Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian playwright and environmental activist, is hanged in Nigeria along with eight other activists from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop). Saro-Wiwa, an outspoken critic of Nigeria’s military regime, was charged by the government with the 1994 murder of four pro-military traditional leaders. He maintained his innocence, claiming […]

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2025 is:

temerity • \tuh-MAIR-uh-tee\  • noun

Temerity is the quality of being confident and unafraid of danger or punishment, especially in a way that seems rude or foolish. Temerity may also refer to a rash or reckless act.

// She had the temerity to ask me for another loan when she had yet to begin repaying the first one.

// The students somehow convinced the principal that a prank of such temerity warranted only three days' detention.

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Examples:

"Once upon a time, music critics were known for being crankier than the average listener. [Taylor] Swift once castigated a writer who'd had the temerity to castigate her, singing, 'Why you gotta be so mean?'" — Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

Did you know?

When you're feeling saucy, there's no shortage of words in the English language you can use to describe the particular flavor of your metaphorical sauce, from audacity and effrontery to the Yiddish-derived fan favorite chutzpah. If we may be so bold, let us also suggest temerity: it comes from the Latin temere, meaning "recklessly" or "haphazardly," and is good for suggesting boldness even in the face of danger or likely punishment. Temerity is a formal word, rarely used in casual writing or conversation, but provided you have the cheek to flout this convention, you may be thinking "what have I got to lose?"

By Christian J. Collier