Desiderata
Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”: “Happily-ever-after” and “eternal love” appear to be the desiderata of the current generation to whom “fat chance” say those of us who are older, wiser and more curmudgeonly.
For many, the word desiderata most often evokes the famous poem by Max Ehrmann, written in 1927 and often referred to simply as Desiderata, without attribution or quotation marks. The poem begins with oft-quoted the lines, “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, / and remember what peace there may be in silence.”
Though the poem has achieved a mythic quality and a near-spiritual significance for some, it was not well known until the 1970s when it was made into hugely popular posters and sound recordings. Even Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame included a spoken-word rendition of Desiderata on his album Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music from Outer Space in the track “Spock Thoughts.”
Listen to the track:
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The word can be traced back to the 19th century, when it became fashionable for English-speakers to use little-known Latin words in place of shorter, more common Anglo-Saxon terms. Latin words were thought to be more elegant and more precise than their English counterparts, and the users of these words no doubt hoped to be seen as more intellectual and sophisticated. Desiderata gained popularity in the early 1800s as part of this trend, which had its many critics. In 1864, Henry Alford wrote that English “is undergoing a sad and rapid process of deterioration. Its fine manly Saxon is getting diluted into long Latin words not carrying half the meaning.” Many, like Alford, considered Latinate words pretentious, and advocated for what they considered a purer form of English.
Spanish and French also absorbed desiderata from Latin, and the word continues to have the same meaning in both languages today.
Some writers misuse desiderata as a singular noun. The correct singular form is desideratum.
Popular References:
Desiderata, Madder Mortem, CD (2006).
“Desiderata,” The Poems of Max Ehrmann, Max Ehrmann (1927). The text was largely unknown in the author’s lifetime. After its use in a devotional, it was turned into a hugely popular poster.
The Queen’s English: stray notes on speaking and spelling, by Henry Alford. A. Strahan, 1864
English in nineteenth-century England: an introduction, by Manfred Görlach, 1999
Relevant Quotations.
“When you arrive at Savannah, I have many desiderata, as usual.”
—Henry Muhlenberg, Reliquiae Baldwinianae: selections from the correspondence of the late William Baldwin (1843)
“When posters of the poem ‘Desiderata’ adorned dormitory walls in the 70s, an entire column was devoted to clearing up its clouded origins.”
—Reference and Adult Services Division of the American Library Association, RQ, Vol 25 (1986)
Great article but you failed to define the word’s meaning.
defeated
Am I mistaken? I did not come across the meaning of the word in the above article.
[...] ‘Desiderata’ — Pan seared Alien sonata — A poem — A Posted toasted cantata — Essential lexical gotta — To be or not persona non grata — Stoned warrior Terra Cotta. — Have some Cola and a Cigarette Lotta — An evening with Jake Lamotta. –>>L.T.Rhyme This entry was posted in DICTCOMHOTWORD, L.T.Rhyme and tagged LT, LTRhyme, the HOT WORD on March 19, 2013 by LTRhyme. [...]
So, what English word did it replace?
Perhaps I’ve read the article too quickly, but you never actually bother say what the word means.
And I too have been remiss, by omitting the word “to” in my prior comment.
I framed this poem for all the tenants in a group home for the mentally ill several years ago, for family members, and myself. I love this poem. It is so calming.
But…what does it MEAN?
Live long and prosper, placidly!
This post didn’t actually mention the definition for desiderata, which according to this very site is: “things needed or wanted.”
I thought maybe that should be added for a post entitled on the main page as ‘What does desiderata mean?”
isnt a defination needed? or is a question desired? perhaps i missed the point?
I believe National Lampoon’s parody of Desiderata (“Detiorata”) surpassed the original in popularity, at least after the novelty of the original waned and it became something of a cliché:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCGRDnTySCI
asdrgtgtdfgrr= pie
you did not mention in here the definition of desiderata. 
Did they forget to *define* the word in the article?
Interesting little discussion. It would have been better if you had told the reader what “desiderata” means. Yep, the reader can look it up. But isn’t defining the word under discussion — or at least giving some hint as to its meaning — one of the “desiderata” of writings of this kind?
Best online dictionary ever…
I hope I can use this word in my later essays
Interesting… but what does Desiderata mean?
Why is the perfectly-good word “ongoing” hyphenated in the final line of your text?
An interesting article and though I read it twice, could not find a definition of the word. I guess I’ll have to find a dictionary somewhere.
Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”: “Happily-ever-after” and “eternal love” appear to be the desiderata of the current generation to whom “fat chance” say those of us who are older, wiser and more curmudgeonly.
