palmary
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of palmary
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin palmārius “of, deserving a palm (of victory)”; see palm 2, -ary
Explanation
Something that is palmary is outstanding and worthy of praise. If your school goes way beyond the target in fundraising for a charity, that's a palmary achievement. The word palmary harks back to ancient Rome, where a palm branch was awarded to the winner of a race or other public contest. The Latin word palma gave us our word palm, and Latin palmarius, meaning "worthy of a palm branch," is the source of palmary. Palmary is usually used to describe a thing rather than a person, often an excellent specimen of a particular type: "This movie is a palmary example of film noir."
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.
Whether we betake ourselves to the Ante-nicene writers or the Nicene, certain texts will meet us, which do not obviously refer to that doctrine, yet are put forward as palmary proofs of it.
From An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Cardinal Newman
But let us examine this principle a little more attentively—for it is the palmary one.
From On the Art of Writing Lectures delivered in the University of Cambridge 1913-1914 by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
It remains briefly to consider these three palmary texts in their reciprocal relations to each other, by which the fullest light is thrown upon the scriptural prerogatives of S. Peter.
From St. Peter, His Name and His Office As set forth in holy scripture by Thomas W. Allies
Yet this is what M. Bergson does in his whole defence of metaphysical vitalism, and especially in the instance of the evolution of eyes by two different methods, which is his palmary argument.
From Winds Of Doctrine Studies in Contemporary Opinion by George Santayana
Swedenborg's case is of course the palmary one of audita et visa, serving as a basis of religious revelation.
From Varieties of Religious Experience, a Study in Human Nature by William James
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