings is remarkable.