Where would we be without nouns? We’d be lost in a land without people, places, things, or complete sentences. These parts of speech are, perhaps, the most important elements of the English language. Let’s take a look at a whole range of nouns that start with L.
50 Nouns Starting With L
Ready to laze across a landscape filled with lovely L-nouns? Below, you’ll find 50 of the most common words that start with the letter L, along with each word’s definition and a sampling of synonyms.
Noun | Definition | Synonym |
something used to describe a person or thing | brand, characterization, tag | |
physical or mental work | work, task, effort | |
a deficiency or shortage | absence, emptiness, inadequacy | |
a woman | dame, demoiselle, woman | |
a natural or manmade body of water surrounded by land | pond, creek, lagoon | |
the earth | ground, soil, dirt | |
the features of a given area of land | countryside, panorama, vista | |
speech or other forms of communication | articulation, colloquialism, dialect | |
a tool that creates a strong light beam | beam, glow, ray | |
the official rules, particularly of a state or country | statute, ordinance, regulation | |
a single thickness or coat | stratum, bed, band | |
a guider or one who directs a group | conductor, pilot, manager | |
the ability to guide a group | authority, command, direction | |
a union of individuals, nations, or groups | alliance, association, coalition | |
a legal document setting out the terms for a person to use someone else’s property for a time | charter, contract, rent | |
a material made from animal skins that have been tanned | hide, skin, tan | |
a part of the body used to stand and walk | limb, appendage, gam | |
a story handed down through generations that’s believed to be true | fable, tale, myth | |
a small, egg-shaped citrus fruit | citron, fruit | |
how long something is | measure, extent, range | |
a piece of glass that helps to form an image | bifocal, glasses, spectacles | |
something that is to be learned | assignment, lecture, study | |
a symbol of an alphabet | character, consonant, vowel | |
a specific height or distance | phase, rank, position | |
the state of being responsible for something | accountability, amenability, obligation | |
freedom from captivity or control | autonomy, emancipation, independence | |
a room or building where books are stored | archive, atheneum, reading room | |
permission to do something | authority, charter, permit | |
the quality of plants and animals that makes them different from dead organisms | being, entity, vitality | |
the way you live, including your style, attitude, and possessions | behavior, conduct, habits | |
the period of time in which someone is alive | age, existence, lifespan | |
radiation that makes sight possible | beam, flash, ray | |
a flash of light caused by electricity in the atmosphere | flash, streak, bolt | |
a mark connecting two points | outline, tracing, mark | |
a component, connection | ring, loop, coupling | |
a series of items written or printed | record, catalog, inventory | |
books and other written works | books, essays, fiction | |
a burden or pressure | encumbrance, hindrance, weight | |
the agreement of lending money with interest and a plan to repay it | advance, credit, borrowing | |
the place where something is | area, locality, situation | |
a daily record of events or travel | account, diary, journal | |
the science of reasoning | analytics, reason, inference | |
a sign or symbol that identifies a company or brand | label, brand | |
a circle or spiral | ring, circle, curve | |
someone with a lot of power | majesty, ruler, master | |
a misfortune | mishap, catastrophe, misadventure | |
a portion or share | allotment, allowance, share | |
a great deal, very much | loads, many, oodles | |
good fortune | favor, miracle, serendipity | |
a meal eaten at midday | luncheon, meal, snack |
What Is a Noun?
A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. A good way to spot them is to note that they’re often preceded by articles such as “a,” “an,” or “the.” For example, “a lifetime” or “the lake.”
One of the primary functions of nouns is to act as the subject of the sentence. In the sentence, “The lake is languid,” “lake” is a noun. Nouns are often direct objects, too. In the sentence, “Ryan threw the ball,” "ball" is the direct object. It’s the object of the verb “threw.”
Types of Nouns
Knowing that nouns like to flit across sentences, it won’t come as a surprise to hear that there are many different types of nouns. Here are five of the most common:
- Proper nouns name specific things, like the names of people, cities, states, countries, buildings, and books. As proper nouns, they are capitalized. So, “Latvia” is a proper noun, but “country” is a common noun.
- Common nouns refer to general items, such as “city,” instead of “Luxembourg.”
- Abstract nouns are used when you can’t touch or perceive the noun through the five senses. These nouns are theoretical, such as “laziness” or “love.”
- Collective nouns refer to large groups, such as a “litter” of puppies or a “litany” of complaints.
- Possessive nouns demonstrate ownership over other things. For example, with “Larry’s ring,” “Larry’s” is a possessive noun, indicating that he owns the ring.
To continue to explore these categories, check out Types of Nouns.
10 Example Sentences
Wasn’t it interesting to read through that list of L-nouns? Some of them can function as either nouns and verbs, as well as other parts of speech. Let’s take a look at ten of our top picks when used as nouns in sentences:
- What does the label say?
- We love swimming in the lake.
- Isn’t this the most stunning landscape you’ve ever seen?
- He makes an excellent leader.
- You’ll see The Headless Horseman at midnight, according to legend.
- Squeeze some lemon in the fruit punch.
- I loved her lesson on short fiction.
- He has a license to heal.
- What type of literature do you like to read?
- He suffered a terrible loss when the stock market crashed.
Even More L-Words
It's amazing how many words there are that begin with L. If you're looking for even more L-words, you're sure to enjoy the word list tool on WordFinder by YourDictionary. There, you'll discover a collection of words that start with L categorized by how many letters each word has. Review the list as is, or tweak it to hone in on words of a certain length or that include certain combinations of letters or that end with a specific letter. Whatever you're looking for in regards to L-words, you're sure to find it here.
A Litany of L-Nouns
When learning a new language or attempting to build your vocabulary, the best way to go about it is to read as much as you can. But, it can also be helpful to scan word lists for new additions. Perhaps your next short story or poem needs a little alliteration. As such, a list of words, organized by letter, might be just the ticket. While we’re on the letter L, check out these adjectives that start with L, too.