Oxford Words Flashcards
Aside
aside /əˈsʌɪd /
▸ adverb to one side; out of the way:
he pushed his plate aside
they stood aside to let a car pass
she must put aside all her antagonistic feelings.
▪ in reserve; for future use:
she set aside some money for rent.
▪ used to indicate that one is dismissing a topic or changing to a new subject:
joking aside, I’ve certainly had my fill.
▸ noun a remark or passage in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play:
Shakespeare’s use of asides and soliloquies.
▪ a remark not intended to be heard by everyone present:
‘Does that make him a murderer?’ whispered Alice in an aside to Fred.
▪ a remark that is not directly related to the main topic of discussion:
the recipe book has little asides about the importance of home and family.
–PHRASES
aside from mainly North American
apart from:
aside from gain the commoner motives for murder are anger and jealousy.
take someone aside (also draw someone aside)
move someone away from a group of people in order to talk privately:
he took him aside and urged him to quit wasting his time and talent.
–ORIGIN Middle English (originally on side): see a2, side.
Transitory
transitory /ˈtransɪt(ə)ri , ˈtrɑːnsɪt(ə)ri , ˈtranzɪt(ə)ri , ˈtrɑːnzɪt(ə)ri /
▸ adjective not permanent:
transitory periods of medieval greatness.
–DERIVATIVES
transitorily /ˈtransɪtrɪli / adverb
transitoriness /ˈtransɪt(ə)rɪnəs / noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French transitoire, from Christian Latin transitorius, from transit- ‘gone across’ (see transit).
Ignominious
ignominious /ˌɪɡnəˈmɪnɪəs /
▸ adjective deserving or causing public disgrace or shame:
no other party risked ignominious defeat.
–DERIVATIVES
ignominiously /ɪɡnəˈmɪnɪəsli / adverb
ignominiousness noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from French ignominieux, or Latin ignominiosus, from ignominia (see ignominy).
Respective
respective /rɪˈspɛktɪv /
▸ adjective [attributive] belonging or relating separately to each of two or more people or things:
they chatted about their respective childhoods.
–ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘relative, comparative’): from medieval Latin respectivus, from respect- ‘regarded, considered’, from the verb respicere (see respect), reinforced by French respectif, -ive.
Remit
remit
▸ verb
(remits, remitting, remitted)
/rɪˈmɪt / [with object]
1 cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment):
the excess of the sentence over 12 months was remitted.
▪ Theology forgive (a sin):
God’s act of remitting the sins of guilty men.
2 send (money) in payment or as a gift:
the income they remitted to their families.
3 refer (a matter for decision) to an authority:
the request for an investigation was remitted to a special committee.
▪ Law send back (a case) to a lower court.
▪ Law send (someone) from one tribunal to another for a trial or hearing:
it remits an offender to another court after convicting him.
▪ archaic postpone:
the movers refused Mr Tierney’s request to remit the motion.
▪ archaic consign again to a previous state:
thus his indiscretion remitted him to the nature of an ordinary person.
4 [no object] archaic diminish:
phobias may remit spontaneously without any treatment.
▸ noun /ˈriːmɪt , rɪˈmɪt /
1 mainly British the task or area of activity officially assigned to an individual or organization:
the committee was becoming caught up in issues that did not fall within its remit.
2 an item referred to someone for consideration:
a remit on the question failed.
–DERIVATIVES
remittable /rɪˈmɪtəb(ə)l/ adjective
remittee /rɪmɪˈtiː / noun
remitter /rɪˈmɪtə / noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin remittere ‘send back, restore’, from re- ‘back’ + mittere ‘send’. The noun dates from the early 20th century.
Reconcile
reconcile /ˈrɛk(ə)nsʌɪl /
▸ verb [with object]
1 restore friendly relations between:
the king and the archbishop were publicly reconciled
she wanted to be reconciled with her father.
▪ settle (a quarrel):
advice on how to reconcile the conflict.
▪ make or show to be compatible:
the agreement had to be reconciled with the city’s new international relations policy.
▪ (reconcile someone to) make someone accept (a disagreeable or unwelcome thing):
he was reconciled to leaving.
2 make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed:
it is not necessary to reconcile the cost accounts to the financial accounts.
–DERIVATIVES
reconcilement /ˌrɛk(ə)nˈsʌɪlm(ə)nt / noun
reconciler noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French reconcilier or Latin reconciliare, from Latin re- ‘back’ (also expressing intensive force) + conciliare ‘bring together’.
Interject
interject /ˌɪntəˈdʒɛkt /
▸ verb [with object] say (something) abruptly, especially as an aside or interruption:
she interjected the odd question here and there
[no object] Christina felt bound to interject before there was open warfare.
–DERIVATIVES
interjectory adjective
–ORIGIN late 16th century : from Latin interject- ‘interposed’, from the verb interjicere, from inter- ‘between’ + jacere ‘to throw’.
Opulent
opulent /ˈɒpjʊl(ə)nt / ▸ adjective ostentatiously costly and luxurious: the opulent comfort of a limousine. ▪ wealthy: his more opulent tenants. –DERIVATIVES opulently /ˈɒpjʊl(ə)ntli / adverb –ORIGIN mid 16th century (in the sense ‘wealthy’): from Latin opulent- ‘wealthy, splendid’, from opes ‘wealth’.
Denigrate
denigrate /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt /
▸ verb [with object] criticize unfairly; disparage:
doom and gloom merchants who denigrate their own country.
–DERIVATIVES
denigratory /ˌdɛnɪˈɡreɪt(ə)ri / adjective
–ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘blacken, make dark’): from Latin denigrat- ‘blackened’, from the verb denigrare, from de- ‘away, completely’ + nigrare (from niger ‘black’).
Nihilistic
nihilistic /nʌɪ(h)ɪˈlɪstɪk /
▸ adjective rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless:
an embittered, nihilistic teenager.
Innuendo
innuendo /ˌɪnjʊˈɛndəʊ /
▸ noun
(plural innuendoes or innuendos)
an allusive or oblique remark or hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one:
she’s always making sly innuendoes
[mass noun] a constant torrent of innuendo, gossip, lies, and half-truths.
