Definition

Relating to or resembling a type of poem or puzzle where the first letters of each line form a word or message.

Example

The poem was acrostical, with each line starting with the letters of the word 'LOVE'.

Conversation

I just finished writing an acrostical poem for my class.

That sounds interesting! How does it work?

Each line starts with a letter from the word I'm focusing on.

Cool! I love creative writing like that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Acrostical is formed from "acros" (from Greek "akros", meaning top or at the end) and "-tic" (a suffix used to form adjectives). The word refers to something related to an acrostic, which is a poem or arrangement where the first letters of each line spell out a word or message, often positioned at the top or end of the lines.

Memory Tip

Think of 'top' or 'end' ('acros') when you remember that 'acrostical' relates to a poem where the first letters form a word, often found at the beginning.

Visually Confused Words