Draconian (adjective)
Draconian (dray-KOH-nee-un) means harsh or severe. The word refers to Draco, a 7th century BC Athenian legislator who created an extremely cruel code of law. (Even minor offenses were punishable by death.) As I used it today: “Although I think I understand his reasoning, Seneca’s Draconian requirements for friendship seem unrealistic and contradictory. They are the epitome of selfish benefit.”
fawn (verb)
To fawn (FAWN) is to display exaggerated flattery or affection, typically in order to gain favor or advantage. As I used it today: “[Maya] Angelou felt that she might not be the greatest American poet of the century, which is what so many fawning critics called her.”
civility (noun)
Civility (suh-VIL-uh-dee) is formal politeness and courtesy. As I used it today: “Instead of relying on a traffic light to direct their stop-and-go decisions, [drivers] were using common sense and civility, and it worked. Not just well enough, but better than usual.”
egregious (adjective)
Egregious (uh-GREE-jus) describes something that is obviously and shockingly bad. As I used it today: “And on top of that are the problems with the way workers are classified. The most egregious: Those on furlough are counted as working, rather than as unemployed.”
phenomenology (noun)
Phenomenology (fuh-nah-muh-NAHL-uh-jee) is the branch of philosophy that deals with consciousness, thought, and experience. As I used it today: “[John Updike] takes a phenomenological approach to criticism.”
annus mirabilis (noun)
Annus mirabilis (AH-nus muh-RAH-bih-lus) is a Latin phrase that means miraculous or amazing year. As I used it today: “My record in the years that followed my annus mirabilis was piebald.”
derivative (adjective)
Something that’s derivative (duh-RIH-vuh-tiv) is not the result of new ideas, but has been developed from or imitates something else. As I used it today: “What is beautiful to the inexperienced eye often looks derivative and obvious to the experienced eye.”
tyro (noun)
A tyro (TIE-roh) is a beginner or novice. As I used it today: “To answer all the questions I’ve been getting on gold, I’ve put together the following Q&A. It’s meant for tyros, but there may be information here that will surprise experienced coin buyers.”
filial (adjective)
Filial (FIL-yul) describes something that is due to a parent from a child. As I used it today: “Filial piety is an important element in Buddhism, Korean Confucianism, Taoism, and in Japanese and Vietnamese cultures.”
prebuttal (noun)
A prebuttal (pree-BUD’l) is an argument constructed in anticipation of a criticism. (Coinage of the word has been attributed to Al Gore.) As used by US News & World Report’s Roger Simon: “There’s rebuttal, there’s prebuttal, and then afterward there’s spin.”