Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 21, 2022 is:

temerity • \tuh-MAIR-uh-tee\ • noun

Temerity is a formal word that means "unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition"; it is a synonym of both rashness and recklessness. Temerity can also refer to a rash or reckless act.

// The line between boldness and temerity is sometimes only evident after the consequences have become clear.

// The previous night's temerity had landed the students in detention.

See the entry >

Examples:

"As Jackson sauntered during the ensuing break in play, his chin up defiantly and jaw clenched, James did a double-take at the apparent temerity, his next-play focus transforming into disapproval." — Houston Mitchell, The Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2022

Did you know?

When you’re feeling saucy, there’s no shortage of words in the English language you can use to describe the particular flavor of your metaphorical sauce, from audacity and effrontery to the Yiddish-derived fan favorite chutzpah. If we may be so bold, let us also suggest temerity: it comes from the Latin temere, meaning “recklessly” or “haphazardly,” and is good for suggesting boldness even in the face of danger or likely punishment. Temerity is a formal word, rarely used in casual writing or conversation, but provided you have the cheek to flout this convention, you may be thinking “what have I got to lose?”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2023 is:

marginalia • \mahr-juh-NAY-lee-uh\ • noun

Marginalia is a plural noun that refers to notes or other marks written in the margins of a text, and to nonessential matters or items.

// The students loved flipping through their literature textbooks to find the marginalia left behind by former students.

// She found the book's treatment of not only the major events but also the marginalia of Scandinavian history fascinating.

See the entry >

Examples:

“The last time I wrote about culling books—six years ago—nostalgia was my biggest obstacle. Just about every book I opened contained some sort of ephemera that stopped me: a bookmark from a long-gone bookstore, a scribble from a mostly-forgotten college class, an old photograph or letter, or, most nostalgic of all, my late father’s signature and marginalia.” — Laurie Hertzel, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 14 Aug. 2020

Did you know?

In the introduction to his essay titled “Marginalia,” Edgar Allan Poe wrote: “In getting my books, I have always been solicitous of an ample margin; this not so much through any love of the thing in itself, however agreeable, as for the facility it affords me of penciling suggested thoughts, agreements and differences of opinion, or brief critical comments in general.” At the time “Marginalia” was first published in 1844, marginalia was only a few decades old despite describing something—notes in the margin of a text—that had existed for centuries. An older word, apostille (or apostil), refers to a single annotation made in a margin, but that word is rarely used today. Even if you are not, like Poe, simply ravenous for scribbling in your own books, you likely know marginalia as a telltale sign that someone has read a particular volume before you.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 20, 2022 is:

extirpate • \EK-ster-payt\ • verb

Extirpate means “to destroy completely,” and is often—though not exclusively—used in reference to plant and animal populations. It can also be used to mean “to pull up by the root” and “to cut out by surgery.”

// Despite the years-long effort to extirpate it from the landscape, purple loosestrife continues to thrive in the town’s wetlands.

// The district attorney is vowing to extirpate political corruption from City Hall if she is elected mayor.

See the entry >

Examples:

“Peregrine falcons were once extirpated from Missouri due to pesticide damage to eggs and habitat loss. They have been on the state’s endangered species list but are being considered for removal, thanks to a cooperative program by Midwestern state and federal wildlife agencies. Re-introductions and nest boxes placed high on tall buildings in cities or power plant smokestacks have boosted their numbers.” — Brian Dulle, Fox4kc.com, 8 July 2021

Did you know?

You don’t have to dig too deep into the history of extirpate to discover that its roots are in, well, roots (and stumps). Extirpate grew out of a combining of the Latin prefix ex-, meaning “out,” and the Latin noun stirps, “trunk” or “root.” Among the earliest definitions of extirpate in English were “to uproot” and “to clear of stumps,” as well as the broader meaning of “to destroy completely” or “wipe out.” While today we often encounter extirpate in relation to plant and animal species that have been regrettably removed from a specific region or in total, intangibles such as evil or prejudice, for example, may also be extirpated. We hope this helps but if you find yourself stumped the next time you encounter extirpate, just remember we’re rooting for you.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 22, 2022 is:

leonine • \LEE-uh-nyne\ • adjective

Leonine means “of, relating to, or resembling a lion.”

// She spent hours in the bathroom trying to detangle her leonine tresses.

See the entry >

Examples:

“As I tried harder and harder ... I began to understand more about what [Fabio] meant at the time, to both me and to his fans. For me, I kind of thought he was just a hood ornament of '90s masculinity. Heroic and leonine, ripped like He-Man but draped in finely tailored Italian linen. There always seemed to be a wind machine plugged in somewhere just out of his frame.” — Jason Sheeler, People.com, 11 Aug. 2021

Did you know?

Hear us roar! Most people or characters described as leonine aren’t cowardly (with one famous exception, of course), but rather noble, strong, regal, or possessed of similarly positive virtues associated with pride-forming big cats. Leonine clawed its way into the English language from the Latin word leo (“lion”), which in turn comes from the Greek word leōn. Today, we have an interesting range of words that relate back to leōn: leopard (leōn + pardos, a Greek word for a panther-like animal); chameleon (leōn + the Greek chamai, meaning “on the ground”); and the names Leo, Leon, and Leonard. But the dancer’s and gymnast’s leotard is not named for its wearer’s cat-like movements. Rather, it was simply named after its inventor, Jules Léotard, a 19th-century French aerial gymnast.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2023 is:

copacetic • \koh-puh-SET-ik\ • adjective

Copacetic (less commonly spelled copasetic or copesetic) describes things that are very satisfactory.

// Worry not: I assure you that everything's copacetic.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Yes, 'atmosphere,' has always been a factor in restaurant criticism and there have been some extraordinary and inspiring outliers, but restaurateurs of the past didn't necessarily agonize over coming up with a unique look or small decor details. For the most part, as long as the place looked nice (and clean) and there were chairs to sit in and tables to eat at, everything was copacetic." — Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, The Calgary (Alberta) Herald, 1 July 2023

Did you know?

If you’re living the life of Riley, strolling along easy street, or wallowing in hog heaven, your circumstances may be described as copacetic. A word of obscure origin, copacetic has for over a century satisfied those who’ve had a hankering to describe that which is hunky-dory or otherwise completely satisfactory. (If "of obscure origin" leaves you feeling less than copacetic, the note here will undoubtedly remedy that.) Life isn’t always beer and skittles, but when you do find yourself walking that primrose path, just remember: it’s all copacetic.