macintyre
macintyre Lexical Profile
• noun
Scottish A surname of Scottish origin, historically associated with families from the Scottish Highlands.
"Mr. MacIntyre was appointed as the new head of the university's history department."
A reference to Alasdair MacIntyre (born 1929), a highly influential modern philosopher renowned for his contributions to moral philosophy and his revitalization of virtue ethics.
"The seminar on modern political theory required students to read MacIntyre alongside Rawls and Nozick."
Scottish A Scottish Highland clan whose historical homelands were centered around Glen Noe in Argyll, Scotland.
"The traditions and tartans of Clan MacIntyre are still celebrated by descendants around the world today."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently spelled as McIntyre, Macintyre, or MacIntyre; the capitalization of the internal 'I' and the inclusion of the 'a' in 'Mac' varies widely by family tradition.
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Mac an t-Saoir', which translates directly to 'son of the carpenter' or 'son of the wright'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.