The Articulate Professional online!

- Helping executives extend the reach and impact of their communications since 1993

Felicitous

printer friendly format

(pronounced fih-lis-ih-tus)  adjective

Definition

1. very well suited to the occasion or circumstances; appropriately chosen; well expressed; apt; fitting.  2. displaying a pleasing and appropriate manner, expression, or style.  3. highly pleasing; charming; happy; fortunate.

Other Forms

Infelicitous  (pronounced in-fih-lis-ih-tus)  adjective  [Definition: 1. not felicitous; inappropriate; unsuitable; poorly chosen or timed; ungainly; clumsy.  2. unhappy; unfortunate.]

Main Example

• The poor Olympic torch! What amount of trauma it has suffered during its 80,000 mile journey. For example, the flame got extinguished several times during its Paris run, and while in London, the torch was temporarily captured by protestors. In San Francisco, the torch wasn't visible to the public because of the three layers of security that separated them from the runners. And in India and Pakistan, the iconic flame was exhibited to only small groups of invited guests in tightly secured stadiums. No, the past few weeks have not been a felicitous time for the torch.

Workplace Examples

• I thought the phrase Mike used to describe Jack as being someone whose enthusiasm is "always foaming from his mouth" was so apt, so felicitous! You can bet some of us will start using the very same words when describing other people's passion or ardor.
• I like that Xerox commercial on TV about a female employee making an infelicitous remark about her male boss, and how the color falls from her face when she realizes that he heard what she said.

Other Examples

• in his popular keynote "Power of the Spoken Word," this author citing several short stories to illustrate how the use of a fresh word, if it is felicitous, can instantly reshape the audience's thinking and help the speaker achieve his or her purpose--such as inciting people to action, injecting humor, and so on [Call 281-463-2500 or email V.J. for more information]
• a colleague saying: "Whenever things really become heated during a meeting, Pete is just the guy who'll come up with some felicitous analogy or anecdote to break up the tension in the room."
• the only felicitous feature of a tedious and dull business trip being a chance to visit a nearby resort; a vacation ruined thanks to infelicitous weather
• somebody who is now well-off remembering his infelicitous years when he was unemployed and on food stamps; Ronald Reagan's relatively felicitous life from the time he got over his painful 1948 divorce from Jane Wyman until the onset of Alzheimer's in the early 1990s
• the felicitously named ships of Sir Ernest Shackleton's last two voyages: each name--Endurance and Quest--seemed to predict how the respective expeditions eventually turned out

© 2008 V.J. Singal

This Month's Other Words

Products to sharply enhance your vocabulary:

Now available on CD-ROM: Past editions of Words of the Month.
Click here for more information.
The Articulate Professional (1995 revised ed.) is also available.
Place an order or click here for testimonials attesting to its effectiveness as a vocabulary-building tool.
Now get the CD-ROM and the book for only $34. Order now!

*Price includes tax & shipping in US/Canada.

Copyright © 1999 - 2008 by V.J. Singal. Articulate is a registered trademark.
Questions or comments may be sent directly to the author.
Phone: 281-463-2500, P.O. Box 841155, Houston, TX 77284-1155