Question

proximate adjective You can approach a better understanding of this word, and an approximation of its history, if you recognize its two cousins in this sentence. "Proximate" derives from Latin "proximatus," itself the past participle of the verb "proximare," meaning "to approach." The noun "approximation" and both the noun and verb "approximate" derive from "proximare" (via the Late Latin verb "approximare"). "Proximare," in turn, comes from "proximus" ("nearest, next") and can be traced back to the adjective "prope," meaning "near." "Prope" is also an ancestor of the English verb "approach," as well as "proximity," "propinquity," and "reproach." 1 : immediately preceding or following (as in a chain of events, causes, or effects)2 a : very near : closeb : soon forthcoming : imminent

Accepted Answer

August 28, 2013 PRAHK-suh-mut The proximate cause of the disaster appeared to be human error, but the ultimate fault lay with the company's lax safety policies.   "And while Detroit's corruption-ridden city government and unfunded pension-fund liabilities are the proximate cause of the Michigan city's bankruptcy, the root causes are far deeper." - From an article by Arthur B. Laffer and Nicholas C. Drinkwater in Investor's Business Daily, July 29, 2013

Word	proximate
Date	August 28, 2013
Type	adjective
Syllables	PRAHK-suh-mut
Etymology	You can approach a better understanding of this word, and an approximation of its history, if you recognize its two cousins in this sentence. "Proximate" derives from Latin "proximatus," itself the past participle of the verb "proximare," meaning "to approach." The noun "approximation" and both the noun and verb "approximate" derive from "proximare" (via the Late Latin verb "approximare"). "Proximare," in turn, comes from "proximus" ("nearest, next") and can be traced back to the adjective "prope," meaning "near." "Prope" is also an ancestor of the English verb "approach," as well as "proximity," "propinquity," and "reproach."
Examples	The proximate cause of the disaster appeared to be human error, but the ultimate fault lay with the company's lax safety policies. "And while Detroit's corruption-ridden city government and unfunded pension-fund liabilities are the proximate cause of the Michigan city's bankruptcy, the root causes are far deeper." - From an article by Arthur B. Laffer and Nicholas C. Drinkwater in Investor's Business Daily, July 29, 2013
Definition	1 : immediately preceding or following (as in a chain of events, causes, or effects) 2 a : very near : close b : soon forthcoming : imminent

Verb Proximate Adjective Latin Proximare Meaning Noun August