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Dear Dr. Goodword,

My daughter was reading to me from one of her school books, and we encountered a word I was unfamiliar with: eudaimonia.

I've looked it up, but am more curious now than before and would like for you to choose it for the word-of-the-day, so that I can learn more of its history, etc.

Thanks so much for your help,
Susan Ardith Lee

That's quite some word for a text book. Is your daughter studying ethics and Aristotle?

Here's and interesting near antonym, [urlhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cacodemonia]cacodemonia[/url].

No, she is studying World History and is in the section on WWII, the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust, but she has a comprehensive instructor, who wants the students to understand the philosophy behind certain events. I believe that my daughter is fortunate, considering this is a Community College, and I am learning as well!

Two educations for the price of one! Can't beat that. And we get new words out of the deal, to boot. Even better.

"eudaimonia": the blissful state that immediately precedes bad news. MTC