propitious · adj — favorable; advantageous. It carries an Arena rating of 1533, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, propitious ranks #1,491 of 17,132 for Most Beautiful Words, #5,404 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #5,457 of 17,136 for Most Malleable Words, #7,314 of 17,128 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
propitious is pronounced /pɹəˈpɪʃəs/.
Why “propitious” is a great word
Presenting favorable conditions or circumstances, as if granted by fate or fortune. From Anglo-Norman and Old French propicius, from Latin propitius ("favorable, well-disposed, kind"), first attested in English in the mid-15th century. Unlike the broadly advantageous "favorable" or the specifically inaugural "auspicious," propitious describes a sustained, almost personal benevolence in the order of things. It is the perfectly timed break in the clouds on moving day, the sudden, gentle shift in a monarch’s temperament, or the stranger’s nod that precedes an unexpected kindness—a quiet alignment of chance and will where the world itself leans in to whisper a secret of grace.
❧ Written by Lexicurio’s AI
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman and Old French propicius, from Latin propitius (“favorable, well-disposed, kind”). Compare French propice, Portuguese propício and Spanish propicio.
adj
- Favorable; advantageous.e.g.“propitious weather”
- Characteristic of a good omen.e.g.“But counterrevolutions are reversible. Klein devotes much of her book to propitious signs that this can happen — indeed is happening.” — 2014 November 6, Rob Nixon, “Naomi Klein’s ‘This Changes Everything’”, in New York Times:
- Favorably disposed towards someone.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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