Crime and Punishment Definitions

Question 1

abatement

Answer 1

The reduction or elimination of a claim, fine, debt, or tax. Joan applied for a tax abatement on her property tax.

Question 2

acerbic

Answer 2

Sharp, bitter, severe. Her mother in law was always making acerbic comments about her housekeeping.

Question 3

abridge

Answer 3

To shorten or condense, usually with the intent to fit into some pre-specified space or time frame. The editor abridged audiobook material so it would fit on a single CD.

Question 4

abstain

Answer 4

To remain neutral in a vote, court case, or other matter requiring a decision. The Appeal Court Judge decided to abstain from voting on a case because he personally knew one of the defendants.

Question 5

acrimonious

Answer 5

Nasty, angry, bitter, disputed, vindictive. The debate was acrimonious between the Pro Choice and Pro Life candidates.

Question 6

acumen

Answer 6

Wisdom with a touch of worldliness and shrewdness. Abraham Lincoln had the acumen to avoid many troublesome decisions and people.

Question 7

adjucate

Answer 7

To resolve differences. Usually by someone in authority such as a judge, school principal, or military tribunal. The high school principal decided to adjudicate the issues about which team got the use of the gym on Wednesday afternoons.

Question 8

admonish

Answer 8

To criticize, warn, scold, with a touch of gentleness and kindness. George admonished his valued supplier about shipping the components late.

Question 9

aesthetic

Answer 9

A fine appreciation for cultural things, especially those relating to beautiful objects. The art teacher had a powerful aesthetic sensibility that impressed his peers.

Question 10

affable

Answer 10

Friendly, easy to talk to, likeable. Bill Clinton was famous for being affable and well liked personally. People could argue with his politics and methods, but not his personal interest in others. Note: Affable is often used to balance a criticism, such as in the above sentence.

Question 11

afficionado

Answer 11

Someone who is particularly devoted and enthralled by a particular sport or activity. Ernest Hemingway was an aficionado of bull fighting.

Question 12

allegory

Answer 12

A story referencing a comparable meaning. Usually associated with intelligent people seeking to make a comparison. Many Biblical stories have an allegory as a core part of their message.

Question 13

ambiguity

Answer 13

Lacking a clear definition; usually relates to an idea or thought that has no clear cut answer. Uncertainty. There was ambiguity about who was in charge.

Question 14

amenable

Answer 14

Someone who is pleasant and cooperative. A hint of weakness, but not necessarily dominantly weak. President James Monroe was amenable, which helped him get so much done without rancor, such as the Louisiana Purchase and establishing the Monroe Doctrine.

Question 15

analogous

Answer 15

A similar and comparative thing. Judge Reed always sought out analogous cases to get a sense of how to proceed in his thinking about a case.

Question 16

antecedent

Answer 16

The predecessor of a product, a concept, or a thought. John Locke’s ideas were the antecedent of Thomas Jefferson’s on liberty.

Question 17

antipathy

Answer 17

A firm dislike. Often associated with something personal or emotional. George Bush Senior always displayed a huge antipathy towards broccoli.

Question 18

appease

Answer 18

Giving in to the demands of others to try to avoid loss or pain. Done from a position of weakness, as a rule, or simply not caring about the result. Prime Minister Chamberlain in 1938 sought to appease Hitler by giving him the Czech state; George sought to appease his mother in law so ate her apple strudel.

Question 19

ascetic

Answer 19

Someone who chooses to live a simple life without a lot of stuff. St. Francis of Assisi was the most famous ascetic. Many high tech entrepreneurs have been ascetics in their early days, without even rudimentary furniture in their apartment.

Question 20

attribute

Answer 20

Stating the source of something. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, would attribute his drive to his mother.

Question 21

axiom

Answer 21

A fact or truth that is believed to be absolutely true with no room for doubt. Steve Jobs has the axiom of Apple first.

Question 22

benign

Answer 22

Calm, generous, kindly, not at all disruptive or harmful. President James Madison was known as a benign man, liked for this reason by people of many political persuasions.

Question 23

bifurcate

Answer 23

To divide something into two parts, branches, or forks. The new seasoned CEO of Google wanted to bifurcate sales and marketing so each had a clear mission.

