Word of the Day

: April 10, 2011

panegyric

noun pan-uh-JEER-ik

What It Means

: a eulogistic oration or writing; also : formal or elaborate praise

panegyric in Context

Written on the tenth anniversary of his mother’s death, the poet’s latest piece is a panegyric in her honor.

"Football's over reliance on expert based statistics, mathematical probabilities and the highest panegyric going to non-players goes against my grain." -- From an article by Bill Dement in the Ruidoso News (New Mexico), January 13, 2011

Did You Know?

On certain fixed dates throughout the year, the ancient Greeks would come together for religious meetings. Such gatherings could range from hometown affairs to great national assemblies, but large or small, the meeting was called a "panēgyris." (That name comes from "pan," meaning "all," and "agyris," meaning "assembly.") At those assemblies, speakers provided the main entertainment, and they delivered glowing orations extolling the praises of present civic leaders and reliving the past glories of Greek cities. To the Greeks, those laudatory speeches were "panēgyrikos," which means "of or for a panēgyris." Latin speakers ultimately transformed "panēgyrikos" into the noun "panegyricus," and English speakers adapted that Latin term to form "panegyric."