mansuetude

[ man-swi-tood, -tyood ]

noun

mildness; gentleness.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF MANSUETUDE?

Mansuetude, “mildness, gentleness,” comes from Latin mānsuētūdō, which is equivalent to manus, “hand”; suēscere, “to become accustomed”; and -tūdō, a noun-forming suffix similar to English -hood and -ness. Manus is also the source of manacle, manicure, manual, and the Word of the Day mano a mano. Suēscere, which contains the common element -sc-, “to become” (see the Word of the Day opalesce), is related to Ancient Greek êthos, “custom, habit,” as in ethics. Mansuetude was first recorded in English in the late 14th century.

EXAMPLE OF MANSUETUDE USED IN A SENTENCE

Every day on the job, teachers have to balance strictness with mansuetude as they lead their students through lessons.

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