Chapter XIII: Part I: Synonyms, Antonyms and Prepositions (11)

common, natural, ordinary, regular, typical, usual.

That which is _natural_ is according to nature; that which is _normal_ is according to the standard or rule which is observed or claimed to prevail in nature; a deformity may be _natural_, symmetry is _normal_; the _normal_ color of the crow is black, while the _normal_ color of the sparrow is gray, but one is as _natural_ as the other. _Typical_ refers to such an assemblage of qualities as makes the specimen, genus, etc., a type of some more comprehensive group, while _normal_ is more commonly applied to the parts of a single object; the specimen was _typical_; color, size, and other characteristics, _normal_. The _regular_ is etymologically that which is according to rule, hence that which is steady and constant, as opposed to that which is fitful and changeable; the _normal_ action of the heart is _regular_. That which is _common_ is shared by a great number of persons or things; disease is _common_, a _normal_ state of health is rare. Compare GENERAL; USUAL.

Antonyms:

abnormal, irregular, peculiar, singular, unprecedented, exceptional, monstrous, rare, uncommon, unusual.

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NOTWITHSTANDING, _conj._

Synonyms:

altho(ugh), howbeit, nevertheless, tho(ugh), but, however, still, yet.

_However_ simply waives discussion, and (like the archaic _howbeit_) says "be that as it may, this is true;" _nevertheless_ concedes the truth of what precedes, but claims that what follows is none the less true; _notwithstanding_ marshals the two statements face to face, admits the one and its seeming contradiction to the other, while insisting that it can not, after all, withstand the other; as, _notwithstanding_ the force of the enemy is superior, we shall conquer. _Yet_ and _still_ are weaker than _notwithstanding_, while stronger than _but_. _Tho_ and _altho_ make as little as possible of the concession, dropping it, as it were, incidentally; as, "_tho_ we are guilty, thou art good;" to say "we are guilty, _but_ thou art good," would make the concession of guilt more emphatic. Compare BUT; YET.

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NOTWITHSTANDING, _prep._

Synonyms:

despite, in spite of.

_Notwithstanding_ simply states that circumstances shall not be or have not been allowed to withstand; _despite_ and _in spite of_ refer primarily to personal and perhaps spiteful opposition; as, he failed _notwithstanding_ his good intentions; or, he persevered _in spite of_ the most bitter hostility. When _despite_ and _in spite of_ are applied to inanimate things, it is with something of personification; "_in spite of_ the storm" is said as if the storm had a hostile purpose to oppose the undertaking.

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OATH.

Synonyms:

adjuration, curse, profane swearing, affidavit, cursing, profanity, anathema, denunciation, reprobation, ban, execration, swearing, blaspheming, imprecation, sworn statement. blasphemy, malediction, vow.

In the highest sense, as in a court of justice, "an _oath_ is a reverent appeal to God in corroboration of what one says," ABBOTT _Law Dict._; an _affidavit_ is a _sworn statement_ made in writing in the presence of a competent officer; an _adjuration_ is a solemn appeal to a person in the name of God to speak the truth. An _oath_ is made to man in the name of God; a _vow_, to God without the intervention, often without the knowledge, of man. In the lower sense, an _oath_ may be mere _blasphemy_ or _profane swearing_. _Anathema_, _curse_, _execration_, and _imprecation_ are modes of invoking vengeance or retribution from a superhuman power upon the person against whom they are uttered. _Anathema_ is a solemn ecclesiastical condemnation of a person or of a proposition. _Curse_ may be just and authoritative; as, the _curse_ of God; or, it may be wanton and powerless: "so the _curse_ causeless shall not come," _Prov._ xxvi, 2. _Execration_ expresses most of personal bitterness and hatred; _imprecation_ refers especially to the coming of the desired evil upon the person against whom it is uttered. _Malediction_ is a general wish of evil, a less usual but very expressive word. Compare TESTIMONY.

Antonyms:

benediction, benison, blessing.

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OBSCURE.

Synonyms:

abstruse, darksome, dusky, involved, ambiguous, deep, enigmatical, muddy, cloudy, dense, hidden, mysterious, complex, difficult, incomprehensible, profound, complicated, dim, indistinct, turbid, dark, doubtful, intricate, unintelligible.

That is _obscure_ which the eye or the mind can not clearly discern or see through, whether because of its own want of transparency, its depth or intricacy, or because of mere defect of light. That which is _complicated_ is likely to be _obscure_, but that may be _obscure_ which is not at all _complicated_ and scarcely _complex_, as a _muddy_ pool. In that which is _abstruse_ (L. _abs_, from, and _trudo_, push) as if removed from the usual course of thought or out of the way of apprehension or discovery, the thought is remote, _hidden_; in that which is _obscure_ there may be nothing to hide; it is hard to see to the bottom of the _profound_, because of its depth, but the most shallow turbidness is _obscure_. Compare COMPLEX; DARK; DIFFICULT; MYSTERIOUS.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for CLEAR.

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OBSOLETE.

Synonyms:

ancient, archaic, obsolescent, out of date, antiquated, disused, old, rare.

Some of the _oldest_ or most _ancient_ words are not _obsolete_, as father, mother, etc. A word is _obsolete_ which has quite gone out of reputable use; a word is _archaic_ which is falling out of reputable use, or, on the other hand, having been _obsolete_, is taken up tentatively by writers or speakers of influence, so that it may perhaps regain its position as a living word; a word is _rare_ if there are few present instances of its reputable use. Compare OLD.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for NEW.

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OBSTINATE.

Synonyms:

contumacious, headstrong, mulish, resolute, decided, heady, obdurate, resolved, determined, immovable, opinionated, stubborn, dogged, indomitable, persistent, unconquerable, firm, inflexible, pertinacious, unflinching, fixed, intractable, refractory, unyielding.

The _headstrong_ person is not to be stopped in his own course of action, while the _obstinate_ and _stubborn_ is not to be driven to another's way. The _headstrong_ act; the _obstinate_ and _stubborn_ may simply refuse to stir. The most amiable person may be _obstinate_ on some one point; the _stubborn_ person is for the most part habitually so; we speak of _obstinate_ determination, _stubborn_ resistance. _Stubborn_ is the term most frequently applied to the lower animals and inanimate things. _Refractory_ implies more activity of resistance; the _stubborn_ horse balks; the _refractory_ animal plunges, rears, and kicks; metals that resist ordinary processes of reduction are termed _refractory_. One is _obdurate_ who adheres to his purpose in spite of appeals that would move any tender-hearted or right-minded person. _Contumacious_ refers to a proud and insolent defiance of authority, as of the summons of a court. _Pertinacious_ demand is contrasted with _obstinate_ refusal. The _unyielding_ conduct which we approve we call _decided_, _firm_, _inflexible_, _resolute_; that which we condemn we are apt to term _headstrong_, _obstinate_, _stubborn_. Compare PERVERSE.

