vaulted

IPA/ˈvɔːltɪd/
KK[vˈɔltɪd]IPA/ˈvɔːltɪd/

vaulted — adjective

  • vaultedpositive
  • more vaultedcomparative
  • most vaultedsuperlative

1. built so that the ceiling forms a high arch or dome

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

built so that the ceiling forms a high arch or dome

Example

Pedro looked up at the vaulted ceiling of the old stone church in Lisbon.

collocation: vaulted ceiling — the most common pairing

The restaurant's vaulted brick ceiling made every whisper echo across the room.

Common collocations
  • vaulted ceiling
  • vaulted roof
  • vaulted hallway
  • vaulted chamber
  • vaulted passageway
  • vaulted basement
  • vaulted crypt
Synonyms
  • arched

    broader — describes any curved shape (doorway, bridge, eyebrow), not only ceilings

  • domed

    specifically hemispherical like a dome; vaulted often implies a series of arches rather than one half-sphere

  • curved

    the most general term — applies to any bend, from a road to a line, and lacks the architectural sense

Antonyms
  • flat

    describes a ceiling or roof with no curve or arch

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Vaulted describes a ceiling or roof that rises in a continuous arch, creating a sense of height and openness inside a room. Arched is broader — it can describe any curved shape (an arched doorway, an arched bridge, arched eyebrows) and does not always imply a ceiling. Domed specifically means shaped like a half-sphere or dome, as in a domed stadium or a domed cap; a vaulted ceiling is typically a series of arches rather than a single hemisphere. Curved is the most general term — it applies to any line or surface that bends, from a curved road to a curved smile, and lacks the architectural weight of vaulted. In short: vaulted signals an arched ceiling or roof with architectural presence; domed signals a hemisphere; arched signals any arch shape; curved signals any bend.

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From the past participle of the verb vault (to build an arched roof), which came into Middle English from Old French vouter. The Old French verb derives from voute (a vault or arch), which goes back to Latin voluta, the feminine form of volutus (rolled or turned), from the verb volvere (to roll or turn). The architectural sense has been the dominant meaning since the 14th century.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1