Infodemic is a noun that refers to a massive amount of information on a topic that leads to confusion.

Derived from the words information and epidemic, our word of the day is a very recent addition to the English language. It describes the state of having too much information.

Gary found himself in the middle of an infodemic last weekend. Drowning in too much data, he had to get away from it all before he lost his mind.

Solemnity is a noun that refers to a formal observance.

The Latin word sollemnitas (so LEM knee tass) means ‘festival.’ Our word of the day can be used to refer to the state or quality of being serious or dignified or it may refer to a dignified rite or ceremony. Here’s an example of the latter:

In my first week in Spain we attended a lovely solemnity held in a cathedral. Those kinds of observances are a stunning sight to see.

Bestrew is a verb that means to cover a surface with scattered objects.

Coming from Old English, our word of the day may have had its roots in proto-Germanic.

For Halloween, the kids love it when we bestrew candy corn all over the table. But cleaning up all that scattered candy, on the other hand, can be a pain.

Ramify is a verb that means to spread or branch out.

The Latin word ramus (RAH moose) means ‘branch.’ Its English counterpart may be used in reference to nature or it may be used in a more metaphorical sense. For example:

We’d like to see the orchestra ramify into many different groups. While it can sometimes be painful for a group to split up like this, branching into new areas is, in the end, the only way to grow.

Montane is an adjective that means inhabiting mountainous areas.

Our word of the day shares its origin with the origin of mountains, which comes from the Latin mons (MOANS). Montane is simply an adjective that describes anything regarding mountains. It’s typically used in reference to things inhabiting a mountainous countryside.

The montane grass in that area is a strange shade of pale blue. But all the animals that graze in the vicinity of the mountains don’t seem to mind. They gobble the grass up just the same.

Psychogenic is an adjective that means originating in the mind.

The prefix P-S-Y-C-H-O comes from Greek and refers to the mind or the soul. Genic is also Greek and refers to ‘origin’ or ‘source.’ A psychogenetic condition originates in the mind as opposed to a physical source.

The doctor suggested my flu symptoms were psychogenic and I understand why. It seems pretty clear that my mind would want to avoid school this week.

Autotelic is an adjective that means not driven by external factors.

The word auto comes from Greek, meaning ‘self,’ while telos (TAY los) also from Greek, means ‘end.’ Our word of the day is often used to describe an activity or creative work that has a purpose in itself.

All those push-ups and sit-ups we did in the army seemed to be autotelic to me. We never used any of those activities for any of our duties. Instead we just seemed to be doing calisthenics for the sake of doing calisthenics.

Idiopathic is an adjective that means of unknown causes.

The prefix of our word of the day, I-D-I-O comes from the Greek word meaning ‘one’s own’ or ‘private.’ And ‘pathic’ comes from the Greek word pathos (PA thos) meaning suffering. So an idiopathic condition is one that comes from an unknown source.

I’m no doctor, but Elena’s insomnia seemed to be idiopathic in nature. There didn’t seem to be any obvious cause of it.

Urticate is a verb that means to sting.

The Latin word urtica (OOR tea cah) means ‘sting.’ Our word of the day has evolved from this word and maintained its same basic meaning. Urticate is often used when applied by a plant. For example:

I was so worried that those exotic plants we saw in the jungle would urticate me that I didn’t notice the snakes at my ankle. You really have to be on your toes in an environment that offers so many dangers.

Ignoble is an adjective that means not honorable.

The root word of ignoble is noble, which comes from the Latin word nobilis (KNOW bee lease) meaning ‘high-born.’ As time went by, the word’s definition shifted to mean ‘honorable.’ With our word of the day, the prefix I-G was added and it meant ‘not honorable.’

Terry’s ignoble behavior caused him to be fired from his job at the bank. Embezzlement is usually not considered an honorable thing to do in that industry.