Podcasts about Language

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 18, 2025 is: eccentric • ik-SEN-trik • adjective Eccentric usually describes people and things that deviate from conventional or accepted usage or behavior, especially in odd or whimsical ways. It is also used technically to mean "deviating from a circular path" and "located elsewhere than at the geometric center." // He's an endearingly eccentric scientist whose methods are quite inventive. // The dwarf planet Pluto has an eccentric orbit. See the entry > Examples: "The film [Annie Hall] is considered one of the great romantic comedies of all time, with [Diane] Keaton's eccentric, self-deprecating Annie at its heart." — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025 Did you know? Eccentric was originally a technical term at home in the fields of geometry and astronomy. It comes from the Medieval Latin adjective ecentricus, meaning "not having the earth at its center," and ultimately has its root in a Greek noun, kéntron, whose various meanings include "stationary point of a pair of compasses" and "midpoint of a circle or sphere." But its figurative use is long-established too: as far back as the 17th century the word has been used to describe people and things that deviate from what is conventional, usual, or accepted.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 17, 2025 is: crucible • KROO-suh-bul • noun A crucible, in the word's literal use, is a pot in which metals or other substances are heated to a very high temperature or melted. But crucible is more often encountered in figurative use referring to a difficult test or challenge, or to a place or situation that forces people to change or make difficult decisions. // The bronze was heated to 2,100 degrees in the crucible and then poured into molds designed by the artist. // Her latest novel follows two best friends in a fantastical, battle-ravaged kingdom who emerge from the crucible of war with opposing views and values on what should come next. See the entry > Examples: “... the original film follows four married couples—close friends who reunite once a year for a weeklong vacation together. On the surface, the retreat is meant to help them relax and reconnect, but it quickly becomes a crucible for examining the cracks in their relationships.” — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025 Did you know? Unless you're studying Arthur Miller's The Crucible in school, it may not be crucial to learn the story behind crucible, but it can't hurt! Crucible looks like it should be closely related to the Latin combining form cruc- (“cross”); however, unlike crucial, it isn't. It was forged instead from the Medieval Latin crucibulum, a noun for an earthen pot used to melt metals, and in English it first referred to a vessel made of a very heat-resistant material (such as porcelain) used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat. It's possible that the resemblance between cruc- and crucible encouraged people to start using crucible to mean “a severe trial,” as that sense is synonymous with one meaning of cross, but the idea of simmering in a literal crucible also sounds plenty severe. The newest sense of crucible (“a situation in which great changes take place,” as in “forged in the crucible of war”) recalls the fire and heat required to transform some solids into liquids.

When Australian writer Hannah Kent first travelled to Iceland at the age of 17, she had never seen snow before, and didn't speak a word of Icelandic. Living in a remote part of Iceland during the dark winter, she fell in love with the country, its landscape and its people. This experience inspired her bestselling novel, Burial Rites. She has now returned to the country that formed her identity as a writer, with a new memoir, Always Home, Always Homesick. For this episode, she spoke to host Danielle Sands about her deep love of Iceland's landscape, its traditions and its people, how you can understand the history and culture of a country through its language, and how learning a new language can alter and enrich a writer's own identity.  Hannah Kent is the author of Burial Rites, Good People and Devotion. Her memoir about her lifelong connection to Iceland, Always Home, Always Homesick, is out now.  If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Conway is joined by Carol Leonnig and Aaron Davis to discuss their new book ‘Injustice', exploring how the DOJ handled Trump-related investigations from 2017 to the present, including delays, internal hesitations, and decisions that shaped the January 6 and classified documents cases. Learn a new Language and get up to 55% off your subscription at https://Babbel.com/ASKGEORGE. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ASKGEORGE at https://www.oneskin.co/ASKGEORGE #oneskinpod If you're 21 or older, get 40% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code ASKGEORGE at https://inda.shop/ASKGEORGE ! #indacloudpod Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio

I had to use a lot of 'chirps' in this edit and yes...it was a failure on my part to keep my pee brain in check! WELCOME to Jeff Styles' UpFront Wrap-Up on During the Break Podcast - powered by Guardian Investment Advisors! A Monday podcast with El Jefe himself about some headlines, stories, and things you may have missed AND some things you may want to look for in the days ahead! Jeff Styles spent over 30 years as the #1 talk radio host in our area and now has brought his talents to DTB Podcast! Tune in - Share AND stay tuned as we grow! (A PODCAST PROVIDED AND OWNED BY DURING THE BREAK PODCASTS) Thanks to our sponsors: Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.co ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

A state lawmaker worries about the next government shutdown.Muscogee Nation officials are raising concerns about their tribal languages.Oklahomans are having mixed feelings about data centers.You can find the KOSU Daily wherever you get your podcasts, you can also subscribe, rate us and leave a comment.You can keep up to date on all the latest news throughout the day at KOSU.org and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram at KOSU Radio.This is The KOSU Daily, Oklahoma news, every weekday.

Weather update of the capital cities around Australia in the Nepali language. - अस्ट्रेलियाका १५ मुख्य शहरहरूमा भोलि मौसम कस्तो होला? यस अपडेटमा निम्न स्थानको मौसमी पूर्वानुमान समावेश छ: ब्रूम, पर्थ, एडिलेड, मेलबर्न, होबार्ट, अल्ब्री-वडङ्गा, क्यानबरा, वलङगङ, सिड्नी, न्युकासल, ब्रिसबेन, टाउन्सभील, केर्न्स, डार्विन र एलिस स्प्रिङ्ग्स।

Tonight she's talking about the origins of the New Zealand accent.

Air Date: 11-10-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Ch. 1 - “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” Ch. 2 - “Politically correct” Ch. 3 - “Ethnic cleansing” Ch. 4 - “Meritocracy” Ch. 5 - Our current “wealth pump” crisis and how it has been solved throughout history BACKSTAGE! Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): The best words to articulate the current moment FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon REFERENCES Why The Phrase 'Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps' Is Nonsense - Huffington Post How Cancel Culture Became Politicized — Just Like Political Correctness - NPR Manifest Destiny and Zionism, a legacy of ethnic cleansing - Mondo Weiss What Happens to Language When Authoritarianism Takes Hold - Lucid (Substack) RSA Minimate: The Tyranny of Merit  - Michael Sandel The Satirical Origins of the Meritocracy - Kottke Hundreds of societies have been in crises like ours. An expert explains how they got out. - Vox TAKE ACTION: Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY One Million Rising Trainings In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Find your Indivisible group - or start one Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening!

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 16, 2025 is: writhe • RYTHE • verb To writhe is to twist one's body from side to side. The word is often used when the body or a bodily part is twisting in pain. // The injured player lay on the football field, writhing in pain. // At the instruction of their teacher, the children rolled the fallen log aside to reveal worms and other small critters writhing in the soft earth. See the entry > Examples: “The creatures named after writers are mostly bugs, which makes sense. There are a lot of those little guys writhing around, and I imagine most of them escaped our attention for long enough that science had to start reaching for new names. And a lot of them are wasps: Dante has two wasps named after him; Marx has two, Didion has one, Dickens has two, Zola has two, Thoreau has seven, and Shakespeare has three wasps and a bacterium. Nabokov has a lot of butterflies, naturally.” — James Folta, LitHub.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Did you know? Writhe wound its way to us from the Old English verb wrīthan, meaning “to twist,” and that ancestral meaning lives on in the word's current uses, most of which have to do with twists of one kind or another. Among the oldest of these uses is the meaning “to twist into coils or folds,” but in modern use writhing is more often about the physical contortions of one suffering from debilitating pain or attempting to remove oneself from a tight grasp (as, say, a snake from a hawk's talons). The word is also not infrequently applied to the twisting bodies of dancers. The closest relation of writhe in modern English lacks any of the painful connotations often present in writhe: wreath comes from Old English writha, which shares an ancestor with wrīthan.

