Precatory
/ˈprɛk.ə.tɔːr.i/noun
Expressing a request or plea, rather than a command.
Did you know?Precatory comes from Latin precari, meaning “to pray” or “to beg,” so its root idea is not casual asking but invoking favor through supplication.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*prek-
“to ask, entreat, beg”
Latin
Latin
precari
“to pray, beg, entreat”
Late Latin
Latin
precatorius
“pertaining to prayer or entreaty”
16th Century
English
precatory
“expressing a wish, request, or prayer rather than a command”
Modern English
English
precatory
“expressing a request or plea, rather than a command”
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