–ORIGIN mid 16th century (as an adverb in the sense ‘that is to say, to wit’, used in legal documents to introduce an explanation): Latin, ‘by nodding at, by pointing to’, ablative gerund of innuere, from in- ‘towards’ + nuere ‘to nod’. The noun dates from the late 17th century.
Insidious
insidious /ɪnˈsɪdɪəs /
▸ adjective proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects:
sexual harassment is a serious and insidious problem.
–DERIVATIVES
insidiousness /ɪnˈsɪdɪəsnəs / noun
–ORIGIN mid 16th century : from Latin insidiosus ‘cunning’, from insidiae ‘an ambush or trick’, from insidere ‘lie in wait for’, from in- ‘on’ + sedere ‘sit’.
Incongruous
incongruous
incongruous /ɪnˈkɒŋɡrʊəs /
▸ adjective not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something:
the duffel coat looked incongruous with the black dress she wore underneath.
–DERIVATIVES
incongruousness noun
–ORIGIN early 17th century : from Latin incongruus (from in- ‘not’ + congruus ‘agreeing, suitable’, from the verb congruere) + -ous.
Woke
woke woke /wəʊk / ▸ verb past of wake1. ▸ adjective (woker, wokest) US informal alert to injustice in society, especially racism: we need to stay angry, and stay woke does being woke mean I have to agree with what all other woke folks say should be done about issues in the black community? the West Coast has the wokest dudes. [originally in African American usage.]
Censorious
censorious censorious /sɛnˈsɔːrɪəs / ▸ adjective severely critical of others: censorious champions of morality. –DERIVATIVES censoriously adverb censoriousness /sɛnˈsɔːrɪəsnəs / noun –ORIGIN mid 16th century : from Latin censorius (from censor ‘magistrate ’) + -ious.
Puritanical
puritanical
puritanical /pjʊərɪˈtanɪk(ə)l /
▸ adjective having or displaying a very strict or censorious moral attitude towards self-indulgence or sex:
his puritanical parents saw any kind of pleasure as the road to damnation.
–DERIVATIVES
puritanically /ˌpjʊərɪˈtanɪk(ə)li / adverb
Oligarch
oligarch /ˈɒlɪɡɑːk /
▸ noun
1 a ruler in an oligarchy.
2 (especially in Russia) a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence.
–ORIGIN late 19th century : from Greek oligarkhēs, from oligoi ‘few’ + arkhein ‘to rule’.
Soviet
soviet /ˈsəʊvɪət , ˈsɒvɪət/
▸ noun
1 an elected local, district, or national council in the former Soviet Union.
▪ a revolutionary council of workers or peasants in Russia before 1917.
2 (Soviet) a citizen of the former Soviet Union.
▸ adjective (Soviet) of or concerning the former Soviet Union:
the Soviet leader.
–DERIVATIVES
Sovietism noun
–ORIGIN early 20th century : from Russian sovet ‘council’.
Contentious
contentious /kənˈtɛnʃəs /
▸ adjective causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial:
a contentious issue.
▪ involving heated argument:
the socio-economic plan had been the subject of contentious debate.
▪ (of a person) given to provoking argument.
▪ Law relating to or involving differences between contending parties.
–DERIVATIVES
contentiously /kənˈtɛnʃəsli / adverb
contentiousness /kənˈtɛnʃəsnəs / noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus, from content- ‘striven’, from the verb contendere.
Presume
presume /prɪˈzjuːm /
▸ verb
1 [with clause] suppose that something is the case on the basis of probability:
I presumed that the man had been escorted from the building
[with object and complement] two of the journalists went missing and are presumed dead.
▪ take for granted that something exists or is the case:
the argument presumes that only one person can do the work.
2 [no object, with infinitive] be arrogant or impertinent enough to do something:
kindly don’t presume to issue me orders in my own house.
▪ [no object] make unjustified demands; take liberties:
forgive me if I have presumed.
▪ [no object] (presume on/upon) unjustifiably regard (something) as entitling one to privileges:
he was wary of presuming on the close friendship between them.
–DERIVATIVES
presumable /prɪˈzjuːməb(ə)l / adjective
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French presumer, from Latin praesumere ‘anticipate’ (in late Latin ‘take for granted’), from prae ‘before’ + sumere ‘take’.
Foreboding
foreboding /fɔːˈbəʊdɪŋ /
▸ noun [mass noun] a feeling that something bad will happen; fearful apprehension:
with a sense of foreboding she read the note.
▸ adjective implying that something bad is going to happen:
when the Doctor spoke, his voice was dark and foreboding.
–DERIVATIVES
forebodingly adverb
Paramount
paramount /ˈparəmaʊnt /
▸ adjective
1 more important than anything else; supreme:
the interests of the child are of paramount importance.
2 [attributive] having supreme power:
a paramount chief.
–DERIVATIVES
paramountly adverb
–ORIGIN mid 16th century (in the sense ‘highest in jurisdiction’ in the phrases lord paramount and paramount chief): from Anglo-Norman French paramont, from Old French par ‘by’ + amont ‘above’.
Antecedent
antecedent /ˌantɪˈsiːd(ə)nt /
▸ noun
1 a thing that existed before or logically precedes another:
some antecedents to the African novel might exist in Africa’s oral traditions.
2 (antecedents) a person’s ancestors or family and social background:
her early life and antecedents have been traced.
3 Grammar an earlier word, phrase, or clause to which another word (especially a following relative pronoun) refers back.
4 Logic the statement contained in the ‘if’ clause of a conditional proposition.
▸ adjective
1 preceding in time or order; previous or pre-existing:
antecedent events.
2 Grammar denoting or counting as an antecedent.
–DERIVATIVES
antecedence /ˌantɪˈsiːdəns / noun
antecedently adverb
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French or from Latin antecedent- ‘going before’, from antecedere, from ante ‘before’ + cedere ‘go’.
