Metrical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈmɛtɹɪkl̩/

Definitions

1. Related to or composed in a rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, as found in poetry and verse
2. Relating to the organization of rhythmic patterns in artistic forms such as poetry and music, emphasizing a structured approach to sound and beat
3. Pertaining to a system of rhythm and measurement in poetry or music that underscores the arrangement of beats and syllables

Etymology: "Metrical" is a plain formation: the adjective "metric" (from New Latin "metricus," relating to measure) plus the suffix "-al," which turns it into the adjective form used in English. The root goes back to the Greek "metron," meaning "measure," and Latin borrowed that stem as the basis for words about measurement and verse. The sense here, relating to rhythmic structure in poetry and music, grew out of the older idea of measure. A line of verse was understood as a series of measured units, so "metrical" came to describe the arrangement of those units. The same root gives "meter," the unit of rhythm in verse as well as the unit of length, so the poetic and measuring senses have always stood close together.

Synonyms: rhythmic, poetic, versified, measured, structured

Antonyms: free, prosaic, unrhythmic, irregular, chaotic