Pronounced: kwod-LIB-uh-tuhl, adj
Notes: My guess of the meaning was off, because I have run across another form of this word
Yesterday’s word
The word propitious means
- favorably disposed; benevolent
- being of good omen; auspicious
- tending to favor; advantageous
First usage
Our word came into English in the early to middle 1400s
Background / Comments
I am familiar with the third definition, and is how I use the word. The second definition is close in meaning, but the first one I have not heard. Our word has synonyms of ‘favorable’ and ‘auspicious’; all of which have the general idea of “pointing toward a happy outcome”, but (as is common with synonyms) each has slightly different idea: favorable has the connotation that persons or circumstances are helpful; auspicious indicates that there is a good omen or sign before or at the start of some event; propitious indicates continuing good or helpful conditions. Our word comes from the Middle English word propicius from the Latin word propitius (favorably inclined).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 