Non sequitur
non sequitur /nɒn ˈsɛkwɪtə /
▸ noun a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement:
his weird mixed metaphors and non sequiturs.
–ORIGIN Latin, literally ‘it does not follow’.
Vanguard
vanguard /ˈvanɡɑːd /
▸ noun
1 a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas:
the experimental spirit of the modernist vanguard.
▪ a position at the forefront of new developments or ideas:
the prototype was in the vanguard of technical development.
2 the foremost part of an advancing army or naval force.
–DERIVATIVES
vanguardism noun
vanguardist noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting the foremost part of an army): shortening of Old French avan(t)garde, from avant ‘before’ + garde ‘guard’.
Austerity
austerity /ɒˈstɛrɪti , ɔːˈstɛrɪti /
▸ noun
(plural austerities)
[mass noun]
1 sternness or severity of manner or attitude:
he was noted for his austerity and his authoritarianism.
▪ plainness and simplicity in appearance:
the room was decorated with a restraint bordering on austerity.
▪ [count noun] (usually austerities) a feature of an austere way of life:
his uncle’s austerities had undermined his health.
2 difficult economic conditions created by government measures to reduce public expenditure:
the country was subjected to acute economic austerity
[count noun] (austerities) the austerities of post-war London.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from French austérité, from Latin austeritas, from austerus ‘severe’ (see austere).
Risk-averse
risk-averse
▸ adjective disinclined or reluctant to take risks:
risk-averse investors.
Indistinguishable
indistinguishable /ɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəb(ə)l /
▸ adjective not able to be identified as different or distinct:
the counterfeit bills were virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
–DERIVATIVES
indistinguishability noun
indistinguishableness noun
indistinguishably /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbli / adverb
Ambiguous
ambiguous /amˈbɪɡjʊəs / ▸ adjective open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning: ambiguous phrases. ▪ not clear or decided: the election result was ambiguous. –DERIVATIVES ambiguousness /amˈbɪɡjʊəsnəs / noun –ORIGIN early 16th century (in the sense ‘indistinct, obscure’): from Latin ambiguus ‘doubtful’ (from ambigere ‘waver, go around’, from ambi- ‘both ways’ + agere ‘to drive’) + -ous.
Petulant
petulant /ˈpɛtjʊl(ə)nt /
▸ adjective (of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered:
he was moody and petulant
a petulant shake of the head.
–DERIVATIVES
petulantly /ˈpɛtjʊl(ə)ntli / adverb
–ORIGIN late 16th century (in the sense ‘immodest’): from French pétulant, from Latin petulant- ‘impudent’ (related to petere ‘aim at, seek’). The current sense (mid 18th century) is influenced by pettish.
Zoonotic
zoonosis /ˌzuːəˈnəʊsɪs , ˌzəʊəˈnəʊsɪs/
▸ noun
(plural zoonoses /ˌzuːəˈnəʊsiːz, ˌzəʊəˈnəʊsiːz/)
a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals.
–DERIVATIVES
zoonotic adjective
–ORIGIN late 19th century : from zoo- ‘of animals’ + Greek nosos ‘disease’.
Vociferous
vociferous /və(ʊ)ˈsɪf(ə)rəs /
▸ adjective expressing or characterized by vehement opinions; loud and forceful:
he was a vociferous opponent of the takeover.
–DERIVATIVES
vociferousness /və(ʊ)ˈsɪf(ə)rəsnəs / noun
Ethos
ethos /ˈiːθɒs /
▸ noun the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its attitudes and aspirations:
a challenge to the ethos of the 1960s.
–ORIGIN mid 19th century : from modern Latin, from Greek ēthos ‘nature, disposition’, (plural) ‘customs’.
Effusive
effusive /ɪˈfjuːsɪv /
▸ adjective
1 showing or expressing gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner:
an effusive welcome.
2 Geology (of igneous rock) poured out when molten and later solidified.
▪ relating to the eruption of large volumes of molten rock:
effusive volcanism.
–DERIVATIVES
effusively /ɪˈfjuːsɪvli / adverb
effusiveness /ɪˈfjuːsɪvnəs / noun
Patriarch
patriarch /ˈpeɪtrɪɑːk /
▸ noun
1 the male head of a family or tribe.
▪ an older man who is powerful within an organization:
Hollywood’s reigning patriarch rose to speak.
▪ the male founder of something:
he’s the patriarch of all spin doctors.
2 any of those biblical figures regarded as fathers of the human race, especially Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their forefathers, or the sons of Jacob.
3 a bishop of one of the most ancient Christian sees (Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and formerly Rome).
▪ the head of an autocephalous or independent Orthodox Church:
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
▪ a Roman Catholic bishop ranking above primates and metropolitans and immediately below the Pope, often the head of a Uniate community:
Patriarch of Venice.
–ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French patriarche, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek patriarkhēs, from patria ‘family’ + arkhēs ‘ruling’.
Pedagogy
pedagogy /ˈpɛdəɡɒdʒi , ˈpɛdəɡɒɡi/
▸ noun
(plural pedagogies)
[mass noun] the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept:
the relationship between applied linguistics and language pedagogy
[count noun] subject-based pedagogies.
–ORIGIN late 16th century : from French pédagogie, from Greek paidagōgia ‘office of a pedagogue’, from paidagōgos (see pedagogue).
Immaterial
immaterial /ɪməˈtɪərɪəl /
▸ adjective
1 unimportant under the circumstances; irrelevant:
the difference in our ages is immaterial.
2 Philosophy spiritual, rather than physical:
we have immaterial souls.
–DERIVATIVES
immateriality /ɪmətɪərɪˈalɪti / noun
immaterially adverb
–ORIGIN late Middle English (in immaterial (SENSE 2)): from late Latin immaterialis, from in- ‘not’ + materialis ‘relating to matter’.
Fibrous
fibrous fibrous /ˈfʌɪbrəs / ▸ adjective consisting of or characterized by fibres: a good fibrous root system. –DERIVATIVES fibrously adverb fibrousness /ˈfʌɪbrəsnəs / noun
Amenable
amenable /əˈmiːnəb(ə)l /
▸ adjective open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled:
parents who have amenable children.
