What does jaculation mean?
A jaculation is a brief utterance, especially one that expresses a strong feeling, such as surprise, anger, amusement, or protest. The word may suggest a sudden outburst that escapes before the speaker has fully formulated it: a cry, an exclamation, or an emphatic remark. Although its form can initially suggest “ejaculation” in the modern sexual sense, that interpretation is not its usual meaning here. The expression is uncommon and has a distinctly literary or archaic quality, so it appears chiefly in formal prose, historical writing, or deliberately elevated speech. An older, now largely obsolete sense refers to the act of throwing or projecting something. In contemporary use, the emphasis is on the expressive character of an utterance rather than on its literal content, and the word conveys brevity, force, and emotional immediacy.
nounA brief, often emotional or exclamatory utterance. In archaic usage, the word can also mean the act of throwing or projecting something.
- A brief, often emotional or exclamatory utterance.
- The act of throwing or projecting something, now archaic.
"She answered the accusation with a sharp jaculation of protest."
"A burst of laughter was his only jaculation."
"The minister's statement was met with an audible jaculation from the opposition benches."
The plural is used for multiple expressive utterances.
"Jaculations of surprise echoed around the courtyard."
Jaculation can mean the sudden cry that bursts from someone, despite sharing its opening syllables with a very different modern term.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jaculation come from?
Jaculation comes from Latin jaculationem, a noun formed from jaculari, meaning “to throw” or “to hurl.” The word entered English with both the sense of projecting or throwing and the sense of a forceful utterance. Its relatives eject, inject, and project are also based ultimately on Latin jacere, “to throw,” while modern ejaculate developed through a separate Latin compound based on the same root.
Related word forms
How jaculation is actually used
The word is rare in modern English and has a formal, literary, or archaic tone. It is more often encountered in historical texts than in ordinary contemporary speech.
Easily confused with jaculation
A jaculation is any brief expressive utterance, whereas an ejaculation most commonly refers to the emission of semen or, figuratively, to a sudden emotional outburst.