Published on
June 19, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
September 16, 2024
The adjectivefacetious means “humorous in an inappropriate way or at an inappropriate time.” It is often used to criticize someone or something (e.g., to say that a person is treating a serious issue in an unserious way).
It is also used less critically to mean “funny and not serious.”
Examples: Facetious in a sentenceI thought that was a really facetious remark that Alberto made in the meeting.
You don’t really mean that, do you? You’re just being facetious, right?
I love to read her newspaper columns; they’re just so wonderfully facetious.
Published on
June 14, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 21, 2024
Indubitably means “certainly” or “without question.”
It is an adverb with the same root as the adjective “indubitable.”
“Indubitably” is not commonly used in modern English and is perceived as being very formal. In speech, it can be used as an interjection if someone is being facetious or putting on airs.
The opposite of “indubitably” is “dubitably,” which is very rarely used in modern English.
Indubitably: Examples in a sentenceIndubitably Miss Smith! The man is surely a fool.
The artist’s work is indubitably groundbreaking.
The consequences will indubitably be felt for years to come.
It is indubitably the case that many questions have been left hanging in the air.
Presumptuous means “overly forward or excessively bold.” It is an adjective used to refer to someone who appears to be rude or arrogant because of their entitled or overfamiliar behavior. If someone is considered “likely to presume” or “characterized by presumption,” they can be described as presumptuous.
Examples: Presumptuous in a sentenceAsking for a raise after only a month on the job is a bit presumptuous.
He felt a pang of irritation at her presumptuous question about his personal life.
It was presumptuous of the new intern to try to correct the CEO’s presentation.
He felt a twinge of guilt for his presumptuousbehavior at the job interview.
Mutually exclusive is a phrase that describes two things as incompatible. Any scenarios described as “mutually exclusive” cannot happen simultaneously. For example, a student’s goals to pass an exam and not take the exam at all are mutually exclusive because both cannot occur at the same time.
Examples: Using mutually exclusive in a sentenceOur desires to get in shape and try new restaurants don’t have to be mutually exclusive, so long as we exercise often and choose healthy meals when we go out.
We discovered that the proposals are mutually exclusive; we can only implement one of them, not both.
I learned the hard way that going to sleep late and waking up early are mutually exclusive habits because I couldn’t do both for a prolonged period of time.
Albeit is a conjunction with a meaning similar to “although” or “even though.” It comes from the three words “all,” “be,” and “it,” but it is always written as one word.
Albeit introduces a subordinate or dependent clause that qualifies (i.e., tells us more about) the information contained in the main clause.
Examples: Albeit in a sentenceThe movie was entertaining, albeit a bit predictable.
The hike was challenging, albeit rewarding.
There have been some technical difficulties, albeit minor ones, during the launch.
We abided by the rules, albeit with a few creative interpretations.
For all intents and purposes is a phrase which means “in effect” or “practically speaking.” It is used to indicate that the practical outcome of something is the same as something else.
Examples: For all intents and purposes in a sentenceFor all intents and purposes, she was now the leader of the party.
Even though it had done 1,000 miles, it was, for all intents and purposes, a new car.
With the exams finished, the semester was, for all intents and purposes, over.
Mea culpa comes from the Latin for “my fault,” or “through my fault.” It is an interjection (i.e., a word or phrase that expresses a feeling) but can also be used as a noun meaning an admission of guilt (e.g., “The senator issued a mea culpa via the press office”).
Mea culpa has a long history in English dating back at least to Chaucer (14th century) and originates in a prayer of confession in the Roman Catholic Church. It is now used in a much more general sense to indicate that you accept being at fault for something.
Examples: Mea culpa in a sentenceDid I leave the door unlocked? Mea culpa! I’m so sorry!
The letter was nothing but a three-page mea culpa from the assistant.
The doctor’s short mea culpa on the website did little to calm the patients’ anger.
Because mea culpa has been used in English for so long (like “ad hoc,” “in vitro,” and “de facto”), it does not need to be italicized in the way more recent loanwords from other languages do.
Duly noted is a commonly used phrase that means “understood and taken into account.” The phrase is made up using the adverb “duly” (i.e., “in the correct manner”) and the verb “noted” (i.e., “acknowledged”).
Its most common use is in professional or formal contexts. When used more informally, it is often meant ironically as a way of disregarding the opinion expressed.
Duly noted in a sentence examplesYour comments about the new building development have been duly noted by the mayor.
The principal was wearied by the complaints, but nonetheless she duly noted them in the file.
Thank you for your comments; we have duly noted them.
