desideratum
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of desideratum
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin, noun use of neuter past participle of dēsīderāre; see desiderate
Explanation
A desideratum is something you desire or want. It's a fancy word for a must-have. This official-sounding Latin word means something very common: anything you want or need. A new book could be a desideratum. A chocolate cake could be a desideratum. More commonly, a desideratum is something that is truly needed, like food or shelter. For many people, a happy marriage is a desideratum. For a politician, getting elected is a desideratum. You can almost see the word desire in desideratum, and that should help you remember it’s an object of desire.
Vocabulary lists containing desideratum
The Federalist Papers, No. 10 by James Madison
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"The Federalist No. 10," Vocabulary from the argument
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The Federalist No. 10 by James Madison
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1780 John Wesley, the great divine, anonymously published a book entitled “The Desideratum; or, Electricity made Plain and Useful.”
From Nature • Mar. 16, 2020
Desideratum -ata: some thing or things needed or desired.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