Question 24

byzantine

Answer 24

An overly complex scheme or plan. Used as a criticism, but with a touch of respect and mystique. Implies frustration not anger about something. Charles could not figure out how the byzantine ministry worked, but, all the same, things worked out he found.

Question 25

catalyst

Answer 25

Creating the repository or event to cause something to happen. Tom Brady was the catalyst to get the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl.

Question 26

catharsis

Answer 26

A purge or relief from emotional pressure, either directly or vicariously through others. Shakespeare’s Macbeth provides a catharsis for the audience.

Question 27

caveat

Answer 27

Putting someone on notice through a warning, comment, or cautionary statement. The coach of the New England Patriots was confident the team would get into the playoffs, with the sole caveat being that the quarterback had to stay healthy. Note: a suggestion of competence and wisdom about anyone using this word.

Question 28

circuitous

Answer 28

Circular, indirect, round about, with an implication of being unnecessarily or unhelpfully so. Harry always thought he knew a faster way; but, usually, his route was unduly circuitous.

Question 29

circumspect

Answer 29

Prudent, cautious, politely careful. Bill was circumspect when introduced to his future father in law.

Question 30

circumvent

Answer 30

Getting around something, with a hint of being a little to a lot dishonest or unfair, in doing so. Lawyer Tompkins decided to circumvent the normal process to get an early hearing date.

Question 31

codify

Answer 31

To organize into a system. To make things crisp and clear. The first thing the new President did was to codify the objectives for the corporation

Question 32

condescend

Answer 32

Considering that you are going down a level or two when communicating with someone. Used almost exclusively in a negative or ironic sense. Lawyers often condescend to their clients.

Question 33

condone

Answer 33

Look the other way and give indirect approval for an action that probably shouldn’t have been approved. The company condoned taking petty office supplies by not paying attention to these actions.

Question 34

contingent

Answer 34

Dependent on something else. Buying the larger house they wanted was contingent on selling their starter house.

Question 35

conundrum

Answer 35

A difficulty. A problem without a clear resolution. Inference of being stuck. John had a conundrum in selling a dollar store; this would probably prevent him from being able to sell Macy’s.

Question 36

daunted

Answer 36

Intimidated, challenged, with a hint of being slightly afraid. The home team was daunted by the team from the larger nearby town.

Question 37

decimate

Answer 37

Technically to reduce by a tenth; evolved to mean reduced substantially and often eliminated or wiped out entirely. Genghis Khan routinely decimated towns, often killing every living soul and leveling the town itself.

Question 38

delineate

Answer 38

To sketch out or outline something accurately with extreme precision. Jack delineated how he was going to get into Yale.

Question 39

derivative

Answer 39

Adapted or copied from something else. The product was derivative of a German patented one.

Question 40

discern

Answer 40

To have unusual insight into something. To discern something is to understand it remarkably well.

Question 41

dubious

Answer 41

Skeptical, uncertain, but in control. Mary was dubious of the job candidate’s credentials.

Question 42

ebullient

Answer 42

Very excited but still under control. Joyful and happy. My mother was ebullient when she learned my brother got into Harvard.

Question 43

elucidate

Answer 43

To explain something clearly in detail. A hint of pedantry. The doctor elucidated all the steps required to rebuild a knee.

Question 44

enervate

Answer 44

To reduce the energy, strength, and vitality of something. A touch of gradualism involved; not suddenly done. The rising heat in the Arizona plains enervated the northerners on a walk in the cactus park.

Question 45

ephemeral

Answer 45

A fleeting moment. The sunset was rapid, beautiful, and too ephemeral to stay with us for long.

Question 46

equable

Answer 46

Moderate, steady, solid, not extreme. His nature was equable so everyone was calm and serene in his presence.

Question 47

esoteric

Answer 47

Something deeply hidden; implies only a few know something that is esoteric. The study of Attic Greek is an esoteric subject, known to few.

Question 48

facile

Answer 48

Accomplished easily without much effort. He had a facile way about translations, which made it seemingly simple to do.

Question 49

fortuitous

Answer 49

A lovely thing happening by accident or chance. It was a fortuitous thing catching up with my old roommate on a long railroad trip we could share together.

Question 50

fungible

Answer 50

Interchangeable, usually in a trade of some kind. The lawyers in the firm worked to be fungible with regard to each other and their respective jobs.