Antonyms:

amenable, dutiful, pliable, tractable, complaisant, gentle, pliant, undecided, compliant, irresolute, submissive, wavering, docile, obedient, teachable, yielding.

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OBSTRUCT.

Synonyms:

arrest, check, embarrass, interrupt, stay, bar, choke, hinder, oppose, stop. barricade, clog, impede, retard,

To _obstruct_ is literally to build up against; the road is _obstructed_ by fallen trees; the passage of liquid through a tube is _obstructed_ by solid deposits. We may _hinder_ one's advance by following and clinging to him; we _obstruct_ his course by standing in his way or putting a barrier across his path. Anything that makes one's progress slower, whether from within or from without, _impedes_; an obstruction is always from without. To _arrest_ is to cause to stop suddenly; _obstructing_ the way may have the effect of _arresting_ progress. Compare HINDER; IMPEDIMENT.

Antonyms:

accelerate, aid, facilitate, free, open, promote. advance, clear, forward, further, pave the way for,

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OLD.

Synonyms:

aged, decrepit, immemorial, senile, ancient, elderly, olden, time-honored, antiquated, gray, patriarchal, time-worn, antique, hoary, remote, venerable.

That is termed _old_ which has existed long, or which existed long ago. _Ancient_, from the Latin, through the French, is the more stately, _old_, from the Saxon, the more familiar word. Familiarity, on one side, is near to contempt; thus we say, an _old_ coat, an _old_ hat. On the other hand, familiarity is akin to tenderness, and thus _old_ is a word of endearment; as, "the _old_ homestead," the "_old_ oaken bucket." "Tell me the _old, old_ story!" has been sung feelingly by millions; "tell me that _ancient_ story" would remove it out of all touch of human sympathy. _Olden_ is a statelier form of _old_, and is applied almost exclusively to time, not to places, buildings, persons, etc. As regards periods of time, the familiar are also the near; thus, the _old_ times are not too far away for familiar thought and reference; the _olden_ times are more remote, _ancient_ times still further removed. _Gray_, _hoary_, and _moldering_ refer to outward and visible tokens of age. _Aged_ applies chiefly to long-extended human life. _Decrepit_, _gray_, and _hoary_ refer to the effects of age on the body exclusively; _senile_ upon the mind also; as, a _decrepit_ frame, _senile_ garrulousness. One may be _aged_ and neither _decrepit_ nor _senile_. _Elderly_ is applied to those who have passed middle life, but scarcely reached _old_ age. _Remote_ (L. _re_, back or away, and _moveo_, move), primarily refers to space, but is extended to that which is far off in time; as, at some _remote_ period. _Venerable_ expresses the involuntary reverence that we yield to the majestic and long-enduring, whether in the material world or in human life and character. Compare ANTIQUE; OBSOLETE; PRIMEVAL.

Antonyms:

Compare synonyms for NEW; YOUTHFUL.

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OPERATION.

Synonyms:

action, effect, force, performance, result. agency, execution, influence, procedure,

_Operation_ is _action_ considered with reference to the thing acted upon, and may apply to the _action_ of an intelligent agent or of a material substance or _force_; as, the _operation_ of a medicine. _Performance_ and _execution_ denote intelligent _action_, considered with reference to the actor or to that which he accomplishes; _performance_ accomplishing the will of the actor, _execution_ often the will of another; we speak of the _performance_ of a duty, the _execution_ of a sentence. Compare ACT.

Antonyms:

failure, ineffectiveness, inutility, powerlessness, uselessness. inaction, inefficiency,

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ORDER.

Synonyms:

command, injunction, mandate, requirement. direction, instruction, prohibition,

_Instruction_ implies superiority of knowledge, _direction_ of authority on the part of the giver; a teacher gives _instructions_ to his pupils, an employer gives _directions_ to his workmen. _Order_ is still more authoritative than _direction_; soldiers, sailors, and railroad employees have simply to obey the _orders_ of their superiors, without explanation or question; an _order_ in the commercial sense has the authority of the money which the one _ordering_ the goods pays or is to pay. _Command_ is a loftier word, as well as highly authoritative, less frequent in common life; we speak of the _commands_ of God, or sometimes, by polite hyperbole, ask of a friend, "Have you any _commands_ for me?" A _requirement_ is imperative, but not always formal, nor made by a personal agent; it may be in the nature of things; as, the _requirements_ of the position. _Prohibition_ is wholly negative; it is a _command_ not to do; _injunction_ is now oftenest so used, especially as the _requirement_ by legal authority that certain action be suspended or refrained from, pending final legal decision. Compare ARRAY; CLASS; LAW; PROHIBIT; SYSTEM.

Antonyms:

allowance, consent, leave, liberty, license, permission, permit.

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OSTENTATION.

Synonyms:

boast, flourish, parade, pompousness, vaunt, boasting, pageant, pomp, show, vaunting. display, pageantry, pomposity,

_Ostentation_ is an ambitious showing forth of whatever is thought adapted to win admiration or praise; _ostentation_ may be without words; as, the _ostentation_ of wealth in fine residences, rich clothing, costly equipage, or the like; when in words, _ostentation_ is rather in manner than in direct statement; as, the _ostentation_ of learning. _Boasting_ is in direct statement, and is louder and more vulgar than _ostentation_. There may be great _display_ or _show_ with little substance; _ostentation_ suggests something substantial to be shown. _Pageant_, _pageantry_, _parade_, and _pomp_ refer principally to affairs of arms or state; as, a royal _pageant_; a military _parade_. _Pomp_ is some material demonstration of wealth and power, as in grand and stately ceremonial, rich furnishings, processions, etc., considered as worthy of the person or occasion in whose behalf it is manifested; _pomp_ is the noble side of that which as _ostentation_ is considered as arrogant and vain. _Pageant_ and _pageantry_ are inferior to _pomp_, denoting spectacular _display_ designed to impress the public mind, and since the multitude is largely ignorant and thoughtless, the words _pageant_ and _pageantry_ have a suggestion of the transient and unsubstantial. _Parade_ (L. _paro_, prepare) is an exhibition as of troops in camp going through the evolutions that are to be used in battle, and suggests a lack of earnestness and direct or immediate occasion or demand; hence, in the more general sense, a _parade_ is an uncalled for exhibition, and so used is a more disparaging word than _ostentation_; _ostentation_ may spring merely from undue self-gratulation, _parade_ implies a desire to impress others with a sense of one's abilities or resources, and is always offensive and somewhat contemptible; as, a _parade_ of wealth or learning. _Pomposity_ and _pompousness_ are the affectation of _pomp_.