It says it…
For all those who recent commenters who are anxious to find the definition, re-read the first sentence, paying particular attention to the word, “meaning”.
Isn’t the def in the first line?
Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”:
The meanings: Things To Do [in spiritual context]- Shopping List [ abstract articles only].
Definition: Instructions into morality and wisdom.
In the very first line it states…Desiderata is a plural noun meaning “things wanted or needed”.
I think a better explanation is… from the Latin meaning things desired.
How are all of you not seeing the definition? It is in the first sentance!
“Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what peace there may be in owning a piece thereof….
In the dictionary entry for ‘primavera’ it says that ‘prima vera’ literally means springtime. I was under the impression that it literally meant ‘first summer’.
what does this do?
@Gio: Do no fret, it is always kind of painful for languages that are still very close to its Latin roots. Spanish =/= Portuguese, and we also do have the same words mentioned with the same meaning. XD
And I believe Spanish for spring is also Primavera as it is for us.
For all of those saying that the article doesn’t define the word: read the first sentence CAREFULLY.
i kept waiting for nimoy to say;
‘be excellent to each other…
and…
PARTY ON, DUDES!’
@Noop:
Did you just say: curmudgeonly? That word ROCKS!
Thanks too for this thoughtful post!
This yields an interesting observation. It would seem that about half of the commenters (at least) failed to read the first sentence of the article…there appears to be a definition in it!
The meaning of the word “desiderata” is stated in the first sentence.
The meaning is in the very first paragraph! How could so many people miss that?
Oops, I meant it’s in the very first sentence.
(Which is, however, also in the very first paragraph but since it *had* been missed so many times I thought I should be more clear.)
Yes, the definition is in the very first sentence, within quotation marks: “things wanted or needed.”
This IS the Desiderata…..
Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
@Ed: I really cannot see what is “perfectly good” about “ongoing”, whether hyphenated or not. Is it perhaps the present participle of “to ongo”? To my mind it is both ugly and superfluous – a crutch for the lazy (or ignorant).
meaning “things wanted or needed”:
How did some readers miss that in the first sentence?
However, it would have helped if we were given examples of its use in Latin literature, for I suspect that it is in fact a Latin word of fairly obvious meaning but invented in the early 19th century. I would not totally agree with Henry Alford, but this particular word does seem rather pretentious and “over the top.”
Yes it does.
Noop is right – the definition is in the very first sentence at the top of the page.
The definition is stated in the first sentence. Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”.
The definition is in the first sentence: “meaning ‘things wanted or needed.’”
What’s the problem? – the article starts “Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”: “
When the article was first posted, it did not include the definition of the word ‘desiderata’. The definition was posted after people complained.
Sorry, but how did you guys miss the first sentence: “Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”? It may not be a proper dictionary definition, but it does tell you what desiderata means.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the album that “Spock Thoughts” was originally released on was called “The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy,” Mr. Nimoy’s second album (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Sides_of_Leonard_Nimoy). On one side he performed as Mr. Spock, and on the other, as himself. Clearly enough, “Spock Thoughts” was on the first side. (The famous — or infamous — “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” was the first track on the second side of this album.)
“Music from Outer Space” was Mr. Nimoy’s first album and included such gems as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Earth” and “Music to Watch Space Girls By.”
what is wrong with everyone!? the definition is given in the first line!
“Desiderata” is the plural form of the Latin word “desideratum”, meaning a thing to be desired or wanted.
Desiderata, therefore, are things you desire or wish for.
For chris’sake, here:
desiderata
de·sid·er·a·ta
[dih-sid-uh-rey-tuh, -rah-, -zid-] Show IPA .
plural noun, singular de·sid·er·a·tum.
things wanted or needed; the plural of desideratum: “Happily-ever-after” and “eternal love” appear to be the desiderata of the current generation; to whom “fat chance” say those of us who are older, wiser, and more curmudgeonly. Synonyms: essentials, necessities, requisites, sine qua nons.
Umm… The definition is in the first sentence. XD You guys read to quickly.
Desiderata~Things wanted or needed.
XD Yallz just got bested by a 7th grader!
(Yes, I know “yallz” isn’t a word, I just like saying it.)
STATED EARLIER BY:
“jrilett” commented “Live long and prosper, placidly!”
Well, my dear Jrilett …. omg…You just made my day. Strike that. MY WEEK. that was just too funny! Thank you so much.
