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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EXPONENT

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pronounce EXPONENT:

"eck SPO nunt."

Or: "ECK spo nunt."

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

As we check out the word exponent, from the Latin ponere, meaning "to put, to place, or to position," see if you can recall a few related words:

1. Something __pos__e is well-placed, in a figurative way: it's fitting, suitable, or appropriate for a particular situation.

2. To p___t things is to put them into place, figuratively: to think them, assume them, or state them as part of an argument.

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

definition:

In English, long ago, we used the verb "expone," which has Latin bits that literally mean "to place out, or to put out." To expone things meant to explain them, to express them in words.

We don't use "expone" today, but we do use the related noun: "exponent."

It has special meanings in math and linguistics. But in general, an exponent is a person who explains and promotes some idea or plan that they strongly believe in.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the countable kind: "She's an exponent of that theory;" "That style of music has few exponents today."

Other forms: 

The plural is "exponents."

The mathematical sense of "exponent" lends itself to a very cool set of figurative words, including "exponentiate" (meaning "to grow very large very fast") and "exponential" (meaning "growing very large very fast"), which we explore in detail here.

how to use it:

Refer to someone as an exponent when you want to emphasize how outspoken they are in their support of something. Maybe they're even pushy about it. Or maybe they're eager to associate themselves with that thing, to achieve fame. Or maybe they're just passionate about it, eager to share its joys and benefits with everyone.

Regardless, "exponent" is great for sounding scholarly or authoritative. Check out this example from Paul Elmer More: "[The poet John Greenleaf Whittier] has always stood pre-eminently as the exponent of New England life."

Usually you say that someone is an exponent of some idea, theory, belief, virtue, principle, practice, trend, product, technique, business model, etc.

Often we point out that so-and-so is a leading exponent of something, or if we're reflecting on history, that they were among the first or last exponents of something.

examples:

"The fusion of classical composition with heavy metal dates back to some early works by Glenn Branca... Another exponent of this trend is the group Real Loud: an electrified chamber sextet of dual guitarists, bassists and drummers."
   — Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 12 August 2021

"Ernest Hemingway defined courage as 'grace under pressure'. [Muhammad Ali] was certainly under pressure and while he was never an exponent of the humility that Hemingway prized, he always displayed enormous physical grace."
   — Andrew Anthony, The Guardian, 5 March 2016

has this page helped you understand "exponent"?

   

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 "exponent" without saying "supporter" or "advocate."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) (is or was) a (proud, leading, zealous, or persistent) exponent of (something)."

Example 1: "Alex Corbisiero is a proud exponent of rugby in the US."

Example 2: "People like Cyrus Teed and Father Divine were only the most zealous exponents of America's unofficial national faith: a spiritual smorgasbord of positive thinking."
   — Molly Worthen, New York Times, 26 April 2019




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 May is "The Rock & Roll Hall of Game."

It's inspired by a Jeopardy! category called Foodstock.

I'll give you a clue, and you'll try to come up with the tweaked name of a group or solo artist from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

For example, if I give you "They're an American boy band fond of surfing, California, rich vocal harmonies, and helping the Mario Brothers rescue the princess," then you give me "The Peach Boys" (a playful blend of "The Beach Boys" and "Princess Peach" from the Mario games).

Try this one today: These Seattle-based counterculture grunge rockers were suing Ticketmaster decades before Taylor Swift did. In songs like "Alive" and "Jeremy," they address trauma explicitly. In between shows, they kick back with puzzle games like Doors Awakening, Doors Origins, and Doors Paradox; they find it existentially soothing to linger in these openings.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. Opposites of EXPONENT include

A. ADO, FUSS, and CONTROVERSY.
B. CRITIC, DOUBTER, and NAYSAYER.
C. FLAW, DRAWBACK, and DISADVANTAGE.

2. Andy Warhol, an exponent of pop art, routinely _____.

A. laid bare and subverted old pop art ideals
B. gave exhibitions and promoted his most talented followers
C. spoke out against pop art's inherent laziness and superficiality




Answers to the review questions:
1. B
2. B

Answer to the game question: Pearl Jamb.


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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