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)

Apathetic, indifferent or nonchalant.
- 1909, Ward A. W., Prothero G. W., Leathes Stanley K.C.B., and Lord Acton, The Cambridge Modern History‎, 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)

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)

one who is apathetic
Synonym: je-m'en-foutiste

Derived terms

pococurantisme