Here you’ll find 57 Big words that start with B that begin with B, organized from “baccalaureate” to “bursitis”. These words are polysyllabic and high-register, and writers, students, and educators use them for clarity, precision, and style.
Big words that start with B are established, polysyllabic English terms with clear etymologies and specific meanings. For example, “baccalaureate” traces to medieval Latin and still names a graduation ceremony and degree.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, Etymology, and Definition.
Word: The headword itself, which you can scan to find the exact term you need for writing or study.
Etymology: Short origin details, so you can see a word’s roots, source language, and historical context at a glance.
Definition: A concise, one-sentence meaning that helps you use the word correctly in speech and writing.
Big words that start with B
| Word | Part of speech | Etymology | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| bacchanalian | adjective | Latin | given to riotous, often drunken, festivity. |
| baccalaureate | noun | Medieval Latin | ceremony or degree awarded at undergraduate completion. |
| bacterium | noun | New Latin | microscopic single‑celled prokaryotic organism. |
| bacteriology | noun | Greek/Latin | study of bacteria and their properties. |
| bacteriological | adjective | Greek/Latin | relating to the study or effects of bacteria. |
| balneology | noun | Latin/Greek | study of therapeutic bathing and mineral springs. |
| balustrade | noun | Italian | ornamental railing supported by a series of balusters. |
| banality | noun | French/Latin | something trite, unoriginal, or commonplace. |
| bankruptcy | noun | Old French/Italian | legal state of inability to pay one’s debts. |
| barbarism | noun | Latin/Greek | cruelity or use of uncivilized or nonstandard language. |
| barbarous | adjective | Latin | cruel, uncivilized, or extremely harsh. |
| barratry | noun | Old French | corrupt or persistent litigation; fraudulent practice. |
| barrister | noun | Old French | lawyer authorized to plead in higher courts (chiefly UK). |
| bathymetry | noun | Greek | measurement of underwater depths and seafloor shape. |
| bathymetric | adjective | Greek | relating to measurement of water depths or seabed mapping. |
| benefactor | noun | Latin | person who gives money or help to a cause or institution. |
| beneficence | noun | Latin | act of doing good; charitable generosity. |
| beneficiary | noun | Latin | person entitled to receive benefits or inheritance. |
| benevolent | adjective | Latin | well‑meaning and kindly; disposed to do good. |
| benediction | noun | Latin | short blessing or expression of good wishes. |
| benignity | noun | Latin | kindness or gentleness of disposition or outcome. |
| bifurcation | noun | Latin | division into two branches or parts. |
| bifurcate | verb | Latin | to split into two branches or parts. |
| bicameral | adjective | Latin | having two legislative chambers or branches. |
| biodegradable | adjective | Greek/Latin | capable of being decomposed by biological processes. |
| bioavailability | noun | Greek/Latin | fraction of a drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged. |
| bioethics | noun | Greek/Latin | study of ethical issues in biology, medicine, and technology. |
| biogeography | noun | Greek | study of the distribution of species across space and time. |
| biochemical | adjective | Greek/Latin | relating to chemical processes in living organisms. |
| biochemistry | noun | Greek/Latin | science of chemical processes within living organisms. |
| biomedical | adjective | Greek/Latin | relating to medical biology or clinical research. |
| bioluminescence | noun | Greek | light produced by living organisms biologically. |
| bilingualism | noun | Latin/Greek | ability to use two languages fluently. |
| bibliography | noun | Greek | systematic list of writings or sources on a subject. |
| bibliophile | noun | Greek | person who loves or collects books. |
| bibliomania | noun | Greek | excessive enthusiasm for collecting books. |
| bibliolatry | noun | Greek | excessive worship or veneration of books or texts. |
| bibliotherapy | noun | Greek | use of books as a form of therapeutic treatment. |
| bicameral | adjective | Latin | (duplicate entry) having two legislative chambers or branches. |
| bipartisan | adjective | Latin | involving agreement or cooperation of two political parties. |
| blasphemy | noun | Greek | act of insulting or showing contempt for sacred things. |
| blasphemous | adjective | Greek | irreverent or profane toward sacred matters. |
| bombastic | adjective | Greek/Latin | pompous, pretentious, or inflated speech or writing. |
| boisterous | adjective | Middle Dutch/French | noisy, energetic, and rowdy in behaviour. |
| bourgeoisie | noun | French | social class owning capital; middle/upper‑middle class. |
| braggadocio | noun | Italian | boastful, swaggering behaviour or empty bravado. |
| bravado | noun | Spanish/Italian | display of boldness intended to impress or intimidate. |
| brachycephalic | adjective | Greek | having a relatively short, broad skull or head shape. |
| bucolic | adjective | Greek/Latin | relating to the pleasant aspects of rural life or countryside. |
| buffoonery | noun | Italian | foolish, clownish behavior; ludicrous antics. |
| bureaucrat | noun | French | official in a large administrative system or government. |
| bureaucracy | noun | French | administrative system with many officials and rules. |
| bureaucratic | adjective | French | characterized by excessive procedures or red tape. |
| bursitis | noun | Latin | inflammation of a fluid‑filled sac near a joint, causing pain. |
| biography | noun | Greek | written account of a person’s life. |
| belligerent | adjective | Latin | hostile, aggressive, or ready to fight. |
| bonhomie | noun | French | good‑natured geniality and amiable friendliness. |
Descriptions
bacchanalian
Literary adjective for orgiastic revelry; used critically or humorously about excesses.
