- Today's Word
Indelible
in-DEL-uh-buhl
Definition
(adjective) Not able to be erased, removed, or forgotten.
Example
Her words left an indelible impression on everyone in the room.
Fun Fact
Originally describing ink that wouldn’t wash out, indelible now applies to memories, impressions, or even emotions. From tattoos to trauma to life-changing speeches, the word shows up in memoirs, court rulings, and even marketing slogans. Anything truly indelible leaves a mark that time, regret, or scrubbing can’t undo.
(verb) To use vague or ambiguous language in order to avoid committing to a clear position or answer.
When asked directly whether he had approved the deal, the CEO equivocated for ten minutes without ever giving a straight answer.
Equivocate derives from the Medieval Latin aequivocare, meaning “to call by the same name,” built from aequus (“equal”) and vox (“voice” or “word”). The idea behind the root is of a word that sounds the same but carries two equally valid meanings — giving the speaker plausible deniability by exploiting ambiguity. It entered English in the 16th century, almost immediately acquiring its negative connotation of deliberate evasiveness.