Word of the Day - 04/12/26
arrogate
/'ærə,ɡeɪt/(v.): take or claim (something) without justification
The ambitious intern attempted to arrogate the credit for the team's hard work, despite having contributed very little.
Word Origin
The word 'arrogate' comes from the Latin 'arrogare', meaning 'to claim for oneself', 'to appropriate without right'. It is formed from the prefix 'ad-' (meaning 'to' or 'toward') and the verb 'rogare' (meaning 'to ask', 'to propose', 'to question').
Words with a similar origin from rogare include arrogant (from arrogāns, “claiming for oneself”), interrogate (to question between people), derogatory (originally meaning “disapproving,” from derogare “to repeal, to detract”), and prerogative (an exclusive right or privilege, from praerogativa “a prior asking”).
As a reminder, here are all of the words from this week:
ablation ablution propitious
arrogate
See if you can remember all of this week's words! Here is a sentence that includes all seven, followed by a version that simplifies them to help you remember:
After the storm’s ablation of the hillside, he paused for an ablution and, despite the vicissitudes he had endured, moved with lithe ease under propitious skies, his manner seeming to evince a readiness to arrogate credit for the group’s survival.After the storm’s removal of part of the hillside, he paused to wash himself and, despite the ups and downs he had endured, moved with easy grace under favorable skies, his manner seeming to show a readiness to claim credit for the group’s survival.