This week we continue our vocabulary-building series, “The Closing Word.” Each week we provide a new word to help build your vocabulary and show you an example of how to use it.
This week’s closing word:
martinet
Pronounced: (mar-tin-ET)
Noun:
someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
From Vocabulary.com: “Pronounce martinet with the accent on the last syllable: “mar-ti-NET.” Jean Martinet, the man for whom the word was coined, would insist you say his name correctly. He was a legendary drillmaster for the French army during the reign of Louis XIV. In 1779, a hundred years after Martinet’s death, martinet came to mean any officer who was as strict and demanding in adhering to the rules as Martinet himself.”
Example:
“The loan officer was a dreadful martinet, rejecting their application over and over for the smallest mistakes.”