▪ (amenable to) capable of being acted upon in a particular way; susceptible:
cardiac failure not amenable to medical treatment.
–DERIVATIVES
amenability /əmiːnəˈbɪlɪti / noun
amenably adverb
amenableness noun
–ORIGIN late 16th century (in the sense ‘liable to answer to a law or tribunal’): an Anglo-Norman French legal term, from Old French amener ‘bring to’ from a- (from Latin ad) ‘to’ + mener ‘bring’ (from late Latin minare ‘drive animals’, from Latin minari ‘threaten’).
Egregious
egregious /ɪˈɡriːdʒəs / ▸ adjective 1 outstandingly bad; shocking: egregious abuses of copyright. 2 archaic remarkably good. –DERIVATIVES egregiousness noun –ORIGIN mid 16th century (in egregious (SENSE 2)): from Latin egregius ‘illustrious’, literally ‘standing out from the flock’, from ex- ‘out’ + grex, greg- ‘flock’. Sense 1 (late 16th century) probably arose as an ironic use.
Verbatim
verbatim /vəːˈbeɪtɪm /
▸ adverb in exactly the same words as were used originally:
subjects were instructed to recall the passage verbatim.
▸ adjective copied, quoted, or translated in exactly the same words as were used originally:
a verbatim account
your quotations must be verbatim.
–ORIGIN late 15th century : medieval Latin, from Latin verbum ‘word’. Compare with literatim.
Nascent
nascent /ˈnas(ə)nt , ˈneɪs(ə)nt/
▸ adjective (especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential:
the nascent space industry.
▪ Chemistry (chiefly of hydrogen) freshly generated in a reactive form.
–DERIVATIVES
nascence noun
nascency /ˈnas(ə)nsi, ˈneɪs(ə)nsi/ noun
–ORIGIN early 17th century : from Latin nascent- ‘being born’, from the verb nasci.
Irrefutable
irrefutable /ɪˈrɛfjʊtəb(ə)l , ˌɪrɪˈfjuːtəb(ə)l/
▸ adjective impossible to deny or disprove:
irrefutable evidence.
–DERIVATIVES
irrefutability /ɪrɛfjʊtəˈbɪlɪti , ɪrɪˌfjʊtəˈbɪlɪti / noun
irrefutably /ɪˈrɛfjətəbli , ɪrɪˈfjuːtəbli / adverb
–ORIGIN early 17th century : from late Latin irrefutabilis, from in- ‘not’ + refutabilis (from refutare ‘repel, rebut’).
Coincidental
coincidental /kəʊɪnsɪˈdɛnt(ə)l /
▸ adjective
1 resulting from a coincidence; happening by chance:
any resemblance between their reports is purely coincidental.
2 happening or existing at the same time:
it’s convenient that his plan is coincidental with the group’s closure.
Nonsensical
nonsensical /nɒnˈsɛnsɪk(ə)l / ▸ adjective 1 having no meaning; making no sense: a nonsensical argument he dismissed the claim as nonsensical. 2 ridiculously impractical or ill-advised: a tax that everyone recognizes was nonsensical. –DERIVATIVES nonsensicality /nɒnˌsɛnsɪˈkalɪti/ noun nonsensically /nɒnˈsɛnsɪk(ə)li / adverb
Reprehensible
reprehensible /ˌrɛprɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l /
▸ adjective deserving censure or condemnation:
his complacency and reprehensible laxity.
–DERIVATIVES
reprehensibility /ˌrɛprɪhɛnsɪˈbɪlɪti/ noun
reprehensibly /rɛprɪˈhɛnsɪbli / adverb
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from late Latin reprehensibilis, from reprehens- ‘rebuked’, from the verb reprehendere (see reprehend).
Reconcile
reconcile /ˈrɛk(ə)nsʌɪl /
▸ verb [with object]
1 restore friendly relations between:
the king and the archbishop were publicly reconciled
she wanted to be reconciled with her father.
▪ settle (a quarrel):
advice on how to reconcile the conflict.
▪ make or show to be compatible:
the agreement had to be reconciled with the city’s new international relations policy.
▪ (reconcile someone to) make someone accept (a disagreeable or unwelcome thing):
he was reconciled to leaving.
2 make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed:
it is not necessary to reconcile the cost accounts to the financial accounts.
–DERIVATIVES
reconcilement /ˌrɛk(ə)nˈsʌɪlm(ə)nt / noun
reconciler noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French reconcilier or Latin reconciliare, from Latin re- ‘back’ (also expressing intensive force) + conciliare ‘bring together’.
Elegant
elegant /ˈɛlɪɡ(ə)nt /
▸ adjective
1 graceful and stylish in appearance or manner:
she will look elegant in black
an elegant, comfortable house.
2 (of a scientific theory or solution to a problem) pleasingly ingenious and simple:
the grand unified theory is compact and elegant in mathematical terms.
–ORIGIN late 15th century : from French, or from Latin elegans, elegant-, related to eligere ‘choose, select’ (see elect).
Masochist
masochist /ˈmasəkɪst /
▸ noun a person who derives sexual gratification from their own pain or humiliation:
the roles of masochist and mistress.
▪ (in general use) a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful or tedious:
what kind of masochist would take part in such an experiment?
Facile
facile /ˈfasʌɪl , ˈfasɪl/
▸ adjective
1 ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial:
facile generalizations.
▪ (of a person) having a superficial or simplistic knowledge or approach:
a man of facile and shallow intellect.
2 (especially of success in sport) easily achieved; effortless:
a facile seven-lengths victory.
–DERIVATIVES
facilely adverb
facileness noun
–ORIGIN late 15th century (in the sense ‘easily accomplished’): from French, or from Latin facilis ‘easy’, from facere ‘do, make’.
Capricious
capricious /kəˈprɪʃəs /
▸ adjective given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour:
a capricious and often brutal administration.
▪ changing according to no discernible rules; unpredictable:
a capricious climate.
