noun
Philosophy.
wisdom in determining ends and the means of attaining them.
Phronesis, 鈥渨isdom in determining ends and the means of attaining them, practical understanding, sound judgment,鈥 comes from Latin 辫丑谤辞苍脓蝉颈蝉, from Greek 辫丑谤贸苍脓蝉颈蝉, meaning 鈥減ractical wisdom, prudence in government and public affairs鈥 in Plato, Aristotle, and other heavy hitters. 笔丑谤贸苍脓蝉颈蝉 is a derivative of the verb 辫丑谤辞苍别卯苍 鈥渢o think, be minded, be wise鈥; 辫丑谤辞苍别卯苍 in turn is a derivative formed from the noun 辫丑谤脓苍 (stem phren-), whose myriad meanings include 鈥渕idriff, diaphragm, heart (as seat of the passions and bodily appetites), mind (seat of the mental faculties and perception).鈥 Phronesis entered English in the 16th century.
… courage also requires us to apply what Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics聽calls 鈥phronesis鈥澛or practical wisdom.
The best analysis of practical wisdom I know of occurs in the chorus of 鈥淭he Gambler鈥 … 鈥淵ou got to know when to hold 鈥榚m / Know when to fold 鈥榚m / Know when to walk away / Know when to run.鈥
noun
a relaxing of tension, especially between nations, as by negotiations or agreements.
顿茅迟别苍迟别, 鈥渁 relaxation of tension, especially between nations,鈥 still feels like a French word, as its spelling and pronunciation show. French 诲茅迟别苍迟别 comes from Old French destente, a derivative of destendre 鈥渢o relax,鈥 a compound of the prefix des– 鈥渁part, away鈥 (from the Latin prefix dis– with the same meanings) and the verb tendre 鈥渢o stretch鈥 (from Latin tendere). 顿茅迟别苍迟别 entered English in 1908 at the time of the 诲茅迟别苍迟别 between Great Britain and France.
There is hope that the U.S. and China will at least reach some sort of detente on trade.
The fairly stunning detente in what was shaping up to be a protracted war of digital assistants for ultimate domination of the smart home could lead to any number of smart home innovations now that the two systems are being allowed to work in tandem.
adjective
overfull; turgid; inflated: a plethoric, pompous speech.
The rare adjective plethoric means 鈥渙verfull, inflated; marked by plethora (a morbid condition due to an excess of red blood cells).鈥 And just as plethora does not mean 鈥渁bundance鈥 but 鈥渙verabundance,鈥 so plethoric means 鈥渙verabundant.鈥 Plethoric comes via the Late Latin medical term 辫濒脓迟丑艒谤颈肠耻蝉, 辫濒脓迟艒谤颈肠耻蝉, from Greek 辫濒脓迟丑艒谤颈办贸蝉 鈥減lethoric,鈥 a derivative of the noun 辫濒脓迟丑艒谤补 鈥渇ullness, satiety, excess of blood or another humor.鈥 Plethoric in its medical sense entered English at the end of the 14th century; its extended sense 鈥渋nflated, turgid, excessive鈥 in the 17th.
… my very astute friend Daniels pulled out a plethoric purse and began to display the marked gold with which it was plentifully supplied.
The “blue book,” he says, “creates an atmosphere of formality and redundancy in which the drab, Latinate, plethoric, euphemistic style of law reviews and judicial opinions flourishes ….”