Words to Know

lax

 [ laks ]   

1. not strict: not strict or careful enough
2. not tense: not tight or tense
3. with tendency to diarrhea: describes a bowel that is not easily controlled and produces loose feces

spo·rad·ic

 [ spə ráddik ]   

1. occurring irregularly: occurring at intervals that have no apparent pattern
2. not epidemic: describes a disease that appears in scattered or isolated instances or locations

cor·rob·o·rate

 [ kə róbbə ràyt ]   

1. confirm: to give or represent evidence of the truth of something

bun·gle

 [ búng g'l ]   

1. spoil something: to cause something to fail through carelessness or incompetence
2. mistake: a careless or clumsy action or mistake

in·or·di·nate

 adjective \in-ˈȯr-d^ən-ət, -ˈȯrd-nət\

Definition of INORDINATE

1

archaic : disorderly, unregulated

2

: exceeding reasonable limits : immoderate

— in·or·di·nate·ly adverb

— in·or·di·nate·ness noun

Examples of INORDINATE

1. I waited an inordinate amount of time.
2. They have had an inordinate number of problems with the schedule.

Origin of INORDINATE

Middle English inordinat, from Latin inordinatus, from in- +ordinatus, past participle of ordinare to arrange — more atordain

First Known Use: 14th century