 | Term | Definition |
| |
aberration |
n. something different from the usual |
| |
abstract |
adj. theoretical; not concrete; difficult to understand |
| |
abstruse |
adj. difficult to comprehend |
| |
advocate |
v. to recommend; plead for |
| |
aesthetic |
adj. pertaining to beauty or art |
| |
alleviate |
n. to relieve; improve somewhat |
| |
altruistic |
adj. selfless; generous |
| |
ambiguous |
adj. doubtful or unclear |
| |
ambivalent |
adj. having conflicting feelings |
| |
ameliorate |
v. to improve |
| |
analogous |
adj. comparable |
| |
anarchy |
n. lawlessness |
| |
anomaly |
n. irregularity |
| |
antipathy |
n. dislike |
| |
apathy |
n. indifference |
| |
appease |
v. to calm; pacify |
| |
arbitrary |
adj. unreasonable; selected randomly |
| |
asceticism |
n. self-denial |
| |
assuage |
v. to make less severe |
| |
austere |
adj. unadorned; stern |
| |
autonomous |
adj. self-governing |
| |
banal |
adj. commonplace; unoriginal |
| |
benevolent |
adj. generous; charitable |
| |
candor |
n. honesty of expression |
| |
cathartic |
adj. purifying; cleansing |
| |
charisma |
n. personal magnetism |
| |
chauvinism |
n. fanatical patriotism; prejudiced belief in the superiority of a group |
| |
coercion |
n. use of force |
| |
compliant |
adj. yielding |
| |
conciliatory |
adj. overcoming distrust or hostility |
| |
condone |
v. to overlook; forgive |
| |
conjecture |
n. conclusion reached without proof |
| |
contention |
n. assertion; controversy |
| |
contentious |
adj. causing quarrels |
| |
convoluted |
adj. twisted; complicated |
| |
corroborate |
v. to confirm |
| |
criteria |
n. standards used in judging |
| |
decorum |
n. proper behavior |
| |
deference |
n. respect; regard for another’s wish |
| |
deride |
v. to mock |
| |
derivative |
adj. unoriginal |
| |
deter |
v. to discourage; hinder |
| |
dichotomy |
n. division into two usually contradictory parts |
| |
diffuse |
adj. wordy; rambling; spread out |
| |
digress |
v. to stray from the main subject |
| |
dilemma |
n. situation requiring a choice between two unsatisfactory options |
| |
discerning |
adj. perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good judgment |
| |
discordant |
adj. not in tune |
| |
disparage |
v. to belittle; to make someone/something to seem little or less |
| |
disparity |
n. difference |
