Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2025 is: devise • \dih-VYZE\  • verb To devise is to invent or plan something that is difficult or complicated in some way. // The siblings devised a plan to clean the house from top to bottom with hopes of getting their parents to let them go to the concert. See the entry > Examples: “The Timberwolves surprisingly advanced to the Western Conference finals last year before losing to the Mavericks. After a troublesome season, Minnesota returned before being thumped by the top-seeded Thunder. The series wasn't really close, and the Timberwolves ... will have to devise a way to compete in the Western Conference with the Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers, Spurs, Mavericks, and Warriors all chasing them.” — Gary Washburn, The Boston Globe, 1 June 2025 Did you know? There’s something inventive about devise, a word that stems from Latin dividere, meaning “to divide.” By the time devise was being used in English, its Anglo-French forebear deviser had accumulated an array of senses, including “divide,” “distribute,” “arrange,” “order,” “plan,” “invent,” and “assign by will.” English adopted some of these and added new senses, such as “imagine” and “guess,” that have fallen out of use over time. Today devise is most commonly used as a synonym of invent or plot in situations where the objective is difficult or complicated. Note that devise is often confused with another dividere (and deviser) descendent: device refers to a technique, method, tool, or small machine or gadget. One way to help keep their spellings straight is to remember that ice, usually a noun, is found at the end of the noun device, not the verb devise.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2025 is: meritorious • \mair-uh-TOR-ee-us\  • adjective Meritorious is a formal adjective used to describe something that is deserving of honor, praise, or esteem. // She was honored for her meritorious service to the city. See the entry > Examples: "The Air Medal is awarded to anyone who distinguishes themselves through meritorious achievement while flying." — Rick Mauch, The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2025 Did you know? People who demonstrate meritorious behavior certainly earn our respect, and you can use that fact to remember that meritorious has its roots in the Latin verb merēre, which means "to earn." (Merēre is also the source of the English noun and verb merit.) Nowadays, the rewards earned for meritorious acts are likely to be of an immaterial nature—gratitude, admiration, praise, etc.—but that wasn't always so. The history of meritorious recalls a reward more concrete in nature: cold, hard cash. In Latin, meritorious literally means "bringing in money."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2025 is: fugitive • \FYOO-juh-tiv\  • noun Fugitive refers to a person who runs away to avoid being captured or arrested. // The FBI regularly updates and circulates its list of most wanted fugitives, and asks communities where they might be seen to be careful and on the lookout. See the entry > Examples: “The automated plate readers, as they are known, enable authorities to track when vehicles of interest pass through certain intersections. The devices can also be mounted on police cars, allowing officers to sweep up troves of license plate data as they drive around. Police say the gadgets help investigate stolen cars, locate fugitives, and solve crimes by checking who came and went from a neighborhood on any given day.” — Libor Jany, The Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025 Did you know? Fugitive entered English as both a noun and an adjective in the 14th century, coming ultimately from the Latin verb fugere, meaning “to flee.” As a noun, it originally referred, as it still does today, to someone who flees a country or location to escape persecution or danger, as from war, making it synonymous with another fugere descendent, refugee. The noun soon expanded beyond those fleeing peril to individuals (such as suspects, witnesses, or defendants) trying to elude law enforcement especially by fleeing the pertinent jurisdiction. The adjective fugitive describes those literally running away or intending flight, but also has multiple figurative uses, being applied to that which is elusive, of short duration, or of transient interest, among other things.

Discover the fascinating word 'abject' and its striking meanings. The discussion highlights its connotations of extreme badness and the depths of shame. Listeners will learn about the term's rich history, originating from the Middle English description of the lowly cast out. Examples illustrate how 'abject' relates to failures in life and literature. This exploration encourages curiosity, offering resources for further vocabulary enhancement. Tune in to get inspired by words that convey deep emotions and states!

Dive into the captivating meaning of 'tantalize'! Discover how this verb captures excitement and allure, illustrated through the mouthwatering offerings of Filipino cuisine. Learn about the myth of King Tantalus, a figure forever denied his desires. His story adds a delicious twist to the concept of longing. This exploration will leave you craving more both linguistically and gastronomically!

Dive into the fascinating world of 'nuance,' where small differences make a big impact. Discover its rich history from Latin to modern English, highlighting shifts in meaning along the way. The discussion emphasizes how personal experiences and cultural contexts are crucial for understanding subtle variations. Through examples from various fields, learn how nuance shapes everything from art to storytelling, revealing depths often overlooked.

Dive into the meaning of 'contrite,' a word that encapsulates regret and remorse. Discover how it embodies sincere apologies and the complexities of owning up to mistakes. The historical journey of the term back to its Latin roots adds an intriguing layer, illustrating how language evolves. An engaging example captures the essence of being contrite in a real-life scenario. All this combines to reveal the importance of acknowledging our faults in a nuanced and relatable way.

Explore the intriguing concept of impunity and its various applications in society. Discover real-world examples that illustrate how individuals might act without fear of consequences. The discussion dives into the etymology of the word, tracing its roots back to Latin and Greek. With historical references and modern-day implications, the conversation emphasizes the idea that the sense of freedom from punishment can apply to anyone, from commoners to royalty.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 11, 2025 is: rescind • \rih-SIND\  • verb To rescind something, such as a law, contract, agreement, etc., is to end it officially. Rescind can also mean “to take back; to cancel.” // Given the appeal court’s recent decision, it is likely that the law will be rescinded. // The company later rescinded its offer. See the entry > Examples: “A state environmental oversight board voted unanimously to rescind a controversial proposal that would have permitted California municipal landfills to accept contaminated soil that is currently required to be dumped at sites specifically designated and approved for hazardous waste.” — Tony Briscoe, The Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025 Did you know? Rescind and the lesser-known words exscind and prescind all come from the Latin verb scindere, which means “to split, cleave, separate.” Rescind was adapted from its Latin predecessor rescindere in the 16th century, and prescind (from praescindere) and exscind (from exscindere) followed in the next century. Exscind means “to cut off” or “to excise,” and prescind means “to withdraw one’s attention,” but of the three borrowings, only rescind established itself as a common English term. Today, rescind is most often heard in contexts having to do with the withdrawal of an offer, award, or privilege, or with invalidation of a law or policy.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 10, 2025 is: boffo • \BAH-foh\  • adjective Boffo is an informal word that describes things that are extremely good or successful. // The most recent film in the long-running franchise has done boffo business at the box office, a testament to the series’ enduring popularity. See the entry > Examples: “A strong showing at the Senior Bowl was followed by a boffo performance at the NFL combine, where the 6-foot-4, 214-pound [Isaac] TeSlaa zoomed through the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds …” — Rainer Sabin, The Detroit Free Press, 27 Apr. 2025 Did you know? Boffo made its print debut as a noun referring to something great: a solid joke or a good punch line. It did so right around the same time—the 1930s, at the dawn of Hollywood’s golden age—as boff, a noun with an identical meaning thought to perhaps come from “box office.” Within a few years, boffo began to be applied adjectivally to things that, like a good joke, were a big hit: performances, all-star casts, movies. To this day it is used mostly in the context of performing arts, spectator sports, and other entertainments.