Why are people having such difficulty finding the definition of the word? It’s in the very first sentence of the article:
“Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning ‘things wanted or needed.’”
Unless you for some reason decided to ignore the first sentence, I’m failing to see how this is “not defining the word.”
The meaning is in the very first part of the article:
Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”
I understood the meaning clearly in this article~ thanks!
Are you all out of your minds? Why so many people keeping saying that the definition was never given on the article?????
The very first line of the article defines what desiderata means!!!!
Here, I have copied and pasted it for you blind people out there…..
“Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning “things wanted or needed”:
How about the National Lampoon parody “Detirorata” spoken by famous baritone VO master, Norman Rose? “Know what to kiss, and when.” “You are a fluke of the universe, you have not right to be here, whether you can hear it or not, the universe is laughing behind your back.”
I seem to recall Lorne Green (“Ben Cartwright of Bonanza Fame) having a popular recording of this poem in the late 60s or early 70s. the Nimoy version was much more obscure.
Some of Leonard Nimoy’s finest work.
But not finer than “In Search Of…”
That was the best show of all of our lives!
You’re welcome, smellies.
Btw i dint quite catch the meaning
just jam about the comments
The multitude of comments on March 19 requesting the definition leads me to believe Dictionary.com added it by March 20th when everyone else was easily finding it.
Is everyone here lying about the article not defining what the word means? Or did no one even bother to read even the first sentence of this article before commenting?
I would put the definition here in my comment, but if you people can’t even notice what the article says in the first sentence, you probably won’t be able to notice what my comment says, either.
Thanks PJ, since I didn’t see the original post (and it seems no one else saw it either) your comment cleared up the mystery of the missing definition.
What theheckdoes it mean.
Desiderata is the plural of desideratum and there really isn’t any other way to describe it other than “something wanted or needed”. But a good example that helped me to understand what this word means is – “integrity was a desideratum”.
Thank you so much!
Yesterday morning I briefly saw Spock in my dreams and woke up laughing. To my surprise. My daughter hovered over me, to see what’s going on. 7:25 CET too early. I told some people about it and got no response. Today I open ‘the best dictionary’ and find that link. Desiderata, the title of the poem. And the mention of Spock. These explanations, as rarely as i check them, are never all that.. But your comments got me laughing hard and with tears, as I haven’t in the longest, if ever.
Desiderata|Blogchi, took it off.
I loved JP’s comment!
And the repetition with variations of the majority of comments is hillarious!
For those of you who missed the diffination of the word, it is defined in the first paragraph…
Why is everybody saying the definition of the word is not in the article? It’s in the first sentence! “Desiderata is a plural noun, with the singular form desideratum, meaning ‘things wanted or needed’”.
It was after I posted my previous comment that I saw that many other people said the same thing. Maybe it definition wasn’t there before and they edited the article?
How beautiful to have “Spock” reading it!
What is truly funny is that 45% of the posters asked, “Where is the definition?” Another 45% answered the question. So most of you didn’t read either the article or the posts before you posted yours! The other 10% at least had original ideas and interesting things to say. Now, so that you don’t accuse me of not having anything interesting to say, I want to post the text of “Deteriorata”, which, as mentioned in one post, is the National Lampoon parody, and an excellent piece of work it is!
Deteriorata
Go placidly amid the noise and waste,
And remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Avoid quiet and passive persons, unless you are in need of sleep.
Rotate your tires.
Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself,
And heed well their advice, even though they be turkeys.
Know what to kiss, and when.
Consider that two wrongs never make a right, but that three do.
Wherever possible, put people on hold.
Be comforted that in the face of all aridity and disillusionment,
and despite the changing fortunes of time,
There is always a big future in computer maintenance.
Remember The Pueblo.
Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate.
Know yourself. If you need help, call the FBI.
Exercise caution in your daily affairs,
Especially with those persons closest to you –
That lemon on your left, for instance.
Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls
Would scarcely get your feet wet.
Fall not in love therefore. It will stick to your face.
Gracefully surrender the things of youth: birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan.
And let not the sands of time get in your lunch.
Hire people with hooks.
For a good time, call 606-4311. Ask for Ken.
Take heart in the deepening gloom
That your dog is finally getting enough cheese.
And reflect that whatever fortune may be your lot,
It could only be worse in Milwaukee.
You are a fluke of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not,
The universe is laughing behind your back.
Therefore, make peace with your god,
Whatever you perceive him to be – hairy thunderer, or cosmic muffin.
With all its hopes, dreams, promises, and urban renewal,
The world continues to deteriorate.
