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\n \n Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2024 is:\n \n
\n \n\n incipient • \\in-SIP-ee-unt\\ • adjective
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Incipient is used to describe things which are beginning to come into being or which are to become apparent.
\n\n// The study clearly needs to be extended because the most recent data suggest incipient changes in the trends identified.
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\u201cWhile still in its incipient stages, working with AI will also become more important over the years. Automated systems are at the core of many things, from streaming apps and video games to online shopping platforms and navigation tools.\u201d \u2014 Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023
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Incipient... incipient... where to begin? Well, there\u2019s its meaning for one: incipient describes something that is beginning to come into being or to become apparent, as in \u201cthe incipient stages of the process.\u201d And of course a good starting point for any investigation of incipient is also the Latin verb incipere, which means \u201cto begin.\u201d Incipient emerged in English in the 17th century, appearing in both religious and scientific contexts, as in \u201cincipient grace\u201d and \u201cincipient putrefaction.\u201d Later came the genesis of two related nouns, incipiency and incipience, both of which are synonymous with beginning. Incipere\u2019s influence is also visible at the beginning of the words inception (\u201can act, process, or instance of beginning\u201d) and incipit, a term that in Latin literally means \u201cit begins\u201d and which refers in English to the opening words of a medieval manuscript or early printed book.
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