Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

Word of the Day

Word of the day

consent

[ kuhn-sent ]

verb

to permit, approve, or agree.

learn about the english language

More about consent

In English, the verb sense of consent is recorded considerably earlier than the noun. Consent ultimately derives from the Latin verb consentīre “to share or join in a sensation or feeling, be in unison or harmony.” Consentīre is a compound of the Latin prefix con-, a variant of com– “together, with.” The Latin verb sentīre has many meanings: “to perceive by any of the senses, feel, be aware of, recognize, discern, hold an opinion, think, cast a vote, give a verdict.” The many English derivatives of the Latin verb include assent, consent, resent, sense, sentence, sentient, and sentiment. The verb senses of consent entered English in the 13th century, the noun in the second half of the 14th.

how is consent used?

Before you even put your cookie on my computer, or in my mobile device, you have to make sure I consent to being followed ….

Rayna Stamboliyska, as quoted in "Europe's New Online Privacy Rules Could Protect U.S. Users Too," NPR; All Tech Considered, April 16, 2018

If she consents to assist the experiment, she consents of her own free will ….

Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone, 1868
quiz icon
WHAT'S YOUR WORD IQ?
Think you're a word wizard? Try our word quiz, and prove it!
TAKE THE QUIZ
arrows pointing up and down
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
SEE TODAY'S SYNONYM
Word of the Day Calendar

Word of the day

expatiate

[ ik-spey-shee-eyt ]

verb

to move or wander about intellectually, imaginatively, etc., without restraint.

learn about the english language

More about expatiate

The English verb expatiate comes from Latin expatiātus, exspatiātus, past participle of expatiārī, exspatiārī “to move, run, or flow away beyond bounds, spread out,” a compound of the prefix ex– “out of, throughout” and the verb spatiārī “to walk about leisurely, stroll” (and the source of German spazieren “to take a walk, stroll”). Spatiārī is a derivative of the noun spatium “expanse of ground, area, space, racetrack, playing field, act (of a play).” Expatiate entered English in the 16th century.

how is expatiate used?

… at every step of this mental process, sufficient time must be allowed for the imagination to expatiate on the objects before it, till the ideas approximate, as near as possible, to the reality.

"Illustrations of the Omnipotence of the Deity," The Calvinistic Magazine, Vol. 5, July 1831

He was troubled too about his love, though when he allowed his mind to expatiate on the success of the great railway he would venture to hope that on that side his life might perhaps be blessed.

Anthony Trollope, The Way We Live Now, 1875
Word of the Day Calendar

Word of the day

JOMO

[ joh-moh ]

noun

Slang.

a feeling of contentment with one’s own pursuits and activities, without worrying over the possibility of missing out on what others may be doing.

learn about the english language

More about JOMO

JOMO, the acronym for “the joy of missing out,” and its opposite, FOMO “the fear of missing out,” both entered English around the same time, in the early years of the 21st century.

how is JOMO used?

Don’t think of JOMO as a detox, but more like an integral part to a healthy, well-balanced nutrition plan for your brain.

Hayley Phelan, "How to Make This the Summer of Missing Out," New York Times, July 12, 2018

JOMO allows us to live life in the slow lane, to appreciate human connections, to be intentional with our time, to practice saying “no” ….

Kristen Fuller, "JOMO: The Joy of Missing Out," Psychology Today, July 26, 2018
Word of the Day Calendar
Word of the Day Calendar