It is Friday and time to explore a new word of the day from Dictionary.com. This week’s word is animadversion. Animadversion can be traced to the Latin animadvertere “to heed, censure”with the root animus meaning “mind,spirit, courage, passion, wrath.” It entered the  English language in the mid-1500s.

I found a new source fine dictionary.com that provides a summary of definitions as well as the etymology and examples of a word in literature. Here are some additional definitions of the word:

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. Animadversion – Judicial cognizance of an offense; chastisement; punishment.
2. Animadversion – Monition; warning.
3. Animadversion – Remarks by way of criticism and usually of censure; adverse criticism; reproof; blame.”He dismissed their commissioners with severe and sharp animadversions .”
4. Animadversion – The act or power of perceiving or taking notice; direct or simple perception.
“The soul is the sole percipient which hath animadversion and sense, properly so called.”

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
1. n animadversion – The act or faculty of observing or noticing; observation; perception.
2. n animadversion – The act of criticizing; criticism; censure; reproof.
3. n animadversion – Synonyms Remark, comment, reprobation, reprehension.

Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary
1. n Animadversion – criticism, censure, or reproof

Once again, I can see an application for this word in our current political climate. With the first of two national conventions upon us, it is hard to avoid!

Animadversions that are applied unjustly and repetitively with no basis in truth have the power to change our impression and understanding of reality.

It’s a vile practice making it almost impossible to know the truth. I do have hope though, that eventually the truth will rise to the surface and we will all wake up from the pervasive deception that plagues us. The Truth sets us free!

Animadversion – A Haiku

I fear we’re all mad!
Spouting animadversions
Truthfulness be damned!

kat – 15 July 2016