Odoriferousness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of possessing a distinctive smell that can be enjoyable or attractive to individuals
2. The quality of emanating a scent that is often regarded as pleasant or appealing in nature
3. The characteristic of giving off a pronounced and perceivable scent that can affect the surrounding environment

Etymology: "Odoriferousness" is a plain formation: the adjective "odoriferous" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn a quality into a noun for that quality. The adjective is itself built from Latin "odor" (smell) and the suffix "-ferous" (bearing or producing), so the whole word literally means something like "the condition of bearing a smell." The adjective "odoriferous" is the older and more familiar part of the chain, appearing in English for centuries as a more formal alternative to "smelly" or "fragrant." Its neutral sense of simply carrying an odour is what the noun inherits, so the word does not carry any inherent judgment about pleasant or unpleasant smells. Context supplies that, which is why the noun is usually paired with an adjective like "pleasant" or "strong." Because "-ness" can be attached to almost any adjective, this noun is a productive example of English word-building rather than a term with its own separate history. It is most often found in technical, perfume, or wine-tasting writing, where a precise name for a smell's character is useful.

Synonyms: fragrance, scent, aroma, smell

Antonyms: odorlessness