Antonyms:

diffidence, quietness, retirement, timidity, modesty, reserve, shrinking, unobtrusiveness.

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OUGHT.

Synonym:

should.

One _ought_ to do that which he is under moral obligation or in duty bound to do. _Ought_ is the stronger word, holding most closely to the sense of moral obligation, or sometimes of imperative logical necessity; _should_ may have the sense of moral obligation or may apply merely to propriety or expediency, as in the proverb, "The liar _should_ have a good memory," _i. e._, he will need it. _Ought_ is sometimes used of abstractions or inanimate things as indicating what the mind deems to be imperative or logically necessary in view of all the conditions; as, these goods _ought_ to go into that space; these arguments _ought_ to convince him; _should_ in such connections would be correct, but less emphatic. Compare DUTY.

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OVERSIGHT.

Synonyms:

care, control, management, surveillance, charge, direction, superintendence, watch, command, inspection, supervision, watchfulness.

A person may look over a matter in order to survey it carefully in its entirety, or he may look over it with no attention to the thing itself because his gaze and thought are concentrated on something beyond; _oversight_ has thus two contrasted senses, in the latter sense denoting inadvertent error or omission, and in the former denoting watchful _supervision_, commonly implying constant personal presence; _superintendence_ requires only so much of presence or communication as to know that the superintendent's wishes are carried out; the superintendent of a railroad will personally oversee very few of its operations; the railroad company has supreme _direction_ of all its affairs without _superintendence_ or _oversight_. _Control_ is used chiefly with reference to restraint or the power of restraint; a good horseman has a restless horse under perfect _control_; there is no high character without self-_control_. _Surveillance_ is an invidious term signifying watching with something of suspicion. Compare CARE; NEGLECT.

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PAIN.

Synonyms:

ache, distress, suffering, torture, agony, pang, throe, twinge, anguish, paroxysm, torment, wo(e).

_Pain_ is the most general term of this group, including all the others; _pain_ is a disturbing sensation from which nature revolts, resulting from some injurious external interference (as from a wound, a bruise, a harsh word, etc.), or from some lack of what one needs, craves, or cherishes (as, the _pain_ of hunger or bereavement), or from some abnormal action of bodily or mental functions (as, the _pains_ of disease, envy, or discontent). _Suffering_ is one of the severer forms of _pain_. The prick of a needle causes _pain_, but we should scarcely speak of it as _suffering_. _Distress_ is too strong a word for little hurts, too feeble for the intensest _suffering_, but commonly applied to some continuous or prolonged trouble or need; as, the _distress_ of a shipwrecked crew, or of a destitute family. _Ache_ is lingering _pain_, more or less severe; _pang_, a _pain_ short, sharp, intense, and perhaps repeated. We speak of the _pangs_ of hunger or of remorse. _Throe_ is a violent and thrilling _pain_. _Paroxysm_ applies to an alternately recurring and receding _pain_, which comes as it were in waves; the _paroxysm_ is the rising of the wave. _Torment_ and _torture_ are intense and terrible _sufferings_. _Agony_ and _anguish_ express the utmost _pain_ or _suffering_ of body or mind. _Agony_ of body is that with which the system struggles; _anguish_ that by which it is crushed.

Antonyms:

comfort, delight, ease, enjoyment, peace, rapture, relief, solace.

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PALLIATE.

Synonyms:

apologize for, conceal, extenuate, hide, screen, cloak, cover, gloss over, mitigate, veil.

_Cloak_, from the French, and _palliate_, from the Latin, are the same in original signification, but have diverged in meaning; a _cloak_ may be used to _hide_ completely the person or some object carried about the person, or it may but partly _veil_ the figure, making the outlines less distinct; _cloak_ is used in the former, _palliate_, in the latter sense; to _cloak_ a sin is to attempt to _hide_ it from discovery; to _palliate_ it is to attempt to _hide_ some part of its blameworthiness. "When we _palliate_ our own or others' faults we do not seek to _cloke_ them altogether, but only to _extenuate_ the guilt of them in part." TRENCH _Study of Words_ lect. vi, p. 266. Either to _palliate_ or to _extenuate_ is to admit the fault; but to _extenuate_ is rather to _apologize_ for the offender, while to _palliate_ is to disguise the fault; hence, we speak of _extenuating_ but not of _palliating_ circumstances, since circumstances can not change the inherent wrong of an act, tho they may lessen the blameworthiness of him who does it; _palliating_ a bad thing by giving it a mild name does not make it less evil. In reference to diseases, to _palliate_ is really to diminish their violence, or partly to relieve the sufferer. Compare ALLEVIATE; HIDE.

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PARDON, _v._

Synonyms:

absolve, condone, forgive, pass by, remit. acquit, excuse, overlook, pass over,

To _pardon_ is to let pass, as a fault or sin, without resentment, blame, or punishment. _Forgive_ has reference to feelings, _pardon_ to consequences; hence, the executive may _pardon_, but has nothing to do officially with _forgiving_. Personal injury may be _forgiven_ by the person wronged; thus, God at once _forgives_ and _pardons_; the _pardoned_ sinner is exempt from punishment; the _forgiven_ sinner is restored to the divine favor. To _pardon_ is the act of a superior, implying the right to punish; to _forgive_ is the privilege of the humblest person who has been wronged or offended. In law, to _remit_ the whole penalty is equivalent to _pardoning_ the offender; but a part of a penalty may be _remitted_ and the remainder inflicted, as where the penalty includes both fine and imprisonment. To _condone_ is to put aside a recognized offense by some act which restores the offender to forfeited right or privilege, and is the act of a private individual, without legal formalities. To _excuse_ is to _overlook_ some slight offense, error, or breach of etiquette; _pardon_ is often used by courtesy in nearly the same sense. A person may speak of _excusing_ or _forgiving_ himself, but not of _pardoning_ himself. Compare ABSOLVE; PARDON, _n._

Antonyms:

castigate, chastise, convict, doom, recompense, sentence, chasten, condemn, correct, punish, scourge, visit.

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PARDON, _n._

Synonyms:

absolution, amnesty, forgiveness, oblivion, acquittal, forbearance, mercy, remission.

_Acquittal_ is a release from a charge, after trial, as not guilty. _Pardon_ is a removal of penalty from one who has been adjudged guilty. _Acquittal_ is by the decision of a court, commonly of a jury; _pardon_ is the act of the executive. An innocent man may demand _acquittal_, and need not plead for _pardon_. _Pardon_ supposes an offense; yet, as our laws stand, to grant a _pardon_ is sometimes the only way to release one who has been wrongly convicted. _Oblivion_, from the Latin, signifies overlooking and virtually forgetting an offense, so that the offender stands before the law in all respects as if it had never been committed. _Amnesty_ brings the same idea through the Greek. _Pardon_ affects individuals; _amnesty_ and _oblivion_ are said of great numbers. _Pardon_ is oftenest applied to the ordinary administration of law; _amnesty_, to national and military affairs. An _amnesty_ is issued after war, insurrection, or rebellion; it is often granted by "an act of _oblivion_," and includes a full _pardon_ of all offenders who come within its provisions. _Absolution_ is a religious word (compare synonyms for ABSOLVE). _Remission_ is a discharge from penalty; as, the _remission_ of a fine.

Antonyms:

penalty, punishment, retaliation, retribution, vengeance.

Prepositions:

A pardon _to_ or _for_ the offenders; _for_ all offenses; the pardon _of_ offenders or offenses.

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PART, _v._

Synonyms:

Compare synonyms for PART, _n._

Prepositions:

Part _into_ shares; part _in_ the middle; part one _from_ another; part _among_ the claimants; part _between_ contestants (archaic); in general, to part _from_ is to relinquish companionship; to part _with_ is to relinquish possession; we part _from_ a person or _from_ something thought of with some sense of companionship; a traveler parts _from_ his friends; he maybe said also to part _from_ his native shore; a man parts _with_ an estate, a horse, a copyright; part _with_ may be applied to a person thought of in any sense as a possession; an employer parts _with_ a clerk or servant; but _part with_ is sometimes used by good writers as meaning simply to separate from.

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PART, _n._

Synonyms:

atom, fraction, member, section, component, fragment, particle, segment, constituent, ingredient, piece, share, division, instalment, portion, subdivision. element,

_Part_, a substance, quantity, or amount that is the result of the division of something greater, is the general word, including all the others of this group. A _fragment_ is the result of breaking, rending, or disruption of some kind, while a _piece_ may be smoothly or evenly separated and have a certain completeness in itself. A _piece_ is often taken for a sample; a _fragment_ scarcely would be. _Division_ and _fraction_ are always regarded as in connection with the total; _divisions_ may be equal or unequal; a _fraction_ is one of several equal _parts_ into which the whole is supposed to be divided. A _portion_ is a _part_ viewed with reference to some one who is to receive it or some special purpose to which it is to be applied; in a restaurant one _portion_ (_i. e._, the amount designed for one person) is sometimes, by special order, served to two; a _share_ is a _part_ to which one has or may acquire a right in connection with others; an _instalment_ is one of a series of proportionate payments that are to be continued till the entire claim is discharged; a _particle_ is an exceedingly small _part_. A _component_, _constituent_, _ingredient_, or _element_ is a _part_ of some compound or mixture; an _element_ is necessary to the existence, as a _component_ or _constituent_ is necessary to the completeness of that which it helps to compose; an _ingredient_ may be foreign or accidental. A _subdivision_ is a _division_ of a _division_. We speak of a _segment_ of a circle. Compare PARTICLE; PORTION.

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PARTICLE.

Synonyms:

atom, grain, mite, scrap, whit. corpuscle, iota, molecule, shred, element, jot, scintilla, tittle,

A _particle_ is a very small part of any material substance; as, a _particle_ of sand or of dust; it is a general term, not accurately determinate in meaning. _Atom_ (Gr. _a-_ privative, not, and _temno_, cut) etymologically signifies that which can not be cut or divided, and is the smallest conceivable _particle_ of matter, regarded as absolutely homogeneous and as having but one set of properties; _atoms_ are the ultimate _particles_ of matter. A _molecule_ is made up of _atoms_, and is regarded as separable into its constituent parts; as used by physicists, a _molecule_ is the smallest conceivable part which retains all the characteristics of the substance; thus, a _molecule_ of water is made up of two _atoms_ of hydrogen and one _atom_ of oxygen. _Element_ in chemistry denotes, without reference to quantity, a substance regarded as simple, _i. e._, one incapable of being resolved by any known process into simpler substances; the _element_ gold may be represented by an ingot or by a _particle_ of gold-dust. In popular language, an _element_ is any essential constituent; the ancients believed that the universe was made up of the four _elements_, earth, air, fire, and water; a storm is spoken of as a manifestation of the fury of the _elements_. We speak of _corpuscles_ of blood. Compare PART.

Antonyms:

aggregate, entirety, mass, quantity, sum, sum total, total, whole.

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PATIENCE.

Synonyms:

calmness, forbearance, long-suffering, sufferance. composure, fortitude, resignation, endurance, leniency, submission,

_Patience_ is the quality or habit of mind shown in bearing passively and uncomplainingly any pain, evil, or hardship that may fall to one's lot. _Endurance_ hardens itself against suffering, and may be merely stubborn; _fortitude_ is _endurance_ animated by courage; _endurance_ may by modifiers be made to have a passive force, as when we speak of "passive endurance;" _patience_ is not so hard as _endurance_ nor so self-effacing as _submission_. _Submission_ is ordinarily and _resignation_ always applied to matters of great moment, while _patience_ may apply to slight worries and annoyances. As regards our relations to our fellow men, _forbearance_ is abstaining from retaliation or revenge; _patience_ is keeping kindliness of heart under vexatious conduct; _long-suffering_ is continued _patience_. _Patience_ may also have an active force denoting uncomplaining steadiness in doing, as in tilling the soil. Compare INDUSTRY.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for ANGER.

Prepositions:

Patience _in_ or _amid_ sufferings; patience _with_ (rarely _toward_) opposers or offenders; patience _under_ afflictions; (rarely) patience _of_ heat or cold, etc.

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PAY, _n._

Synonyms:

allowance, hire, recompense, salary, compensation, honorarium, remuneration, stipend, earnings, payment, requital, wages. fee,

An _allowance_ is a stipulated amount furnished at regular intervals as a matter of discretion or gratuity, as of food to besieged soldiers, or of money to a child or ward. _Compensation_ is a comprehensive word signifying a return for a service done. _Remuneration_ is applied to matters of great amount or importance. _Recompense_ is a still wider and loftier word, with less suggestion of calculation and market value; there are services for which affection and gratitude are the sole and sufficient _recompense_; _earnings_, _fees_, _hire_, _pay_, _salary_, and _wages_ are forms of _compensation_ and may be included in _compensation_, _remuneration_, or _recompense_. _Pay_ is commercial and strictly signifies an exact pecuniary equivalent for a thing or service, except when the contrary is expressly stated, as when we speak of "high _pay_" or "poor _pay_." _Wages_ denotes what a worker receives. _Earnings_ is often used as exactly equivalent to _wages_, but may be used with reference to the real value of work done or service rendered, and even applied to inanimate things; as, the _earnings_ of capital. _Hire_ is distinctly mercenary or menial, but as a noun has gone out of popular use, tho the verb _to hire_ is common. _Salary_ is for literary or professional work, _wages_ for handicraft or other comparatively inferior service; a _salary_ is regarded as more permanent than _wages_; an editor receives a _salary_, a compositor receives _wages_. _Stipend_ has become exclusively a literary word. A _fee_ is given for a single service or privilege, and is sometimes in the nature of a gratuity. Compare REQUITE.

