This week’s theme
Words that aren’t what they seem

This week’s words
quotennial
philocynic
obviate
mamaguy
diplomatics

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(OB-vee-ayt)

MEANING:

verb tr.: To render unnecessary; to remove, avoid, or prevent.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin obviare (to act contrary), from ob- (against) + via (way). Ultimately from the Indo-European root wegh- (to go or to transport), which also gave us pervious, ochlophobia (a fear of crowds), and ochlocracy (mob rule). Earliest documented use: 1567.

USAGE:

“In addition to bringing me a $112 government disability check every month, my insomnia leaves me with that many more hours per day to get things done, obviates the necessity for hotel rooms while traveling, and otherwise enhances life.”
Lawrence Block; The Scoreless Thai; HarperCollins; 2009.

See more usage examples of obviate in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: