Vocabulary Mnemonics

The above definition is the official one. But today’s word, cosmopolitan, is more colloquially defined as “citizen of the world.”

The easiest way to remember it is to break it down. In English, “cosmos” refers to the universe. And the Greek word “polis” means “city.” It’s where we get metropolis (big city).

So, imagine people from all over the universe (minus the aliens, of course) getting together in the same city.

We, personally, use this word when we tell people about our first trip to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home. The day prior, we’d visited George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, and it was teeming with people. Tourists, kids on field trips, you name it.

When we arrived in Monticello the following day, it was the complete opposite. The home is several hours’ drive from D.C., plus the weather had turned cold and rainy. We found ourselves with a handful of well-traveled cosmopolitans.