- Today's Word
Indignation
in-dig-NAY-shun
Definition
- (Noun) Strong anger or annoyance at something perceived as unfair or unjust.
Example
Her indignation grew when she realized she was being paid less than her colleagues for the same work.
Fun Fact
Indignation isn’t just any kind of anger—it’s a moral response to perceived injustice. Many of history’s greatest movements, from civil rights to labor protests, have been fueled by collective indignation, proving that sometimes, outrage sparks change.
(adjective) Intended for or understood by only a small group with specialized knowledge or interest.
The professor’s lecture was so esoteric that even her graduate students struggled to follow the references, let alone the first-year undergraduates in the back row.
Esoteric derives from the Greek esoterikos, meaning “belonging to an inner circle,” from esotero — “inner” — the comparative form of eso, meaning “within.” It was first used to describe the secret teachings of Pythagoras, shared only with his most devoted inner circle of disciples and deliberately withheld from the general public. The word entered English in the 17th century, carrying that same sense of guarded, inner-circle knowledge.