Rarely Used Words
It always is a good practice to increase our knowledge of words. The following words are ones we probably rarely hear or see written – unless they are written in literary form or in some scholastic or esoteric volume. If you know them without having to look at the definition, then you deserve a star by your name!
Kakistocracy: A noun that describes a form of government where a group or a person who is highly evil has taken power: Hitler’s reign was the perfect example of kakistocracy.
Cavil: A verb (pronounced with the accent on the first syllable) that means to raise petty objections for the sake of argument, or to find fault where there is none: The meeting lasted for hours due to one objector’s constant caviling.
Compunction:
The act of one’s conscience making one feel guilty or ashamed: I’m glad to see that my boss has some compunction about taking credit for my work.
(While this word is probably a little more familiar, it is still rarely utilized. Hopefully that isn’t from lack of conscience on a large scale!)
Preternatural: An adjective that describes a person or event with abilities or occurrences that are above the norm, sometimes bordering on the supernatural – but not quite: My friend’s ability to remember names is absolutely preternatural.
Machination: A noun that describes the forming of a plot or intrigue with the intention to cause trouble: The machinations of constant political intrigues are becoming disturbing in this country.
Rebarbative: An adjective that describes an annoying person, thing, or event: The constant replaying of that song is becoming rebarbative.
Posit: A verb that means to assume or postulate: A good detective is one who never posits, he waits until he has the evidence.
Frazil:
Ice crystals formed on the surface of a river, where the current is too strong to allow the water to completely freeze: The Mississippi River rarely freezes, but the frazil on the surface proves that the water must be extremely cold.
(The noun denotes numerous crystals and is rarely found pluralized.)
Paralogical: An adjective that describes an argument or opinion where conclusions are drawn that are nonsensical or illogical: The argument that Alice in Wonderland
really happened is positively paralogical.
Ultracrepidarian: While it appears to be an adjective, the word is actually a noun. An ultracrepidarian is a person who continually gives strong opinions about a subject about which he or she knows little or nothing: I managed to keep my composure after listening to my neighbor the ultracrepidarian postulate on his reasons for the fall of Rome.
Supernal: An adjective that describes something truly heavenly, a good synonym for celestial
: The supernal action taken by Sidney Carton in Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities
is deeply moving.
Logophile: A noun describing one who loves learning words: I admit I am an unabashed logophile; I even read the dictionary at times!
I actually do read the dictionary sometimes, so yes, I am a logophile. If I have to drag out the huge tome to look up a definition, I’m going to make it worth my while.
Hopefully, these dozen words will form a more regular part of our vernacular.
Pass them along!
