Word of the Day

: October 20, 2007

nonchalant

adjective nahn-shuh-LAHNT

What It Means

: having an air of easy unconcern or indifference

nonchalant in Context

Colette was amazed that Ryan could remain so nonchalant after being informed that he had won the scholarship.

Did You Know?

Since "nonchalant" comes ultimately from Latin words meaning "not" and "be warm," it's no surprise that the word is all about keeping one's cool. The French word "nonchalant," which we borrowed around 1734, has essentially the same meaning as our English word and was derived in Old French from a verb, "nonchaloir," which meant "to disregard." "Nonchaloir" in turn combines the negative "non-" with "chaloir," which means "to concern" and comes from the Latin "calēre" ("to be warm"). "Unconcerned" is one synonym of "nonchalant," along with "casual," "complacent," and "insouciant."