–DERIVATIVES
capriciously /kəˈprɪʃəsli / adverb
capriciousness /kəˈprɪʃəsnəs / noun
–ORIGIN early 17th century : from French capricieux, from Italian (see capriccioso).
Inflection
inflection /ɪnˈflɛkʃ(ə)n / (mainly British also inflexion)
▸ noun
1 Grammar a change in the form of a word (typically the ending) to express a grammatical function or attribute such as tense, mood, person, number, case, and gender:
a set of word forms differing only in respect of inflections.
▪ [mass noun] the process or practice of inflecting words.
2 [mass noun] the modulation of intonation or pitch in the voice:
she spoke slowly and without inflection
[count noun] the variety of his vocal inflections.
▪ the variation of the pitch of a musical note.
3 mainly Mathematics a change of curvature from convex to concave at a particular point on a curve:
the point of inflection of the bell-shaped curve.
–DERIVATIVES
inflectionless adjective (mainly British also inflexionless)
–ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘the action of bending inwards’): from Latin inflexio(n-), from the verb inflectere ‘bend in, curve’ (see inflect).
Ontological
ontological /ɒntəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l /
▸ adjective
1 relating to the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being:
ontological arguments.
2 showing the relations between the concepts and categories in a subject area or domain:
an ontological database
an ontological framework for integrating and conceptualizing diverse forms of information.
–DERIVATIVES
ontologically /-təˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li/ adverb
Poignant
poignant /ˈpɔɪnjənt /
▸ adjective evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret:
a poignant reminder of the passing of time.
▪ archaic sharp or pungent in taste or smell:
the poignant scent of her powder.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French, literally ‘pricking’, present participle of poindre, from Latin pungere ‘to prick’.
Clemency
clemency /ˈklɛmənsi /
▸ noun [mass noun] mercy; lenience:
an appeal for clemency.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin clementia, from clemens, clement- ‘clement’.
Secular
secular /ˈsɛkjʊlə /
▸ adjective
1 not connected with religious or spiritual matters:
secular buildings
secular attitudes to death.
Contrasted with sacred.
2 Christian Church (of clergy) not subject to or bound by religious rule; not belonging to or living in a monastic or other order. Contrasted with regular.
3 Astronomy of or denoting slow changes in the motion of the sun or planets.
4 Economics (of a fluctuation or trend) occurring or persisting over an indefinitely long period:
there is evidence that the slump is not cyclical but secular.
5 occurring once every century or similarly long period (used especially in reference to celebratory games in ancient Rome).
▸ noun a secular priest.
–DERIVATIVES
secularity /sɛkjʊˈlarɪti / noun
secularly /ˈsɛkjʊləli / adverb
–ORIGIN Middle English : secular (SENSE 1 OF THE adjective, SENSE 2 OF THE adjective) from Old French seculer, from Latin saecularis, from saeculum ‘generation, age’, used in Christian Latin to mean ‘the world’ (as opposed to the Church); secular (SENSE 3 OF THE adjective, SENSE 4 OF THE adjective, SENSE 5 OF THE adjective) (early 19th century) from Latin saecularis ‘relating to an age or period’.
Banal
banal /bəˈnɑːl , bəˈnal/
▸ adjective so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring:
songs with banal, repeated words.
–DERIVATIVES
banally adverb
–ORIGIN mid 18th century (originally relating to feudal service in the sense ‘compulsory’, hence ‘common to all’): from French, from ban ‘a proclamation or call to arms’; ultimately of Germanic origin and related to ban1.
Whitewash
whitewash /ˈwʌɪtwɒʃ /
▸ noun
1 [mass noun] a solution of lime and water or of whiting, size, and water, used for painting walls white.
2 [in singular] a deliberate attempt to conceal unpleasant or incriminating facts about a person or organization in order to protect their reputation:
the opposition called the report ‘a whitewash’.
3 informal a victory by the same side in every game of a series:
the Lions went downhill to a 4–0 whitewash.
▸ verb [with object]
1 paint (a wall, building, or room) with whitewash:
the brick walls have been whitewashed.
2 deliberately attempt to conceal unpleasant or incriminating facts about (someone or something):
most sources prefer to ignore or whitewash the most disturbing aspect of such reports
there have been efforts to whitewash the minister’s grim record.
3 informal defeat (an opponent) in every game of a series:
Ireland were whitewashed 5-0.
–DERIVATIVES
whitewasher /ˈwʌɪtwɒʃə / noun
Infarction
infarction /ɪnˈfɑːkʃ(ə)n /
▸ noun [mass noun] obstruction of the blood supply to an organ or region of tissue, typically by a thrombus or embolus, causing local death of the tissue.
Implicit
implicit /ɪmˈplɪsɪt /
▸ adjective
1 suggested though not directly expressed:
comments seen as implicit criticism of the policies.
2 (implicit in) always to be found in; essentially connected with:
the values implicit in the school ethos.
3 with no qualification or question; absolute:
an implicit faith in God.
4 Mathematics (of a function) not expressed directly in terms of independent variables.
–DERIVATIVES
implicitness noun
–ORIGIN late 16th century : from French implicite or Latin implicitus, later form of implicatus ‘entwined’, past participle of implicare (see imply).
Polytheistic
polytheistic /pɒlɪˌθiːˈɪstɪk /
▸ adjective relating to or characterized by belief in or worship of more than one god:
most anthropologists consider the religion to be polytheistic because it has many deities.
Orator
orator /ˈɒrətə /
▸ noun a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled:
a theatrically effective orator.
▪ (also public orator) an official speaking for a university on ceremonial occasions.
–DERIVATIVES
oratorial /ɒrəˈtɔːrɪəl/ adjective
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French oratour, from Latin orator ‘speaker, pleader’.
Collocation
collocation /kɒləˈkeɪʃ(ə)n /
▸ noun [mass noun]
1 Linguistics the habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance:
the words have a similar range of collocation.
▪ [count noun] a pair or group of words that are habitually juxtaposed:
‘strong tea’ and ‘heavy drinker’ are typical English collocations.
