• equanimity • Pronunciation: ek-wê-nim-ê-tee or ee-kwê- . . . •
Hear it! Part of Speech: Noun, mass (No plural) Meaning:
Steadiness and composure under pressure; unruffledness in a
stressful situation. Notes: The adjective that accompanies
today's Good Word is the rather odd-sounding equanimous [ee-kwæ-
nê-mês] "even-tempered, balanced, composed", as an equanimous
response to a provocative insult. In Play: Stressful or
embarrassing situations call for equanimity: "Joe Fell rose from
his pratfall with uncommon equanimity and continued down the
hall as though nothing had happened." Whatever raises stress
levels, equanimity lowers them: "Duane Pipes received the news
of his wife's leaving him with an equanimity that might have
saved the marriage had he applied it more while they were
together." Word History: English borrowed this word from French
in the 17th century. French inherited it from Latin æquanimitas
"calmness, patience, equanimity", a noun based on æquus "even,
equal" + animus "mind, spirit" or anima "