parergy

P3A1R1E1R1G2Y4
/ˈpæɹə(ɹ)d͡ʒi/

noun

Something unimportant, incidental, or superfluous; a trifle

OriginAncient Greek πάρεργον →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounparergy (plural parergies)

plural parergies

  1. obsoleteSomething unimportant, incidental, or superfluous; a trifle

    Wherefore the Scriptures being serious, and commonly omitting such parergies, it will be unreasonable from hence to condemn all laughter

    1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπάρεργον
  2. Englishparergy

Latin parergon, Ancient Greek πάρεργον (párergon); παρά (pará, “beside”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

grapery
Cite this entry
APA

parergy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parergy

MLA

“parergy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parergy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parergy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parergy.

Source: parergy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.