Skip to content
word of the day

The word for today is…

spontaneous (adj) – 1. Happening or arising without apparent external cause; self-generated.

  1. Arising from a natural inclination or impulse and not from forethought or prompting.
  2. Unconstrained and unstudied in manner or behaviour.
  3. Growing without cultivation or human labour.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : When English philosopher Thomas Hobbes penned his 1656 The Questions Concerning Liberty, Necessity, and Chance he included the following: “all voluntary actions … are called also spontaneous, and said to be done by man’s own accord.” Hobbes was writing in English, but he knew Latin perfectly well too, including the source of spontaneous; the word comes, via Late Latin spontaneus, from the Latin sponte, meaning “of one’s free will, voluntarily.” In modern use, the word spontaneous is frequently heard in more mundane settings, where it often describes what is done or said without a lot of thought or planning.

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends.

Latest

Good Oil Backchat

Good Oil Backchat

Please read our rules before you start commenting on The Good Oil to avoid a temporary or permanent ban.

Members Public