Word of the Day
Learn a new word every day! The Dictionary.com team of language experts carefully selects each Word of the Day to add some panache to your vocabulary.
the reasoning that, when a conditional statement (if X is red) is accepted as true, a subsequent statement, beginning with “then” (then Y is blue), is also affirmed as true.
Modus ponens is borrowed from Latin and literally means “affirming mode.” Modus, which means “manner, kind, tone, way” in Classical Latin, also appears in the terms modus operandi (literally “way of working”) and modus vivendi (“way of living”). Ponens comes from Latin pōnere, “to place, put,” which is also the source of opponent, position, and postpone. Modus ponens was first recorded in English in the late 1830s. EXAMPLE OF MODUS PONENS USED IN A SENTENCE A common saying that uses modus ponens, with some variation, is “If there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and the moon.
Syzygy ultimately comes from Ancient Greek syzygía, meaning “union, pair.” Sy- means “together,” as sym- in sympathy and as syn- in sync. Zyg-, meanwhile, is a distant relative of English yoke. Syzygy is not the only English word containing three y’s, but it may be the shortest. Others include hyponymy and mystifyingly. Syzygy was first recorded in English in the 1650s. EXAMPLE OF SYZYGY USED IN A SENTENCE The syzygy of the Sun, Earth, and Moon caused a shadow to fall on the lunar surface.
any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt.
Bulwark is likely adapted from Middle Dutch bolwerc, which is also the source of boulevard by way of French. The bul- element in bulwark is related to bole, “tree trunk,” while -wark is related to English work, wrought, and wright. Bulwark was first recorded in English around the turn of the 15th century. EXAMPLE OF BULWARK USED IN A SENTENCE The guidance counselor was a bulwark, calming her students’ nerves ahead of the standardized tests.
pleasure; enjoyment.
Jouissance is a borrowing from Old French based on the verb jouir (stem jouiss-), “to enjoy.” Old French jouir comes from Latin gaudēre, “to be glad,” which is the source of gaudery and gaudy as well as joy and rejoice. Jouissance was first recorded in English in the late 15th century. EXAMPLE OF JOUISSANCE USED IN A SENTENCE The children’s jouissance in reading only grew when they entered the library for the first time and saw the endless stacks of books in front of them.
extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.
Quixotic is the namesake of Don Quixote, now spelled Quijote in modern Spanish, who is the titular hero of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s most well-known novel. The character Don Quixote’s original surname was Quijano, which is the name of a community in Cantabria, Spain. Quixotic was first recorded in English around 1810. Learn synonyms for quixotic here! EXAMPLE OF QUIXOTIC USED IN A SENTENCE Though the couple would have loved a romantic getaway to Paris, they settled for a far less quixotic evening of a candlelit dinner at home.
