THE FIRST WORD

ignominy

PRONUNCIATION:

(IG-nuh-min-ee, ig-NOM-uh-nee) 

MEANING:

noun: 1. Public disgrace. 2. Disgraceful quality or conduct.

ETYMOLOGY:

Via French, from Latin ignominia. Ultimately from the Indo-European root no-men- (name) which also gave us name, anonymous, noun, synonym, eponym, renown, nominate, misnomer, and moniker. Earliest documented use: 1540.

USAGE:

"Nor is JAL likely to suffer the ignominy of an immediate slump in the share price, as Facebook did after its IPO, analysts say."
From Bloated to Floated; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 15, 2012.