Today's Word

Plutocracy

ploo-TAH-kruh-see

Definition

(noun) A society or system governed by the wealthy.

Example

Critics argued that the nation was drifting toward a plutocracy, where influence belonged only to those with deep pockets.

Word Origin

From Greek ploutos (“wealth”) and kratos (“power” or “rule”).

Fun Fact

Plutocracy combines two of the most ancient human fascinations—money and control. The term dates back to ancient Greece, where philosophers like Plato warned of societies ruled by wealth instead of wisdom. Today, it’s often used in political debate, describing the uneasy overlap between economic privilege and political power. Whether in the form of tycoons, monarchs, or modern billionaires, plutocracy is less about who governs—and more about who can afford to.

Previous Words

Inimical

Today's Word

Inimical

ih-NIM-ih-kul

Definition

(adjective) Likely to cause harm or work against something; hostile and damaging to a person or cause.

Example

The startup’s chaotic management style proved inimical to creativity, driving away the very talent it needed most to survive.

Word Origin

Inimical derives from the Latin inimicalis, meaning “hostile” or “unfriendly,” rooted in inimicus — “enemy” — built from in- (“not”) and amicus (“friend”). It shares its ancestry with the word enemy, both tracing back to the same Latin root. It entered English in the 17th century, used to describe forces, conditions, or people that actively work against something rather than simply being indifferent to it.

Fun Fact

The Latin amicus — friend — sits at the root of a surprisingly large family of English words. Amiable, amicable, amity, and even amateur (originally meaning one who does something out of love) all share the same ancestor. Inimical is the dark twin of this family — the “un-friend,” so to speak — which makes it one of the rare words whose etymology tells you exactly what it means the moment you know its root. Linguists call this kind of transparent etymology a “motivated” word, where the meaning feels inevitable once the parts are understood.

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Plutocracy

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Previous Words

Inimical

Inimical

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Inimical

Truculent

Obsequious

Abberation

Ubiquitous