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English word origin

Etymology of acne

From New Latin acnē, probably a corruption of Ancient Greek ἀκμή (akmḗ, “point, top”).

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection; acne vulgaris. · A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition. · Any of several other skin conditions that resemble acne vulgaris.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From New Latin acnē, probably a corruption of Ancient Greek ἀκμή (akmḗ, “point, top”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "wp",
      "args": {},
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-new",
        "3": "acnē"
      },
      "expansion": "New Latin acnē"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "ἀκμή",
        "4": "",
        "5": "point, top"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ἀκμή (akmḗ, “point, top”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₂eḱ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "acnē",
      "acne#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ἀκμή",
      "ἀκμή#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
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  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection; acne vulgaris.",
        "A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition.",
        "Any of several other skin conditions that resemble acne vulgaris."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable",
        "usually"
      ],
      "recordId": "847607938c17b550b58713cea9b04c664f4cf7d8efc4b516910fa91793f600d4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e5fcecc59c8491201dab07c22d2a4eb4e3610c44ee792eefa5bacbb5dcf3134e",
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for acne →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YWNuZQ