- Today's Word
Pertinacious
[per-tuh-NAY-shus]
Definition
- (adjective) Someone who is stubbornly persistent or determined, often to the point of being unyielding. It refers to holding firmly to a purpose, belief, or course of action, sometimes even in the face of opposition or difficulty.
Example
The pertinacious reporter refused to drop the investigation, following leads for months until she finally uncovered the truth about the corporate scandal.
Fun Fact
“Pertinacious” comes from the Latin “pertinax,” combining “per-” (meaning “through”) and “tenax” (meaning “tenacious” or “holding fast”). In ancient Rome, being called “pertinax” could be either a compliment or an insult – it praised determination but could also suggest pig-headedness. Interestingly, there was even a Roman Emperor named Pertinax who ruled briefly in 193 CE; he earned his name from his stubborn military leadership style before becoming emperor. The word gained particular significance during the Scientific Revolution, where “pertinacious investigation” became a praised quality among researchers who needed to persist through years of careful study. In psychology, “pertinacity” is studied as a personality trait distinct from mere stubbornness because it involves purposeful persistence rather than simple resistance to change. The term maintains a somewhat formal and literary tone, often carrying a more positive connotation than similar words like “stubborn” or “obstinate.”
(noun) A person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure and sensory enjoyment is the highest good and chief aim of life
A self-proclaimed hedonist, she planned her entire sabbatical around exceptional food, warm weather, and long afternoons with nothing to do.
Hedonist derives from the Greek hedone, meaning “pleasure” or “delight,” from hedys (“sweet”). The philosophical school of Hedonism was formally developed in ancient Greece — most notably by Epicurus, who argued that pleasure, properly understood, was the foundation of a good life. The word entered English in the 19th century as both a philosophical term and a descriptor for those who live purely for sensory gratification.