Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: 1. Conformist, following others in thought and behavior rather than leading. 2. Following a logically consistent direction, as a sequacious argument or line of reasoning.
Notes: So long as we do not confuse this Good Word with its rhyme-mate, loquacious "talkative", it will not entangle our conversations. Since sequacity sounds too much like a duck quacking at snake, most contemporary writers prefer sequaciousness as a noun for this word. The adverb is sequaciously, available for expressions such as to behave sequaciously or to think sequaciously.
In Play: Sequacious is both lovelier and more descriptive than conformist, making it the perfect substitute, "The tattoo trade thrives on a sequacious youth trying to be iconoclastic." Don't forget that this word also refers to consistency in thought and behavior: "Trying to diet over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays doesn't strike me as completely sequacious." Use today's word like this and watch your friends' eyes fill with admiration for your verbal skills.
Word History: Today's word comes from Latin, as do so many English words. This one is based on the Latin sequax (sequac-s) "following, pursuing", the present participle of sequi "to follow". In Sanskrit, the ancient ancestor of Hindi and a language related to Latin and English, it became sak- "to follow" and sakis "friend". The original root also took on the suffix -ondo- (sekw-ondo-), becoming secundus "following, coming next, second" in Latin, whence English borrowed it for our word second.