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PEOPLE.

Synonyms:

commonwealth, nation, race, state, tribe. community, population,

A _community_ is in general terms the aggregate of persons inhabiting any territory in common and viewed as having common interests; a _commonwealth_ is such a body of persons having a common government, especially a republican government; as, the _commonwealth_ of Massachusetts. A _community_ may be very small; a _commonwealth_ is ordinarily of considerable extent. A _people_ is the aggregate of any public _community_, either in distinction from their rulers or as including them; a _race_ is a division of mankind in the line of origin and ancestry; the _people_ of the United States includes members of almost every _race_. The use of _people_ as signifying persons collectively, as in the statement "The hall was full of _people_," has been severely criticized, but is old and accepted English, and may fitly be classed as idiomatic, and often better than _persons_, by reason of its collectivism. As Dean Alford suggests, it would make a strange transformation of the old hymn "All _people_ that on earth do dwell" to sing "All _persons_ that on earth do dwell." A _state_ is an organized political _community_ considered in its corporate capacity as "a body politic and corporate;" as, a legislative act is the act of the _state_; every citizen is entitled to the protection of the _state_. A _nation_ is an organized political _community_ considered with reference to the persons composing it as having certain definite boundaries, a definite number of citizens, etc. The members of a _people_ are referred to as persons or individuals; the individual members of a _state_ or _nation_ are called citizens or subjects. The _population_ of a country is simply the aggregate of persons residing within its borders, without reference to _race_, organization, or allegiance; unnaturalized residents form part of the _population_, but not of the _nation_, possessing none of the rights and being subject to none of the duties of citizens. In American usage _State_ signifies one _commonwealth_ of the federal union known as the United _States_. _Tribe_ is now almost wholly applied to rude _peoples_ with very imperfect political organization; as, the Indian _tribes_; nomadic _tribes_. Compare MOB.

* * * * *

PERCEIVE.

Synonyms:

apprehend, comprehend, conceive, understand.

We _perceive_ what is presented through the senses. We _apprehend_ what is presented to the mind, whether through the senses or by any other means. Yet _perceive_ is used in the figurative sense of seeing through to a conclusion, in a way for which usage would not allow us to substitute _apprehend_; as, "Sir, I _perceive_ that thou art a prophet," _John_ iv, 19. That which we _apprehend_ we catch, as with the hand; that which we _conceive_ we are able to analyze and recompose in our mind; that which we _comprehend_, we, as it were, grasp around, take together, seize, embrace wholly within the mind. Many things may be _apprehended_ which can not be _comprehended_; a child can _apprehend_ the distinction between right and wrong, yet the philosopher can not _comprehend_ it in its fulness. We can _apprehend_ the will of God as revealed in conscience or the Scriptures; we can _conceive_ of certain attributes of Deity, as his truth and justice; but no finite intelligence can _comprehend_ the Divine Nature, in its majesty, power, and perfection. Compare ANTICIPATE; ARREST; CATCH; KNOWLEDGE.

Antonyms:

fail of, ignore, lose, misapprehend, misconceive, miss, overlook.

* * * * *

PERFECT.

Synonyms:

absolute, consummate, holy, spotless, accurate, correct, ideal, stainless, blameless, entire, immaculate, unblemished, complete, faultless, sinless, undefiled. completed, finished,

That is _perfect_ to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken without impairing its excellence, marring its symmetry, or detracting from its worth; in this fullest sense God alone is _perfect_, but in a limited sense anything may be _perfect_ in its kind; as a _perfect_ flower; a copy of a document is _perfect_ when it is _accurate_ in every particular; a vase may be called _perfect_ when _entire_ and _unblemished_, even tho not artistically _faultless_; the best judges never pronounce a work of art _perfect_, because they see always _ideal_ possibilities not yet attained; even the _ideal_ is not _perfect_, by reason of the imperfection of the human mind; a human character faultlessly _holy_ would be morally _perfect_ tho finite. That which is _absolute_ is free from admixture (as _absolute_ alcohol) and in the highest and fullest sense free from imperfection or limitation; as, _absolute_ holiness and love are attributes of God alone. In philosophical language, _absolute_ signifies free from all necessary, or even from all possible relations, not dependent or limited, unrelated and unconditioned; truth immediately known, as intuitive truth, is _absolute_; God, as self-existent and free from all limitation or dependence, is called the _absolute_ Being, or simply the _Absolute_. Compare INNOCENT; INFINITE; RADICAL.

Antonyms:

bad, defective, imperfect, meager, scant, blemished, deficient, incomplete, perverted, short, corrupt, deformed, inferior, poor, spoiled, corrupted, fallible, insufficient, ruined, worthless. defaced, faulty, marred,

* * * * *

PERMANENT.

Synonyms:

abiding, enduring, lasting, steadfast, changeless, fixed, perpetual, unchangeable, constant, immutable, persistent, unchanging. durable, invariable, stable,

_Durable_ (L. _durus_, hard) is said almost wholly of material substances that resist wear; _lasting_ is said of either material or immaterial things. _Permanent_ is a word of wider meaning; a thing is _permanent_ which is not liable to change; as, a _permanent_ color; buildings upon a farm are called _permanent_ improvements. _Enduring_ is a higher word, applied to that which resists both time and change; as, _enduring_ fame.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for TRANSIENT.

* * * * *

PERMISSION.

Synonyms:

allowance, authorization, leave, license, authority, consent, liberty, permit.

_Authority_ unites the right and power of control; age, wisdom, and character give _authority_ to their possessor; a book of learned research has _authority_, and is even called an _authority_. _Permission_ justifies another in acting without interference or censure, and usually implies some degree of approval. _Authority_ gives a certain right of control over all that may be affected by the action. There may be a failure to object, which constitutes an implied _permission_, tho this is more properly expressed by _allowance_; we _allow_ what we do not oppose, _permit_ what we expressly authorize. The noun _permit_ implies a formal written _permission_. _License_ is a formal _permission_ granted by competent _authority_ to an individual to do some act or pursue some business which would be or is made to be unlawful without such _permission_; as, a _license_ to preach, to solemnize marriages, or to sell intoxicating liquors. A _license_ is _permission_ granted rather than _authority_ conferred; the sheriff has _authority_ (not _permission_ nor _license_) to make an arrest. _Consent_ is _permission_ by the concurrence of wills in two or more persons, a mutual approval or acceptance of something proposed. Compare ALLOW.

