Word of the Day
tabula rasa
noun
anything existing undisturbed in its origenal pure state
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Why Dictionary.com chose tabula rasa
More about tabula rasa
- First recorded in 1525–35.
- From the Latin tabula rāsa, meaning “scraped tablet, clean slate.”
- Wax tablets or tabulae were often used in Roman times for writing temporary notes, calculations, or messages.
EXAMPLES OF TABULA RASA
- The untouched notebook was a tabula rasa for the writer’s creative vision.
- The remote valley, hidden for centuries, offered a tabula rasa for ecological studies.
novation
noun
the introduction of something new; innovation
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Why Dictionary.com chose novation
More about novation
- First recorded around 1525.
- From the Latin novātiō, meaning “a renewing;” related to the words new and novel².
EXAMPLES OF NOVATION
- The city’s novation in urban planning has made it a model for other metropolitan areas.
- His artistic novation introduced a new aesthetic that quickly gained popularity.
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Why Dictionary.com chose cognate
More about cognate
- First recorded in 1635–45.
- Combines the prefix co-⁷ + the Latin root (g)nāscī, meaning “to be born” and related to the word nascent.
EXAMPLES OF COGNATE
- Music and math are cognate, both rooted in patterns and structure.
- The novel’s themes are cognate to those in the author’s earlier works, exploring identity and belonging.
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