Today's Word

Onus

OH-nuhs

Definition

(noun) A burden, duty, or responsibility—especially one that is difficult or unwelcome.

Example

The onus of proving the theory fell on the scientists who proposed it.

Word Origin

From Latin onus, meaning “load” or “burden.”

Fun Fact

The word onus often appears in legal and ethical discussions, as in the onus of proof—the responsibility to demonstrate a claim’s validity. But beyond the courtroom, it reflects the subtle pressure of expectation we carry in everyday life. Linguists point out that onus has remained almost unchanged for centuries, perhaps because the feeling it describes—weight without visibility—hasn’t changed either. Whether it’s duty, guilt, or accountability, onus names that quiet gravity we all recognize.

Previous Words

Inimical

Today's Word

Inimical

ih-NIM-ih-kul

Definition

(adjective) Likely to cause harm or work against something; hostile and damaging to a person or cause.

Example

The startup’s chaotic management style proved inimical to creativity, driving away the very talent it needed most to survive.

Word Origin

Inimical derives from the Latin inimicalis, meaning “hostile” or “unfriendly,” rooted in inimicus — “enemy” — built from in- (“not”) and amicus (“friend”). It shares its ancestry with the word enemy, both tracing back to the same Latin root. It entered English in the 17th century, used to describe forces, conditions, or people that actively work against something rather than simply being indifferent to it.

Fun Fact

The Latin amicus — friend — sits at the root of a surprisingly large family of English words. Amiable, amicable, amity, and even amateur (originally meaning one who does something out of love) all share the same ancestor. Inimical is the dark twin of this family — the “un-friend,” so to speak — which makes it one of the rare words whose etymology tells you exactly what it means the moment you know its root. Linguists call this kind of transparent etymology a “motivated” word, where the meaning feels inevitable once the parts are understood.

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Onus

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Previous Words

Inimical

Inimical

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Inimical

Truculent

Obsequious

Abberation

Ubiquitous