encraty · noun — self-control; abstinence. It carries an Arena rating of 1336, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, encraty ranks #3,764 of 17,163 for Most Sublime Words, #4,307 of 17,205 for The Improbable, #6,213 of 17,172 for Most Beautiful Words, #6,347 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words.
Why “encraty” is a great word
The disciplined practice of self-control or abstinence, particularly in pursuit of moral or spiritual purity. Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐνκράτεια (enkráteia), from ἐν- (en-, "in") + κράτος (krátos, "strength, power"). Unlike "temperance," which counsels a harmonious moderation of all appetites, or "continence," which often narrows to the channel of sexual restraint, encraty is the austere and singular will to refuse. It is the monk's silent vigil through the cold hours before dawn, the desert father fasting until his body becomes translucent as parchment, the hand that does not reach for the bread even when no one watches—a fortress of the spirit built from continual, quiet acts of surrender.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐνκράτεια (enkráteia)
noun
- Self-control; abstinence.
- Specific heat capacity divided by temperature.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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