What does excrescent mean?
Excrescent describes something that grows out from a surface in an abnormal or unnatural way, such as diseased tissue on a plant or animal, or — figuratively — anything added on so gratuitously that it seems disfiguring. A critic may call a modern annex an excrescent scar on a classical facade, meaning it projects awkwardly and belongs nowhere. The word derives from the Latin excrescere, "to grow out," from ex- ("out") and crescere ("to grow"), the same root behind crescendo and increase. Its connotations are almost always unfavorable when applied to buildings, texts, or institutions, since it suggests excess rather than organic growth. In linguistics the term has a precise technical sense, describing a consonant introduced into a word purely by assimilation in pronunciation — the b in "thimble," absent from its Old English source, is a classic example. Formal in register, excrescent rewards writers who need a word sharper than merely "unnecessary."
adjectiveForming an abnormal outgrowth on or in the body; more broadly, superfluous or tacked on without serving any real purpose. In phonetics, it describes a speech sound inserted through assimilation rather than belonging etymologically to the word.
- Growing out abnormally from a surface; forming an unnatural outgrowth.
- Superfluous, unnecessary, or tacked on without genuine purpose.
- (Phonetics) Of a speech sound: introduced by assimilation rather than being original to the word.
"The committee dismissed the new clause as an excrescent addition to an otherwise elegant statute."
"Surgeons removed the excrescent tissue that had begun to distort the bone."
"Critics attacked the tower as an excrescent blot on the skyline of a historic city."
In linguistics, an excrescent sound is a letter that sneaked into a word by accident of pronunciation — the 'b' in "thimble" was never there originally.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of excrescent
Excrescent comes from the Latin verb excrescere, "to grow out or forth," formed from ex- ("out") and crescere ("to grow, arise"), the prolific root that also gives English crescendo, increase, accrue, and concrete. It entered English in the early 17th century, borrowed directly from Latin rather than through French. Its close relative excrescence serves as the corresponding noun, and both words retain the botanical and medical sense of an outgrowth alongside their figurative use for anything superfluously appended.
Related word forms
How excrescent is actually used
Formal and somewhat clinical in register; common in medical and biological writing for the literal sense, and in literary or architectural criticism when used figuratively. The figurative sense carries a strongly negative connotation, implying ugliness or unwarranted addition. In phonetics the term is technical and neutral.
Easily confused with excrescent
"Excrescent" is the adjective describing something growing out abnormally or being superfluous, while "excrescence" is the noun denoting the actual outgrowth itself.
"Crescent" refers to a curved, moon-like shape and comes from the same Latin root crescere, whereas "excrescent" means abnormally grown-out or superfluous.