in-KOH-it
The inchoate plan lacked specifics but hinted at an innovative new direction.
Fun Fact
“Inchoate” comes from the Latin inchoare, meaning “to begin.” It’s often used in legal contexts (like an inchoate crime) or in creative and scientific fields when an idea is still forming. Think of a sketch before it becomes a painting or a startup’s rough pitch before full launch.
PAW-sih-tee
(noun) The presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.
The paucity of evidence made it impossible to reach a definitive conclusion about the case.
Late Middle English: from Old French “paucite” or Latin “paucitas,” from “paucus” meaning “few.”
Fun Fact
Paucity sounds more sophisticated than “lack” or “shortage,” making it perfect for formal contexts where you want to sound measured while pointing out insufficiency. Academic reviewers love deploying paucity to criticize thin research: “The paucity of sources undermines this argument.” The word specifically suggests not just absence but frustratingly inadequate presence—enough to notice what’s missing. Economic reports describe paucity of jobs, scientific papers note paucity of data, and social critics identify paucity of imagination. Unlike “scarcity,” which can be neutral, paucity carries implicit criticism—when something exists in paucity, there should be more. It’s the verbal equivalent of gesturing at empty shelves while looking disappointed.
Today's Word Tangential tan-JEN-shul Definition (adjective) Only slightly connected or...
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