Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2023 is: ancillary \AN-suh-lair-ee\ adjective

Ancillary is an adjective used in formal speech and writing as a synonym of [supplementary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supplementary) to describe things that provide something additional to a main part or function of something else. Ancillary can also mean "of lower or secondary class or rank."

// One ancillary benefit of Beatrice's job at the movie theater is the ability to catch an early glimpse of new releases.

// Her job is to oversee the flagship store and its ancillary outlets.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancillary)

Examples:

"... The Mitre is a gorgeous Grade II-listed boutique hotel, set on the banks of the River Thames. Rebuilt in the mid-18th century, the building dates back to 1665 and was originally used as an ancillary accommodation for guests of King Charles II." — Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022

Did you know?

If you’re already familiar with ancillary, pull up a chair and help yourself to a side dish of trivia. The word comes from the Latin word ancilla, meaning "a female servant," which also gave us the rarer English word [ancilla](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancilla), meaning "an aid to achieving or mastering something difficult." While the English ancilla (which made its debut a couple of centuries after ancillary) is unlikely to be encountered except in very specialized contexts (such as philosophy or [quantum computing](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantum%20computing)), ancillary picks up on the notion of providing aid or support in a way that supplements something else. In particular, the word often describes something that is in a position of secondary importance, such as the "ancillary products in a company's line."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2023 is: filch \FILCH\ verb

To filch something is to secretly or casually steal it. The word filch also usually, though not always, implies that what has been stolen is small or of little monetary value.

// I couldn’t help but chuckle when I woke up to find my four-year-old daughter filching a cookie from the plate on the kitchen counter.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filch)

Examples:

“Distillery employees filched more than $100,000 of the most famous name in rare bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle, to resell, a 2013 caper that has been dubbed ‘Pappy[gate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/-gate#dictionary-entry-4).’” — Justin Jouvenal, The Washington Post, 20 Sept. 2022

Did you know?

The award-winning 2019 video game Untitled Goose Game, in which players control the titular (or “un-titular”?) waterfowl through several levels of light and family-friendly mayhem, serves as an excellent primer on the meaning of filch. In fact, many of the game’s objectives involve waddling [furtively](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furtive) around a quaint little scene, such as a garden, and trying to avoid detection by humans while you [pilfer](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilfer), say, a pumpkin or a woolen hat. To filch is to steal something (usually, though not always, a small or relatively unimportant something) in secret. So why not just use steal? There’s often a distinct [twang](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twang#dictionary-entry-3) of humor or mischievousness in filch that’s not inherent in plain old steal, and that reflects a casualness or [nonchalance](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonchalant) on the part of the silly goose—whether literal or figurative—snatching the pie from the windowsill.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2023 is: bully pulpit \BULL-ee-PULL-pit\ noun

Bully pulpit refers to an important public position that allows a person to express beliefs and opinions to many people.

// She uses her position as a famous actress as a bully pulpit to advocate for human rights.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bully%20pulpit)

Examples:

“If you are a politician, you can respond to public protesters in a variety of ways. You can avoid getting too close to them. You can ignore them. You can use your bully pulpit to address their concerns from a position of strength. What you probably should not do is physically tussle with them or taunt them with childish facial gestures.” — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 8 June 2023

Did you know?

Bully pulpit comes from the 26th U.S. president, [Theodore Roosevelt](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Theodore-Roosevelt), who observed that his time in office at the White House was a bully [pulpit](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulpit) when he said, “I suppose my critics will call that preaching, but I have got such a bully pulpit!” For Roosevelt, [bully](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bully#h3) was an adjective meaning “excellent” or “first-rate”—not today's familiar noun bully referring to an abusive meanie. Roosevelt understood the modern presidency’s power of persuasion and recognized that it gave the incumbent the opportunity to [exhort](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhort), instruct, or inspire. He took full advantage of his bully pulpit, speaking out about the danger of [monopolies](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monopoly), the nation’s growing role as a world power, and other issues important to him. Since the 1960s, bully pulpit has been used as a term for a public position—especially a political office—that provides one with the opportunity to widely share one’s views.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2023 is: disavow \dis-uh-VOW\ verb

Disavow is a formal word that is often used as a synonym for [repudiate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repudiate) meaning “to deny responsibility for.” A closely related second meaning is “to refuse to acknowledge or accept.”

// In the face of intense public scrutiny, the college's president is now trying to disavow her previous statements about eliminating tenure.

