Sometimes a person uses a word to mean what they think it means. I don't believe I have used the word myself, but I would understand meretricious to mean doing something solely for money (and not out of principle).
One should be careful to be sure of oneself before one uses an unfamiliar word.
:)
Results 1 to 4 of 4
Thread: Meretricious
- 11-Mar-2004, 15:13 #1
Editor, UsingEnglish.com
- Join Date
- Nov 2002
- Posts
- 38,639
Meretricious On the radio today, someone used the word meretricious with the intended meaning of 'deserving' or 'worthy'. The Concise Oxford Dictionary says that it means 'showily but falsely attractive' or 'of or befitting a prostitute'. I wonder what the speaker...
Read more...
Source: TDOL's Language Archive
- 11-Mar-2004, 16:07 #2
Moderator
- Join Date
- Feb 2003
- Posts
- 16,557
- 11-Mar-2004, 16:52 #3
Editor, UsingEnglish.com
- Join Date
- Nov 2002
- Posts
- 38,639
I'd be interested to see how they would write it- I'm sure they'd replace the second 'e' with an 'i'.
- 11-Mar-2004, 16:59 #4
Moderator
- Join Date
- Feb 2003
- Posts
- 16,557
If you think it means based on merit you might do that.
Originally Posted by tdol I'd be interested to see how they would write it- I'm sure they'd replace the second 'e' with an 'i'.
:wink:
Similar Threads
-
Meretricious
By Tdol in forum UsingEnglish.com ContentReplies: 0Last Post: 24-May-2004, 13:26
Posting Permissions
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.1