The word for today is… biannual (adjective) - 1: occurring twice a year 2: occurring every two years Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : When we describe something as biannual, we can mean either that it occurs twice a year or that it occurs once every two years. So how does someone know
The word for today is… persecute (verb): 1: to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict, specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief 2: to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (such as attacks, pleas, or importunities) : pester Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Persecute typically has
The word for today is… penultimate (adjective) - 1: next to the last 2: of or relating to the next to the last syllable of a word Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Penultimate isn't the last word in words for things that are next to last. It has a pair
The word for today is… plenary (adjective) - 1: complete in every respect : absolute, unqualified 2: fully attended or constituted by all entitled to be present Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : In the 14th century, the monk Robert of Brunne described a situation in which all the knights of King Arthur'
The word for today is… amanuensis (noun) - : one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : In Latin, the phrase servus a manu translates loosely as "slave with secretarial duties." (The noun manu, meaning "hand," gave us words such as manuscript,
The word for today is… obviate (verb) - : to anticipate and prevent (something, such as a situation) or make (an action) unnecessary Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : It's most often needs that get obviated. And a need that's obviated is a need that's been anticipated and
The word for today is… cliché (noun) - 1: a trite phrase or expression. Also : the idea expressed by it 2: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation 3: something (such as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : The words cliché and stereotype have
The word for today is… nescience (noun) - : lack of knowledge or awareness : ignorance Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Eighteenth-century British poet, essayist, and lexicographer Samuel Johnson once said, "There is nothing so minute or inconsiderable that I would not rather know it than not know it." He probably knew
The word for today is… adamant (adjective, noun) - adjective : unshakable or insistent especially in maintaining a position or opinion : unyielding noun 1: a stone (such as a diamond) formerly believed to be of impenetrable hardness 2: an unbreakable or extremely hard substance Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : A person who is
The word for today is… embarrass (verb) - transitive verb 1a: to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress b: to place in doubt, perplexity, or difficulties c: to involve in financial difficulties 2a: to hamper the movement of b: hinder, impede 3: to make intricate : complicate 4: to
The word for today is… sonorous (adjective) - 1: producing sound (as when struck) 2: full or loud in sound 3: imposing or impressive in effect or style 4 phonetics : having a high or an indicated degree of sonority Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : If a tree falls in a forest and
The word for today is… mea culpa (noun) - : a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Mea culpa, which means "through my fault" in Latin, comes from a prayer of confession in the Catholic Church. Said by itself, it's an exclamation of
The word for today is… obnubilate (transitive verb) - : becloud, obscure Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : The meaning of obnubilate becomes clearer when you know that its ancestors are the Latin terms ob- (meaning "in the way") and nubes ("cloud"). It's a high-flown sounding word, which
The word for today is… obloquy (noun) - 1: a strongly condemnatory utterance : abusive language 2: the condition of one that is discredited : bad repute Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : English speakers can choose from several synonyms to name a tongue-lashing. Abuse is a good general term that usually stresses the anger
The word for today is… preternatural (adjective) - 1: existing outside of nature 2: exceeding what is natural or regular : extraordinary 3: inexplicable by ordinary means, especially : psychic Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Preternatural comes from the Latin phrase praeter naturam, meaning "beyond nature." Medieval Latin scholars rendered this as
