- 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.
(verb) To suggest or assume something as a basis for reasoning or argument without prior proof.
The scientist postulated that the mysterious signals were coming from a previously undiscovered layer of the atmosphere, a theory that took years to confirm.
Postulate derives from the Latin postulare, meaning “to demand” or “to claim,” rooted in poscere, meaning “to ask urgently.” In medieval logic and mathematics, a postulate was a foundational assumption that didn’t require proof — something demanded to be accepted as a starting point. Euclid’s famous geometric postulates, written around 300 BCE, are among the most influential examples in intellectual history.