learn how to write ㅙ (wae)

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One of the many great things about "No Kings" is the variety of messaging we saw. Which means a variety of thoughts. For the progress side of America this is both good and bad because messaging can be scattered. As historically, there will always be the "free Tibet" Berkeley hippies there with those fighting for civil rights, affordable healthcare, and upholding the constitution. For the regress side of America, they're messaging is often more homogenized because there is less variety of thought. This unfortunately means its messaging can be parroted and echoed quicker. When we look at the phenomenon of theocratic fascist cults, whether they arise in the deserts of the ancient world or the digital jungles of the modern mind—we are observing the triumph of ideology over experience. These people, who we've said it before and we'll never stop saying it, in their latest incarnation, are in a fascist MAGA cult, nested in a regressive red cult, nested in a faux Abrahamic supremacist religious cult. So these thrice cult fervent disciples speak in unison because the narrow structure they inhabit demands it. Language, that great frontier of the individual spirit, within these tight canyons is commandeered, reduced, and weaponized into a tool of control. The spontaneous bloom of personal insight is replaced by the same dozen tired selfish asshole tropes, "You Marxist", "You Communist", "We're a Republic, not a democracy", "You wanna raise my taxes", etc... SNORE!!!These insight sub-episodes are mirrored on our primary YouTube channel which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@NilesHeckman/videos

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Consigli di lettura | Spendieren Sie einen Cafè (1€)? Donate a coffee (1€)? https://ko-fi.com/italiano Livello B2#libri #letteratura #autori #contemporaneaBuongiorno cari amici e amanti dell'italiano e benvenuti al nuovo episodio di Tulip.Oggi finiamo la lunga serie di consigli sulla letteratura contemporanea italiana. Qui trovate gli ultimi dieciscrittori e scrittrici e i libri che vi consiglio di leggere.Cominciamo con:21) Michela Marzanonata a Roma nel 1970, frequenta l'Università di Pisa ediventa prima ricercatrice e poi docente all'università diParigi e poi deputata del Partito Democratico. Si occupa difilosofia morale e politica. Nel 2914 vince il premioBancarella con il libro “L'amore è tutto. È tutto ciò che sodell'amore”. Lascia il Partito Democratico per differenzedi opinioni, ma continua la sua attività politica fino al 2018 ...- The full transcript of this Episode (and excercises for many of the grammar episodes) is available via "Luisa's learn Italian Premium", Premium is no subscription and does not incur any recurring fees. You can just shop for the materials you need or want and shop per piece. Prices start at 0.20 Cent (i. e. Eurocent). - das komplette Transcript / die Show-Notes zu allen Episoden (und Übungen zu vielen der Grammatik Episoden) sind über Luisa's Podcast Premium verfügbar. Den Shop mit allen Materialien zum Podcast finden Sie unterhttps://premium.il-tedesco.itLuisa's Podcast Premium ist kein Abo - sie erhalten das jeweilige Transscript/die Shownotes sowie zu den Grammatik Episoden Übungen die Sie "pro Stück" bezahlen (ab 20ct). https://premium.il-tedesco.itMehr info unter www.il-tedesco.it bzw. https://www.il-tedesco.it/premiumMore information on www.il-tedesco.it or via my shop https://www.il-tedesco.it/premium

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Weather update of the capital cities around Australia in the Nepali language. - अस्ट्रेलियाका १५ मुख्य शहरहरूमा भोलि मौसम कस्तो होला? यस अपडेटमा निम्न स्थानको मौसमी पूर्वानुमान समावेश छ: ब्रूम, पर्थ, एडिलेड, मेलबर्न, होबार्ट, अल्ब्री-वडङ्गा, क्यानबरा, वलङगङ, सिड्नी, न्युकासल, ब्रिसबेन, टाउन्सभील, केर्न्स, डार्विन र एलिस स्प्रिङ्ग्स।

