| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Abrogate | to cancel, destroy, revoke, or void |
| Acerbic | sharp, biting, or acid in temper, expression, or tone |
| Acrimony | bitter, harsh, or biting sharpness |
| Acumen | quickness of perception or discernment (understanding) |
| Adumbrate | to sketch, outline in a shadowy way |
| Ameliorate | to make or grow better |
| Aphorism | a tensely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage |
| Apocryphal | of doubtful authority or authenticity |
| Allegory | the representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form |
| Arcane | understood by only a few |
| Avarice | an excessive desire of gain; greediness |
| Banal | commonplace; trivial |
| Bifurcate | to divide into two parts or branches |
| Binary | characterized by or consisting of two parts or components |
| Bi-polar | having two opposite or contradictory ideas |
| Cadre | a core or nucleus of trained or otherwise qualified personnel around which an organization is formed |
| Capricious | whimsical; changeable |
| Carpe diem | seize the moment |
| Caveat | a warning or caution |
| Chicanery | the use of trickery to deceive |
| Chortle | to utter, or express with, a snorting, exultant laugh or chuckle |
| Codicil | an amendment to an existing will |
| Collegial | characterized by or having authority vested equally among colleagues |
| Concatenation | a chain; a succession |
| Consanguineous | related by blood, descended from the same ancestor |
| Demagogue | a leader who tries to stir up people by appeals to emotion, prejudice, etc., in order to achieve power |
| Diction | the choice and use of words in speech or writing |
| Didactic | conveying instruction; teaching some moral lesson |
| Dilatory | inclined to put off what ought to be done at once |
| Disingenuous | not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating |
| Eclectic | made up of or combining elements from varying sources |
| E.g. | exempli gratia (for example) |
| Egalitarian | favoring social equality |
| Ellipsis | Omission or suppression of parts of words or sentences with a mark or series of marks (... or *** for example) |
| Ephemeral | short lived |
| Equivocate | to be deliberately ambiguous or unclear |
| Erudite | characterized by extensive reading or knowledge; well instructed; learned |
| Ethereal | characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible |
| Euphemism | a mild or vague word or phrase replacing one considered harsh or offensively direct |
| Exiguous | extremely scanty (bare) |
| Facetious | "tongue-in-cheek-advice" characterized by wit and pleasantry |
| Fait accompli | an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed or fact |
| Finite | having bounds |
| Forbearance | patience; good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence |
| Fortuitous | happening by chance |
| Halcyon | peaceful, undisturbed, and happy |
| Hyperbole | extravagant exaggeration |
| Iconoclast | one who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas of institutions |
| i.e. | id est (that is) |
| Inane | without contents, empty; void of sense or intelligence; purposeless; pointless; useless |
| Inchoate | partially but not fully in existence or operation |
| Indolent | avoiding labor and exertion; lazy |
| Ken | perception; understanding; knowledge |
| Levity | frivolity (not serious or sensible) |
| Lexicon | a stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject or style; a vocabulary |
| Limited liability companies | (LLC) combine the liability protection of a coorporation with the tax benefits and simplicity of a partnership |
| Logomachy | argument over the definition of words |
| Loquacious | very talkative |
| Metaphor | a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them |
| Milieu | environment; setting |
| Myopic | lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning |
| NB | nota bene (Latin meaning note well); used to direct attention to something particularly important |
| Nefarious | wicked in the extreme |
| Obviate | to prevent by interception |
| Patrician | a person of refined upbringing, manners and taste |
| Pecuniary | relating to money |
| Pedantic | characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules |
| Pejorative | disparaging, belittling |
| Pernicious | deadly |
| Plenary | full; entire; complete |
| Prevaricate | to depart from or evade the truth |
| Probity | honesty, uprightness |
| Proclivity | a natural inclination; predisposition |
| Puerile | displaing a lack of maturity |
| Pusillanimous | lacking in courage and resolution |
| Renege | to go back on a promise or commitment |
| Requisite | necessary; indispensable |
| Res Ipsa Loquitur | the thing speaks for itself |
| Reticent | inclined to keep quiet |
