calendula

noun

ca·​len·​du·​la kə-ˈlen-jə-lə How to pronounce calendula (audio)
-dyu̇-lə
: any of a small genus (Calendula) of yellow-rayed composite herbs of temperate regions

Examples of calendula in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its formula is gentle and fragrance free and is infused with oat, calendula, and shea butter to cleanse and nourish even the most sensitive skin. —Laura Lu, Parents, 22 May 2025 It’s also infused with aloe and calendula extracts, which are soothing to skin and help quell redness. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 15 May 2025 The cleansing oil is made up of 10% calendula flower extract which calms sensitive skin. —Rosa Jisoo Pyo, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025 Key Ingredients: Marigold, Moroccan calendula extract Finish: Radiant Coverage: Light Shades: 14 Size: 0.1 oz. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for calendula

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin Calendula, genus name, probably borrowed from Italian calendola "the plant Calendula officinalis," from calenda "first day of the month" (borrowed from Latin Kalendae calends) + -ola, diminutive suffix

Note: Apparently a learned or semi-learned coinage in Italian. Dictionaries attribute the etymon to New Latin, but the earliest instance of it appears to be in Pietro Andrea Mattioli's Di Pedacio Dioscoride Anazarbeo libri cinque della historia & materia medicinale (Venice, 1544), an Italian translation of Dioscorides with Mattioli's commentary. According to Andrea Cesalpino's De plantis libri XVI (Florence, 1583, p. 495), "it is called Calendula in the vernacular, because it blooms monthly" ("Calendula vulgo appellatur; quia singulis mensibus floret …").

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of calendula was in 1651

Browse Nearby Words

calends
calendula
calenture
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Cite this Entry

“Calendula.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calendula. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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Medical Definition

calendula

noun
ca·​len·​du·​la kə-ˈlen-jə-lə How to pronounce calendula (audio)
1
capitalized : a small genus of yellow-rayed composite herbs of temperate regions
2
: any plant of the genus Calendula
3
: the dried florets of plants of the genus Calendula (especially C. officinalis) sometimes used as a mild aromatic and diaphoretic
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