MODERN ARCHITECT. Sean Griffiths is Professor of Architecture at the University of Westminster and former Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at Yale University. His current architecture and design practice Modern Architect was founded in 2014 and has worked largely on residential, commercial and public art projects. Previously Sean Griffiths was a founding director of the internationally renowned art/architecture practice FAT, where he won many design awards. FAT represented the UK at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014. "I was really thinking I would  pursue a career as an artist" "The idea that you make architecture as a sort of branding jewel that you place in a city is not something that I particularly love" "We use language to help us navigate the world, and architecture also creates patterns that help us navigate the world"

This week, we're sharing a special episode from TED Tech exploring Gen Z slang words like "unalive," "skibidi" and "rizz." Where do these words come from — and how do they get popular so fast? Linguist Adam Aleksic explores how the forces of social media algorithms are reshaping the way people talk and view their very own identities. Technology's role in our lives is evolving fast. TED Tech helps you explore the riveting questions and tough challenges we're faced with that sit at the intersection of technology and humanity. Listen in every Friday, with host, journalist Sherrell Dorsey, as TED speakers explore the way tech shapes how we think about society, science, design, business, and more. Listen to TED Tech wherever you get your podcasts or go to: https://link.mgln.ai/Ng9EKL Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 15, 2025 is: radial • RAY-dee-ul • adjective Radial describes things that are arranged or have parts arranged in straight lines coming out from the center of a circle. // Her mosaics echo radial patterns observed in nature, from succulents to sea urchins. See the entry > Examples: "Inspired by flowers that grow organically, the project transforms organic patterns into space arrangements, embodying the idea of blooming. The design distills the essence of a flower's radial symmetry into a geometric language, creating a rhythmic play of radial patterns and sunburst lines." — Architecture Update (India), 19 Feb. 2025 Did you know? Picture the sun shining brightly on a cloudless day. Its rays stretch in every direction along radiant radii so far-reaching they radiate daylight. It's pretty rad, and it's a cinch to describe in English thanks to the expansive influence of the Latin noun radius, meaning "ray." As you might have guessed, radius is an ancestor of the English words ray, radiant, radiate, and of course radius. It's also the sunny source of radial, which joined our language in the 1500s as an adjective meaning "arranged or having parts arranged like rays." Radial has bourgeoned in meaning over the centuries, adopting unique applications across many fields including medicine, engineering, and astronomy.

learn how to say 'hospital' in Thai

Send us comments, suggestions and ideas here! In this week's episode we're joined by the illustrious RustedThroat, a historian and listener of the show who was kind enough to share with us his passion of unveiling the hidden, often misunderstood meaning of symbols you're almost guaranteed to see if you pursue a cemetery or graveyard. There is a difference you know. In the free side of the show we discuss the spiritual guardian of the cemetery known as the Grim before launching into Christograms and a number of other Christian and non-Christian symbols your basic book of grave-signs is apt to get wrong. In the extended side of the show we explore a number of ancient myths from the underground and the secret language of flowers. Thank you and enjoy the show! In this week's episode we discuss:Secret of The Cemetery GrimHeadstone vs. GravestoneChristogramsTHEY'RE NOT ANGELSHourglassWeeping Willow Variants and MythologyThe Mariner's Cross? In the extended show (available at www.patreon.com/TheWholeRabbit) we go further into the dread-mire to discuss:Pointing FingersLambsButterfliesBrokens ColumnsThe Secret Language of the FlowersThis episode was written by RustedThroat with some collaboration with Luke Madrid, Heka Astra and Mari Sama who (unless quoting others) were responsible for writing and sourcing the materials they spoke. Where to find The Whole Rabbit:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0AnJZhmPzaby04afmEWOAVInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_whole_rabbitTwitter: https://twitter.com/1WholeRabbitOrder Stickers: https://www.stickermule.com/thewholerabbitOther Merchandise: https://thewholerabbit.myspreadshop.com/Music By Spirit Travel Plaza:https://open.spotify.com/artist/30dW3WB1sYofnow7y3V0YoSupport the show