2 the action of placing things side by side or in position:
the collocation of the two pieces.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin collocatio(n-), from collocare ‘place together’ (see collocate).
Juxtaposition
juxtaposition /ˌdʒʌkstəpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n / ▸ noun the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect: the juxtaposition of these two images. –DERIVATIVES juxtapositional adjective
Proposition
proposition /prɒpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n /
▸ noun
1 a statement or assertion that expresses a judgement or opinion:
the proposition that high taxation is undesirable.
▪ Logic a statement that expresses a concept that can be true or false.
▪ Mathematics a formal statement of a theorem or problem, typically including the demonstration.
2 a suggested scheme or plan of action, especially in a business context:
a detailed investment proposition.
▪ US a constitutional proposal; a bill:
Californian voters rejected by a two-to-one majority proposition 128.
▪ informal an offer of sex made to a person with whom one is not involved, especially one that is made in an unsubtle way:
needless to say, she refused his frank sexual proposition.
3 [with adjective] a project, task, idea, etc. considered in terms of its likely success or difficulty:
setting up your own business can seem an attractive proposition.
▸ verb [with object] informal make a suggestion of sex to (someone), especially in an unsubtle way:
she had been propositioned at the party by a subeditor with bad breath.
▪ make an offer or suggestion to:
I was propositioned by the editor about becoming film critic of the paper.
–PHRASES
not a proposition
unlikely to succeed; not a viable option.
–ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French, from Latin propositio(n-), from the verb proponere (see propound).
Receptacle
receptacle /rɪˈsɛptək(ə)l /
▸ noun
1 a hollow object used to contain something:
fast-food receptacles.
2 North American an electrical socket.
3 mainly Zoology an organ or structure which receives a secretion, eggs, sperm, etc.
4 Botany an enlarged area at the apex of a stem on which the parts of a flower or the florets of a flower head are inserted.
▪ a structure supporting the sexual organs in some algae, mosses, and liverworts.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin receptaculum, from receptare ‘receive back’, frequentative of recipere (see receive).
Trepidation
trepidation /ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃ(ə)n /
▸ noun [mass noun]
1 a feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen:
the men set off in fear and trepidation.
2 archaic trembling movements or motion.
–ORIGIN late 15th century : from Latin trepidatio(n-), from trepidare ‘be agitated, tremble’, from trepidus ‘alarmed’.
Misandrist
misandrist /mɪˈsandrɪst /
▸ noun a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against men:
the counterpart to a misogynist is a misandrist.
▸ adjective relating to or characteristic of a misandrist:
the university is teaching misandrist lies.
Mendacious
mendacious /mɛnˈdeɪʃəs /
▸ adjective not telling the truth; lying:
mendacious propaganda.
–DERIVATIVES
mendaciously adverb
mendaciousness noun
–ORIGIN early 17th century : from Latin mendax, mendac- ‘lying’ (related to mendum ‘fault’) + -ious.
Mendacity
mendacity /mɛnˈdasəti /
▸ noun [mass noun] untruthfulness:
people publicly castigated for past mendacity.
–ORIGIN mid 17th century : from ecclesiastical Latin mendacitas, from mendax, mendac- ‘lying’ (see mendacious).
Salacious
salacious /səˈleɪʃəs /
▸ adjective having or conveying undue or inappropriate interest in sexual matters:
salacious stories.
–DERIVATIVES
salaciously /səˈleɪʃəsli / adverb
salaciousness /səˈleɪʃəsnəs / noun
–ORIGIN mid 17th century : from Latin salax, salac- (from salire ‘to leap’) + -ious.
Soviet
soviet /ˈsəʊvɪət , ˈsɒvɪət/
▸ noun
1 an elected local, district, or national council in the former Soviet Union.
▪ a revolutionary council of workers or peasants in Russia before 1917.
2 (Soviet) a citizen of the former Soviet Union.
▸ adjective (Soviet) of or concerning the former Soviet Union:
the Soviet leader.
–DERIVATIVES
Sovietism noun
–ORIGIN early 20th century : from Russian sovet ‘council’.
Conciliate
conciliate /kənˈsɪlɪeɪt /
▸ verb [with object]
1 stop (someone) being angry or discontented; placate:
concessions were made to conciliate the peasantry.
▪ [no object] act as a mediator:
he sought to conciliate in the dispute.
▪ formal reconcile; make compatible:
all complaints about charges will be conciliated if possible.
2 archaic gain (esteem or goodwill):
the arts which conciliate popularity.
–DERIVATIVES
conciliative /kənˈsɪlɪətɪv / adjective
–ORIGIN mid 16th century (in conciliate (SENSE 2)): from Latin conciliat- ‘combined, gained’, from the verb conciliare, from concilium (see council).
Nociception
nociception /ˌnəʊsɪˈsɛpʃ(ə)n /
▸ noun [mass noun] Physiology the perception or sensation of pain:
muscle nociception is mainly characterized by local tenderness and referred pain.
–ORIGIN 1920s : from Latin nocere ‘to harm’ + reception, after nociceptive.
Partisan
partisan /ˈpɑːtɪzan , ˌpɑːtɪˈzan /
▸ noun
1 a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person:
partisans of the exiled Stuarts.
2 a member of an armed group formed to fight secretly against an occupying force, in particular one operating in German-occupied Yugoslavia, Italy, and parts of eastern Europe in the Second World War:
the partisans opened fire from the woods
[as modifier] it is not in the nature of partisan warfare to produce victory in the field.
▸ adjective prejudiced in favour of a particular cause:
newspapers have become increasingly partisan.
–ORIGIN mid 16th century : from French, via Italian dialect from Italian partigiano, from parte ‘part’ (from Latin pars, part-).
Empirical
empirical /ɛmˈpɪrɪk(ə)l , ɪmˈpɪrɪk(ə)l/
▸ adjective based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic:
they provided considerable empirical evidence to support their argument.
Conceptual
conceptual /kənˈsɛptʃʊəl /
▸ adjective relating to or based on mental concepts:
philosophy deals with conceptual difficulties.
