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peremptory: msg#00021

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: peremptory

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The Word of the Day for June 22 is:

peremptory \puh-REMP-tuh-ree\ adjective
1 : putting an end to or precluding a right of action,
debate, or delay
*2 : expressive of urgency or command
3 : marked by arrogant self-assurance : haughty

Example sentence:
It's a good idea to obey a police officer's
peremptory "Don't stand there!" -- in my case I might have been
run over by a bulldozer.

Did you know?
"Peremptory" is ultimately from Latin "perimere," which
means "to take entirely" 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" --
"prae-" ("before") plus "emere." "Preemptive" means "marked by
the seizing of the initiative" (as in "a preemptive attack").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





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