propitious

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Definitions (9)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. adjective Presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious. See Synonyms at favorable.
  2. adjective Kindly; gracious.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (4)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples

  • For years Germany had been waiting for a propitious moment to swoop down on France and overwhelm her. —  Theodore Roosevelt An Intimate Biography
  • We are now in hourly expectation of sailing for England: we have agreed with the Captain of a neutral vessel, and are only waiting for a propitious wind. —  A Residence in France During the Years 1792 1793 1794 and 1795
  • The sense of having cleared his honor somewhat relieved him, and after waiting for a propitious moment I tried to persuade him, before the card was posted, that the offence was not so heinous as it looked, the writer not knowing him personally, and merely imagining himself to be acting in conformity with a prevalent custom, which some critics were far from resenting. —  Philip Gilbert Hamerton
  • He believed that the moment was propitious, and wished to act before further military movements were undertaken — especially before any further projects of invasion by Lee — which would tend, he thought, to silence the peace party at the North, and again arouse the war spirit. —  A Life of Gen Robert E Lee
  • And thus have I taken in observation her DIES HALCYONII — I.E., these years of hers which were more serene and quiet than those that followed, which, though they were not less propitious, as being touched more with the points of honour and victory, yet were they troubled and loaded ever, both with domestic and foreign machinations; and, as it is already quoted, they were such as awakened her spirits and made her cast about her to defend rather by offending, and by way of provision to prevent all invasions, than to expect them, which was a piece of the cunning of the times; and with this I have noted the causes and PRINCIPIUM {57} of the wars following, and likewise points to the seed-plots from whence she took up these brave men and plants of honour who acted on the theatre of Mars, and on whom she dispersed the rays of her grace; who were persons, in their kinds of care, virtuous, and such as might, out of their merit, pretend interest to her favours, of which rank the number will equal, if not exceed, that of her gown-men, in recount of whom I will proceed with Sir Philip Sidney. —  FRAGMENTA REGALIA
 

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English propicius, from Old French propicieux, from Latin propitius; see pet- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. = Old French propice (later obsolete English propice) = Spanish Portuguese propicio = Italian propizio, from Latin propitius, favorable, well-disposed, kind (usually said of deities); origin unknown. Some conjecture it to have been orig. a term in augury with reference to the flying of birds, from Latin pro, forward, + pctere, seek, orig. fly (see petition); according to another view, from Latin prope, near.
 

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/prəˈpɪʃəs/
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