The word for today is… zero-sum (adjective): : of, relating to, or being a situation (such as a game or relationship) in which a gain for one side entails a corresponding loss for the other side Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Does game theory sound like fun? It can be—if you
The word for today is… cardinal (noun, adjective): noun 1: a high ecclesiastical official of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks next below the pope and is appointed by him to assist him as a member of the college of cardinals (see college sense 4) 2: cardinal number - usually
The word for today is… jubilee (noun, adjective): noun 1a: a special anniversary - especially : a 50th anniversary b: a celebration of such an anniversary 2a: jubilation b: a season of celebration 3 often Jubilee : a year of emancipation and restoration provided by ancient Hebrew law to be kept every
The word for today is… apocryphal (adjective): 1: of doubtful authenticity : spurious 2 often capitalized : of or resembling the Apocrypha Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In biblical study, Apocrypha refers to books outside an accepted canon of scripture. In modern use, the term refers specifically to a group of ancient Jewish
The word for today is… unbeknownst (adjective): 1: happening or existing without the knowledge of someone specified - usually used with to 2: unknown Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Unbeknownst has the ring of a true archaism, what with that -st ending we know from such Shakespearean gems as “thou dost
The word for today is… rebuff (verb): : to reject or criticize sharply : snub Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Many English verbs begin with the prefix re-, meaning “again” or “backward,” so we wouldn’t criticize you for drawing a connection between rebuff and buff, a verb meaning “to polish or shine.
The word for today is… efficacious (adjective): : having the power to produce a desired effect Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Efficacious came to English from the Middle French word efficace (or that word’s Latin source, efficāc- or efficāx), meaning “effective.” (These words ultimately trace back to the Latin verb efficere,
The word for today is… tractable (adjective): 1: capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled : docile 2: easily handled, managed, or wrought : malleable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A frequentative is a form of a verb that indicates repeated action. The frequentative of the word sniff, for example, is sniffle,
The word for today is… consternation (noun): : amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Consternation and confusion are not synonymous, though it’s understandable that they are sometimes confused. Consternation refers not to confusion, but to a feeling of amazement or dismay that can
The word for today is… incognito (adjective or adverb, noun): adjective or adverb : with one's identity concealed noun 1: one appearing or living incognito 2: the state or assumed identity of one living or traveling incognito Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The ancient Romans knew that there are times
The word for today is… gossip (noun, verb): noun 1a dialectal British : godparent b: companion, crony c: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others 2a: rumor or report of an intimate nature b: a chatty talk c: the subject matter of gossip verb : to relate gossip
The word for today is… affluent (adjective) - 1 : having an abundance of goods or riches : wealthy 2 : flowing in abundance Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Are your coffers overflowing? Is your cash flow more than adequate? Are your assets fluid? If so, you can consider yourself affluent. Affluent is all
The word for today is… meliorism (noun): : the belief that the world tends to improve and that humans can aid its betterment Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In 1877, British novelist George Eliot believed she had coined meliorist when she wrote, "I don't know that I ever heard
The word for today is… deride (verb): 1: to laugh at or insult contemptuously 2: to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule or criticism : to express a lack of respect or approval of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Laughter may or may not be the best medicine—your mileage may
The word for today is… incidence (noun): 1a: rate of occurrence or influence b: an act or the fact or manner of falling upon or affecting : occurrence 2a: angle of incidence b: the arrival of something (such as a projectile or a ray of light) at a surface Source : Merriam
The word for today is… svelte (adjective): 1a: slender, lithe b: having clean lines : sleek 2: urbane, suave Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In Death on the Rocks, a 2013 mystery novel by Deryn Lake, the hero John Rawlings is described as having “svelte eyebrows” (he raises them also in 1995’
