 | Term | Definition |
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criterion |
a standard of judgment or criticism; a rule or principle for evaluating or testing something. |
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derive |
to receive or obtain from a source or origin |
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excerpt |
a passage or quotation taken or selected from a book, document, film, or the like; extract. |
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implication |
something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood: to resent an implication of dishonesty. |
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imply |
to indicate or suggest without being explicitly stated: His words implied a lack of faith. |
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likelihood |
the state of being likely or probable; probability. |
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overrated |
to rate or appraise too highly; overestimate: I think you overrate their political influence. |
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plausible |
having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable: a plausible excuse; a plausible plot. |
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suggestive |
that suggests; referring to other thoughts, persons, etc.: His recommendation was suggestive of his boss's thinking. |
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tentative |
of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental: a tentative report on her findings. |
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abstract |
thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual instances: an abstract idea. |
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analogy |
a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based: the analogy between the heart and a pump. |
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antithesis |
opposition; contrast: the antithesis of right and wrong. |
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argumentative |
fond of or given to argument and dispute; disputatious; contentious: The law students were an unusually argumentative group. |
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assertion |
a positive statement or declaration, often without support or reason: a mere assertion; an unwarranted assertion. |
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cite |
to quote (a passage, book, author, etc.), esp. as an authority: He cited the Constitution in his defense. |
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concrete |
constituting an actual thing or instance; real: a concrete proof of his sincerity. |
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evidence |
that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof. |
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explanatory |
serving to explain: an explanatory footnote. |
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expository |
of the nature of exposition; serving to expound, set forth, or explain: an expository essay; expository writing. |
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generalization |
1. the act or process of generalizing. 2. a result of this process; a general statement, idea, or principle. |
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narrative |
a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. |
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persuasive |
able, fitted, or intended to persuade: a very persuasive argument. |
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rhetorical |
used for, belonging to, or concerned with mere style or effect. |
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thesis |
a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, esp. one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections |
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aloof |
at a distance, esp. in feeling or interest; apart: They always stood aloof from their classmates. |
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ambivalent |
uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things. |
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brusque |
abrupt in manner; blunt; rough: A brusque welcome greeted his unexpected return. |
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cautionary |
of the nature of or containing a warning: cautionary advice; a cautionary tale. |
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compassionate |
having or showing compassion: a compassionate person; a compassionate letter. |
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condescension |
voluntary assumption of equality with a person regarded as inferior; the act of condescending. |
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cynical |
like or characteristic of a cynic; distrusting or disparaging the motives of others. |
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defensive |
serving to defend; protective: defensive armament. |
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detachment |
aloofness, as from worldly affairs or from the concerns of others; freedom from prejudice or partiality. |
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didactic |
intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry. |
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disdain |
to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn. |
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disparaging |
to speak of or treat slightingly; depreciate; belittle: Do not disparage good manners. |
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dispassionate |
free from or unaffected by passion; devoid of personal feeling or bias; impartial; calm: a dispassionate critic. |
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esteem |
to regard highly or favorably; regard with respect or admiration: I esteem him for his honesty. |
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flippant |
frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity: The audience was shocked by his flippant remarks about patriotism. |
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grudging |
a feeling of ill will or resentment: to hold a grudge against a former opponent. |
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hypocritical |
a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. |
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indifference |
lack of interest or concern: We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty. |
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ironic |
containing or exemplifying irony: an ironic novel; an ironic remark. |
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judicious |
using or showing judgment as to action or practical expediency; discreet, prudent, or politic: judicious use of one's money. |
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naive |
having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous. |
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nostalgia |
a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time. |
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objective |
something that one's efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; goal; target: the objective of a military attack; the objective of a fund-raising drive. |
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optimism |
a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. |
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pedantic |
ostentatious in one's learning; overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, esp. in teaching. |
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pessimism |
the tendency to see, anticipate, or emphasize only bad or undesirable outcomes, results, conditions, problems, etc.: His pessimism about the future of our country depresses me. |
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pomposity |
an instance of being pompous, as by ostentatious loftiness of language, manner, or behavior. |
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prosaic |
commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative: a prosaic mind. |
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resigned (adj.) |
submissive or acquiescent; characterized by or indicative of resignation. |
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sarcasm |
harsh or bitter derision or irony. |
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satirical |
of, pertaining to, containing, or characterized by satire: satirical novels. |
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skeptical |
inclined to skepticism; having doubt: a skeptical young woman. |
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trite |
lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition; hackneyed; stale: the trite phrases in his letter. |
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whimsical |
given to whimsy or fanciful notions; capricious: a pixyish, whimsical fellow; erratic; unpredictable. |