| Salient | noticeable; also, projecting; also, leaping |
| Sardonic | bitterly sarcastic |
| Scintilla | a minute amount; an iota or trace |
| Simile | a word or phrase by which anything is likened to something else; it's often introduced by "like" or "as" |
| Sine qua non | an indispensable thing |
| Sojourn | a temporary stay; a brief period of residence |
| Specious | apparently right; superficiallly fair, just, or correct, but not so in reality; appearing well at first view; plausible |
| Succinct | brief, concise |
| Supercilious | lofty with pride |
| Superfluous | more than is wanted or is sufficient |
| Syllogism | logic: a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion |
| Symbiotic | a relationship of mutual benefit or depencence |
| Syntax | the study of the rules whereby words or other elements of sentence structure are combined to form grammatical sentences |
| Tautological | needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy |
| Ubiquitous | being everywhere |
| Unilateral | having only one side |
| Verve | energy and enthusiasm in the expression of ideas |
| Vilify | to make vicious and defamatory statements about |
| Visceral | course, base, instinctive |
| Vitiate | to make faulty or imperfect |
| Vociferous | making a loud outcry |
| Progenitor | an ancestor |
| Kinetic | having to do with motion, lively, active |
| Impervious | unable to be penetrated, and thus protected from being affected or influenced by an outside force |
| Portly | stout, usually in a manner that is stately and dignified; it means having a large body, but does not have negative implications as does "fat" |
| Copious | plentiful, abundant |
| Ineffable | inexpressible, beyond the ability of words to convey |
| Waggish | fond of joking, mischievous, prone to pranks |
| Insidious | treacherous, sneaky, intended to entrap or beguile |
| Volition | refers to the excersize of will or choice |
| Palliate | to relieve, to lessen without curing |
| Congenital | from birth, inborn, inherent |
| Clandestine | secret, concealed, done covertly in order to avoid detection |
| Dubious | uncertain, skeptical, doubtful, questionable |
| Profligate | wasteful and immoral, very wicked, shamelessly bad |
| Serendipity | the faculty of attracting good fortune; the good fortune itself; good luck |
| Solicitous | anxiously concerned, eager and attentive, almost to the point of hovering |
| Languish | to experience prolonged inactivity in a way that weakens or depresses |
| Cursory | superficial, hasty, brief, haphazard |
| Antithesis | a direct oppositye, a contrast |
| Lassitude | weariness, weakness, lack of energy, listlessness |
| Impugn | to cast doubt upon, to challenge the truth or integrity of someone or something |
| Exalt | to glorify or praise highly, to honor or elevate |
| Incursion | an invasion, a sudden attack or raid |
| Inkling | a hint, a vague notion, a slight suspicion |
| Covet | to intensely desire, to yearn for |
| Preremptory | leaving no choice, final, categorical, absolute, dictatorial |
| Illicit | forbidden, illegal, improper, taboo |
| Decorous | proper, dignified, in good taste, well behaved, not offensive |
| Chagrin | embarassment, humiliation, often combined with dissapointment |
| Tenable | viable, defensible, valid, capable of being successfully argued, reasonable, workable |
| Quibble | to argue in a petty manner, to evade truth by twisting the meaning of words |
| Aptitude | a natural ability, a talent, an inclination towards somethign that has not yet been mastered |
| Belabor | to go over repeatedly, to persist beyond the point of reason |
| Ravage | to destroy, to plunder, to lay waste to |
| Vapid | lacking liveliness, dull, spiritless, insispid |
| Exacting | difficult, requiring great skill or precision, demanding of perfection, hard to please |
| Abortive | unsuccessful, ended before completion |
| Gingerly | cautiously, warily, with extreme care |
| Macerate | to soften or breakdown by soaking |
| Squalor | filth, wretchedness, repulsive conditions |
| Voluble | talkative, fond of talking, having a smooth, rapid flow of words |
| Misanthropic | cynical; believing in the worst of human nature and motives |
| Obsequious | fawning, showing servile deference, polite or obedient from hope of gain or from fear |
| Colloquial | informal, conversational, common |
| Noxius | poisonous, harmful, very nasty |
| Congenial | friendly, pleasant, agreeable |
| Ingenuous | candid, sincere, forthright, without deception, charmingly naive |
| Eccentric | not conventional, quirky, peculiar to what is considered normal |
| Interdict | to impede or prohibit, to restrain from doing something |
| Stymie | thwart, hinder, or block |
| Preempt | to supercede, to replace by prior arrangement |
| Vernacular | the speech common to where you live |
