Desipiency

/dɛˈsɪpiənsi/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being foolish; a foolish or silly act.

Etymology

A variant form of 'desipience,' using the Latin suffix '-cy' instead of '-ence.' Both forms mean the same thing and entered English during the Renaissance when scholars borrowed directly from Latin.

Kelly Says

English has so many ways to say 'foolishness'—'desipience' and 'desipiency' are the fancy Latin twins, while we also have Germanic cousins like 'folly' and 'foolishness.' The more formal the word, the older its roots!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.