assertion
a declaration or statement
clarity
clearness in thought or expression
cogent
convincing; reasonable
coherent
logically connected
cohesive
condition of sticking together
didactic
intended to instruct
discourse
verbal expression or exchange; conversation
eloquence
the ability to speak vividly or persuasively
emphasize
to give special attention to something, to stress
fluid
easily flowing
implication
the act of suggesting or hinting
lucid
easily understood; clear
pundit
an authority who expresses his/her opinions
rhetoric
the art of using language effectively and persuasively
arbiter
a judge who decides a disputed issue
biased
prejudiced
exculpate
to free from guilt or blame
impartial
not in favor of one side or the other, unbiased
incontrovertible
indisputable; not open to question
integrity
trustworthiness; completeness
jurisprudence
the philosophy or science of law
objectivity
treating facts without influence from personal feelings or prejudices
penitent
expressing remorse for one's misdeeds
substantiated
supported with proof or evidence; verified
vindicated
freed from blame
condescending
treating people as weak or inferior
contemptuous
feeling hatred; scornful
despotic
exercising absolute power; tyrannical
dictatorial
domineering; oppressively overbearing
disdain
(n.) contempt, scorn (v.) to regard or treat with contempt; to look down on
haughty
arrogant; vainly proud
imperious
arrogantly domineering or overbearing
patronizing
treating in a condescending manner
convoluted
intricate; complex
cryptic
difficult to comprehend
futile
having no useful purpose; pointless
impede
to slow the progress of
obscure
(adj.) relatively unknown (v.) to conceal or make indistinct
quandary
a state of uncertainty or perplexity
dilatory
habitually late
indolent
lazy
insipid
uninteresting; unchallenging
listless
lacking energy
torpor
laziness; inactivity; dullness
alienated
removed or disassociated from (friends, family or homeland)
alliance
a union of two or more groups
disparity
inequality in age, rank, or degree; difference
servile
submissive; like a servant
suppressed
subdued; kept from being circulated
embellish
to make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate
florid
describing flowery or elaborate speech
opulent
exhibiting a display of great wealth
ornate
elaborately decorated
ostentatious
describing a showy or pretentious display
poignant
profoundly moving; touching
ebullience
intense enthusiasm
effusive
emotionally unrestrained; gushy
egregious
conspicuously bad or offensive
flagrant
extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
frenetic
wildly excited or active
gratuitous
given freely; unearned; unwarranted
superfluous
extra; unnecessary
alleviate
to ease a pain or a burden
asylum
a place of retreat or security
auspicious
favorable; promising
benevolent
well-meaning; generous
benign
kind and gentle
emollient
(adj.) softening and soothing (n.) something that softens or soothes
mollify
to calm or soothe
reclamation
the act of making something useful again
sanction
to give official authorization or approval
dubious
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
fabricated
made; concocted in order to deceive
hypocrisy
the practice of pretending to be something one is not; insincerity
slander
false charges and malicious oral statements about someone
spurious
not genuine; false, counterfeit
astute
shrewd; clever
camouflage
to hide by blending in with surroundings
clandestine
secretive
coup
a brilliantly executed plan
disingenuous
not straightforward; crafty
ruse
a crafty trick
stratagem
a clever trick used to deceive or outwit
surreptitiously
dine by secretive means
wary
on guard; watchful
wily
cunning
ambiguous
open to more than one interpretation
ambivalent
simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertain
apathetic
feeling or showing little emotion
arbitrary
determined by impulse rather than reason
capricious
impulsive and unpredictable
equivocate
to avoid making a definite statement
indifferent
not caring one way or the other
spontaneous
unplanned; naturally occurring
whimsical
subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable
inconsequential
unimportant
superficial
concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow
tenuous
having little substance or strength; shaky; unsure, weak
trivial
of little importance or significance
assiduous
hard-working
compelling
forceful; urgently demanding attention
diligent
marked by painstaking effort; hard-working
dogged
stubbornly persevering
endure
to put up with to survive a hardship
intrepid
courageous; fearless
maverick
one who is independent and resists adherence to a group
obdurate
stubborn; inflexible
obstinate
stubbornly adhering to an opinion or course of action
proliferate
to grow or increase rapidly
tenacity
persistence
vitality
energy; power to survive
assimilation
to absorb; to make similar
consensus
general agreement
context
circumstances of a situation; environment
derived
copied or adapted from a source
incumbent
imposed as a duty; obligatory
inevitable
certain to happen, unavoidable
malleable
easily shaped or formed; easily influenced
subdue
to restrain; to hold back
acquired
developed or learned; not naturally occurring
conception
the ability to form or understand an idea
conviction
a fixed or strong belief
dogmatic
stubbornly adhering to insufficiently proved beliefs
enlightening
informative; contributing the one's awareness
