Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DESIDERATUM

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explore the archives: Desideratum: something you deeply long for.  I love this incredibly beautiful word, and I hope to do it justice as I share it here, whether it's new to you or familiar. Maybe you recall it from Max Ehrmann's poem "Desiderata," printed in full here and discussed in detail here. As the title suggests, the poem lists the ideals we should cling to, like sincerity, peace, and gentleness, amid "the noisy confusion of life." Notice how you can have one desideratum (like "one datum") or lots of desiderata (like "lots of data"). We use the same pluralization with the word im___imenta, meaning "things that get in your way, slow you down, or make it hard for you to move forward." What things would you list in a poem titled "Im___imenta"? make your point with... "DESIDERATUM" A desideratum is something important that you dearly need (and usually don't have). In other words, desiderata are things you deeply long for. Pronunciation: Either "dih SID uh RAY tum" or "dih SID uh RAH tum." (Take your pick. The only difference is whether you rhyme the fourth syllable with "hay" or "hah.") Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one desideratum or multiple desiderata.) Other forms: The plural is "desiderata." Pronounce it either "dih SID uh RAY tuh" or "dih SID uh RAH tuh." There's also a rare verb, "desiderate." To desiderate things is to yearn for them or miss them, usually with a feeling of sadness or regret. Why "desideratum" looks like "desire:" We took both of those words from the Latin desiderare, meaning to wish for something or long for it, but more literally meaning to wait for what the stars will bring.  How to use it: This is a literary, serious word, and because it's so long and sounds so Latin, it's always going to be the focal point of a sentence. Call something a desideratum, the desideratum, or somebody's desideratum, often in or of a certain field or sphere: "A set of definitions that everyone can agree on is still the desideratum in the study of rhetorical strategies." You can strengthen this word with phrases like "the great desideratum," "the first desideratum," "a superior desideratum," and so on. That helps if you're worried that your audience won't understand what you mean--but in that case, consider picking a simpler word or phrase. Someone might acknowledge, identify, or recognize a desideratum; seek or find a desideratum; overlook or dismiss a desideratum; supply a desideratum or deprive something or someone of a desideratum, and so on. examples: The tablet is durable with a long battery life, but it crashes daily and when it isn't crashing, it's buggy. Usefulness is still the desideratum of design, isn't it? Affordable food, affordable electricity--really, affordable everything--these are the desiderata in Hawaii. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "desideratum" means when you can explain it without saying "thing desired as essential" or "must-have." try it out: What's a goal that's been important to you, your family, or your colleagues for a long time? Fill in the blanks: "_____ has been a desideratum since _____." Example: "Owning only what we need has been a desideratum since our first move across the ocean." 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. Last month, we played with rhyming puzzles as we reviewed previous words. From yesterday: You have a devoted seeing-eye dog, but he's a surprisingly narrow-minded pooch: he steers you clear of certain neighbors he dislikes, and no matter how well you reason with him to give these folks another chance, he clings to his low opinion of them. He's your _________ _____ _____. (Three words: a two-syllable word followed by two one-syllable words. Clue: use this word.) Answer: hidebound guide hound. Now, a new game for November! This month, we're playing with KWIKORD, an addictive, challenging new word game for solo or group play, created by Wayne Ellice.  We'll be dipping our toes into the game this month, trying some simple challenges first and working our way toward harder tasks. (Check out my interview with the game's creator here, and order your own copy of the full version of KWIKORD here.) You'll see a sample answer to each puzzle the following day. Enjoy! First, check out this example: if you're given the letters BBTAEU and asked to arrange them into words that fill the perimeter of a 3x3 grid, you might come up with this: Neat, right? We made "ebb," "bet," "tat," and "eat," using only the given letters, and we filled the perimeter of the 3x3 grid. That's one possible solution, but we could have created many others. Try this today with the letters RTVAEI. Draw a tic-tac-toe board on some scrap paper and go for it! review today's word: 1. One opposite of DESIDERATUM is A. FACELESSNESS B. DELINEATION C. BAGATELLE 2. _____ should be a desideratum in any profession. A. Paid training B. Improving the lives of others C. Compromising morals for the sake of profits Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B