Antonyms:

denial, objection, prevention, refusal, resistance. hindrance, opposition, prohibition,

* * * * *

PERNICIOUS.

Synonyms:

bad, evil, mischievous, pestilential, baneful, foul, noisome, poisonous, deadly, harmful, noxious, ruinous, deleterious, hurtful, perverting, unhealthful, destructive, injurious, pestiferous, unwholesome. detrimental, insalubrious,

_Pernicious_ (L. _per_, through, and _neco_, kill) signifies having the power of destroying or injuring, tending to hurt or kill. _Pernicious_ is stronger than _injurious_; that which is _injurious_ is capable of doing harm; that which is _pernicious_ is likely to be _destructive_. _Noxious_ (L. _noceo_, hurt) is a stronger word than _noisome_, as referring to that which is _injurious_ or _destructive_. _Noisome_ now always denotes that which is extremely disagreeable or disgusting, especially to the sense of smell; as, the _noisome_ stench proclaimed the presence of _noxious_ gases.

Antonyms:

advantageous, favorable, helpful, profitable, serviceable, beneficent, good, invigorating, rejuvenating, useful, beneficial, healthful, life-giving, salutary, wholesome.

* * * * *

PERPLEXITY.

Synonyms:

amazement, bewilderment, distraction, doubt, astonishment, confusion, disturbance, embarrassment.

_Perplexity_ (L. _per_, through, and _plecto_, plait) is the drawing or turning of the thoughts or faculties by turns in different directions or toward contrasted or contradictory conclusions; _confusion_ (L. _confusus_, from _confundo_, pour together) is a state in which the mental faculties are, as it were, thrown into chaos, so that the clear and distinct action of the different powers, as of perception, memory, reason, and will is lost; _bewilderment_ is akin to _confusion_, but is less overwhelming, and more readily recovered from; _perplexity_, accordingly, has not the unsettling of the faculties implied in _confusion_, nor the overwhelming of the faculties implied in _amazement_ or _astonishment_; it is not the magnitude of the things to be known, but the want of full and definite knowledge, that causes _perplexity_. The dividing of a woodland path may cause the traveler the greatest _perplexity_, which may become _bewilderment_ when he has tried one path after another and lost his bearings completely. With an excitable person _bewilderment_ may deepen into _confusion_ that will make him unable to think clearly or even to see or hear distinctly. _Amazement_ results from the sudden and unimagined occurrence of great good or evil or the sudden awakening of the mind to unthought-of truth. _Astonishment_ often produces _bewilderment_, which the word was formerly understood to imply. Compare AMAZEMENT; ANXIETY; DOUBT.

* * * * *

PERSUADE.

Synonyms:

allure, dispose, incline, move, bring over, entice, induce, prevail on _or_ upon, coax, impel, influence, urge, convince, incite, lead, win over.

Of these words _convince_ alone has no direct reference to moving the will, denoting an effect upon the understanding only; one may be _convinced_ of his duty without doing it, or he may be _convinced_ of truth that has no manifest connection with duty or action, as of a mathematical proposition. To _persuade_ is to bring the will of another to a desired decision by some influence exerted upon it short of compulsion; one may be _convinced_ that the earth is round; he may be _persuaded_ to travel round it; but persuasion is so largely dependent upon conviction that it is commonly held to be the orator's work first to _convince_ in order that he may _persuade_. _Coax_ is a slighter word than _persuade_, seeking the same end by shallower methods, largely by appeal to personal feeling, with or without success; as, a child _coaxes_ a parent to buy him a toy. One may be _brought over_, _induced_, or _prevailed upon_ by means not properly included in persuasion, as by bribery or intimidation; he is _won over_ chiefly by personal influence. Compare INFLUENCE.

Antonyms:

deter, discourage, dissuade, hinder, hold back, repel, restrain.

* * * * *

PERTNESS.

Synonyms:

boldness, forwardness, liveliness, sprightliness. briskness, impertinence, sauciness, flippancy, impudence, smartness,

_Liveliness_ and _sprightliness_ are pleasant and commendable; _smartness_ is a limited and showy acuteness or shrewdness, usually with unfavorable suggestion; _pertness_ and _sauciness_ are these qualities overdone, and regardless of the respect due to superiors. _Impertinence_ and _impudence_ may be gross and stupid; _pertness_ and _sauciness_ are always vivid and keen. Compare IMPUDENCE.

Antonyms:

bashfulness, demureness, diffidence, humility, modesty, shyness.

* * * * *

PERVERSE.

Synonyms:

contrary, froward, petulant, untoward, factious, intractable, stubborn, wayward, fractious, obstinate, ungovernable, wilful.

_Perverse_ (L. _perversus_, turned the wrong way) signifies wilfully wrong or erring, unreasonably set against right, reason, or authority. The _stubborn_ or _obstinate_ person will not do what another desires or requires; the _perverse_ person will do anything contrary to what is desired or required of him. The _petulant_ person frets, but may comply; the _perverse_ individual may be smooth or silent, but is wilfully _intractable_. _Wayward_ refers to a _perverse_ disregard of morality and duty; _froward_ is practically obsolete; _untoward_ is rarely heard except in certain phrases; as, _untoward_ circumstances. Compare OBSTINATE.

Antonyms:

accommodating, complaisant, genial, kind, amenable, compliant, governable, obliging.

* * * * *

PHYSICAL.

Synonyms:

bodily, corporeal, natural, tangible, corporal, material, sensible, visible.

Whatever is composed of or pertains to matter may be termed _material_; _physical_ (Gr. _physis_, nature) applies to _material_ things considered as parts of a system or organic whole; hence, we speak of _material_ substances, _physical_ forces, _physical_ laws. _Bodily_, _corporal_, and _corporeal_ apply primarily to the human body; _bodily_ and _corporal_ both denote pertaining or relating to the body; _corporeal_ signifies of the nature of or like the body; _corporal_ is now almost wholly restricted to signify applied to or inflicted upon the body; we speak of _bodily_ sufferings, _bodily_ presence, _corporal_ punishment, the _corporeal_ frame.

Antonyms:

hyperphysical, intangible, invisible, moral, unreal, immaterial, intellectual, mental, spiritual, unsubstantial.

* * * * *

PIQUE.

