Today's Word

MOR-ayz

Definition

(noun – plural) The accepted customs, values, or behaviors of a society or group.

Example

Changing social mores have influenced how people view work-life balance in the modern age.

Fun Fact

“Mores” comes from Latin, meaning “customs” or “ways.” While some mores are written into law, many exist as unspoken social norms—like shaking hands in greeting or tipping at restaurants. Over time, mores evolve, reflecting shifts in culture, technology, and societal expectations.

Previous Words

Intractable

Today's Word

Intractable

in-TRAK-tuh-bul

Definition

(adjective) Hard to control, manage, or deal with; not easily relieved or cured; stubbornly resistant to change or solution.

Example

The peace talks collapsed again, stalled by the same intractable disagreements that had derailed every previous attempt.

Word Origin

From Latin intractabilis, meaning “unmanageable” — formed from in- (not) + tractabilis (manageable), which itself derives from tractare, meaning “to handle or manage.” The root tractare also gives us words like tractor, treat, and contract — all carrying the sense of handling or pulling something into order. Intractable, then, is literally that which cannot be pulled into line.

Fun Fact

In medicine, “intractable” has a very specific and serious meaning — an intractable condition is one that fails to respond to all standard treatments. Intractable epilepsy, for example, affects roughly one-third of all epilepsy patients whose seizures cannot be controlled by medication. The designation matters enormously in healthcare policy, as it often determines eligibility for experimental treatments, surgical intervention, or access to otherwise restricted medications. The word carries real weight in clinical settings in a way it rarely does in everyday conversation.

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Mores

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Intractable

Intractable

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Intractable

Congruity

Undulate

Panacea

Brusque