Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Smug stupidity; utter foolishness.
  • noun Something that is utterly stupid or silly.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Self-conceited foolishness; weakness of mind with high self-esteem; unconscious stupidity; also, as applied to things, springing from or exhibiting such traits.
  • noun Idiocy; congenital dementia; imbecility.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Weakness or imbecility of mind; stupidity.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Weakness or imbecility of mind; stupidity.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a ludicrous folly

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin fatuitās, from fatuus, silly, foolish.]

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Examples

  • EU Referendum: The ultimate in fatuity? skip to main | skip to sidebar

    The ultimate in fatuity? Richard 2006

  • In another life, I suppose I would have found it quite remarkable how little media coverage there has been on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, which came into force on 1 July, one which we described as the ultimate in fatuity.

    Silence prevails Richard 2006

  • Each time I was instructed that such-and-such a fatuity was the view of "the Europeans," I decided not that my Anglo-Celtic-Polish-German-Jewish heritage was being parodied (though it was) but that someone whose claim to be "European" was at least as good as M. Chirac's should assure his American friends that they need not feel unsophisticated or embarrassed.

    On Becoming American 2005

  • Each time I was instructed that such-and-such a fatuity was the view of "the Europeans," I decided not that my Anglo-Celtic-Polish-German-Jewish heritage was being parodied (though it was) but that someone whose claim to be "European" was at least as good as M. Chirac's should assure his American friends that they need not feel unsophisticated or embarrassed.

    On Becoming American 2005

  • This kind of fatuity is a combination of petty authoritarianism as encouraged by the socialists in Westmonster and the paedogeddon alarmism evident in the kind of red-tops that council workers read.

    More Paedogeddon Madness Obnoxio The Clown 2008

  • Unquestionably after all, how many people from a comprehensive to use the word "fatuity" in such a fluent manner?

    DK's schooldays... 2005

  • Unquestionably after all, how many people from a comprehensive to use the word "fatuity" in such a fluent manner?

    Archive 2005-08-01 2005

  • From most silly novels we can at least extract a laugh; but those of the modern-antique school have a ponderous, a leaden kind of fatuity, under which we groan.

    The Essays of "George Eliot" Complete George Eliot 1849

  • How could they have resisted another of his jaunty, trademark yarns, combining plot twists and utter fatuity in a way that just keeps you ploughing on, despite your better nature and the certainty that virtually any other activity would be a better use of these precious hours of life?

    The Man Booker judges seem to find reading a bit hard | Catherine Bennett 2011

  • To all the people who re-elected Ms. Bachman to the congress here goes another of her attempts at being the stupidest of them all. census isn't a new concept but how would she know anything about it. one needs something called a workable analytical brain in their heads and not a gun that shoots crap every time it shoots. way to go bachman. you will truly reach the great heights in fatuity.

    Fellow Republicans urge Bachmann not to boycott 2010 Census 2009

Comments

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  • "'Hear, hear,' Mayor Thorin said in a voice that strove for the high ground of solemnity and fell with a splash into fatuity instead." From Wizard and Glass by Stephen King.

    January 27, 2011