apodictic

adjective

apo·​dic·​tic ˌa-pə-ˈdik-tik How to pronounce apodictic (audio)
variants or less commonly apodeictic
: expressing or of the nature of necessary truth or absolute certainty
apodictically adverb

Did you know?

Apodictic is a word for those who are confident about that of which they speak. It's a handy word that can describe a conclusive concept, a conclusive person, or even that conclusive person's conclusive remarks. A well-known close relative of apodictic is paradigm ("an outstandingly clear or typical example"); both words are built on Greek deiknynai, meaning "to show." More distant relatives (from Latin dicere, a relative of deiknynai that means "to say") include diction, dictate, edict, and predict.

Word History

Etymology

Latin apodicticus, from Greek apodeiktikos, from apodeiknynai to demonstrate, from apo- + deiknynai to show — more at diction

First Known Use

circa 1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of apodictic was circa 1645

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Dictionary Entries Near apodictic

Cite this Entry

“Apodictic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apodictic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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