- Today's Word
Duplicity
doo-PLIS-uh-tee (or dyoo-PLIS-uh-tee)
Definition
- (Noun) Deceptiveness in speech or conduct; acting in two different ways to different people.
Example
His duplicity became clear when we realized he had told each side a different version of the story.
Fun Fact
“Duplicity” comes from the Latin duplex, meaning “double”—a fitting root for someone who presents two faces to the world. The word is often associated with spies, politicians, and backstabbers in history and literature, proving that trust is a valuable (and fragile) commodity.
(adjective) Overly concerned with minor details, rules, or formal knowledge in a way that misses the bigger picture.
The pedantic editor returned the manuscript covered in corrections — not of factual errors or structural problems, but of comma placements and hyphenation rules nobody had followed since 1987.
Pedantic derives from the Italian pedante, meaning “schoolmaster” or “teacher,” which entered French as pédant before arriving in English in the late 16th century. The original meaning wasn’t entirely negative — a pedant was simply someone who taught or displayed learning. But the word quickly acquired its dismissive edge as writers and thinkers began using it to describe the kind of teacher who prioritizes the letter of knowledge over its spirit — someone who knows every rule but understands nothing.