The word for today is… despot (noun): 1a: a ruler with absolute power and authority b: one exercising power tyrannically : a person exercising absolute power in a brutal or oppressive way 2a: a Byzantine emperor or prince b: Christianity : a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church c: an
The word for today is… acquiesce (verb): : to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Essentially meaning “to comply quietly,” acquiesce has as its ultimate source the Latin verb quiescere, “to be quiet.” (Quiet itself is also a close relation.) Quiescere can also mean “to repose,
The word for today is… fraught (adjective): 1: full of or accompanied by something specified 2: causing or characterized by emotional distress or tension : uneasy 3: archaic a: laden b: well supplied or provided Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : An early instance of the word fraught occurs in the 14th century
The word for today is… scrutinise (verb): : to examine closely and minutely Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Scrutinise the history of scrutinise far back enough and you wind up sifting through trash: the word comes from Latin scrutari, which means “to search, to examine,” and scrutari likely comes from scruta, meaning
The word for today is… weal (noun): 1: a sound, healthy, or prosperous state : well-being 2 obsolete : body politic, commonweal 3: welt Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Weal has, since the dawn of English, referred to well-being. It’s most often used in the phrase “common weal” to refer
The word for today is… force majeure (noun): 1: superior or irresistible force 2: an event or effect that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Force majeure translates literally from French as superior force. In English, the term is often used in line with its literal
The word for today is… portend (verb): 1: to give an omen or anticipatory sign of 2: indicate, signify Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : It may seem like a stretch to say that portend, beloved verb of seers, soothsayers, and meteorologists alike, is related to tendon—the word we use to
The word for today is… eleemosynary (adjective): : of, relating to, or supported by charity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A word today I had never heard of – what a little bonus. A grammarian once asserted in reference to eleemosynary that “a long and learned word like this should only be used
The word for today is… aphorism (noun): 1: a concise statement of a principle 2: a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment : adage 3: an ingeniously terse style of expression : aphoristic language Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Aphorism was originally used in the world of medicine. Credit Hippocrates, the Greek
The word for today is… savant (noun): 1: a person of learning 2: a person affected with a developmental disorder (such as autism or intellectual disability) who exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in some limited field (such as mathematics or music) Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Word-loving Homo sapiens will
The word for today is… adapt (verb): : to make fit (as for a new use) often by modification Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “Nothing in this world is as reliable as change” is a common aphorism and one we can certainly attest to as lexicographers. English speakers adapted adapt, for example,
The word for today is… doctrinaire (adjective, noun): adjective : stubbornly or excessively devoted to a doctrine or theory without regard to practical considerations noun : one who attempts to put into effect an abstract doctrine or theory with little or no regard for practical difficulties Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The noun
The word for today is… carnival (noun, adjective): noun 1: a season or festival of merrymaking before Lent 2a: an instance of merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading b: an instance of riotous excess 3a: a traveling enterprise offering amusements b: an organized program of entertainment or exhibition adjective : suggestive of or
The word for today is… imminent (adjective): : ready to take place : happening soon – often used of something bad or dangerous seen as menacingly near Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Imminent bears a close resemblance to eminent, and native English-speakers can be excused if they sometimes have to check their spelling.
The word for today is… plagiarism (noun): 1: an act or instance of plagiarizing 2: something plagiarized Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Plagiarize (and plagiarism) comes from the Latin plagiarius “kidnapper.” This word, derived from the Latin plaga (“a net used by hunters to catch game”), extended its meaning in Latin
The word for today is… wangle (verb): 1: to adjust or manipulate for personal or fraudulent ends 2: to make or get by devious means Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :You may have noticed a striking resemblance between wangle and wrangle, both of which have a sense meaning “to obtain or
