- abbreviate: shorten, abridge
- abstinence: act of refraining from
- adulation: high praise
- adversity: misfortune
- aesthetic: pertaining to beauty
- amicable: agreeable
- anachronistic: out-of-date
- anecdote: short account of events
- anonymous: nameless
- antagonist: opponent
- arid: extremely dry
- assiduous: hard-working
- asylum: sanctuary
- benevolent: friendly, helpful
- camaraderie: trust among friends
- censure: to criticize harshly
- circuitous: indirect, roundabout
- clairvoyant: able to see the future
- collaborate: to work together
- compassion: sympathy, mercy
- compromise: to settle differences
- condescending: patronizing
- conditional: provisional, contingent
- conformist: follower of customs
- congregation: crowd of people
- convergence: joining of parts
- deleterious: harmful
- demagogue: rabble-rousing leader
- digression: straying from main point
- diligent: hard-working