Felicitous
/fəˈlɪsɪtəs/noun
Well-chosen, apt, or pleasantly appropriate.
Did you know?Felicitous ultimately descends from Latin *felix*, a word tied to fertility and good fortune, so its oldest energy is less “polite compliment” and more “blessed by the gods.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheh₁-
“to put, place, set”
Latin
Latin
felix
“fertile, fruitful, lucky, fortunate”
Latin
Latin
felicitas
“good fortune, happiness, fertility”
Late Latin
Latin
felicitās
“happiness, good luck”
Middle English
English
felicite
“happiness, blessedness”
17th Century
English
felicitous
“happy, fortunate, suitably expressed or appropriate”
Modern English
English
felicitous
“apt, well-chosen, or pleasingly appropriate”