This week’s theme
Misleading words

This week’s words
pronation
militate
instar
diaeresis
funambulism

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(MIL-i-tayt)

MEANING:

verb intr.: To exert a strong influence, either for or against something.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin militare (to serve as a soldier), from miles (soldier). Over time, the term evolved from its military origins to signify a strong influencing force. Earliest documented use: 1598.

QUESTION:

Q. Why did the soldier retreat when he saw the bombshell at the military ball?
A. Because she militated against his advances.

USAGE:

“‘The twin imperatives of corporate profit and national security,’ Igo says, militate against greater privacy protections.”
Louis Menand; Nowhere to Hide; The New Yorker; Jun 18, 2018.

“The importance of the town’s biggest industry seems to militate for sticking with Britain.”
Scottish Independence; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 2, 2014.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: