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.
a quantity possessing both magnitude and direction
A vector is a quantity that includes both magnitude and direction. Often represented by arrows, vectors plays a key role in fields like physics, engineering, and meteorology. When you need to know more than just how much, a vector also tells you where something is headed.
The meteorologist determined the wind's vector, noting its speed and direction for the weather model.
relating to a transitional state, stage, or period
Liminal describes a transitional state, such as between the past and present. The word often appears in discussions of change or uncertainty. A liminal phase can feel disorienting, but it's often where the most important transformations begin.
Graduation day felt like a liminal space between who they'd been and who they were becoming.
characterized by impractical idealism
Quixotic describes a pursuit that's equal parts noble and improbable. Inspired by the literary figure Don Quixote, the word captures the charm and chaos of dreamers who couldn't care less about limits. Whether it's a grand gesture or a hopeless cause, a quixotic effort rarely lacks heart.
His quixotic quest to save the world, though impossible, inspired many people.
a subtle or gradual absorption or mingling
Osmosis describes the way things seep in over time, whether it's knowledge, culture, or habits. Beginning as a scientific term for fluid movement, it's now a common metaphor for the gradual absorption of ideas or behaviors. If you've ever picked up a skill just by being around it, osmosis is the word for that effortless learning.
After spending months with her colleagues, she had learned the new office culture by osmosis.
an arrangement of a set of elements
A permutation is one of the possible ways to arrange things belonging to a given set. It's a concept used in math, logic, and language alike, wherever order matters and variations multiply. Every shuffled deck, revised sentence, or changed itinerary could be seen as a fresh permutation of what's possible.
We tried every possible permutation of the letters to crack the code.
