- Today's Word
Reprieve
ri-PREEV
Definition
- (noun) A temporary relief or delay from punishment or an unpleasant situation.
- (verb) To grant a postponement or break from something difficult or undesirable.
Example
The student’s unexpected snow day was a much-needed reprieve from final exams.
Fun Fact
The word “reprieve” originally referred to delaying executions, making it a term of life-or-death importance. While today it’s used more broadly—whether for a break from stress or an extension on a deadline—it still carries the sense of a temporary escape from something pressing.
(adjective) Translucently clear; easily understood; expressed with perfect clarity
His pellucid explanation of the complex tax code left the entire room nodding in understanding.
Pellucid derives from the Latin pellucidus, meaning “transparent” or “allowing light through,” from per (“through”) + lucere (“to shine”). It entered English in the 17th century, used first to describe physically clear substances like water or glass, and later extended metaphorically to describe clear, luminous writing and thought.