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desideratum

noun
de·​sid·​er·​a·​tum | \ di-ˌsi-də-ˈrä-təm How to pronounce desideratum (audio) , -ˌzi-, -ˈrā- How to pronounce desideratum (audio) \
plural desiderata\ di-​ˌsi-​də-​ˈrä-​tə How to pronounce desiderata (audio) , -​ˌzi-​ , -​ˈrā-​ \

Definition of desideratum

: something desired as essential detached individuality does not seem to be a desideratum of the Vedantic mind— Robert Bierstedt
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Did You Know?

We'd like to introduce you to some close cousins of "desire." All trace their roots to the Latin sider-, meaning "heavenly body." Desiderare, meaning "to long for," was born when Latin de- was prefixed to "sider-." "Desiderare" begat Anglo-French desirer, which in turn brought forth English "desire," "desirous," and "desirable" in the 13th and 14th centuries. But many years later, in the 17th century, English acquired "desideration" ("longing"), "desiderate" ("to wish for"), and finally "desideratum," all of which can lay claim to direct ancestry from "desiderare."

Examples of desideratum in a Sentence

a list of political desiderata

Recent Examples on the Web

 Airports supply the greatest desideratum of physical retail: foot traffic. — Daniel Gross, Slate Magazine, "Your Misery at the Airport Is Great for Business," 7 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of desideratum

1652, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for desideratum

Latin, neuter of desideratus — see desiderate

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More Definitions for desideratum

desideratum

noun
How to pronounce desideratum (audio) How to pronounce desideratum (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of desideratum

formal : something that is needed or wanted

See the full definition for desideratum in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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