If you were to pick up and read a 19th century novel, or better yet, a 17th century novel, you would likely find yourself unfamiliar with words that appear to have been familiar at the time of first publishing. As we add new words to describe the world around us, we lose others along the way. Sometimes the change feels too utilitarian, with narrowly defined adjectives vanishing to be replaced by a growing amount of technical jargon and indecipherable slang. English seems to be losing its poetry.
Assuming you care and are bothered by any of this, what can we do? We are not powerless. Perhaps you can use technology to better advantage. Request that your AI use an older English form of the language when it answers your queries. I suspect if it cannot do that now, it will develop the talent in short order. It would probably be fun to have ChatGPT or Claude answer your questions in the language style of Charles Dickens or Mark Twain – and perhaps you’d keep old words alive in this way. If you do not want to rely on machines, though, there is another way. You can do the leg work of seeking out words and using them. That’s what I’m doing here.
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin obloquium contradiction, equivalent to Latin obloqu ( ī ) to contradict ( ob-ob- + loquī to speak) + -ium-ium
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
obloquyobloquies
Young scientists are naturally reluctant to expose themselves to anti-science obloquy; the straitened condition of the national press has led to mass layoffs of journalists with the knowledge and skill to communicate scientific truths.
Barnes is seeking “damages in an amount not less than $15,000 but not more than $50,000 against each defendant” because his clients were “subjected to public hatred, contempt, scorn, obloquy, and shame.”
