Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun rhetoric
Goodwill towards an audience, either perceived or real; the perception that the speaker has the audience's interest at heart. - noun medicine, psychology A state of normal
adult mental health .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word eunoia.
Examples
-
Together, teacher and pupils shared the love that transforms the world through action and compassion, which was called eunoia.
The Poet Prince KATHLEEN MCGOWAN 2010
-
Though "eunoia" appears in medical dictionaries with the definition "well mind", Bok wants it to be adopted in every-day English as an expression meaning "beautiful thinking".
unknown title 2009
-
Now the word "eunoia" is the subject of a campaign by the Scottish publisher Canongate, which wants it to be recognised by the Oxford and Chambers dictionaries.
unknown title 2009
-
Wanting what is good for the sake of another he calls “good will” (eunoia), and friendship is reciprocal good will, provided that each recognizes the presence of this attitude in the other.
Aristotle's Ethics Kraut, Richard 2007
-
The Greeks established very clear distinctions between these diverse natures of philia or eros, on the one hand, and, on the other, agapē or disinterested affection (a term with a promising future in Christianity), storge or tenderness, eunoia or good will, charis or the love of gratitude.
LOVE DENIS DE ROUGEMONT 1968
-
An important tactic related to this valuable gift is eunoia, or having Medici's best interests at heart, after all Machiavelli has not "... embellished or crammed this book with rounded periods or big, impressive words, or with any blandishment or superfluous decoration ..."
Soob 2008
-
An important tactic related to this valuable gift is eunoia, or having Medici's best interests at heart, after all Machiavelli has not "... embellished or crammed this book with rounded periods or big, impressive words, or with any blandishment or superfluous decoration ..."
Soob 2008
-
An important tactic related to this valuable gift is eunoia, or having Medici's best interests at heart, after all Machiavelli has not "... embellished or crammed this book with rounded periods or big, impressive words, or with any blandishment or superfluous decoration ..."
Soob 2008
-
Without resorting to the French oiseau, I can even supply a six-letter example that English took over from Greek: eunoia ` alertness of mind, 'listed in Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary.
recombinantdna commented on the word eunoia
my hypothesis:
eu- 'well, good'
"noia" = nous + -ia (as in paranoia)
where nous means 'mind, intellect'
and -ia is a noun suffix (found in anemia and phobia)
(all greek)
April 16, 2008
mollusque commented on the word eunoia
Sometimes said to be the shortest English word with all the vowels. However, I haven't been able to find instances where "eunoia" is used without italics or without its definition appended ("goodwill" or "benevolence"). So it seems not be naturalized in English; it is a Greek word discussed in English works.
Another meaning for eunoia is found in a few dictionaries of psychology or medicine: "the healthy mind" or "alertness of mind and will". I haven't found this sense used outside of dictionaries.
April 17, 2008
reesetee commented on the word eunoia
That must really eunoia, mollusque, that you can't find more citations for this word.
*ducks to avoid objects hurled at head*
April 17, 2008
bilby commented on the word eunoia
"...It is also the title of Canadian poet Christian Bok's book of fiction in which each chapter uses only one vowel."
- 'Beautiful vowels', BBC website.
Excerpt from CHAPTER E - FOR RENE CREVEL
Westerners revere the Greek legends. Versemen retell the represented events, the resplendent scenes, where, hellbent, the Greek firemen seek revenge whenever Helen, the new-wed empress, weeps. Restless, she deserts her fleece bed where, detested, her wedded regent sleeps. When she remembers Greece, her seceded demesne, she feels wretched, left here, bereft, her needs never met. She needs rest; nevertheless, her demented fevers render her sleepless (her sleeplessness enfeebles her). She needs help; nevertheless her stressed nerves render her cheerless (her cheerlessness enfetters her).
October 30, 2008
mollusque commented on the word eunoia
Thanks, bilby! You can send it to my home address.
October 30, 2008
yarb commented on the word eunoia
That's brilliant - but why is the Greek fire brigade involved? Perhaps the Greek freemen would be more appropriate.
October 30, 2008
bilby commented on the word eunoia
Ha, well spotted yarb. I corrected another tpyo in the u chapter when I posted the sample on Wordie. I wonder if the BBC spellchequer was a bit overactive on these. Cupertino effect :-) And quite disastrous in this case.
October 30, 2008
bookhling commented on the word eunoia
I like how this word sounds for some reason. Might actually become my new favorite word.
July 12, 2009