Word of the Day
: January 3, 2015peremptory
playWhat It Means
1 : barring a right of action, debate, or delay
2 : expressive of urgency or command
3 : marked by arrogant self-assurance : haughty
peremptory in Context
The manager's peremptory rejection of any suggestions for improving office efficiency did little to inspire our confidence in his ability to help turn the company around.
"Depending on the situation, Elliott can heap upon her teammates words of encouragement or, when it's needed, she can also be peremptory." - Chris Hummer, Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram, November 10, 2014
Did You Know?
Peremptory is ultimately from Latin perimere, which means "to take entirely" or "destroy" and comes from per- ("thoroughly") and emere ("to take"). Peremptory implies the removal of one's option to disagree or contest something. It sometimes suggests an abrupt dictatorial manner combined with an unwillingness to tolerate disobedience or dissent (as in "he was given a peremptory dismissal"). A related term is the adjective preemptive, which comes from Latin praeemere-from prae- ("before") plus emere. Preemptive means "marked by the seizing of the initiative" (as in "a preemptive attack").
Name That Synonym
Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of peremptory: i _ p _ ra _ i _ _ . The answer is …
More Words of the Day
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May 09
grudging
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May 08
reputation
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May 07
extemporize
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May 06
plangent
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May 05
proliferate
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May 04
agrarian