| Largess | generosity or philanthropy |
| Laconic | using few words, concise |
| Concord | harmony, agreement, a peaceful similarity of attitudes |
| Destitute | extremely poor, impovrished, lacking in what is required for basic sustenance |
| Quixotic | foolishly romantic, impractical |
| Venerate | honor, deeply respected, treat with reverance, as though sacred |
| Recrimination | counter-accusation, the act of accusing in return |
| Spate | an outporing, a torrent, a burst, a great quantity |
| Agrarian | relating to the land, to agriculture, to farming in particular |
| Acrophobia | a fear of heights |
| Proliferate | to spread or grow rapidly, to multiply |
| Futile | hopeless, useless, ineffective, incapable of producing a result |
| Incipient | emerging, budding, beginning, in early stages |
| Exult | to rejoince, to celebrate, to be jubilant, elated |
| Amoral | neither moral nor immoral, not involving questions of right or wrong |
| Impetuous | impulsive, given to sudden rash action or emotion |
| Platitude | a trite, overused saying; a cliche usually offered as advice or wisdom |
| Peruse | to read carefully, to survey or examine in detail |
| Overt | open to view, not hidden, apparent |
| Beatific | blissful, showing very great happiness, exalted |
| Paragon | a model of excellence or perfection |
| Discern | distinguish, differentiate from something else, to perceive |
| Opaque | not transparent, impossible to see through; unclear, murky, not easily understood |
| Discreet | reserved, cautious as to what is spoken or shared, unobstrusive, not blatant |
| Juxtapose | bring together for the purpose of side-by-side comparison or contrast |
| Mercenary | motivated by money alone |
| Sentient | having feeling, able to perceive with the senses, conscious |
| Emissary | a messenger, a person sent on a mission for someone else |
| Exigent | urgent, pressing, requiring immediate action |
| Promulgate | to proclaim, to publicly or formally declaire something, to make known |
| Monolithic | massive and in one piece / single-minded |
| Putative | supposed, reputed, commonly accepted |
| Cogent | persuasive, convincing, pertinent |
| Palpable | obvious, evident, tangible, capable of being touched or felt |
| Tentative | uncertain or experimental |
| Immutable | unchangeable, permanent, steadfast |
| Incredulity | lack of belief, doubt |
| Provisional | temporary, for the time being, interim; conditional |
| Abridge | to shorten or condense |
| Distend | swell, bloat, extend outward, expand |
| Mercurial | changeable, especially with regard to mood; fickle |
| Maudlin | overly sentimental, sentimental in a weak and silly way |
| Denizen | an inhabitant, an occupant |
| Exhort | to strongly urge, to seriously warn, to advise |
| Insolent | insulting, boldly rude or disrespectful, impudent |
| Mitigate | to make less severe, make more bearable |
| Heresy | unorthodoxy; a belief that is not in line with the established dogma-- especially religious dogma |
| Taciturn | habitually silent, uncommunicative, to have a quiet nature |
| Inundate | to flood or overwhelm |
| Tyro | a beginner, a novice, someone just starting out and learning |
| Unremitting | persistent, ceaseless, relentless |
| Curtail | to cut short, to reduce, diminish or abridge |
| Obtuse | to be dense, slow to catch on, unobservant, not tuned in |
| Premise | an assumption, a basis for conclusion, an idea upon which other ideas rest |
| Wanton | malicious, unjustifiable, without regard to what is right |
| Sanctimonious | phony holy, exaggerated religious feeling, hypocritical devotion or piousness; often "holier than thou" |
| Perfunctory | done routinely with indifference, hasty and superficial |
| Injunction | an order, especially a court order to refrain from doing something |
| Tacit | unspoken, implied, understood without being expressed |
| Munificent | lavishly generous |
| Maverick | a freethinker, a noncomformist, a rebel, a ground breaker |
| Absolve | to free from blame or obligation, to forgive |
| Hapless | unlucky, unfortunate, not favored by chance |
| Purported | rumored, claimed, alleged, put forth |
| Axiom | a statement that is widely accepted as true |
| Appease | to soothe or pacify by giving in to or satisfying a demand |
| Hackneyed | trite, over-used, commonplace |
| Cognizant | aware, conscious of, informed |
| Postulate | a premise or assumption assumed as basis for reasoning; as a verb, it means to assume, to set forth without proof |
| Pungent | sharp, biting, especially in taste or smell |
| Lament | to mourn, to feel or express sorrow over, to grieve |
| Pivotal | crucial, critically important, that on which something is contigent, that which upon it turns |
| Rogue | a scoundrel, someone who can't be trusted, someone who is playfully mischievous |
