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Impractical is an adjective to describe something or someone as unwise or impossible, without common sense, idealistic. Impracticable is a synonym of impractical in the definition of being unfeasible or impossible to use. Impractical has two derivatives, they are the noun impracticality and the adverb impractically. Impracticable has two derivatives, they are noun impracticability and adverb impracticably. Examples A moratorium on genetically modified …
Folderol is a noun for idiotic actions, words, or ideas. It can also be spelled falderal. And with the two spellings it can be pronounced two ways, either /ˈfäldəˌräl/ (fall der all) or /ˈfôldəˌrôl/ (fole der ole). It is a mass noun which has no singular form. The o spelling is more commonly found. The term originated …
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The English language is full of phrases that sound like nonsense when taken in a literal sense. To an English language learner, or someone just building their vocabulary, these phrases are confusing and difficult to use in speech and writing. However, when used properly, they help convey emotion and emphasis …
Content or contented and contently or contentedly, which one do you use? That’s an excellent question and one that needs some clarification because there’s such a fine line between all four of these interchangeable words and their meanings. So much so that they are often confused, and that confusion sometimes …
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A collectible is something of value either in a collection or to a collector. It can also describe something that is being collected on (i.e., due for payment). The spelling collectable is recognized as correct by the dictionary, though the i spelling occurs twice as often. This spelling variation extends to the derivative collectibility and collectability. In that form …
“Learning” is more popular as the present participle of the verb “learn.” But it has been used as a noun since the 18th century. Is it learning or learnings? And is learnings a word? Discover the truth of what these terms mean and where they come from. You’ll also learn …
Lye is a harsh chemical used in making soap or washing solutions. The term was vastly more common in the 1800s (see ngram below) because people made their own lye at home. The process includes soaking hardwood ashes for days in water. The water becomes lye, which was then used to …
In the dictionary, a diktat is defined as an order that is harsh and unilaterally imposed on a people without their permission. It is usually used with the connotation of being issued to a defeated country or people. A dictate is simply a command or order, without the necessity of being harsh. The …
Cleave is a verb with two very distinct definitions. In one sense it can mean to break two things apart, split one item into two pieces, or push something apart with great force. On the other hand, to cleave is to stick with something very closely, like a belief or a person. These …