alliterative
Americanadjective
Usage
What does alliterative mean? Alliterative is an adjective used to describe things that use or are examples of alliteration—the repetition of the same or a similar sound at or near the beginning of each word in a series.The tongue twister Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers is a classic example of alliteration. The sentence uses the same consonant (the letter p) at the beginning of each main word to make it alliterative.Sometimes, alliteration can involve the repetition of not a single letter but the same letter combination, such as tr, as in Trip truly tricked Tracy. It can also be created by the repetition of vowels or vowel sounds, as in Every editor expects excellence.Examples: Many comic book characters have alliterative names, like Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Wonder Woman.
Other Word Forms
- alliteratively adverb
- alliterativeness noun
- nonalliterative adjective
- nonalliteratively adverb
- nonalliterativeness noun
- unalliterative adjective
Etymology
Origin of alliterative
First recorded in 1755–65; alliterat(ion) + -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She published her first newspaper piece that same year, and adopted the alliterative pen name.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
Also, Phil isn't the only fuzzy Nostradamus with an alliterative name that claims predictive powers.
From Salon • Feb. 2, 2024
They are short and alliterative and easily repeated.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 2, 2023
Over a Wheezy beat that seesaws between digital comet dust and ghosts playing cello, Gunna coaxes his forebears into an alliterative gymnastics routine for the ages.
From Washington Post • Mar. 11, 2022
The girls were allowed to choose their own names from a preapproved list of alliterative options.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
