word by Anu Garg

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

unavailing

PRONUNCIATION:

(uhn-uh-VAY-ling) 

MEANING:

adjective: Futile.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin a- (intensive prefix) + valere (to be of worth). Earliest documented use: 1672.

USAGE:

"President Obama made Palestine/Israel issue one of his foremost priorities when he assumed office, but all international efforts have been unavailing."
Salman Haidar; Special Article; The Statesman (New Delhi, India); Oct 1, 2011.

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A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have. -Lee Iacocca, automobile executive (b. 1924)