The theme this week at  wordsmith.org is archaic words.  So does it surprise you that one of those words has been used in 319 federal court opinions in the last two years?  The word is peradventure, most commonly used in opinions as “beyond peradventure.”    As a noun, peradventure means “uncertainty; doubt,” so if something is beyond peradventure, it is beyond doubt. 

In case you are wondering, I noticed this word because I like to use the phrase ‘beyond peradventure.” 

Here’s an idea for an editing exercise:   “This week, erase (on paper or on computer screen) at least three words from everything you write. When you see the improvement, I bet you’ll erase more.” 

Thanks to Roy Jacobsen and  Kenneth W. Davis