Perfunctory is an adjective characterized by routine or superficiality; mechanical, or lacking in interest or enthusiasm. It comes from Late Latin "perfunctorius" (done in a careless or superficial manner).
Perfunctório es un adjetivo que se caracteriza por la rutina o superficialidad, siendo mecánico, o que carece de interés o entusiasmo. Proviene del latín tardío "perfunctorius" (hecho descuidadamente o superficialmente).
Word | perfunctory |
---|---|
Date | August 16, 2017 |
Type | adjective |
Syllables | per-FUNK-tuh-ree |
Etymology | Perfunctory is a word whose origins are found entirely in Latin. It first appeared in English in the late 16th century and is derived from the Late Latin perfunctorius, meaning "done in a careless or superficial manner." (Perfunctorius was also borrowed for the synonymous, and now archaic, English adjective perfunctorious at around the same time.) Perfunctorius comes from the earlier Latin perfunctus, a past participle of perfungi, meaning "to accomplish" or "to get through with." That verb is formed by combining the prefix per-, meaning "through," with the verb fungi, meaning "to perform." Fungi can be found in the roots of such words as function, defunct, and fungible. |
Examples | Clearly exhausted after a long day on her feet, our server gave us only a perfunctory greeting before taking our drink orders. "Yet avoiding the heat altogether and watching Netflix from the confines of your cool couch—even while performing a perfunctory sit-up or two—is not the way to stay healthy and active this summer." — Leslie Barker, The Dallas Morning News, 13 June 2017 |
Definition | 1 : characterized by routine or superficiality : mechanical 2 : lacking in interest or enthusiasm |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
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