This week’s theme
Terms borrowed from French

This week’s words
politesse
laissez-faire
de rigueur
soi-disant
laissez-aller

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(duh ree-GUHR)

MEANING:

adjective: Required by fashion, custom, or etiquette.

ETYMOLOGY:

From French de rigueur (literally, of strictness), from Latin rigor. Ultimately from the Indo-European root streig- (to stroke or press), which also gave us strait, strike, streak, strict, stress, and strain. Earliest documented use: 1850.

USAGE:

“Glitz, glamour, and sleek metal are de rigueur at automobile exhibitions.”
India as Small Car Hub; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Jan 7, 2010.

“Once upon a time, it was de rigueur for American professional golfers to visit Ireland to practice on links courses ahead of the British Open.”
Philip Reid; Cink Honed His Game on Irish Links Courses; The Irish Times (Dublin); Jul 21, 2009.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: