Word of the Day
insouciant
adjective
free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant.
learn about the english language
Why Dictionary.com chose insouciant
More about insouciant
- First recorded in 1820–30.
- Comes from French, combining the negative prefix in– with souciant, a form of soucier “to worry.”
- Soucier comes from Latin sollicitāre “to disturb,” from which we also get solicitous, “anxious; concerned; eager.”
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
EXAMPLES OF INSOUCIANT
- As the waves crashed against the shore, he strolled along the beach with an insouciant gait.
- Even in the face of adversity, she maintained an insouciant demeanor, refusing to let life’s challenges dampen her spirit.
heteronym
noun
a word spelled the same as another but having a different sound and meaning.
learn about the english language
Why Dictionary.com chose heteronym
More about heteronym
- From the Late Greek word heterṓnymos, dating back to 1880–85.
- The prefix hetero– means “different.”
- The suffix –onym means “name.”
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
EXAMPLES OF HETERONYM
- The word wind is a fascinating heteronym, with one pronunciation representing moving air and the other representing the act of winding a clock.
- Lead is a classic heteronym, with one pronunciation meaning to guide or direct, while the other refers to a heavy metal.
pareidolia
noun
the illusory perception of meaningful patterns or images of familiar things in random or amorphous data, as a face seen on the moon.
learn about the english language
Why Dictionary.com chose pareidolia
More about pareidolia
- First recorded in 1960–65.
- Comes from German Pareidolien, plural of Pareidolie.
- Pareidolie is formed from par(a)– “at the side of; beside; beyond,” and eidol(on) “phantom; apparition.”
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
EXAMPLES OF PAREIDOLIA
- The excitement grew as the researchers discovered what appeared to be pareidolia in the data collected from deep space.
- As I stared at the clouds, I experienced pareidolia and saw a bunny shape formed by their fluffy contours.
Word of the Day Calendar