| consecrate | VERB - to make or declare something sacred |
| sacrosanct | ADJ - sacred (often used ironically) |
| sanctimonious | ADJ - pretending to be righteous |
| hierarchy | NOUN - a group organized by rank |
| pittance | NOUN- a meager portion of anything, especially an allowance or salaray |
| dogmatic | ADJ - pertaining to dogma (a system of doctrines put forward by an authority, especially a church, to be absolute truth |
| agnostic | NOUN - a person who believes nothing can be known about the existence of a god |
| criterion | NOUN - a standard, rule, or test on which a decision or judgement can be made |
| hypocrisy | NOUN - pretending to have feelings, beliefs, or virtues that one does not have |
| rationale | NOUN - the reasons underlying something, often presented as a statement (used with for) |
| cognizant | ADJ - aware, having knowledge of something |
| notorious | ADJ - widely and unfavorably known; infamous |
| prescience | NOUN - knowledge of events before they occur; foresight; foreknowledge |
| ascribe | VERB - to attribute to a particular cause, source, or origin (used with to) |