Ensconce
(pronounced en-skons) verb
Definition
to establish or settle securely or comfortably; to place safely or cozily.
Main Example
- When thousands upon thousands of Burma's Buddhist monks began their silent protest marches earlier this fall, it kindled hope that unlike in 1988, when over 3,000 protestors were massacred, this time the military junta might collapse. But, thanks to fresh repressive measures which reportedly included the killing of over a hundred protestors and the jailing of thousands of others, and because of a lack of pressure from Burma's giant neighbors which presumably don't want to damage ties with the natural resource-rich nation, it appears the extremely corrupt and ruthless regime will remain firmly ensconced in power for the foreseeable future.
Workplace Examples
- Sybil is so comfortably ensconced now, and her reputation so well established, I just don't understand why she doesn't fire some of the managers who have long been stubborn and opposed every change.
- Matt comes across as being insecure . . . always looking over his shoulder! He's been manager for how long... almost a year, right? One would think that, by now, he would be ensconced in his new job.
Other Examples
- a high schooler telling his mother: "I doubt if Dad will go for another walk with us. He ensconced himself in that favorite armchair of his and has just started watching a movie."
- a new employee confiding to someone: "What these folks are doing is very bureaucratic and even tedious. They are blindly following the policies and procedures ensconced in the "company bible"--this six-inch-thick procedure manual. Any suggestions I make just fall on deaf ears!"
- Benedict XVI now well ensconced in his role as pope, making all those anxieties such as "will anyone be able to fill John Paul's big shoes" a distant memory
- to be ensconced in hedonism; somebody ensconced in a culture that places a premium on possessing the biggest SUV, the biggest house, the biggest yacht, eating out every night at one of the city's fanciest restaurants, and so on
- some critics of President Musharraf saying his sole reason for declaring a state of emergency in Pakistan is to "ensconce his dictatorial rule and power, which were beginning to face serious challenges"
