pococurante

English

WOTD – 23 February 2007

Etymology

Borrowed from French pococurante, itself - from Pococurante, a nonchalant Venetian senator in Candide, coined by Voltaire based on Italian poco (“little”) + curante (“caring”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌpəʊ.kəʊ.kjʊəˈɹæn.ti/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌpoʊ.koʊ.kjuːˈɹɑːn.ti/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

pococurante (comparative more pococurante, superlative most pococurante)

1. Apathetic, indifferent or nonchalant.
   • 1909, Ward A. W., Prothero G. W., Leathes Stanley K.C.B., Lord Acton, The Cambridge Modern History‎^[1], volume VI, page 20:

     The Treasury was entrusted to the pococurante capacity of Grafton, the Exchequer to the erratic genius of Charles Townshend.

Synonyms

• aloof, apathetic, disinterested, indifferent, nonchalant

Translations

apathetic

• Polish: obojętny (pl), niedbały (pl)
• Romanian: nepăsător (ro), indiferent (ro), insensibil (ro), impasibil (ro)

Noun

pococurante (plural pococurantes)

1. An apathetic, indifferent or nonchalant person.

Derived terms

• pococurantism

French

Etymology

Coined based on Italian. See above.

Noun

pococurante m or f by sense (plural pococurantes)

1. one who is apathetic

   Synonym: je-m’en-foutiste

Derived terms

• pococurantisme