Palatial
/pəˈleɪʃəl/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Palatial means having the qualities of a palace: very big, elegant, and luxurious (meaning very comfortable and expensive). It is often used to describe houses or buildings that look rich and grand, like a king’s home.
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Describing a building or home that is very large and grand
- •They live in a palatial mansion by the sea.
- •The hotel’s palatial lobby amazed all the guests.
- •She admired the palatial rooms filled with expensive furniture.
Used to show something is very luxurious or rich in appearance
- •The restaurant had a palatial style with gold decorations.
- •His office was palatial, with marble floors and crystal chandeliers.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "palatial" like "big" (A1 word), but much more—big and very fancy, like a castle or king’s house
- ✓Picture a huge building with tall walls, shiny floors, and beautiful decorations everywhere
- ✓It feels like walking into a dream house where everything is perfect and expensive
- ✓Sounds like "palace" + "-ial" → imagine a palace (king’s large home) with the ending "-ial" meaning "like" or "related to"
- ✓Think of famous palaces like Buckingham Palace or the Taj Mahal—palatial means similar to those grand places
- ✓NOT like "small" or "simple" houses, palatial means very large and rich-looking
- ✓NOT like "ordinary" or "plain," palatial always means impressive and luxurious
Try Other Words
- •Luxurious: very comfortable and expensive (Use when you want to emphasize comfort and richness more than size)
- •Grand: impressive and large (Use when you want to focus on being impressive and important)
- •Magnificent: very beautiful and impressive (Use when you want to stress beauty and greatness)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "palat-" from "palace" + suffix "-ial" meaning "related to" or "like"
- •Etymology: From Latin "palatium," meaning palace, used in English since the 1600s to describe things like a palace
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe things belonging to or like a palace; now used for any very large and fancy building or room
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe houses, hotels, or rooms that look very rich, big, and beautiful
Reflect & Connect
•How would you describe your dream home using the word "palatial"? What features would it have?
•Why do you think people admire palatial buildings? What feelings do these buildings create?
Fill in the blanks
1.The palace was so ___ that visitors felt like royalty walking inside its halls.
2.They bought a ___ house that had many rooms and beautiful decorations.
3.Unlike a small apartment, a ___ mansion has large spaces and expensive furniture.
4.The hotel’s lobby was ___ decorated with gold and crystal lights.
5.When describing a building as palatial, it usually means it looks very ___ and grand.
6.People often use "palatial" to show that a place is both big and ___.
7.The actor’s new home is ___, with a garden, pool, and many rooms for guests.