peremptory

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
19
Words With Friends
21
Letters
10
Pronunciation
/pəˈɹɛmptəɹi/(UK)

Definition of peremptory

6 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

adj

  1. Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal
    “there is no reason but if any of the outlawries be indeed without error, but it should be a peremptory plea to the person in a writ of error, as well as in any other action.”
See all 6 definitions

adj

  1. Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal
    “there is no reason but if any of the outlawries be indeed without error, but it should be a peremptory plea to the person in a writ of error, as well as in any other action.”
  2. (of a date or deadline) Absolutely requiring compliance or attendance; brooking no further delay; to proceed whether a party attends or not; final.
    “As this trial has now been postponed multiple times, there will be an adjournment to April 24, peremptory on the parties.”
  3. Positive in opinion or judgment; absolutely certain, overconfident, unwilling to hear any debate or argument (especially in a pejorative sense); dogmatic.
    “He marched under a placard reading "End Bossiness Now" but decided it was a little too peremptory, not quite British, so changed the slogan on subsequent badges, to "End Bossiness Soon."”
  4. (obsolete)Firmly determined, resolute; obstinate, stubborn.
  5. Accepting no refusal or disagreement; imperious, dictatorial.
    “Upon the other hand, there are a great many people who, having no private property of their own, and being always on the brink of sheer starvation, are compelled to do the work of beasts of burden, to do work that is quite uncongenial to them, and to which they are forced by the peremptory, unreasonable, degrading Tyranny of want.”
    “[…] less surprising than that he had been depressed by a book. Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart.”
    “Though today (surveying that yellowing document) I shudder at the peremptory tone of the instructions I gave, Alastair - in that same volume in which I get chastised for my coverage of the Macmillan rally - was generous enough to remark that my memorandum became 'an office classic'.”

noun

  1. A challenge to the admission of a juror, without the challenger needing to show good cause.
    “Each side was allowed 20 peremptories, and the prosecution used 18 of its allotment.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman peremptorie, parentorie et al. (Modern French péremptoire), and its source, Latin peremptōrius (“deadly; precluding debate, decisive”), from perimō (“destroy, thwart”), from per- (“thorough”) + emō (“to obtain, buy”).

Anagrams of peremptory

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Words you can make from peremptory

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18 words

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