learn how to say 'stomachache' in Greek

Weather update of the capital cities around Australia in the Nepali language. - अस्ट्रेलियाका १५ मुख्य शहरहरूमा भोलि मौसम कस्तो होला? यस अपडेटमा निम्न स्थानको मौसमी पूर्वानुमान समावेश छ: ब्रूम, पर्थ, एडिलेड, मेलबर्न, होबार्ट, अल्ब्री-वडङ्गा, क्यानबरा, वलङगङ, सिड्नी, न्युकासल, ब्रिसबेन, टाउन्सभील, केर्न्स, डार्विन र एलिस स्प्रिङ्ग्स।

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The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an American tradition. It's been going since 1924. This year marks the 99th parade (it took three years off during World War II). It's famous for elaborate floats and huge character balloons that bob above the streets as the parade marches forward. Millions of people watch the parade live in New York City each year, but many many more watch it on TV. And some of you have questions! How do they make such big balloons for the parade and how do they choose which characters to feature? And how do they hold onto the balloons with such tiny strings? And, more generally, how do balloons float? What's helium got to do with it? But Why visits the Macy's Studio workshop in New Jersey to see how the magic happens!Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide 

Eric and Steve are confronted with a pair of mysteries: First, what is the meaning of this giant horse? Then, why is my neighbor screaming? Plus, a follow-up from Ep 216: The Language of Dance.Want to call in? Email your question to helpfulpod@gmail.com.PATREON: https://patreon.com/heretohelppodMERCH: heretohelppod.comINSTAGRAM: @HereToHelpPodIf you're enjoying the show, make sure to rate We're Here to Help 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts.Visit gemini.google/students to learn more and sign up. Terms apply.Advertise on We're Here to Help via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 14, 2025 is: heyday • HAY-day • noun Heyday refers to the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity. It is usually used in the singular. // In its heyday, the circus was a major form of entertainment for the small town. See the entry > Examples: "In its heyday, there were more than 200 Chi-Chi's nationwide; the last restaurant closed in 2004." — Nicole Hvidsten, The Minnesota Star Tribune, 1 Oct. 2025 Did you know? The day in heyday originally had nothing to do with the kind of day that's made up of 24 hours. Heyday was first used in the first half of the 16th century as an extended form of the interjection hey, used since the 13th century to express elation or wonder, as it still often is in phrases like "hey, look at that!" The day part was most likely just an extra syllable tagged on for effect. By the end of the 16th century heyday had developed noun use with the meaning "high spirits," as when Shakespeare's Hamlet tells his mother, "You cannot call it love; for at your age / The heyday in the blood is tame …” It wasn't until the 18th century that the day syllable's resemblance to the word day likely influenced the development of the now-familiar use referring to the period when one's achievement or popularity has reached its zenith.

In this bonus episode, Professor Nicholas Giordano joins The American Radicals Podcast hosted by FBI whistleblower Steve Friend for a powerful conversation on the rise of bureaucratic power in America. Professor Giordano breaks down how federal agencies have expanded far beyond their constitutional limits, how Congress routinely fails to provide real oversight, and how the deep state uses vague laws and political theater to protect itself. The discussion exposes the consequences of unchecked federal law enforcement, the dangers of labeling ordinary citizens as threats, and the urgent need to reform the system with real accountability, transparency, and the power of the purse. Episode Highlights How federal agencies grew into an unaccountable power center that the founding fathers warned us about. Why Congress refuses to challenge abusive agencies and how the Patriot Act opened the door to mass surveillance. What real reform looks like, including sunsetting agencies, limiting authority, and ending qualified immunity for federal agents.  