–ORIGIN mid 17th century : from medieval Latin conceptualis, from Latin concept- ‘conceived’, from the verb concipere (see concept).
Construct
construct
▸ verb /kənˈstrʌkt / [with object] build or make (something, typically a building, road, or machine):
a company that constructs oil rigs.
▪ form (an idea or theory) by bringing together various conceptual elements:
poetics should construct a theory of literary discourse.
▪ Grammar form (a sentence) according to grammatical rules:
these rules tell us how to construct a grammatical sentence in a given language.
▪ Geometry draw or delineate (a geometrical figure) accurately to given conditions:
construct a square equal in area to a given circle.
▸ noun /ˈkɒnstrʌkt / an idea or theory containing various conceptual elements, typically one considered to be subjective and not based on empirical evidence:
history is largely an ideological construct.
▪ Linguistics a group of words forming a phrase:
the appropriateness of the grammatical construct is illustrated.
▪ a physical thing which is deliberately built or formed:
a transgenic construct.
–DERIVATIVES
constructible adjective
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin construct- ‘heaped together, built’, from the verb construere, from con- ‘together’ + struere ‘pile, build’.
Incredulity
incredulity /ɪnkrəˈdjuːləti /
▸ noun [mass noun] the state of being unwilling or unable to believe something:
he stared down the street in incredulity.
Agnostic
agnostic /aɡˈnɒstɪk /
▸ noun a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God.
▸ adjective relating to agnostics or agnosticism.
▪ (in a non-religious context) having a doubtful or non-committal attitude towards something:
until now I’ve been fairly agnostic about electoral reform.
▪ [usually in combination] Computing denoting or relating to hardware or software that is compatible with many types of platform or operating system:
many common file formats (JPEG, MP3, etc.) are platform-agnostic
our industry is moving towards a device-agnostic model.
–DERIVATIVES
agnosticism /aɡˈnɒstɪsɪz(ə)m / noun
–ORIGIN mid 19th century : from a-1 ‘not’ + gnostic.
Matriarch
matriarch /ˈmeɪtrɪɑːk /
▸ noun a woman who is the head of a family or tribe:
in some cultures the mother proceeds to the status of a matriarch.
▪ an older woman who is powerful within a family or organization:
a domineering matriarch.
–ORIGIN early 17th century : from Latin mater ‘mother’, on the false analogy of patriarch.
Patriarchy
patriarchy /ˈpeɪtrɪɑːki /
▸ noun
(plural patriarchies)
[mass noun] a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line:
the thematic relationships of the ballad are worked out according to the conventional archetypes of the patriarchy.
▪ a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it:
the dominant ideology of patriarchy.
▪ [count noun] a society or community organized on patriarchal lines:
we live in a patriarchy.
–DERIVATIVES
patriarchism noun
–ORIGIN mid 17th century : via medieval Latin from Greek patriarkhia, from patriarkhēs ‘ruling father’ (see patriarch).
Sapiosexual
sapiosexual /ˌseɪpɪəʊˈsɛkʃʊəl /
▸ adjective (of a person) finding intelligence sexually attractive or arousing:
I met a PhD student from Germany who told me that he was sapiosexual.
▸ noun a person who finds intelligence sexually attractive or arousing:
I’m a sapiosexual and I like to talk.
–ORIGIN early 21st century : from Latin sapiens ‘wise’ + sexual, on the model of heterosexual and homosexual.
Psy-ops
psy-ops /ˈsʌɪɒps /
▸ plural noun tactics intended to manipulate one’s opponents or enemies, such as the dissemination of propaganda or the use of psychological warfare.
–ORIGIN 1960s : contraction of psychological operations.
Psychographics
psychographics /sʌɪkə(ʊ)ˈɡrafɪks /
▸ plural noun [treated as singular] the study and classification of people according to their attitudes, aspirations, and other psychological criteria, especially in market research.
–DERIVATIVES
psychographic adjective
Cantankerous
cantankerous /kanˈtaŋk(ə)rəs /
▸ adjective bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative:
he can be a cantankerous old fossil at times.
–DERIVATIVES
cantankerously /kanˈtaŋk(ə)rəsli / adverb
cantankerousness /kanˈtaŋk(ə)rəsnəs / noun
–ORIGIN mid 18th century : of unknown origin; perhaps a blend of Anglo-Irish cant ‘auction’ and rancorous (see rancour).
Assiduous
assiduous /əˈsɪdjʊəs /
▸ adjective showing great care and perseverance:
she was assiduous in pointing out every feature.
–DERIVATIVES
assiduousness /əˈsɪdjʊəsnəs / noun
–ORIGIN mid 16th century : from Latin assiduus, from assidere ‘be engaged in doing’ (see assess), + -ous.
Prehension
prehension /prɪˈhɛnʃ(ə)n /
▸ noun [mass noun]
1 Zoology & Psychology the action of grasping or seizing.
2 Philosophy an interaction of a subject with an event or entity which involves perception but not necessarily cognition.
–ORIGIN early 19th century : from Latin prehensio(n-), from prehendere ‘to grasp’.
Bioavailability
bioavailability
▸ noun [mass noun] Physiology the proportion of a drug or other substance which enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.
Metabolite
metabolite /mɪˈtabəlʌɪt /
▸ noun Biochemistry a substance formed in or necessary for metabolism.
Albeit
albeit /ɔːlˈbiːɪt /
▸ conjunction though:
he was making progress, albeit rather slowly.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from the phrase all be it ‘although it be (that’).
Attenuate
attenuate
▸ verb /əˈtɛnjʊeɪt / [with object]
1 reduce the force, effect, or value of:
her intolerance was attenuated by an unexpected liberalism.
▪ reduce the amplitude of (a signal, electric current, or other oscillation):
the filter must severely attenuate frequencies above 10 Hz.
▪ reduce the virulence of (a pathogenic organism), especially when preparing a vaccine:
the first live vaccine was insufficiently attenuated and produced a significant disease.
2 reduce in thickness; make thin.
▸ adjective /əˈtɛnjʊət / rare reduced in force, effect, or physical thickness:
the doctrines of Christianity became very attenuate and distorted.
–ORIGIN mid 16th century : from Latin attenuat- ‘made slender’, from the verb attenuare, from ad- ‘to’ + tenuare ‘make thin’ (from tenuis ‘thin’).
Sequelae
sequelae
sequela /sɪˈkwiːlə /
▸ noun
(plural sequelae /sɪˈkwiːliː/)
(usually sequelae) Medicine a condition which is the consequence of a previous disease or injury:
the long-term sequelae of infection.
–ORIGIN late 18th century : from Latin, from sequi ‘follow’.
Conceptualise
conceptualize /kənˈsɛptjʊəlʌɪz / (British also conceptualise)
▸ verb [with object] form a concept or idea of (something):
sex was conceptualized as an overpowering force in the individual.
–DERIVATIVES
conceptualizer (British also conceptualiser) noun
Contextualise
contextualize /kənˈtɛkstʃʊəlʌɪz / (British also contextualise)
▸ verb [with object] place or study in context:
the excellent introduction summarizes and contextualizes Bowen’s career.
–DERIVATIVES
contextualization /kəntɛkstjʊəlʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ (British also contextualisation) noun
Premise
premise
▸ noun /ˈprɛmɪs / (British also premiss) Logic a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion:
if the premise is true, then the conclusion must be true.
▪ an assertion or proposition which forms the basis for a work or theory:
the fundamental premise of the report.
▸ verb /prɪˈmʌɪz / [with object] (premise something on/upon) base an argument, theory, or undertaking on:
the reforms were premised on our findings.
▪ state or presuppose (something) as a premise:
[with clause] one school of thought premised that the cosmos is indestructible.
▪ archaic state by way of introduction:
I will premise generally that I hate lecturing.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French premisse, from medieval Latin praemissa (propositio) ‘(proposition) set in front’, from Latin praemittere, from prae ‘before’ + mittere ‘send’.
Falsity
falsity /ˈfɔːlsɪti , ˈfɒlsɪti/
▸ noun [mass noun] the fact of being untrue, incorrect, or insincere:
he exposed the falsity of the claim.
Reductio ad absurdum
reductio ad absurdum /rɪˌdʌktɪəʊ ad abˈsəːdəm /
▸ noun Philosophy a method of proving the falsity of a premise by showing that its logical consequence is absurd or contradictory:
the argument is a reductio ad absurdum of utilitarianism.
–ORIGIN Latin, literally ‘reduction to the absurd’.
Austerity
austerity /ɒˈstɛrɪti , ɔːˈstɛrɪti /
▸ noun
(plural austerities)
[mass noun]
1 sternness or severity of manner or attitude:
he was noted for his austerity and his authoritarianism.
▪ plainness and simplicity in appearance:
the room was decorated with a restraint bordering on austerity.
▪ [count noun] (usually austerities) a feature of an austere way of life:
his uncle’s austerities had undermined his health.
2 difficult economic conditions created by government measures to reduce public expenditure:
the country was subjected to acute economic austerity
[count noun] (austerities) the austerities of post-war London.
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from French austérité, from Latin austeritas, from austerus ‘severe’ (see austere).
Semantic
semantic /sɪˈmantɪk /
▸ adjective relating to meaning in language or logic.
–DERIVATIVES
semantically /sɪˈmantɪk(ə)li / adverb
–ORIGIN mid 17th century : from French sémantique, from Greek sēmantikos ‘significant’, from sēmainein ‘signify’, from sēma ‘sign’.
Subvert
subvert /səbˈvəːt /
▸ verb [with object] undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution):
an attempt to subvert democratic government.
–DERIVATIVES
subverter /səbˈvəːtə / noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French subvertir or Latin subvertere, from sub- ‘from below’ + vertere ‘to turn’.
Umlaut
umlaut /ˈʊmlaʊt / Linguistics
▸ noun a mark (¨) used over a vowel, especially in German, to indicate a different vowel quality.
▪ [mass noun] the process in Germanic languages by which the quality of a vowel was altered in certain phonetic contexts, resulting for example in the differences between modern German Mann and Männer.
▸ verb [with object] modify (a form or sound) by using an umlaut:
the colour of prothetic vowels, unless umlauted by the next syllable, was that of the laryngeal which was vocalized.
–ORIGIN mid 19th century : from German Umlaut, from um ‘about’ + Laut ‘sound’.
Inexplicable
inexplicable /ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəb(ə)l , ˌɪnɛkˈsplɪkəb(ə)l, ɪnˈɛksplɪkəb(ə)l/
▸ adjective unable to be explained or accounted for:
for some inexplicable reason her mind went completely blank.
–DERIVATIVES
inexplicability /ˌɪnɪkˌsplɪkəˈbɪləti / noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English : from French, or from Latin inexplicabilis ‘that cannot be unfolded’, from in- ‘not’ + explicabilis (see explicable).
Imperative
imperative /ɪmˈpɛrətɪv /
▸ adjective
1 of vital importance; crucial:
immediate action was imperative
[with clause] it is imperative that standards are maintained.
2 giving an authoritative command; peremptory:
the bell pealed again, a final imperative call.
▪ Grammar denoting the mood of a verb that expresses a command or exhortation, as in come here!
▸ noun
1 an essential or urgent thing:
free movement of labour was an economic imperative.
▪ a factor or influence making something necessary:
the biological imperatives which guide male and female behaviour.
2 Grammar a verb or phrase in the imperative mood.
▪ (the imperative) the imperative mood.
–DERIVATIVES
imperatival /ɪmˌpɛrəˈtʌɪv(ə)l / adjective
imperatively /ɪmˈpɛrətɪvli / adverb
imperativeness noun
–ORIGIN late Middle English (as a grammatical term): from late Latin imperativus (literally ‘specially ordered’, translating Greek prostatikē enklisis ‘imperative mood’), from imperare ‘to command’, from in- ‘towards’ + parare ‘make ready’.
