Statures

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The physical height or build of individuals, particularly when comparing sizes among people
2. The relative importance or social position of an individual, often judged by their achievements or influence
3. The measure or scale of someone’s physical presence and the esteem they hold in various social contexts

Etymology: "Statures" is the plural of "stature," and the plural here is a little unusual: it's used to mean people of standing or reputation in a community, as in "the statures of the town." The singular "stature" comes from Middle English, borrowed from Old French, and ultimately from Latin "statūra," a noun meaning "height" or "build," formed from the verb "stare," "to stand." So the word's core idea is simply how tall someone is standing up. The leap from physical height to social standing follows a familiar path. A person's bodily stature was once a visible mark of their presence, and English speakers came to apply the same measure to a person's moral or public weight: someone of great stature commands respect whether or not they are tall. The plural "statures" extends this to a group of such figures, the people who stand out in a community.

Synonyms: heights, sizes, frames, statuesque forms

Antonyms: shortness, diminutiveness, smallness