Word of the day: Vouchsafe

Vouchsafe

[VOUCH-seif]

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Middle English, 15th century

1.Give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending manner.

2.Reveal or disclose (information).

Examples of vouchsafe in a sentence

"My grandfather vouchsafed his precious war medals to me."

"The podcaster vouchsafed some advice about investing in crypto, but Tamara was more cautious with her money."

About Vouchsafe

“Vouchsafe” had different spellings — including “witchaff,” “voutsalfe,” and “wouchaiffe” — when it appeared in 16th-century Middle English. In all cases, it derived from the combination of “vouch,” meaning “to warrant or guarantee,” and “safe,” meaning “securely.”

Did you Know?

“Vouchsafe” is a formal word meaning to “give, grant, or bestow.” Originally, “vouchsafe” described people of power or authority graciously offering something they were not required to give. This meant they were condescending — in the original sense of that term, they were descending from a high position to give something. Today, “vouchsafe” is often used condescendingly, but with the modern understanding of that term: to belittle someone giving or granting something in a pompous manner.