oppugn : M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for July 15 is:

oppugn \uh-PYOON\ verb
1 : to fight against
*2 : to call in question

Example sentence:
As a young research assistant, Erin had the audacity to oppugn the conclusions of her department head.

Did you know?
"Oppugn" was first recorded in English in the 15th century. It came to Middle English from the Latin verb "oppugnare," which in turn derived from the combination of "ob-," meaning "against," and "pugnare," meaning "to fight." "Pugnare" itself is descended from the same ancient word that gave Latin the word "pugnus," meaning "fist." It's no surprise, then, that "oppugn" was adopted into English to refer to fighting against something or someone, either physically (as in "the dictatorship will oppugn all who oppose it") or verbally (as in "oppugn an argument"). Other descendants of "pugnare" in English include the equally aggressive "pugnacious," "pungent," "repugnant," and the rare "inexpugnable" ("incapable of being subdued or overthrown").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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