Exaltation
collective noun /ˌɛɡzɔːlˈteɪʃən/ — What you call a group of larks — one of the most beautiful words in the English language.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of larks — skylarks in particular are known for their ascending song-flight, rising while singing, which inspired one of the most beautiful words in English collective noun tradition.
Beyond the definition
The skylark rises straight up from the ground, singing as it climbs — sometimes to 300 metres — and then descends in silence. A group of larks doing this together is, genuinely, an exaltation. The word was chosen not for irony but for accuracy. It is exactly what you feel watching them.
Origin & history
From Latin exaltare — to raise high, to lift up (ex- 'out of' + altus 'high'). The collective noun appears in the 15th-century 'Book of Saint Albans' — a medieval guide to hunting and heraldry that standardised many collective nouns still used today.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
An exaltation of larks rose from the field as the tractor turned at the hedge.
She'd read the word a dozen times but hearing an exaltation in person was something else entirely.
The old poets wrote of exaltations of larks the way moderns write of peak experiences.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Exaltation” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for a group of larks — skylarks in particular are known for their ascending song-flight, rising while singing, which inspired one of the most beautiful words in English collective noun tradition.
Synonyms
flock, group, bevy, flight
Related words
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
The ornithologist had been studying skylarks for forty years. Every spring, he walked the same fields at the same time of morning to hear the same sound beginning.
The skylark rises singing. It sings as it climbs and sings at its height and sings as it falls. The song is continuous; it is the whole performance.
"An exaltation of larks," he said when asked about the collective noun. "Whoever named that was standing in a field in spring and heard what I hear every April. There's no other word for it. They were right."
Questions about this word
What does "Exaltation" mean?
Exaltation is collective noun meaning: What you call a group of larks — one of the most beautiful words in the English language.. The collective noun for a group of larks — skylarks in particular are known for their ascending song-flight, rising while singing, which inspired one of the most beautiful words in English collective noun tradition.
Where does the word "Exaltation" come from?
From Latin exaltare — to raise high, to lift up (ex- 'out of' + altus 'high'). The collective noun appears in the 15th-century 'Book of Saint Albans' — a medieval guide to hunting and heraldry that standardised many collective nouns still used today.