cantilever
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Projecting horizontal beam fixed at one end only.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kantuhlehverSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkæntəˈlɛvɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
architecture
Projecting horizontal beam fixed at one end only
A beam anchored at one end and used as a lever within a microelectromechanical system.
architecture
A beam anchored at one end and projecting into space, such as a long bracket projecting from a wall to support a balcony.
verb
To project (something) in the manner of or by means of a cantilever.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Projecting horizontal beam fixed at one end only
Used this way, cantilever is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use cantilever
- “Frank Lloyd Wright liked to cantilever his buildings.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Bridge constructed of two cantilevers that meet in the middle.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.