Today's Word

Zenith

ZEE-nith (or ZEH-nith)

Definition

(noun) The highest point or peak of success, power, or achievement.

Example

The athlete’s career reached its zenith when she won three Olympic gold medals in a single year.

Fun Fact

“Zenith” originates from Arabic samt ar-ras, meaning “path above the head,” referring to the highest point in the sky directly overhead. The word entered English via medieval astronomy and eventually expanded metaphorically to describe peak moments in life or success.

Previous Words

Unconscionable

Today's Word

Unconscionable

un-KON-shun-uh-bul

Definition

(adjective) Shockingly unfair or unethical; so morally unacceptable that no reasonable person could justify or defend it.

Example

The jury found the insurance company’s denial of coverage for the child’s treatment to be unconscionable.

Word Origin

From un- (“not”) + conscionable, which derives from conscience — from Latin conscientia (“joint knowledge, inner awareness”), built from con- (“together”) + scire (“to know”). To be conscionable is to act within the limits of one’s conscience. To be unconscionable is to act so far outside those bounds that no reasonable conscience could accept it.

Fun Fact

“Unconscionable” is one of the few moral words that has its own legal doctrine. In contract law, the “unconscionability doctrine” allows courts to void contracts that are so one-sided or oppressive that enforcing them would be morally indefensible. It’s a rare instance where a court explicitly invokes ethics — not just law — to rule on a case. The doctrine was significantly expanded in the 1960s consumer rights era, when courts began striking down predatory lending contracts and exploitative fine-print agreements on exactly these grounds.

READ MORE...

Zenith

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Unconscionable

Unconscionable

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Unconscionable

Hermetic

Gossamer

Nexus

Accord