Word a Day
inchoate
What does inchoate mean?
inchoate (adjective): only partly in existence; imperfectly formed.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you use inchoate in a sentence?
- A vague inchoate idea. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
Where does inchoate come from?
The adjective is first attested in 1534, the verb circa 1631; borrowed from Latin incohātus (“begun, unfinished”), perfect passive participle of incohō (“to begin”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “inchoate”?
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What does “inchoate” mean?
artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily
Not quite: that's what sly means.
only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
Right! That's what “inchoate” means.
providing nutrients; healthy to eat or drink
Not quite: that's what nutritious means.
so small as to be meaningless; insignificant
Not quite: that's what negligible means.
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