These words are related, but their meanings are quite distinct. Interment means “burial”—the event of placing a dead person in a tomb or grave; it is a more formal word than burial. Here’s interment in a sentence: The interment of the politician’s body was attended by thousands of people. Internment means the condition of being […]

These two words sound the same and both come from roots meaning “not separate,” but they have very different meanings.  Indiscreet means “tactless.”  Indiscrete means “not divisible into separate pieces.”Indiscreet refers to a manner of behavior; only people and their actions can be discreet or in-discreet (literally, “not discreet”). Discreet means “acting in such a way […]

Incite means “to cause or provoke a dangerous or violent feeling or action,” such as to incite a riot, incite an argument, or incite fear; one can also incite a person:The politician incited his followers to violence.Insight contains the word sight and means “seeing into”—i.e. having a true perception, a deep understanding, or a very […]

Insidious means “harmful in a sneaky way.”  Invidious means (1) “offensive” or (2) “resentful.”Insidious can describe anything harmful but slow-moving or hidden—something bad that sneaks up on you—like many long-term health problems and social issues: Addiction can be insidious; it destroys a person slowly.Racism is insidious; it can spread beneath the surface of a society for […]

These two terms have different meanings but can be used in some similar ways, because they are both adjective phrases.  Alright is an adjective, meaning “okay”: Alright, let’s order pizza!I feel alright today. All right, in contrast, is simply a combination of all and right (i.e., correct) and should only be used to mean that […]