definitions

otiose

[ oh-shee-ohs, oh-tee- ]
/ ˈoʊ ʃiˌoʊs, ˈoʊ ti- /
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adjective

being at leisure; idle; indolent.
ineffective or futile.
superfluous or useless.

RELATED WORDS

sloth, lethargy, negligence, apathy, weariness, inertia, inactivity, stagnation, passivity, inertness, slackness, dormancy, stolidity, tardiness, heaviness, idleness, dullness, remissness, listlessness, slothfulness

Nearby words

otho i, othoniel, otic, otic capsule, otic ganglion, otiose, otis, otitic meningitis, otitis, otitis externa, otitis externa circumscripta

Origin of otiose

1785–95; < Latin ōtiōsus at leisure, equivalent to ōti(um) leisure + -ōsus -ose1

Related forms

o·ti·ose·ly, adverbo·ti·os·i·ty [oh-shee-os-i-tee, oh-tee-] /ˌoʊ ʃiˈɒs ɪ ti, ˌoʊ ti-/, o·ti·ose·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for otiosity

otiose

/ (ˈəʊtɪˌəʊs, -ˌəʊz) /

adjective

serving no useful purposeotiose language
rare indolent; lazy

Derived Forms

otiosity (ˌəʊtɪˈɒsɪtɪ) or otioseness, noun

Word Origin for otiose

C18: from Latin ōtiōsus leisured, from ōtium leisure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012