What does lacunae mean?
Lacunae are gaps, omissions, or missing portions in a text, record, argument, or body of knowledge. The word is especially common in historical and academic writing, where an author may identify lacunae in the surviving evidence or acknowledge that a record is incomplete. It can also describe anatomical cavities or small spaces within a structure. In figurative use, lacunae suggests that something has been left unstated, lost, or insufficiently explained, and the expression often carries a scholarly or formal tone. The plural form is lacunae, while the singular lacuna is the form normally used when discussing one particular gap. The Latin origin of the word, meaning a hollow, cavity, or opening, gives the modern term its association with both physical spaces and missing textual material. Lacunae is valuable when precision matters because it distinguishes a consequential absence from a merely minor inconsistency or error.
plural nounLacunae are gaps, omissions, or unaccounted-for spaces in a text, record, or body of knowledge. In anatomy, the term refers to cavities or small spaces within a structure.
- gaps or omissions in a text, document, historical record, or body of knowledge
- small cavities or spaces within an anatomical structure
- places where something is absent, incomplete, or insufficiently documented
"The historian examined the lacunae in the surviving account, cautiously reconstructing what had been omitted."
"The treaty contains lacunae that leave the precise boundaries of the territory undefined."
"Each lacuna in the manuscript preserves a small but significant silence in the original narrative."
An alternative plural to lacunae. The Latin-derived plural lacunae is the conventional form in formal and academic writing.
"Several lacunas in the surviving testimony complicate the reconstruction."
Lacunae entered English from the Latin for a gap or hollow, giving us a precise word for the holes in a text or story.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lacunae come from?
Lacuna comes from Latin, where lacuna meant a hollow, cavity, or opening and was also used for a gap in a text. English borrowed the Latin word in the 17th century, initially for a gap or deficiency in a document and later for physical cavities in anatomy. Lagoon comes through Italian from the same Latin noun, while lacunar and lacunary developed as English adjectives associated with gaps or cavities.
Related word forms
How lacunae is actually used
Lacunae is the plural of lacuna and is most common in academic, historical, legal, and textual contexts. It usually implies a meaningful omission or gap rather than merely a small blank.