baccalaureate
Academic term for graduation services and certain exams; formal register.
bacterium
Scientific term widely used in biology, medicine, and public health contexts.
bacteriology
Technical discipline in microbiology; common in academic and clinical writing.
bacteriological
Formal scientific adjective used in research and reports.
balneology
Specialist term in medical history and spa literature.
balustrade
Architectural term, formal; used in design, restoration, and descriptive prose.
banality
Used in criticism to dismiss predictable ideas or clichés.
bankruptcy
Formal legal and financial term in law, business, and news.
barbarism
Used critically in ethics, history, and linguistics.
barbarous
Often literary or critical in tone; describes brutality or roughness.
barratry
Legal term chiefly in historical or specialist legal discussion.
barrister
Professional legal term, formal and jurisdiction‑specific.
bathymetry
Technical oceanography term used in marine science and mapping.
bathymetric
Used in scientific reports, charts, and marine surveys.
benefactor
Formal term in philanthropy and institutional acknowledgements.
beneficence
Used in ethics, law, and charitable discourse; high-register.
beneficiary
Legal/financial term common in wills, insurance, and trusts.
benevolent
Formal, positive descriptor for people or institutions.
benediction
Religious or ceremonial term used at services and formal events.
benignity
Literary term for favorable conditions or gentle character.
bifurcation
Technical in science, law, and metaphorical use in writing.
bifurcate
Formal verb used in technical descriptions and analysis.
bicameral
Political science term used for legislatures and governance.
biodegradable
Environmental science term common in policy and product labels.
bioavailability
Technical pharmacology term used in medicine and research.
bioethics
Interdisciplinary academic field; formal register.
biogeography
Core term in ecology, evolution, and Earth sciences.
biochemical
Used in scientific literature, research, and applied biology.
biochemistry
Foundational life‑science discipline; formal academic term.
biomedical
Used in research contexts, industry, and academic programs.
bioluminescence
Scientific and poetic term, common in marine biology discussions.
bilingualism
Sociolinguistic term used in education and policy.
bibliography
Academic term essential in scholarship and research.
bibliophile
Literary, affectionate term for avid readers and collectors.
bibliomania
Used humorously or diagnostically about obsessive collectors.
bibliolatry
Rare critical term in literary and religious debates.
bibliotherapy
Applied in mental health and educational settings.
bicameral
(duplicate omitted in index; listed once above).
bipartisan
Common in political reporting and analysis.
blasphemy
Serious religious and sometimes legal term.
blasphemous
Strong term used in theological or critical contexts.
bombastic
Pejorative literary term for overblown rhetoric.
boisterous
Lively descriptor found in both literary and everyday registers.
bourgeoisie
Sociological/political term in Marxist and modern discourse.
braggadocio
Literary term for bluster and exaggerated boasting.
bravado
Used in everyday and literary contexts for false courage.
brachycephalic
Technical anatomical or zoological descriptor.
bucolic
Literary adjective for pastoral scenes and poetry.
buffoonery
Comic or critical term for ridiculous behaviour.
bureaucrat
Neutral/formal term for career administrators.
bureaucracy
Common in critiques of organizations and government.
bureaucratic
Often pejorative in organisational criticism.
bursitis
Medical term used in clinical diagnosis and treatment.
biography
Standard literary and historical term for life narratives.
belligerent
Used in diplomatic, legal, and critical contexts.
bonhomie
Informal to literary compliment describing pleasant demeanour.