What does pacific mean? You’re about to find out!
Quick Vocab Quiz for the word pacific
First, before you read the explanation, definition, and discussion of the word pacific, try this quick vocab quiz:
pacific most nearly means
(A) vital (B) tranquil (C) hasty (D) expensive (E) ornery
Part of Speech: ADJECTIVE
Pronunciations: IPA: /pə.ˈsɪ.fɪk/ Glossary-style: [puh-SIH-fihk]
Definition: tending to increase peace or calm and decrease conflict. peaceful or calm.
Give it to me straight: pacific simply means peaceful. pacific comes from the Latin word pax, which means peace.
We use the word pacific today to refer specifically to people who are opposed to war, fighting, and the like. So, if you have a pacific nature, then you are very peaceful and try to reduce the amount of strife, fighting, war, etc. in the world.
A couple of quick tips to help you remember pacific: What do we call that thing that (some) babies suck on? It’s called a pacifier. Why? Because it makes the babies more peaceful. So, just think of the pacifier pacifying the baby and making her or him more pacific, and you’ll learn three new vocabulary words.
And off course, we think of the Pacific Ocean when we think of pacific, even though the waters of the Pacific may not always seem peaceful.
Example: Polly was generally pacific by nature, but when her children were threatened, she became quite a force and acted both quickly and aggressively to protect them.
Answer to the quick quiz above:[spoiler]The best answer is B. Any questions? Please feel free to post them in the comments. We love comments. :)[/spoiler]