peremptory
pronunciation
How to pronounce peremptory in British English:
UK [pəˈremptəri]
How to pronounce peremptory in American English:
US [pəˈrɛmptəri]
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- Adjective:
- offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power
- not allowing contradiction or refusal
- putting an end to all debate or action
Word Origin
- peremptory
- peremptory: [16] Peremptory comes via Anglo- Norman peremptorie from Latin peremptōrius. This meant ‘destructive’, and was derived from perimere ‘take away completely’, a compound verb formed from the prefix per- ‘completely’ and emere ‘obtain’ (source of English example, exempt, prompt, etc). By extension it was used for ‘taking away all possibility of debate’, and hence ‘decisive’.=> example, exempt, prompt
- peremptory (adj.)
- "decisive," mid-15c., legal term, from Anglo-French peremptorie, from Middle French peremtoire, from Latin peremptorius "destructive, decisive, final," from peremptor "destroyer," from perimpere "destroy, cut off," from per- "away entirely, to destruction" (see per) + emere "to take" (see exempt (adj.)). Of persons or their words, "certain, assured, brooking no debate," 1580s. Related: Peremptorily.
Example
- 1. Peremptory silence no longer works .
- 2. He was neither overly worried nor briskly peremptory .
- 3. His suspensions may have been ad hoc and peremptory , but he was right to think the bank should not judge its success by the sums it moves .
- 4. I was puzzled that so many companies seemed to be able to issue peremptory edicts to their managers to reduce costs , or headcount , and see these edicts fulfilled .
- 5. Not even the peremptory chopping off of part of mr. shin 's middle finger - an event that warrants only two paragraphs in mr. harden 's parade of horrors - was enough to set mr. shin 's escape plans in motion .