congruous

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2026 is: congruous \KAHNG-groo-us\ adjective Something described as congruous is in agreement, harmony, or correspondence with something else. Congruous can also describe something that is appropriate for a particular circumstance or requirement, or a thing that is marked or enhanced by harmonious agreement among its constituent elements. // Their professional achievements were congruous with their academic abilities. // The low bookshelf forms a congruous barrier between the spaces. // It is a congruous, plausible story, consistent in all its details. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congruous) Examples: “Hannah is a sustainability consultant and climate impact manager, which is congruous with an outdoor ethos and the culture around bike guiding ...” — Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 3 Sept. 2024 Did you know? Congruous had only been part of the English language for a few decades in 1615, when [a book](https://bit.ly/46v4oPv) about the Church of Rome referred to “teaching most congruous to reason.” The word has remained more or less true to its Latin roots: it comes from Latin congruus, an adjective that comes from the verb congruere, meaning “to come together” or “to agree.” (Its more common antonym, [incongruous](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incongruous) is about the same age.) Another familiar congruere descendant in English is congruent, which first appeared at least a century earlier with the same meaning as congruous. English also acquired [congrue](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congrue), a verb meaning “to be in harmony” or “to agree,” from congruere, but it has since become obsolete.