Make Your Point: IRENIC

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pronounce IRENIC:

eye REN ick

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

Maybe you know someone with the gorgeous first name Irene? It traces back to the Greek eirēnē, meaning "peace." So does the word irenic, a synonym of peaceful.

See if you can recall another synonym of irenic and peaceful: something ha____n is calm, tranquil, and happy, reminding you of a mythical bird with the power to calm the wind and water.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Irenic" comes from a Greek word meaning "peace, or a time of peace."

Something irenic is peaceful, or focused on peace.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "irenic music;" "The policy was irenic."

Other forms:

The adverb is "irenically," as in "They sung irenically."

"Irenics" is a branch of theology that focuses on peace.

There's also a closely related noun: an "irenicon" (or "eirenicon") is a message of peace, or a proposal for peace.

And there are some alternate adjectives: "eirenic," "eirenical," and "irenical." I say we stick with the simpler, shorter "irenic."

how to use it:

Most of the time, the word "peaceful" is just right: clear and common. But when you need a synonym that's rare, beautiful, and emphatic, pick "irenic."

You might talk about irenic moods, atmospheres, tones, attitudes, lighting, music, scenes, statements, gestures, etc.

examples:

"[The final episode of Patrick Melrose] closed with the former junkie, occasional alcoholic, and serial philanderer heading out of his London flat to go for supper with his estranged wife and their two sons... The light filtering through the front door toward which Melrose walks is redemptive, the opening bars of Blur's 'Tender,' which accompany him, suitably irenic."
— Christopher de Bellaigue, The New Yorker, 22 June 2018

"A paradox arises here. Respond to someone's shabby behavior with resentment, and you're treating her as a moral agent capable of making her own decisions. Respond with irenic understanding, and you're treating her as a patient or a puppet, someone acted upon and controlled by larger forces."
— Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 15 March 2022

has this page helped you understand "irenic"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "irenic" without saying "peaceable" or "peace-loving."

try it out:

Consider this popular quote, often attributed to Wayne Dyer, who's presumably an irenic fellow:

"When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind."

That's irenic advice, but is it always good advice? Why or why not? Would you describe your own temperament as irenic?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for March: it's the Inkhorn Stinkhorn!

It’s inspired by the Twofer Goofer, created by Collin Waldoch, in which you're given a circumlocutory clue, like "An eater with an excessive appetite for clothes fasteners," and you provide a rhyming answer, in this case "button glutton." You're then treated to an AI-generated rendering of the goofy concept you just named. In general in the Twofer Goofer, the words are straightforward and the AI art is lovely.

But here in the Inkhorn Stinkhorn, the words are pedantic and the AI art is atrocious. Enjoy!

Try this one today: Name a two-word rhyming phrase that means "a peaceful plane of existence glistening with the black berries and green leaves of a deadly nightshade."

Clue #1: To reveal the first letter of each word, highlight the following text… b________ n______

Clue #2: To reveal one of the words, highlight the following text… belladonna n______

For the answer, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. The opposite of IRENIC is

A. VERBOSE (wordy).
B. JOCOSE (playful and joking).
C. BELLICOSE (angry, hostile, and warlike).

2. Tim Challies urges us to live irenically: "_____."

A. We all gonna die eventually from something or other, but don't be a wimp. Put up a good fight

B. Be more willing to suffer wrong than to break peace, more willing to endure long trials with meekness than to shorten trials through sinfulness. Tread softly through the world

C. It is not our memories but the person we have become because of those past experiences that we should treasure. This is the lesson these keepsakes teach us when we sort them. The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A 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.

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