improve your listening skills by comparing different versions of "The Little Red Hen"

learn how to use the word 'ensure' in English

learn how to say 'mug' in Spanish

If you've ever said, “Sorry to bother you” or “I think maybe…,” this episode is your wake-up call. We're breaking down how language shapes your confidence, your authority, and even your bottom line. You'll learn practical, real-world communication strategies used by the top 1% of entrepreneurs — the ones who speak with power, make decisive money decisions, and stop apologizing for success. Host Tiffany Phillips shares powerful examples of how women and entrepreneurs can shift from playing small to leading with confidence. You'll hear real talk on business strategy, money mindset, and why confident communication is your most profitable skill. If you're ready to stop shrinking and start earning like a leader, hit play — your voice (and your bank account) will thank you.   Next Steps:

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Conflict doesn't mean a relationship is unhealthy. What matters is how we navigate the conflict and how we repair. In this episode, Niajae breaks down the art of repair by exploring the language that disconnects versus the language that deepens connection. You'll hear a step-by-step process for navigating conflict with self-awareness, as well as practical examples of what to say and what not to say when tensions arise. This episode covers: Language that disconnects partners How to check your nervous system before responding A step-by-step process for grounding, curiosity, and compassion A mirror list of language that cultivates connection Why repair is less about agreement and more about understanding Topics Covered 1. Check Your Nervous System First Repair starts with self-awareness. If you notice defensiveness, frustration, disappointment, or reactivity, pause before engaging. 2. Get Curious Curiosity creates space for understanding rather than defensiveness. Asking questions helps partners feel seen and heard. 3. Have Compassion Compassion allows space for both experiences to be valid. You don't have to agree to acknowledge how someone feels. 4. Cultivate Connection When we combine self-awareness, curiosity, and compassion, we create the environment for repair. Connection leads to healthy love. This episode is a guide for anyone wanting to communicate more consciously and repair more effectively during conflict. You'll walk away with practical language tools that create connection instead of disconnection, and a deeper understanding of what healthy repair looks like. Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/niajae https://www.instagram.com/healthylovehealingpodcast Download the Healthy Love Healing App in the iOS or GooglePlay store or for more information go to https://healthylovehealing.com

learn how to say 'create' in Italian

improve your listening skills by comparing different versions of "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse"

practice the nasal consonants, alveolar vs palatal, n vs ɲ

learn how to say 'dangerous' in French

improve your listening skills by comparing different versions of "The Ant and the Grasshopper"

improve your listening skills by comparing different versions of "The Ant and the Grasshopper"

compare unrounded vs rounded vowels: ㅡ vs ㅗ and front vs back vowels: ㅣ, ㅐ vs ㅓ

learn how to say 'interview' in Korean

learn how to write в (v)

Language is evolving under the influence of internet slang, algorithms and influencer culture but what does that mean for the future of communication?

For people pleasers who say "yes" too often, setting boundaries can be really hard. 

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 13, 2025 is: peremptory • puh-REMP-tuh-ree • adjective Peremptory is a formal word used especially in legal contexts to describe an order, command, etc., that requires immediate compliance with no opportunity to show why one should not comply. It is also used disapprovingly to describe someone with an arrogant attitude, or something indicative of such an attitude. // The soldiers were given a peremptory order to abandon the mission. // The company's president tends to adopt a peremptory manner especially at the negotiating table. See the entry > Examples: “Cook had changed. He seemed restless and preoccupied. There was a peremptory tone, a raw edge in some of his dealings. Perhaps he had started to believe his own celebrity. Or perhaps, showing his age and the long toll of so many rough miles at sea, he had become less tolerant of the hardships and drudgeries of transoceanic sailing.” — Hampton Sides, The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook, 2024 Did you know? Peremptory comes from the Latin verb perimere, meaning “to take entirely” or “to destroy,” which in turn combines the prefix per- (“throughout” or “thoroughly”) and the verb emere (“to take”). Peremptory implies the removal of one's option to disagree or contest something, and sometimes suggests an abrupt dictatorial manner combined with an unwillingness to tolerate disobedience or dissent, as in “employees given a peremptory dismissal.” Not to sound peremptory ourselves, but don't confuse peremptory with the similar-sounding (and related) adjective preemptive, meaning “marked by the seizing of the initiative,” as in “a preemptive attack.”