Give up!
Yes, many people are complaining that there’s no definition when it appears in the article. When this post first appeared, there was no definition. After a number of complaints, they edited the post and inserted the definition.
Proper process for this would be to indicate in the edit that it is an edit so that later commentors would not be confused (or disrespectful) of those who pointed out the error.
The fault lies with Dictionary.com’s editorial policy, not with the numerous comments asking for the definition.
Dude this site IS AWESOME ANDYALL cant read but yall r very smart XD
Dudes Yall Are Epic With The Smartness And You People Need to Read Slower
The National Lampoon Version:
You are a fluke of the universe. You have no right to be here.
Deteriorata. Deteriorata.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste,
And remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Avoid quiet and passive persons, unless you are in need of sleep.
Rotate your tires.
Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself,
And heed well their advice, even though they be turkeys.
Know what to kiss, and when.
Consider that two wrongs never make a right, but that three do.
Wherever possible, put people on hold.
Be comforted that in the face of all aridity and disillusionment,
and despite the changing fortunes of time,
There is always a big future in computer maintenance.
Remember The Pueblo.
Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate.
Know yourself. If you need help, call the FBI.
Exercise caution in your daily affairs,
Especially with those persons closest to you –
That lemon on your left, for instance.
Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls
Would scarcely get your feet wet.
Fall not in love therefore. It will stick to your face.
Gracefully surrender the things of youth: birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan.
And let not the sands of time get in your lunch.
Hire people with hooks.
For a good time, call 606-4311. Ask for Ken.
Take heart in the bedeepening gloom
That your dog is finally getting enough cheese.
And reflect that whatever fortune may be your lot,
It could only be worse in Milwaukee.
You are a fluke of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not,
The universe is laughing behind your back.
Therefore, make peace with your god,
Whatever you perceive him to be – hairy thunderer, or cosmic muffin.
With all its hopes, dreams, promises, and urban renewal,
The world continues to deteriorate.
Give up!
yo grace chill u anit all tht brick !!
“things wanted or needed” is not good enough a definition….?
My dictionary states that desideratum is a plural noun. Also no forms of the word end with the letter a. Desiderate and desiderative. I may need another dictionary.
“…the current generation to whom “fat chance” say those of us who are older, wiser and more curmudgeonly.”
I’m note sure i understand this part of the intro. Is the grammar okay here?
My name was taken from this word and also the poem. <3
Dave y
“How are all of you not seeing the definition? It is in the first sentance!”
My comment:
When in a dictionary context you deliberately write and spell wrongly, you are not trustworthy!
Nicole
“For those of you who missed the diffination of the word, it is defined in the first paragraph…”
When in a dictionary context you deliberately write and spell wrongly, you are not trustworthy!
I will placidly clear up this mess and confusion. Okay for every who does not understand, can’t read, or just thought the definition was incomplete, will have a sense of peace and remain silent. I will break the it down now for the ignorant folks, even though it is dull as your banking history notices. The word desiderata is the plural of desideratum. Hostile remarks towards all of these people are vexing and spiritually frustrating for others, and just make you look vain and make others bitter. Desideratum, is “a need unfulfilled, or a desire”. It is comparable to other words that define a prerequisite or required item, but whoever wrote that really great one word definition was no lesser of a person for it. Here is an example sentence: Enjoyment, achievement, planning and interest in your career or small business, as well as possessing reality, are the desiderata of making a fortune over time. Try this exercise: Cautiously rewrite the sentence replacing the tricky word desiderata blindly with virtually any plural nouns even if they are contrived, like high heals, oven wares, lifeless bulls, or hereafters. Don’t beat yourself, especially when this trick is no effect on you, and don’t be cynical, but try to love the facile absurdity and disenchantment perennially popping up.like weeds in your grass. Okay I am ending this, because it is boring me. I really made a soid effort to paraody, but it is difficult and i am bored now. Just swap words like requirements, needs, and wants in the place of desiderata. Whether can hear it or not the universe is telling joke and your in it.
@Krom: A fitting (and thoughtful and humorous) contribution to the site, and I hope one that ends the endless request for a definition.
“data and desiderata” = 67600 results by Google
“things given and things wanted”
This is a great poem, its a way of life.
It’s also an Italian word with the same meaning (since you said that it is French and Spanish).
btw instead of pointing out that primaveral (in your spring slideshow today) shares the same root of an Italian dish, you should say that Primavera is Spring in Italian.
Often your etymology section is painful for an Italian XD but apart from that I really enjoy this website.