Word of the Day

: January 4, 2010

felicitous

adjective fih-LISS-uh-tus

What It Means

1 : very well suited or expressed : apt

2 : pleasant, delightful

felicitous in Context

The film’s score, at least, is felicitous, as it lends emotional intensity to the otherwise wooden acting.

Did You Know?

The adjective "felicitous" has been a part of our language since the late 18th century, but "felicity," the noun meaning "great happiness," and later, "aptness," was around even in Middle English (as "felicite," a borrowing from Anglo-French). Both words ultimately derive from the Latin adjective "felix," meaning "fruitful" or "happy." The connection between "happy" and "felicitous" continues today in that both words can mean "notably fitting, effective, or well adapted." "Happy" typically suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate (as in "a happy choice of words"), and "felicitous" often implies an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful (as in "a felicitous phrase").