adulationem

Adulationem is the accusative singular form of the Latin noun adulatio, which means flattery or excessive praise. In Latin, adulationem would function as the direct object, referring to the act or quality of flattering or sycophantic behavior directed at someone.

Etymology and grammar: The noun adulatio derives from the deponent verb adulari (to flatter, to fawn). The abstract-noun suffix -atio yields adulation, with adulationem as the accusative singular and adulationis as the genitive. The feminine noun adulatio takes different case endings, including adulationem in the accusative.

Usage and reception: In classical Latin, adulationem appears in contexts describing flattery or servile praise aimed at a person of status, such as a ruler or public figure. In English, the corresponding term is adulation; adulationem is typically encountered only in Latin quotations or scholarly discussion, where it denotes the same concept of excessive, insincere praise.

See also: flattery, sycophancy, obsequiousness, eulogy, panegyric. Adulationem is primarily of interest to students of Latin language and classicizing scholarship, and it illustrates how the act of flattering is categorized within Latin rhetoric and moral discourse.