Word of the Day
retrospection
[ re-truh-spek-shuhn ]
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noun
the action, process, or faculty of looking back on things past.
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Why Dictionary.com chose retrospection
More about retrospection
- Retrospection was first recorded in 1625鈥�35.
- Retrospection was formed from the suffix –ion, denoting action or condition, and the word retrospect, “contemplation of the past.”
- Retrospect was probably formed from the prefix retro-, meaning “backward,” and the word (pro)spect from the Latin word 辫谤艒蝉辫别肠迟耻蝉, 鈥渙utlook, view.鈥�
- The last piece of the puzzle,聽spect-, comes from the Latin word specere, meaning “to look.”
EXAMPLES OF RETROSPECTION
- The elderly man smiled as he leafed through his photo album, indulging in moments of retrospection, reliving his youth and reflecting on a life well-lived.
- After a year of travel, she looked out the plane window in retrospection, reminiscing about the places she had visited and the memories she had made.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
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machinations
[ mak-uh-ney-shuhnz ]
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noun
crafty schemes; plots; intrigues.
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Why Dictionary.com chose machinations
More about machinations
- Machinations was first recorded around 1375鈥�1425.
- Machinations comes from the late Middle English word machinacion, from the Latin stem 尘腻肠丑颈苍腻迟颈艒苍-.
- The verb form, machinate, entered English over a century later from the Latin word 尘腻肠丑颈苍腻谤墨, 鈥渢o invent, contrive, devise artfully,鈥� and is related to the more common word machine, “a mechanical apparatus or contrivance.”
EXAMPLES OF MACHINATIONS
- The mastermind behind the political machinations orchestrated a complex web of deceit to manipulate public opinion.
- Through cunning machinations and hidden alliances, the spy infiltrated the enemy ranks and gathered vital intelligence.
phantasmagoria
[ fan-taz-muh-gohr-ee-uh ]
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noun
a shifting series of phantasms, illusions, or deceptive appearances, as in a dream or as created by the imagination.
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Why Dictionary.com chose phantasmagoria
More about phantasmagoria
- Phantasmagoria was first recorded in 1795鈥�1805.
- Phantasmagoria comes from the French word fantasmagorie, a compound word based on fantasme, “phantasm.”
- Phantasm, the first element, ultimately comes from the Greek word 辫丑谩苍迟补蝉尘补, 鈥渋mage, vision.鈥�
- The second element of phantasmagoria perhaps represents the Greek word 补驳辞谤谩, “assembly, gathering.”
EXAMPLES OF PHANTASMAGORIA
- The magician’s show was filled with a phantasmagoria of tricks and illusions, leaving the audience in awe and disbelief.
- As she entered the abandoned house, a phantasmagoria of eerie shadows and ghostly figures danced before her eyes.
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