Friday, October 31, 2008

Irenic

Today I learned a new word.

irenic: favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, and concilliation

It's from the Greek word eirene, peace.

Used in a sentence:

"But there has long been a small but cohesive evangelical left that chafed under the weight of such identification, actively distanced itself from such leaders, and sought to emphasize economic equity, social justice, environmental stewardship and a more irenic foreign policy."

---from The Obama Dilemma, by Wilfred M. McClay, published in today's Wall Street Journal online opinion page(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122540584805585759.html)

3 comments:

Cathy said...

Good word! I've never heard of it either. Yay for learning.

Joan said...

I'm always a fan of learning new words. :) I have a few favorites (irenic isn't one of them) and Joshua always makes fun of me for it because I don't actually USE my favorite words too often. But of course, why would I? They wouldn't be so special anymore. :) But you'll be my new best friend if you use 'moot' when you speak with me. ;)

Cyndie said...

Hey, I was on the Moot Court Board in law school. I respect the moot.