Synonyms:

displeasure, irritation, offense, resentment, umbrage. grudge,

_Pique_, from the French, signifies primarily a prick or a sting, as of a nettle; the word denotes a sudden feeling of mingled pain and anger, but slight and usually transient, arising from some neglect or _offense_, real or imaginary. _Umbrage_ is a deeper and more persistent _displeasure_ at being overshadowed (L. _umbra_, a shadow) or subjected to any treatment that one deems unworthy of him. It may be said, as a general statement, that _pique_ arises from wounded vanity or sensitiveness, _umbrage_ from wounded pride or sometimes from suspicion. _Resentment_ rests on more solid grounds, and is deep and persistent. Compare ANGER.

Antonyms:

approval, contentment, gratification, pleasure, satisfaction. complacency, delight,

* * * * *

PITIFUL.

Synonyms:

abject, lamentable, paltry, sorrowful, base, miserable, pathetic, touching, contemptible, mournful, piteous, woful, despicable, moving, pitiable, wretched.

_Pitiful_ originally signified full of pity; as, "the Lord is very _pitiful_ and of tender mercy," _James_ v, 11; but this usage is now archaic, and the meaning in question is appropriated by such words as merciful and compassionate. _Pitiful_ and _pitiable_ now refer to what may be deserving of pity, _pitiful_ being used chiefly for that which is merely an object of thought, _pitiable_ for that which is brought directly before the senses; as, a _pitiful_ story; a _pitiable_ object; a _pitiable_ condition. Since pity, however, always implies weakness or inferiority in that which is pitied, _pitiful_ and _pitiable_ are often used, by an easy transition, for what might awaken pity, but does awaken contempt; as, a _pitiful_ excuse; he presented a _pitiable_ appearance. _Piteous_ is now rarely used in its earlier sense of feeling pity, but in its derived sense applies to what really excites the emotion; as, a _piteous_ cry. Compare HUMANE; MERCY; PITY.

Antonyms:

august, dignified, grand, lofty, sublime, beneficent, exalted, great, mighty, superb, commanding, glorious, helpful, noble, superior.

* * * * *

PITY.

Synonyms:

commiseration, condolence, sympathy, tenderness. compassion, mercy,

_Pity_ is a feeling of grief or pain aroused by the weakness, misfortunes, or distresses of others, joined with a desire to help or relieve. _Sympathy_ (feeling or suffering with) implies some degree of equality, kindred, or union; _pity_ is for what is weak or unfortunate, and so far, at least, inferior to ourselves; hence, _pity_ is often resented where _sympathy_ would be welcome. We have _sympathy_ with one in joy or grief, in pleasure or pain, _pity_ only for those in suffering or need; we may have _sympathy_ with the struggles of a giant or the triumphs of a conqueror; we are moved with _pity_ for the captive or the slave. _Pity_ may be only in the mind, but _mercy_ does something for those who are its objects. _Compassion_, like _pity_, is exercised only with respect to the suffering or unfortunate, but combines with the tenderness of _pity_ the dignity of _sympathy_ and the active quality of _mercy_. _Commiseration_ is as tender as _compassion_, but more remote and hopeless; we have _commiseration_ for sufferers whom we can not reach or can not relieve. _Condolence_ is the expression of _sympathy_. Compare MERCY.

Antonyms:

barbarity, ferocity, harshness, pitilessness, severity, brutality, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, rigor, sternness, cruelty, hardness, mercilessness, ruthlessness, truculence.

Prepositions:

Pity _on_ or _upon_ that which we help or spare; pity _for_ that which we merely contemplate; "have pity _upon_ me, O ye my friends," _Job_ xix, 21; "pity _for_ a horse o'erdriven," TENNYSON _In Memoriam_ lxii, st. 1.

* * * * *

PLANT.

Synonyms:

seed, seed down, set, set out, sow.

We _set_ or _set out_ slips, cuttings, young trees, etc., tho we may also be said to _plant_ them; we _plant_ corn, potatoes, etc., which we put in definite places, as in hills, with some care; we _sow_ wheat or other small grains and seeds which are scattered in the process. Tho by modern agricultural machinery the smaller grains are almost as precisely _planted_ as corn, the old word for broadcast scattering is retained. Land is _seeded_ or _seeded down_ to grass.

Antonyms:

eradicate, extirpate, root up, uproot, weed out.

* * * * *

PLEAD.

Synonyms:

advocate, ask, beseech, implore, solicit, argue, beg, entreat, press, urge.

To _plead_ for one is to employ argument or persuasion, or both in his behalf, usually with earnestness or importunity; similarly one may be said to _plead_ for himself or for a cause, etc., or with direct object, to _plead_ a case; in legal usage, _pleading_ is argumentative, but in popular usage, _pleading_ always implies some appeal to the feelings. One _argues_ a case solely on rational grounds and supposably with fair consideration of both sides; he _advocates_ one side for the purpose of carrying it, and under the influence of motives that may range all the way from cold self-interest to the highest and noblest impulses; he _pleads_ a cause, or _pleads_ for a person with still more intense feeling. _Beseech_, _entreat_, and _implore_ imply impassioned earnestness, with direct and tender appeal to personal considerations. _Press_ and _urge_ imply more determined or perhaps authoritative insistence. _Solicit_ is a weak word denoting merely an attempt to secure one's consent or cooperation, sometimes by sordid or corrupt motives.

Prepositions:

Plead _with_ the tyrant _for_ the captive; plead _against_ the oppression or the oppressor; plead _to_ the indictment; _at_ the bar; _before_ the court; _in_ open court.

* * * * *

PLEASANT.

Synonyms:

agreeable, good-natured, kindly, pleasing, attractive, kind, obliging, pleasurable.

That is _pleasing_ from which pleasure is received, or may readily be received, without reference to any action or intent in that which confers it; as, a _pleasing_ picture; a _pleasing_ landscape. Whatever has active qualities adapted to give pleasure is _pleasant_; as, a _pleasant_ breeze; a _pleasant_ (not a _pleasing_) day. As applied to persons, _pleasant_ always refers to a disposition ready and desirous to please; one is _pleasant_, or in a _pleasant_ mood, when inclined to make happy those with whom he is dealing, to show kindness and do any reasonable favor. In this sense _pleasant_ is nearly akin to _kind_, but _kind_ refers to act or intent, while _pleasant_ stops with the disposition; many persons are no longer in a _pleasant_ mood if asked to do a troublesome kindness. _Pleasant_ keeps always something of the sense of actually giving pleasure, and thus surpasses the meaning of _good-natured_; there are _good-natured_ people who by reason of rudeness and ill-breeding are not _pleasant_ companions. A _pleasing_ face has good features, complexion, expression, etc.; a _pleasant_ face indicates a _kind_ heart and an _obliging_ disposition, as well as _kindly_ feelings in actual exercise; we can say of one usually _good-natured_, "on that occasion he did not meet me with a _pleasant_ face." _Pleasant_, in the sense of gay, merry, jocose (the sense still retained in _pleasantry_), is now rare, and would not be understood outside of literary circles. Compare AMIABLE; COMFORTABLE; DELIGHTFUL.

