Word of the Day: MERETRICIOUS
Showy or spurious
meretricious (adj) - seemingly attractive but having no value or integrity; flashy, gaudy, or insincere [mer-i-trish-uhs]
BREAKDOWN: MERIT- (value, share) + -[R]ICIOUS (full of)
meretricious as a legal term also means cohabiting but having no legal marital relationship
“The causes of war are always falsely represented; its honor is dishonest and its glory meretricious, but the challenge to spiritual endurance, the intense sharpening of all the senses, the vitalizing consciousness of common peril for a common end, remain to allure those boys and girls who have just reached the age when love and friendship and adventure call more persistently than at any later time.” —Vera Brittain
[Fun Word Friday introduces more advanced or technical words that are based on word roots. Yes, these words may still be tested on standardized exams. Try to use this word in a sentence today!]