Word of the Day

: October 30, 2021

arch

adjective AHRCH

What It Means

Arch means "principal or chief."

// The hero's arch enemy wounded him, enabling her escape.

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arch in Context

"Not being able to thank whoever gave this gift is causing me so much anguish I’ve started wondering if I have an arch nemesis, who sent it purely to torment me. If so, arch nemesis: my compliments." — Polly Hudson, The Mirror (UK), 24 Aug. 2021

Did You Know?

As a prefix, arch- appears in a number of titles referring to positions of superiority, such as archduke and archbishop; it can also mean "chief" (as in archnemesis) or "extreme" (archconservative). It comes from the Greek verb archein, meaning "to begin or to rule."