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Definition of vernonia
vernonia
/vɜːrˈnoʊniə/
ver · no · ni · a
Plural:vernonias
vernonia Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
Any plant of the large genus Vernonia in the aster family (Asteraceae), commonly known as ironweeds, characterized by intense purple or pink flower heads and native primarily to North America, South America, and Africa.
Example
"The striking purple blooms of the vernonia attract numerous butterflies to the late summer garden."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for vernonia• Rhymes for vernonia
Word Origin & Etymology
Named after William Vernon, a late 17th-century English botanist who collected plant specimens in Maryland, combined with the New Latin suffix '-ia' denoting a botanical genus.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Vernonia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/vernonia