| Fatuous | foolish, silly, idiotic |
| Torpor | sluggishness, apathy, inertia |
| Aplomb | self-assurance, poise, impertubable confidence |
| Vehement | intense, forceful, impassioned |
| Artifice | cunning, craftiness, the using of trickery or subterfuge to get one's way |
| Edify | to uplift, to benefit or instruct, especially morally |
| Dormant | inactive, as though asleep or actually alseep, in a state of hibernation |
| Furtive | secretive, sly, clandestine |
| Fervor | zeal, ardor, impassioned enthusiasm, intensity of feeling |
| Doctrinaire | dogmatic, characterizes one who lives according to a theory, doctrine, or belief system whether or not it is practical; characterizes one who is inflexible |
| Proselytize | to attempt to convert, to actively recruit |
| Veracity | the quality of truthfulness |
| Idyllic | charmingly simple, naturally peaceful, having rustic charm |
| Anguish | extreme pain, either physical or emotional |
| Feign | to pretend, to put on a false appearance |
| Conjecture | inference, guesswork |
| Lucid | easily understood, clear |
| Astute | shrewd, clever |
| Circumspect | careful, prudent, discreet |
| Disseminate | to scatter around, as in sowing seed |
| Perspicacious | shrewd, clear-sighted |
| Callous | emotinally hardened, unfeeling |
| Extirpate | to destroy |
| Belie | to misrepresent or disguise |
| Dearth | scarce supply, lack |
| Deign | to condescend, to lower oneself, to consider fit |
| Lucre | money, but usually with negative implications; money considered as a bad or degrading influence |
| Limpid | clear, transparent, able to be seen through or into |
| Libel | to defame, to write or publish things about another that are both damaging and of questionable truth |
| Ensconce | to settle in, to shelter |
| Succumb | to give into a superior force, to surrender |
| Ignominy | deep disgrace, public shame or the loss of one's good name |
| Dank | damp, humid, usually in an unpleasant way |
| Stricture | limitation, criticism, constriction |
| Trepidation | apprehension, nervous trembling, uncertainty |
| Daunt | to intimidate, to make fearful, to discourage |
| Novel | original, fresh, new |
| Extricate | to free from difficulty, to get out of, to disengage or release from entanglement |
| Accost | to boldy confront, to approach, often aggressively |
| Sycophant | one who flatters and fawns, a "yes man" |
| Debacle | a collapse into disaster |
| Circumvent | to go around, to bypass; to avoid by artfulness or deception |
| Subjugate | to enslave, to subdue and deminate, to bring under control, conquer |
| Regale | to entertain, to delight |
| Malfeasance | misdeed or illegal act, especially on the part of a public official |
| Incorrigible | beyond correction; so entranched, usually in badness, that there is no hope of change or improvement |
| Incensed | enraged, very angry |
| Narcissism | excessive self-love, self absorption, egocentricity |
| Engender | to bring into existence, to create, to cause |
| Mellifluous | sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodic; sweetened, as if with honey |
| Reprisal | a retaliation, an injury done in return for an injury, especially a military action taken in retaliation |
| Perquisite | a privilege that goes along with a job, a perk |
| Panacea | a cure-all, something that cures anything |
| Exhume | to dig up, to bring to light, to bring back from obscurity |
| Provincial | simple and unsophisticated |
| Insurgent | a rebel, someone who revolts against established authority |
| Squander | to waste |
| Leonine | like a lion |
| Adherent | a faithful supporter, follower or believer |
| Chaff | that which is worthless |
| Stratum | a layer, a level |
| Fatalist | one who believes that what happens is inevitable, predestined, determined by fate |
| Venal | corrupt, willing to do anything for money, bribable |
| Emminent | well-known and respected, distinguished, noteworthy, prominent |
| Harbinger | a forerunner, something that precedes something else |
| Inaugurate | to formally begin, especially to install into office with a ceremony |
| Alloy | a combination of two or more things, often used in reference to a combination of metals |
| Proletariat | the industrial working class, including unskilled laborers, casual laborers and tramps |
| Reprove | to criticize or correct |
| Raiment | clothing or garment |
| Emigrate | to leave one's country to take up residence in another |
| Efface | to erase, to rub away, to wipe out, to do away with |
| Foible | a light flaw, a minor weakness or character defect |
| Denouement | outcome, result, especially the final resolution of the pot of a novel or play |
| Intransigent | uncompromising and stubborn |
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