- Today's Word
Gallivant
[GAL-uh-vant]
Definition
- (verb) To wander or travel around for pleasure, often in a carefree or irresponsible manner. It implies roaming or gadding about, usually without any specific purpose or destination in mind.
Example
Instead of studying for their final exams, the college friends decided to gallivant across Europe, hopping from one city to another on a whimsical adventure.
Fun Fact
The word “gallivant” is thought to have originated in the early 19th century as a colloquial term. It may be derived from “gallant,” referring to a dashing young man, combined with the suffix “-vant” from words like “extravagant.” Initially, it often had a negative connotation, implying frivolous or irresponsible behavior.
(noun) A profound transformation of mind and character; a fundamental change in one’s values, outlook, or way of life.
The diagnosis wasn’t a death sentence — for her it was a metanoia, a complete reorientation of everything she had previously decided mattered.
Metanoia derives from the Greek metanoia, meaning “change of mind,” built from meta- (“beyond” or “after”) and nous (“mind”). In classical Greek philosophy it described a shift in perspective so fundamental it altered the entire orientation of a person’s thinking. In early Christian theology it acquired the specific meaning of repentance — not merely feeling sorry but undergoing a complete transformation of character. Both meanings persist in modern usage, the secular and the spiritual versions of the word describing the same essential experience from different angles.