Complete Definition of "otiose"

was wotd|2007|January|20
English

Etymology
From L. otiosus �idle�, < otium, �ease�.

Pronunciation
italbrac|RP IPA|/����i��s/ or IPAchar|/���ti��s/
italbrac|US IPA|/�o��io�s/ or IPAchar|/�o�tio�s/
audio|en-us-otiose.ogg|Audio (US)
audio|en-us-otiose-2.ogg|Audio (US)

Adjective
en-adj

  1. Resulting in no effect.
  2. Reluctant to work or to exert oneself.
  3. Having no reason for being (raison d�être); having no point, reason, or purpose.

#* 1895, w:Robert Louis Stevenson|Robert Louis Stevenson, s:Vailima Letters|Vailima Letters, ch 3
#*: On Friday morning, I had to be at my house affairs before seven; and they kept me in Apia till past ten, disputing, and consulting about brick and stone and native and hydraulic lime, and cement and sand, and all sorts of otiose details about the chimney � just what I fled from in my father�s office twenty years ago;

rfex|first two senses

Synonyms
italbrac|resulting in no effect: futile, pointless
italbrac|reluctant to work: indolent, lazy, sluggish
italbrac|having no reason or purpose: superfluous

Antonyms
italbrac|resulting in no effect: productive, useful
italbrac|reluctant to work: hardworking
italbrac|having no reason or purpose: essential, necessary

Derived terms
otiosely
otioseness
otiosity

Translations
trans-top|resulting in no effect
Dutch: t+|nl|zinloos
trans-mid
Russian: бе�полезн�й (bjespoljéznyj), нап�а�н�й (naprásnyj), нен�жн�й (njenúžnyj), бе�плодн�й (bjesplódnyj), ��е�н�й (tš�étnyj)
trans-bottom

trans-top|reluctant to work
Dutch: t+|nl|lui
trans-mid
Russian: ленив�й (ljenívyj), п�аздн�й (prázdnyj)
trans-bottom

trans-top|having no reason or purpose
Dutch: t+|nl|zinloos, t-|nl|overbodig, t|nl|doelloos
trans-mid
Russian: бе��ел�н�й (bjescél'nyj)
trans-bottom

checktrans
trans-top|Translations to be checked
ttbc|German: zwecklos, mü�ig
trans-bottom

it:otiose
pl:otiose
ru:otiose
vi:otiose
zh:otiose

Revision and Credits for"otiose"
Dictionary content provided from Wiktionary.org under the
GNU Free Documentation License
 
 

 Find:
  Words Starting With:
  Words Ending With:
  Words Containing:
  Words That Match:

 
 Translate Into:
  
Dutch   French   German
  
Italian   Spanish
    Show results per page.

Browse the Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

   
Allwords Copyright 1998-2024 All rights reserved.