// Party leaders showed courage when they disavowed one of their most promising candidates following revelations of his past improprieties.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disavow)

Examples:

“No need to panic, but the Billy Goat Tavern changed its hamburger bun. For most restaurants, this wouldn’t matter in the slightest. But few places in Chicago have changed less over the past 40 years than the Billy Goat Tavern. … Personally, the only thing that could make me disavow eating at the Billy Goat is if they got rid of the condiment bar. Along with no seasoning, the burgers always still come out unadorned, leaving you to load up on toppings however you see fit.” — Nick Kindelsperger, The Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2022

Did you know?

When is a [vow](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vow) not a vow? When it has been disavowed, for one. Let’s say you make a solemn pledge to eat green vegetables every day of the week and twice on Sundays. If a few months down the [cruciferous](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruciferous) road you decide such a diet is for the rabbits, you might disavow (that is, [repudiate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repudiate) or deny responsibility for) your earlier vow. Or perhaps you stick to it, going so far as to eat nothing but [brassicas](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brassica) 24/7. Well, in that case, your local chapter of the Carnivore’s Club might illustrate another meaning of disavow by disavowing you (refusing to acknowledge or accept you) as a member any longer. Now when is a vow not avow? You might be surprised to learn that vow and avow/disavow are not related. Though all three words came to English from Latin via Anglo-French, they have distinct roots: vow comes from the Latin verb vovēre, meaning “to vow,” while avow and disavow trace back to the verb advocare, meaning “to summon.” We stand by it: there’s no denying that disavow has history.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2023 is: plaintive \PLAYN-tiv\ adjective

Something (usually a sound) that is described as plaintive is expressive of sorrow or suffering.

// The plaintive call of the loon, as though it were mourning some bygone age, drifted across the lake.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintive)

Examples:

“To the ravishingly plaintive sound of [Caetano Veloso](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caetano-Veloso) singing the [fado](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fado) that gives the film [Strange Way of Life] its title, strummed on guitar and lip-synced by rising Spanish heartthrob Manu Ríos, Silva rides across the desert that separates him from the town of Bitter Creek to reunite, for the first time in 25 years, with Sheriff Jake.” — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2023

Did you know?

“The people are drifting from door to door / Can’t find no heaven I don’t care where they go.” So sang Nehemiah Curtis “Skip” James on a Depression-era recording of his song “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues.” James’s somber lyrics as well as his otherworldly [falsetto](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/falsetto) and distinctive minor-key fingerpicking may be aptly described by the adjective plaintive—deeply expressive, like much of the [blues](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blues). Plaintive comes from the Middle English word plaintif, meaning “grieving,” a borrowing from an identical Anglo-French word that itself was formed from the Anglo-French noun plaint, a word meaning “[lamentation](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamentation).” (Plaint was also adopted directly into English to refer to expressions of sorrow, mourning, or regret.) Plaintif is the source too of the familiar legal term [plaintiff](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintiff), which refers to someone who presents a legal action or complaint to a court. But while only some people become plaintiffs, all are capable of plaintiveness, whether in song or just a world-weary sigh.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2023 is: stoic \STOH-ik\ adjective

Stoic describes someone who shows very little emotion especially in response to a painful or distressing situation.

// He remained stoic even as his manager reprimanded him in front of his colleagues.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoic#h2)

Examples:

“[Basketball player, Nikola] Jokic remained stoic and straight-faced throughout most of the postgame celebration, taking care to shake hands with every Heat player before attending the trophy presentation. Afterward, he was noncommittal about attending the Nuggets’ championship parade on Thursday, saying that he ‘needs to get home’ to Serbia as soon as possible.” — Ben Golliver, The Washington Post, 13 June 2023

Did you know?

The familiar phrase “keep calm and carry on” would have made a lot of sense to the philosopher [Zeno of Citium](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zeno-of-Citium), born in Cyprus in the 4th century B.C.E. As a young man, Zeno traveled to Athens and studied with the important philosophers of the day, among them two influential [Cynics](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cynic-ancient-Greek-philosophy). He eventually arrived at his own philosophy and began teaching at a public hall called the Stoa Poikile. Zeno's philosophy, Stoicism, took its name from the hall where he taught; it preached self-control, fortitude, and justice, and that passion was the cause of all evil. By the 14th century, English speakers had adopted the noun stoic as a general term for anyone able to face adversity calmly and without excess emotion, and by the 15th century, stoic was being used as an adjective to describe that same kind of person.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2023 is: null \NULL\ adjective

Null is a technical term. In law it is commonly used in the phrase "null and void" to describe something that has no legal or binding force. Null also has several zero-related meanings, including "amounting to nothing," "having no value," "having no [elements](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/element)," "having zero as a limit," and "of, being, or relating to zero."

// After careful review, the contract was declared null and void.

// A null vote is a rejection of all the ballot's candidates.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/null)

Examples:

"While negative and null results can often be overlooked—by authors and publishers alike—their publication is equally as important as positive outcomes and can help fill in critical gaps in the scientific record." — PLOS.org, 6 Apr. 2020

Did you know?

