Word of the Day - 09/28/25
interlocutor
/,ɪntər'lɑkjətər/(n.): a person who takes part in a conversation
He enjoyed the intellectual debate with his interlocutor, finding their exchange of ideas stimulating.
Word Origin
The word 'interlocutor' originates from Latin. It is derived from the verb 'interloqui', which breaks down into 'inter-' (meaning 'between' or 'among') and 'loqui' (meaning 'to speak'). The suffix '-tor' denotes an agent, thus an 'interlocutor' is 'one who speaks between' or 'one who takes part in a dialogue'.
Words with similar Latin origins include 'colloquial' (from 'com-' meaning 'with' + 'loqui'), 'eloquence' (from 'ex-' meaning 'out' + 'loqui'), 'soliloquy' (from 'solus' meaning 'alone' + 'loqui'), and 'locution' (from 'locutus', past participle of 'loqui').
As a reminder, here are all of the words from this week:
ascetic raconteur equanimity
interlocutor
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:
Facing a professional zugzwang, the ascetic manager listened with equanimity as his ingenuous interlocutor launched into a passionate tirade, only to be gracefully calmed by the office's resident raconteur.Facing a professional no-win situation, the self-disciplined manager listened with calmness as his naive conversational partner launched into a passionate rant, only to be gracefully calmed by the office's resident storyteller.