Word of the Day

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Word of the Day: plutocrat​

This word has appeared in three articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence

plutocrat /ˌpludəˈkræt/ noun​

One who exercise powet of virtue of wealth
The word plutocrat has appeared in three articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 11 in the Opinion essay

When rich people can afford to buy and operate big yachts, they do. Indeed, yachts are a highly visible indicator of inequality, the concentration of income and wealth in the hands of the few. The Gilded Age was marked by a proliferation of ever bigger, ever more elaborately furnished yachts; when J.P. Morgan built a large steam yacht, its 1898 launch was featured in The New York Times.
… Owning and operating a really big yacht is, however, as clear an example as you’re likely to find of Thorstein Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption — spending intended to demonstrate one’s wealth and status, rather than for the direct satisfaction it yields. Indeed, the New Yorker article suggests that demand for superyachts really took off once owning your own plane stopped being an effective status symbol: “Once it seemed that every plutocrat had a plane, the thrill was gone.”
 

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Word of the Day: precarious​

This word has appeared in 413 articles on NYTimes

precarious /prəˈkɛriəs/ adjective​

1not secure; beset with difficulties
offering no ease or reassurance
fraught with danger
While the eruption could be big, it is a highly localized event, officials say. Last Saturday, officials evacuated the more than 3,000 residents of Grindavik, a small fishing town about 30 miles south of Reykjavik. Since then, residents have slowly been allowed back to gather some of their personal possessions with help from emergency workers accompanying them.
“It’s a precarious area to be in,
” Mr. Viglundsson said.
 
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