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:
peremptory
Pronounced: (purr-EMPT-oh-ree)
Adjective:
1. putting an end to or precluding a right of action, debate, or delay; specifically : not providing an opportunity to show cause why one should not comply a peremptory mandamus
2. admitting of no contradiction
3. expressive of urgency or command
4. characterized by often imperious or arrogant self-assurance
From From Merriam-Webster.com: “Peremptory is ultimately from Latin perimere, which means “to take entirely” or “destroy” and comes from per- (“thoroughly”) and emere (“to take”). Peremptory implies the removal of one’s option to disagree or contest something. It sometimes suggests an abrupt dictatorial manner combined with an unwillingness to tolerate disobedience or dissent (as in “he was given a peremptory dismissal”).”
Example:
“The sellers’ peremptory refusal to make any home improvements prior to listing made showing the home more difficult than it needed to be.”
BONUS: If you enjoy The Closing Word, you’ll probably love Merriam-Webster’s “Word of the Day” podcast. Get a fresh vocabulary lesson every day in under three minutes!
