Definition 1: Fortunate, presenting favorable conditions. Also, kindly or gracious.

Usage 1: Today's word is close in meaning and sound to "auspicious." However, "auspicious" refers to a beginning that signals a good result, while "propitious" describes continuing good conditions. "Propitiously" is the adverb form of today's word; "propitiousness" is the noun. There is also a seldom used verb, "propitiate," which means to make propitious.

Suggested usage: Sometimes such circumstances present themselves that we cannot refuse them: "With the moon shining above and a warm breeze in the air, we thought it a propitious occasion to take our city cousins cow-tipping." Other times, the moment is not so favorable, "I think that the day after Horace was passed over for a promotion would NOT be a propitious time to ask him for a raise."

Etymology: From Old French "propicieux" from Latin "propitius." The Romans said of their gods that they were propitius "well-disposed." Hence, both meanings of our word come directly from the Latin. The PIE root underlying Latin -pit- in "propitius" is *pet- found in both "feather" and "hippopotamus" and refers to flying or flowing. To see how these two unlikely words are linked, you must read the Phantom Linguist's piece, "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in yourDictionary's library. You will get another piece of PIE as a reward. (Thanks to Amy Leone for picking a propitious moment to send in today's word.)