adjective
-
serving no useful purpose
otiose language
-
rare indolent; lazy
Other Word Forms
- otiosely adverb
- otioseness noun
- otiosity noun
Etymology
Origin of otiose
First recorded in 1785–95; from Latin ōtiōsus “at leisure, inactive, undisturbed,” equivalent to ōti(um) “leisure, spare time” + -ōsus adjective suffix; -ose 1
Explanation
Otiose is a colorful, although somewhat old-fashioned, word for "lazy." It also means serving no useful purpose: that steak knife next to your plate is otiose if you're having oatmeal for dinner. Otiose, which can be pronounced either with a t sound (OH-tee-ohs) or a sh sound (OH-she-ohs), comes from the Latin word otium "leisure," but its modern meaning is closer to "leisure suit," that is, useless and not very handsome. If you're already wearing suspenders, then a belt is otiose.
Vocabulary lists containing otiose
Good Riddance
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100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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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.
But for Getachew Reda, president of the Tigray interim regional administration, those definitions are otiose.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2024
Insisting that every branch also have a vault and a cash-handling teller would be otiose, Torstendahl told me, especially given the sharp decline in cash transactions in the past decade.
From The New Yorker • Oct. 3, 2016
This is not an otiose question but rather a serious one that goes to the very root of the ethics of photojournalism, its training and practice.
From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2015
It is well structured, mirroring the hefty book which accompanied the TV series, though the recaps of previous episodes become otiose on DVD.
From The Guardian • Jul. 11, 2013
His own girl sat sprawled out gracelessly on an overstuffed sofa with an expression of otiose boredom.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
