Words Poorly Used #77.1 -- Impeachment

This week, after reading Skyler Collins' offering in Two Cents, I came upon a new approach to Words Poorly Used.  I will gild the lily by running the words or phrases through OneLook.com, linking them, then commenting on the unusual that I encounter via that process.

"Impeachment" at OneLook
noun: a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office

Pretty simple, huh? But not quite. What leaps out to me is "charging ... with" not "finding ... guilty of ..." Was Bill Clinton found guilty? Was Dick Nixon found guilty ... or even impeached?

▸ Words similar to impeachment

prosecution, recusal, ouster, disqualification, indictment, dismissal, removal, ousting, motion, accusation, recall, destitution, indicted, rebuke, accountability, reproach, negligence, arraignment, deposition, segregation, isolation, appeal, accused, accusing, accuse, carelessness, charge, isolating, challenge, defenceless, charged, continued, perjury, treason, censure, disbarment, reelection, judiciary, constitutional, senate, presidency, nullification, acquittal, election, court martial, malfeasance, bribery, congressional, appeach, impeachability, monicagate, governorship, speakership, fillibuster, congressmen, germaneness, senators, filibuster, corruption, interpellation, adjournment, constitutionalism, quo warranto, senatorial, cloture, ethics committee, misdoing, watergate scandal, lege, secession, democracy, compurgation, contempt of congress, exoneration, solons, richard milhous nixon, sedition, destabilization, legislative, chimango, investigatory, bill of attainder, democratic, arrogation, executive privilege, nolle, lustration, obstructionism, monica lewinsky, judicial activism, subpoena ad testificandum, indictments, lieutenant governorship, recusation, candidacy, pardon, prorogation, statehouse, direct examination, dissolution (see more...)

Interesting entries here are:

1. prosecution -- this does not always follow impeachment
2. ouster -- Nixon was oustered, but not impeached, while both Andrew Johnson and Clinton were acquitted.
3. The same sort of observation applies to similar words such as "disqualification" and "removal."
4. There were cases of euphemism in drafting the constitutional language.
5. Whether intended 0or not, all three of these episodes had many consequences, not the least of which was an equivalence to a bill of attainder.

▸ Words most associated with impeachment

impeached, impeach, proceedings, watergate, perjury, judiciary, nixon, acquittal, clinton, trial, complaint, conviction, acquitted, convict, obstruction, pickering, hastings, bribery, senate, ... 

 For example ...

▸ Popular adjectives describing impeachment

soft, presidential, parliamentary, such, possible, public, attempted, certain, successful, formal, subsequent, direct, threatened, immediate, famous, collateral, least, anti, serious, pro, regular, future, congressional, impending, terrible, near, above, grave, virtual, favored, intended, judicial, unsuccessful, actual, eventual, improper, slightest, celebrated, imminent, unusual, legislative, criminal, solemn, proposed, memorable, potential, post, mad, abortive, false, deserved, recorded, insufficient, constitutional, libellous, gross, presumptuous, partisan, implied, judge, violent, intermediate, fraudulent, prior, indirect

Got to love words like soft, serious, terrible, improper, mad, ...

▸ Rhymes of impeachment

preachment, beseechment, appeachment, treatment, agreement, achievement, in agreement, disagreement, concealment, bereavement, pretreatment, vehement, maltreatment, appeasement,... mistreatment, easement, underachievement, retreatment, impeachments, uniquement, preachments, bement, aftertreatment, malheureusement, revetement, feoffment, ...

Just for the fun of it.

▸ Invented words related to impeachment

Fun score	Input words				New word (click to hear)	Pronunciation
305	impeachment	+	unconstitutional	=	impeachmenconstitutional	/ʌmpitʃmʌnkɔnstʌtuʃʌnʌɫ/
283	destitution	+	indicted	=	destitutiondicted	/dɛstʌtuʃʌndaɪtʌd/
281	impeachment	+	conviction	=	impeachmenviction	/ʌmpitʃmʌnvʌkʃʌn/
269	impeachment	+	continued	=	impeachmentinued	/ʌmpitʃmʌntʌnjud/
264	appeal	+	impeachment	=	appeament	/ʌpitʃmʌnt/
261	complaint	+	impeachment	=	compachment	/kʌmpitʃmʌnt/

Sh!ts and giggles (LOL) ...

Phrases that include impeachment:   impeachment of waste, impeachment in the us, impeachment in ukraine, impeachment of bill clinton, impeachment trial of andrew johnson, more...

Now, let's check out the etymology -- from where did the word come?

impeachment (n.) 

late 14c., enpechement "accusation, charge," from Old French empeechement "difficulty, hindrance; (legal) impeachment," from empeechier "to hinder, impede" (see impeach). As a judicial proceeding on charges of maladministration against a public official, from 1640s.

Isn't "(legal) impeachment" a redundancy?  Aren't "hinder" and "impede" obvious?  Oh, oh, oh!  Maladministration???  Never!!!

Kilgore Forelle