myoo-NIF-uh-suhns
(noun) Great generosity, especially in giving.
The university’s new science wing was made possible by the munificence of a single anonymous donor.
Fun Fact
In Renaissance Italy, munificence wasn’t just appreciated—it was expected. Wealthy patrons like the Medicis used lavish donations to art and architecture as a symbol of power and civic pride. That tradition helped fuel the very rebirth of Western culture.
prag-MAT-ik
(adjective) focused on practical results and real-world consequences rather than ideals, theories, or abstract principles.
Instead of arguing over perfect solutions, she took a pragmatic approach and fixed what could be done immediately.
Pragmatic traces back to the Greek word pragmatikos, meaning “relating to deeds or actions,” from pragma (“thing done” or “action”). It entered English in the late 16th century, originally referring to people skilled in managing practical affairs, before evolving into its modern meaning of valuing usefulness and outcomes over theory.
Fun Fact
In philosophy, pragmatism became a major movement in the late 1800s, arguing that ideas should be judged by how well they work in real life—not by whether they sound good in theory. That mindset still shapes modern problem-solving, from business decisions to software design, where a “good enough” solution that works today often beats a perfect one that never ships.
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