Antonyms:

arrogant, displeasing, glum, ill-humored, repelling, austere, dreary, grim, ill-natured, repulsive, crabbed, forbidding, harsh, offensive, unkind, disagreeable, gloomy, hateful, repellent, unpleasant.

Prepositions:

Pleasant _to_, _with_, or _toward_ persons, _about_ a matter.

* * * * *

PLENTIFUL.

Synonyms:

abounding, bountiful, generous, plenteous, abundant, complete, large, profuse, adequate, copious, lavish, replete, affluent, enough, liberal, rich, ample, exuberant, luxuriant, sufficient, bounteous, full, overflowing, teeming.

_Enough_ is relative, denoting a supply equal to a given demand. A temperature of 70° Fahrenheit is _enough_ for a living-room; of 212° _enough_ to boil water; neither is _enough_ to melt iron. _Sufficient_, from the Latin, is an equivalent of the Saxon _enough_, with no perceptible difference of meaning, but only of usage, _enough_ being the more blunt, homely, and forcible word, while _sufficient_ is in many cases the more elegant or polite. _Sufficient_ usually precedes its noun; _enough_ usually and preferably follows. That is _ample_ which gives a safe, but not a large, margin beyond a given demand; that is _abundant_, _affluent_, _bountiful_, _liberal_, _plentiful_, which is largely in excess of manifest need. _Plentiful_ is used of supplies, as of food, water, etc.; as, "a _plentiful_ rain," _Ps._ lxviii, 9. We may also say a _copious_ rain; but _copious_ can be applied to thought, language, etc., where _plentiful_ can not well be used. _Affluent_ and _liberal_ both apply to riches, resources; _liberal_, with especial reference to giving or expending. (Compare synonyms for ADEQUATE.) _Affluent_, referring especially to riches, may be used of thought, feeling, etc. Neither _affluent_, _copious_, nor _plentiful_ can be used of time or space; a field is sometimes called _plentiful_, not with reference to its extent, but to its productiveness. _Complete_ expresses not excess or overplus, and yet not mere sufficiency, but harmony, proportion, fitness to a design, or ideal. _Ample_ and _abundant_ may be applied to any subject. We have time _enough_, means that we can reach our destination without haste, but also without delay; if we have _ample_ time, we may move leisurely, and note what is by the way; if we have _abundant_ time, we may pause to converse with a friend, to view the scenery, or to rest when weary. _Lavish_ and _profuse_ imply a decided excess, oftenest in the ill sense. We rejoice in _abundant_ resources, and honor _generous_ hospitality; _lavish_ or _profuse_ expenditure suggests extravagance and wastefulness. _Luxuriant_ is used especially of that which is _abundant_ in growth; as, a _luxuriant_ crop.

Antonyms:

deficient, inadequate, narrow, scanty, small, drained, insufficient, niggardly, scarce, sparing, exhausted, mean, poor, scrimped, stingy, impoverished, miserly, scant, short, straitened.

Preposition:

Plentiful _in_ resources.

* * * * *

POETRY.

Synonyms:

meter, numbers, poesy, song, metrical composition, poem, rime, verse.

_Poetry_ is that form of literature that embodies beautiful thought, feeling, or action in melodious, rhythmical, and (usually) metrical language, in imaginative and artistic constructions. _Poetry_ in a very wide sense may be anything that pleasingly addresses the imagination; as, the _poetry_ of motion. In ordinary usage, _poetry_ is both imaginative and metrical. There may be _poetry_ without _rime_, but hardly without _meter_, or what in some languages takes its place, as the Hebrew parallelism; but _poetry_ involves, besides the artistic form, the exercise of the fancy or imagination in a way always beautiful, often lofty or even sublime. Failing this, there may be _verse_, _rime_, and _meter_, but not _poetry_. There is much in literature that is beautiful and sublime in thought and artistic in construction, which is yet not _poetry_, because quite devoid of the element of _song_, whereby _poetry_ differs from the most lofty, beautiful, or impassioned prose. Compare METER.

Antonyms:

prosaic speech, prosaic writing, prose.

* * * * *

POLITE.

Synonyms:

accomplished, courtly, genteel, urbane, civil, cultivated, gracious, well-behaved, complaisant, cultured, obliging, well-bred, courteous, elegant, polished, well-mannered.

A _civil_ person observes such propriety of speech and manner as to avoid being rude; one who is _polite_ (literally _polished_) observes more than the necessary proprieties, conforming to all that is graceful, becoming, and thoughtful in the intercourse of refined society. A man may be _civil_ with no consideration for others, simply because self-respect forbids him to be rude; but one who is _polite_ has at least some care for the opinions of others, and if _polite_ in the highest and truest sense, which is coming to be the prevailing one, he cares for the comfort and happiness of others in the smallest matters. _Civil_ is a colder and more distant word than _polite_; _courteous_ is fuller and richer, dealing often with greater matters, and is used only in the good sense. _Courtly_ suggests that which befits a royal court, and is used of external grace and stateliness without reference to the prompting feeling; as, the _courtly_ manners of the ambassador. _Genteel_ refers to an external elegance, which may be showy and superficial, and the word is thus inferior to _polite_ or _courteous_. _Urbane_ refers to a politeness that is genial and successful in giving others a sense of ease and cheer. _Polished_ refers to external elegancies of speech and manner without reference to spirit or purpose; as, a _polished_ gentleman or a _polished_ scoundrel; _cultured_ refers to a real and high development of mind and soul, of which the external manifestation is the smallest part. _Complaisant_ denotes a disposition to please or favor beyond what _politeness_ would necessarily require.

Antonyms:

awkward, clownish, ill-mannered, insulting, uncouth, bluff, coarse, impertinent, raw, unmannerly, blunt, discourteous, impolite, rude, unpolished, boorish, ill-behaved, impudent, rustic, untaught, brusk, ill-bred, insolent, uncivil, untutored.

* * * * *

POLITY.

Synonyms:

constitution, policy, form _or_ system of government.

_Polity_ is the permanent system of government of a state, a church, or a society; _policy_ is the method of management with reference to the attainment of certain ends; the national _polity_ of the United States is republican; each administration has a _policy_ of its own. _Policy_ is often used as equivalent to expediency; as, many think honesty to be good _policy_. _Polity_ used in ecclesiastical use serves a valuable purpose in distinguishing that which relates to administration and government from that which relates to faith and doctrine; two churches identical in faith may differ in _polity_, or those agreeing in _polity_ may differ in faith. Compare LAW.

* * * * *

PORTION.

Synonyms:

lot, parcel, part, proportion, share.