impression
a feeling or understanding resulting from an experience
intuition
the power of knowing things without thinking; sharp insight
misconception
an incorrect understanding or interpretation
perception
awareness; insight
perspective
point of view
profound
having great depth or seriousness
inherent
inborn; built-in
innate
possessed at birth; inborn
inveterate
long established; deep-rooted; habitual
omnipotent
all-powerful
proximity
closeness
elusive
difficult to capture, as in something actually fleeting
emigrate
to leave one country or region and settle in another
transient
passing away with time; passing from one place to another
transitory
short-lived or temporary
affable
easy-going; friendly
amenable
responsive; agreeable
camaraderie
goodwill between friends
cordial
friendly; sincere
facetious
playfully humorous
impinge
hinder; interfere with
lament
express grief for; mourn
melancholy
sadness; depression
sanction
(n.) an economic or military measure put in place to punish another country
truncated
shortened; cut off
aesthetic
having to do with the appreciation of beauty
anthology
a collection of literary pieces
contemporary
current, modern; from the same time
dilettante
one with an amateurish or superficial understanding of a field of knowledge
eclectic
made up of a variety of sources or styles
excerpt
a selected part of a passage or scene
genre
describing a category of artistic endeavor
medley
an assortment or a mixture, especially of musical pieces
mural
a large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface
narrative
(adj.) characterized by the telling of a story (n.) a story
parody
an artistic work that imitates the style of another work for comic effect
realism
artistic representation that aims for visual accuracy
virtuoso
a tremendously skilled artist
decorous
proper; marked by good taste
equanimity
the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure
modest
quiet or humble in manner or appearance
propriety
appropriateness of behavior
prudent
exercising good judgment or common sense
serene
calm
staid
unemotional; serious
stoic
indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive
condemn
to express strong disapproval of; denounce
discredit
to cause to be doubted
disparage
to speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle
pejorative
describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone
plagiarism
the act of passing off the ideas or writing of another as one's own
vilify
to make vicious statements about
brusque
rudely abrupt
caustic
biting sarcastic or witty
feral
savage; untamed
fractious
quarrelsome; unruly
incorrigible
unable to be reformed
ingrate
an ungrateful person
insolent
insulting in manner or speech
notorious
known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
pugnacious
combative; belligerent
reprehensible
worthy of blame
brittle
easily broken when subjected to pressure
deleterious
having a harmful effect; injurious
enmity
mutual hatred or ill-will
heinous
hatefully evil; abominable
malfeasance
misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official
malice
extreme ill will or spite
putrid
rotten
rancorous
hateful; marked by deep seated ill-will
toxic
poisonous
archaic
characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned
hackneyed
worn-out through overuse; trite
medieval
referring to the Middle Ages, old-fashioned
obsolete
no longer in use; old-fashioned
austere
without decoration; strict
mediocrity
the state or quality of being average; of moderate to low quality
mundane
commonplace; ordinary
ponderous
extremely dull
prosaic
unimaginative; dull
sedentary
not migratory; settled
apprehension
anxiety or fear about the future
harbinger
something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner
ominous
menacing; threatening
premonition
a feeling about the future
timorous
timid; fearful about the future
trepidation
uncertainty; apprehension
innovative
introducing something new
naïve
lacking sophistication
nascent
coming into existence; emerging
novel
strikingly new or unusual
novice
a beginner
candor
sincerity; openness
frank
open and sincere in expression; straightforward
arid
describing a dry, rainless climate
conflagration
a widespread fire
nocturnal
of or occurring in the night
sonorous
producing a deep or full sound
ample
describing a large amount of something
comprehensive
large in scope or content
copious
plentiful; having a large quantity
permeated
spread or flowing throughout
pervasive
dispersed throughout
prodigious
enormous
replete
abundantly supplied; filled to capacity
exemplary
commendable; worthy of imitation
idealize
to consider perfect
laudatory
giving praise
paramount
of chief concern or importance
venerated
highly respected
catalog
(v.) to make an itemized list of
facile
done or achieved with little effort; easy
fastidious
possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please
hierarchy
a group organized by rank
meticulous
extremely careful and precise
pragmatic
practical
solvent
able to pay one's debts
abstract
not applied to actual objects
apparatus
equipment; a group of machines
paradigm
an example or model
phenomenon
an unusual, observable event
rational
logical; motivated by reason rather than feeling
theoretical
lacking application or practical application
cartographer
one who designs or makes maps
vocation
an occupation or profession
plausible
seemingly valid or acceptable; credible