Word of the Day - 12/09/25
martinet
/,mɑr'tənɛt/(n.): someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
Our new boss is such a martinet; she even timed our coffee breaks with a stopwatch!
Word Origin
The word 'martinet' originates from French. It comes from the name of Jean Martinet, a French lieutenant colonel and Inspector General of the infantry under Louis XIV in the 17th century. He was known for his extremely strict discipline, rigorous drilling, and the harsh punishments he imposed for infractions, which greatly improved the professionalism of the French army. After his death in 1672, his name became synonymous with any person who demands strict adherence to rules and regulations, often to an excessive degree.
Many words in English are eponyms, meaning they derive from the name of a person or place. Similar to 'martinet' are words like 'boycott' (from Charles Boycott, an Irish land agent), 'sandwich' (from John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich), 'silhouette' (from Étienne de Silhouette, a French finance minister), 'chauvinist' (from Nicolas Chauvin, a legendary French soldier), and 'macadam' (from John Loudon McAdam, a Scottish engineer who invented a road-surfacing method).