Let’s be honest: null is kind of a nothing word. That’s not a judgment—it was literally borrowed into English from the Anglo-French word nul, meaning "not any." That word, in turn, traces to the Latin word nullus, from ne-, meaning "not," and ullus, meaning "any." Null often pops up in legal and scientific contexts; it was originally used in Scottish law and still carries the meaning "having no legal or binding force," especially in the phrase "null and void." In mathematics, it is sometimes used to mean "containing nothing"; for example, the set of all whole numbers that are divisible by zero is the "null set" (that is, there are no numbers that fit that description). Null is occasionally seen in non-technical contexts with the meaning "lacking meaning or value," as in "if no one reads it, the book's content is null."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2023 is: evince \ih-VINSS\ verb

Evince is a formal word that means "to display clearly." Someone who evinces an attitude, emotion, quality, etc., shows it clearly.

// She evinced a fondness for animals of all kinds from an early age.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evince)

Examples:

"History will reflect that in all vocations, whether in the calling of the clergy, the practice of law, of medicine, of public service or education, there are certain individuals who, from time to time, evince a singular [erudition](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erudition), ingenuity, and skill that distinguishes them from their peers." — Anand Dash, TAPinto (New Providence, New Jersey), 2 June 2023

Did you know?

A good explanation evinces a willingness to report facts, and we aim to do just that here. To evince something is to show it clearly; the thing evinced is typically an intangible, such as an attitude or intent. Before the current use of evince was established in the late 18th century, the word could mean "to conquer or subdue" and "to convince or conclusively refute," both meanings evincing a link to the word's Latin ancestry: the verb evincere, means "to vanquish" or "to win a point." It comes from another Latin verb, vincere, meaning "to conquer." That word counts among its offspring [convince]( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convince), [invincible]( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invincible), [vanquish](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanquish), and [victory]( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victory).

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2023 is: corollary \KOR-uh-lair-ee\ noun

Corollary is a formal word that usually refers to something that naturally follows or results from another thing. It can also be applied to a thing that incidentally or naturally accompanies or parallels something else. In logic, it refers to a proposition inferred immediately from a proved proposition.

// Two corollaries of investment in parks and other green spaces are cleaner air and lower temperatures in neighboring communities.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corollary)

Examples:

“Our right to speak, much less to parent, should not be contingent on our ability to gain political control. The much better course for our democracy is to uphold a legal corollary to the golden rule: Defend the rights of others that you would like to exercise yourself. It doesn’t end the culture war. We’ll still clash over contentious issues. But maintaining a bedrock defense of civil liberties lowers the stakes.” —David French, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2023

Did you know?

Not ones to rest on our [laurels](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laurels) here in the Word of the Day hothouse, today we are pleased to offer some [flowery](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flowery) prose on the history of the word corollary—not because it is rhetorically elegant (though it may be) but because its history is related to flowers. Indeed, the seed of corollary was planted initially by the Latin noun corōlla meaning “small wreath of flowers,” which later bloomed into another Latin noun, corōllārium, referring to a garland given as a reward as well as to a gratuity or an unsolicited payment. Just as one tips their server at the conclusion of a meal, you might think of a modern-day corollary as something that naturally follows or accompanies something else in natural course. The formality of corollary is thanks to its formal roots: the word first figured in logical proofs as a term for a proposition that can be inferred immediately from something that's just been proved—the corollary follows logically as a result of the statement before it.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2023 is: illustrious \ih-LUSS-tree-us\ adjective

Illustrious describes a person or deed that is highly admired and respected.

// During the ceremony, the illustrious star of stage and screen was presented with a lifetime achievement award.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illustrious)

Examples:

"The USDA Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Region recently recognized Daris Matos, assistant forest engineer for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests for her innovative and impactful contributions to forest engineering in 2022. ... With an illustrious career as an engineer with the U.S. Forest Service spanning 20 years, Matos consistently delivers innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges and demonstrates outstanding contributions to the field." — The Montrose (Colorado) Daily Press, 24 May 2023

Did you know?

Today’s spotlight is on illustrious, from the Latin adjective illustris, meaning "shining brightly with light." Illustris itself was probably a [back-formation](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-formation) of the Latin verb illustrare, a word with varied meanings, among them "to light up," "to make clear," and "to embellish." (Our word illustrate also comes from illustrare, of course; its original meaning was "to enlighten intellectually, culturally, or spiritually.") At one time, illustrious could be used synonymously with its immediate Latin forbear to describe things that glow brightly, but that meaning is now considered archaic. The word today is almost exclusively used to describe something—such as a career or achievement—that stands out figuratively, shining brilliantly in the mind's eye.