Vicissitude

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Grammarist

Vicissitude is a word that is often found confusing. We will examine the definition of the word vicissitude, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences.

Vicissitude means a change of one’s fortune, a condition of constant change, a series of alternation, the unpredictable and changeable quality of life. The word vicissitude may simply refer to changing, but usually carries a connotation of the hardship that constant change brings. The word vicissitude is often used in the phrase the vicissitudes of life, referring to the vagaries of living and the unpredictability inherent in the human condition. The word is derived from the Latin word vicissitude, which means change or a turn. Related words are vicissitudes, vicissitudinary, vicissitudinous.

Examples

The shares surged more than 1,000 per cent in the early part of December and continue to swing with bitcoin-like vicissitude. (The South China MOrning Post)

Thomas Pynchon once said in his landmark novel “Gravity’s Rainbow” about the vagaries and vicissitude’s of power, politics and decision making that “Decisions are never really made — at best they manage to emerge, from a chaos of peeves, whims, hallucinations and all around a**holery.” (The Medicine Hat News)

If you study the history of ECOWAS, from Futa Jallon Highland to The Gambia, Cote de D’ Ivoire, down to Gold Coast and the area called Nigeria, you will notice the variables of intermingling and inter relationship which is now on the threshold of being extricated either by the vicissitude of religion and politics or by sheer failure of ourselves not taking the advantage of our advantages. (The NIgerian Tribune)

While this consolatory mantra exists, sometimes we cannot help but question the unfair vicissitudes of life. (The HImalayan Times)