pusillanimity

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The quality or state of being pusillanimous; the vice of being timid and cowardly, and thus not living up to one's full potential; pusillanimousness.

Pronunciation

/pjuːsɪləˈnɪmɪti/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-pusillanimity.wav

Word forms

pusillanimity pusillanimities

Etymology

From pusillanim(ous) + -ity, from Middle French pusillanimité, from the ecclesiastical Latin pusillanimis, from pusillus (puny) + animus (spirit) + -ous. A translation of the Greek ὀλιγόψυχος (oligópsukhos, “faint-hearted”).

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