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Jan 14, 2014
This week's theme
Words to describe people

This week's words
voluble
intransigent
potentate
sophist
solicitous

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

intransigent

PRONUNCIATION:
(in-TRAN-si-jent)

MEANING:
adjective: Unwilling to compromise, especially from an extreme position.
noun: One who refuses to compromise.

ETYMOLOGY:
Via Spanish/French, from Latin in- (not) + transigere (to settle). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ag- (to drive, draw), which is also the fount of such words as act, agent, agitate, litigate, synagogue, and ambassador. Earliest documented use: 1879.

USAGE:
"Both remain intransigent in their respective positions without any real effort to negotiate in a democratic spirit."
People Expect Democratic Practice from Two Top Parties; Financial Express (Bangladesh); Dec 26, 2013.

See more usage examples of intransigent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (1875-1965)

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