viridity

noun

vi·​rid·​i·​ty və-ˈri-də-tē 

1

a

: the quality or state of being green

b

: the color of grass or foliage

2

: naive innocence

Did you know?

Viridity is simply a highfalutin way to say "greenness" in both its literal and figurative senses. Greenness goes all the way back to Old English grēnnes, from grēne ("green"), a word akin to Old English grōwan ("to grow"). Viridity did not enter the language until the 15th century, when it was adopted into Middle English as viridite. The ultimate source of viridity is Latin viriditas ("greenness"), itself drawn from the root viridis ("green"). Viridis is also the source (by way of Middle French verdoyant) of English verdant, as well as verdancy, yet another fancy synonym for "greenness."

Synonyms

• artlessness
• greenness
• guilelessness
• ingenuousness
• innocence
• naiveness
• naïveté
• naivete
• naiveté
• naivety [chiefly British]
• naïvety
• naturalness
• simplemindedness
• simpleness
• simplicity
• unsophistication
• unworldliness

Examples of viridity in a Sentence

a heroine beset by the vacuous viridity that is so typical of romance novels

Word History

Etymology

Middle English viridite, from Latin viriditat-, viriditas, from viridis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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