"Pretermitting" is a word that can be tricky to spell. It's pronounced /prɪtərˈmɪtɪŋ/ which may explain why it can be easily misspelled. The word means to pass over and neglect something or someone. The spelling of "pretermitting" is a combination of Latin roots, "pre", which means "before", and "termit", which means "to let go, to neglect". The suffix "ing" is added to indicate a present participle form. Though not commonly used, this word serves as an excellent addition to your vocabulary arsenal.
Pretermitting is a verb that refers to the act of intentionally leaving something or someone out or neglecting to mention or consider them. The term is often used to describe the omission or overlooking of a particular detail, topic, or individual in a conversation, discussion, or written text.
When pretermitting, one purposefully excludes or bypasses a specific matter from consideration or discussion, either accidentally or deliberately. This can occur in various contexts, such as in legal proceedings, academic research, or everyday conversations. For example, a lawyer may pretermit an irrelevant piece of evidence during a court trial to maintain focus on the main issue, or an author might pretermit certain technicalities to simplify a complex topic for general readers.
The act of pretermitting can have different effects depending on the situation. In some instances, pretermitting can be a deliberate strategy to convey a certain message or manipulate the interpretation of information. However, it can also arise unintentionally, resulting from oversight or lack of awareness.
Pretermitting should be distinguished from outright denying or rejecting something. It is specifically about omitting, ignoring, or setting aside something temporarily or permanently, without explicitly denying its existence or relevance.
The word pretermitting is derived from the Latin verb pretermittere, which is a combination of two Latin words: preter, meaning beyond or past, and mittere, meaning to send. The Latin verb pretermittere means to let go by, to disregard, or to omit.