Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ENTERPRISING

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connect today's word to others: Originally, it was an insult to call someone enterprising: it meant "scheming, foolhardy, acq________ (greedy and eager to own things or perhaps pad your bank account)." But today it's a compliment when you call someone enterprising. If you're enterprising, you've got initiative, creativity, and drive--just like an entrepreneur. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "ENTERPRISING" An enterprise is something new and bold that you do or create, especially in the world of business, and especially when it requires some risk. "An enterprise" can also mean "a company" or "a business." So, someone or something enterprising is bold, creative, willing to take risks, and eager to start new projects. Pronunciation: ENT ur prize ing (Or, leave out the T sound: "EN ur prize ng.") Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an enterprising thing" or "an enterprising person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was enterprising" or "He was enterprising.") Other forms: enterprise(s), enterprisingly How to use it: Today, the tone of this word is usually positive. Talk about enterprising people, or people who have an enterprising spirit or an enterprising soul. More specifically, you might talk about enterprising children who earn their own money, enterprising investors who took a chance on Bitcoin, or the enterprising culture in Hong Kong. Or, talk about enterprising partnerships and companies and industries, enterprising moves and choices and actions, enterprising approaches and techniques, etc. Even though "enterprising" is no longer a direct insult--we no longer use it to mean "ambitious in a greedy, tricky way"--you can still say the word with a judgmental tone to imply that the enterprising people and actions you're talking about are sneaky, cunning, or opportunistic. Check out this example from the Washington Post: "Duties on sugar were based on the product’s color, so an enterprising company colored its sugar with molasses to get around the tax." examples: We can trace Mom's enterprising spirit back to her childhood days of selling eggs to the neighbors. My classmate Vernon was so enterprising: you'd never tell that the snacks you bought from him came from Sam's and not the fundraising supplier for the band. Cha-ching! study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "enterprising" means when you can explain it without saying "full of initiative" or "ambitious." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) took an enterprising approach, (doing something creative to solve a problem or turn a profit)." Example: "The creators of Space Invaders took an enterprising approach, calling it a feature and not a bug when processing speeds made the alien ships speed up as a player blasted more and more of them." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is Banishing Bland Adjectives. In each issue, we're strengthening our word-finding skills as we take aim at a vague little adjective and think up three ways to make it more specific. Resist the urge to sneak off to the thesaurus! From the previous issue: FEW. 1. When things are FEW because there aren't enough of them for the purpose you have in mind, then instead of FEW, call them _____. 2. When things are FEW because the small amount of them isn't even worth worrying about, then instead of FEW, call them _____. 3. When things are FEW because there's a small amount of them and they're all spread out apart from each other, then instead of FEW, call them _____. Suggested answers: 1, insufficient; 2, negligible; 3, sparse. (Your answers might be different but just as precise.) Today: MANY (or A LOT OF). 1. When there are so MANY things that you couldn't even say how many there are, then instead of MANY, call them _____. 2. When there are so MANY things that they're just everywhere and it's wonderful, then instead of MANY, call them _____. 3. When there are so MANY things that they form a big mass or a huge collection, then instead of MANY, call them _____. review today's word: 1. One opposite of ENTERPRISING is A. SHIFTLESS B. TERRITORIAL C. COMPETITIVE 2. In Star Trek, the Enterprise's mission is to "_____." A. stay out of reach of the long arm of the law B. boldly go where no man has gone before C. keep flying Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B