Acrobatical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting agility and balance through dynamic movements often seen in performers who engage in intricate and gravity-defying acts
2. Involving the skills and daring maneuvers related to athletic performances that demand both creativity and physical strength
3. Demonstrating skillful agility and balance in physical feats often performed by individuals who execute complex movements with grace and creativity

Etymology: "Acrobatical" is the older-leaning variant of "acrobatic," and its story starts in ancient Greece with "akrobatēs," a compound of "akros" ("topmost, extreme") and "bainein" ("to go, walk, step"). Together they described someone who walked on tiptoe or on high points, the literal sense of a performer working at the summit of something. The Greek word passed into French as "acrobate," and English borrowed it from there as "acrobat." The adjective grew from the noun by adding the suffix "-ic," which came down through Latin "-icus" and Old French "-ique" and entered English as a way of forming descriptive adjectives. "Acrobatic" was formed in English from "acrobat" plus this suffix. "Acrobatical" was then built on the same pattern with the further suffix "-al," a common addition in English adjectives of this type, producing a longer, more formal-sounding variant of the same meaning.

Synonyms: athletic, gymnastic