MATUTINAL
/məˈt(j)utɪnl̩/ [-ɾə-]Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2026
Meaning
Of, occurring in, or relating to the morning, especially the early morning upon waking up.
Etymology
Origin: Latin
Borrowed from Middle French matutinal (modern French matutinal), and from its etymon Late Latin mātūtīnālis (“(adjective) belonging to the morning; of or pertaining to matins; (noun) morning hymn or psalm; book of lauds”), from Latin mātūtīnus (“of, occurring in, or pertaining to the early morning, matutine”) (from Mātūta (“Roman goddess of the dawn or morning”) (from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂- (“to mature, ripen; opportune, timely; good, great”)) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship). The second sense (“active in the morning; waking up early”) is possibly modelled after French matinal (“relating to the morning, matinal”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle, including a pangram: