Deck Flashcards
Solipsism
The theory that only the self is real and that the self cannot be aware of anything except itself (philosophy).
The theory that the self is all that exists or that can be proven to exist.
I am the only mind that exists/reality is all in my mind
Appetent
“Chicago is a big, rich, appetent Western city.”
Marked by eager desire, ambitious, greedy, hungry, impatient, keen
Pharisaism
“He runs the risk of developing an attitude of pharisaism.”
Hypocrisy
Panoply
“The full panoply of a military funeral.”
A magnificent or impressive array.
Pusillanimous
“The Republican Senator delivered the pusillanimous speech.”
Showing a lack of courage or determination, timid
Interregnum
“We have this interregnum for the next 45 minutes until we can read the Mueller report.”
A period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes: An interval or pause between 2 periods of office or other things.
Hegemony
“2013 has brought along gains for peace and stability and, therefore, disadvantage to U.S. hegemonic efforts.”
The process by which dominant culture maintains its dominant position.
Anodyne
“He found an anodyne to the pain of being gay in a hostile society.”
Anything soothing or relaxing or even ‘non-contentious’ or unlikely to cause offense or debate; blandly agreeable.
Ad Hominen
“That candidate’s evocation of pity for the small farmer is a purely an ad hominen argument for reducing inheritance taxes.”
A fallacious argumentative strategy whereby an argument is rebutted by attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making argument, or persons associated with the argument, rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.
Onomatopoeia
The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (I.e. cuckoo, sizzle, nefandous).
Creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles or suggests that sound that it describes.
Apoplectic
“Mark was apoplectic at the decision.”
Overcome with anger, extremely indignant
Canonical
“The corporation provided a reasonable canonical definition of Enterprise Architecture.”
Orthodox; conforming to a general rule or acceptable procedure; according to the rules.
Dialectic
“Feminism has certainly contributed to this dialectic.”
The art or practice of logical discussion as employed in investigating the truth of a theory or opinion.
A discussion and reasoning by dialogue as an ethos of intellectual investigation, specifically the Socratic techniques of exposing false beliefs and eliciting truth.
Apodictic
“This postulate is known to be true with apodictic certainty.”
Necessarily or demonstrably true, incontrovertible
Example includes absolute but general commands of the form ‘You must not kill.’
Intransigent/Obdurate
“He is an intransigent person.”
Unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something.
Valedictory
“This book of memoirs reads like his valedictory.”
A farewell address; serving as a farewell.
Prurient
“She’d been the subject of much prurient curiosity.”
“Deal with your prurient urges.”
Having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters.
Parochial
“That view is too parochial.”
Limited in range or scope (as to a narrow area or region).
Calumny
Kalemne
“The British movie about Egypt was a calumny against the culture.”
“Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, there shalt not escape calumny.”
Injuring another person’s good name by lying.
Diaspora
“The Latin American diaspora has spread across the United States.”
“Many Americans come from mixed heritage and therefore can claim membership in multiple diaspora communities.”
The movement of a group of people from an established or ancestral homeland.
Gymkhana
A day event comprising races and other competitions between horse riders or car drivers.
Detente
“Thankfully, the new millennium appears to have brought about a detente.”
The relaxation of strained relations or tensions (as in nations).
Equipoise
“This temporary equipoise of power.”
Balance of forces or interests; state of equilibrium
Hermetically
“The report seems to deal hermetically with the question of prison time for collusion but not with obstruction.”
In a way that is completely airtight.
Venal
“Their generosity had been at least partly venal.”
About Barr- “He is not just being insincere, he is venal.”
Showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery.
Parvenu
“Washington old-timers viewed the young senator as an upstart parvenu.”
A person who has suddenly become wealthy but has not gained social acceptance by others in that class.
Internecine
“They expelled several communist controlled unions, triggering internecine warfare among several large unions.”
Of or relating to struggle within a nation, organization or group.
Zeitgeist
“His songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1960’s America.”
The spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling charactistic of a particular period of time.
Monomaniacal
“It takes an unquenchable curiosity and a monomaniacal sense of purpose.”
Pathological obsession with one idea or object.
Titular
“People watch the titular head of companies.”
Having the title of a position but not the responsibilities, duties or power, in name only
Requisites
“There proved to be large-scale requisites.”
Necessities, essentials
Solecism
“The actress committed a major solecism when she wore white after Labor Day.”
A breach of good manners, a piece of incorrect behavior.
Uxoricide
“Typical topics in the author’s works include rape and uxoricide.”
The act of murdering one’s wife.
Allegory
A symbolic story that serves as a disguised representation for meanings other than those indicated on the surface. The characters often have no individual personality, but are embodiments of moral qualities and other abstractions.
Related to the parable, fable and metaphor, differing from them largely in intricacy and length.
Extant
“There are few extant records from that period.”
In existence, still existing; not destroyed or lost
Alimentation
“He was provided with intravenous alimentation.”
Nourishment, nutrition, maintenance, support
Irascible
“He was a little quick-tempered and irascible, but he had a kind heart.”
Prone to outbursts of anger.
Equivocate
“Not that we are aware of,” she equivocated.
Use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.
Lachrymose
“She was pink-eyed and lachrymose.”
Tearful or given to weeping.
Gastronomic
“The hotel restaurant serves the most exclusive gastronomic delights.”
Relating to the practice of cooking or eating good food.
Obfuscate
“The purpose of writing is to communicate, not to obfuscate.”
To make obscure, less clear.
Meretricious
“Meretricious souvenirs for the tourist trade.”
Apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity.
Exegesis
Ekse jeses
“The exegesis of this letter indicates that she was emotionally traumatized before committing suicide.”
Critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible
Exigent
Requiring immediate action. Pressing, demanding.
Prolific
“Picasso was both a prolific painter and a prolific lover.”
Producing a lot of things; very productive or fruitful.
Insidious
Treacherous and sneaky.
Machinations (maka nashens)
“He was cheated by the political machinations of the legislature.”
Schemes, plotting, plots, intrigues, conspiracies, plans, usually leading toward evil ends
Sisyphean
Sisafeean
“The pursuit of perfection is a Sisyphean task.”
Denoting or relating to a task that can never be completed.
Louche
Loosh
“The louche world of the theatre.”
Disreputable or sordid in an appealing way.
Indolent
“They were indolent and addicted to a life of pleasure.”
Wanting to avoid activity or exertion.
Crepuscular
An animal appearing or active in twilight- the time between that of Diurnal (AM) and Nocturnal (PM) animals.
Probity
“He was a gentlemanly Georgian, a person of early American probity.”
“Her brother succeeded to the trade, a man of probity and honor, but somewhat hard and irascible.”
The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
Bestir
“Could it be that he is a tired man who can only bestir himself into showing a flicker of leadership periodically.”
To rouse to action, to get going after a period of rest.
Sedition
“Sedition is a serious felony punishable by fines and up to 20 years in prison.”
Conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
Malice
“If someone feels malice toward you, look out!”
The intention to cause harm
Inexorable
“One inexorable rule of etiquette is that you must talk to your neighbor at a dinner table.”
Not to be persuaded or swayed by entreaty; relentless; not debatable
Pejorative
Negative and disparaging.
Synoptic
“It’s the ideal structure for synoptic decision-making.”
Affording a general view of the whole, characterized by comprehensiveness or breadth of view.
Cabal
“A cabal of dissidents”
A secret political clique or faction.
Avarice
“She was rich beyond the dreams of avarice.”
Extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
Insipid
“It tasted indescribably bland and insipid, like warmed cardboard.”
Dull, uninteresting.
Fungible
“It is by no means the world’s only fungible commodity.”
Able to be replaced by another identical item, mutually interchangeable.
Avuncular
Kindly, like an understanding uncle.
Restive
“There are increasingly more restive democrats that want action.”
Unable to keep still or silent and becoming increasingly difficult to control especially because of impatience, dissatisfaction or boredom. Also a horse that won’t move.
Insouciant
Insouciance
“She wandered into the meeting with complete insouciance to the fact that she was late.”
Free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree, nonchalant.
Effete
“The effete man was scared of his own shadow.”
Having feminine qualities untypical of a man; marked by weakness.
Aver
(Avir)
“The devil, I can safely aver, has neither hoof, nor tail, nor sting.”
To assert the truth of, to affirm with confidence.
Detritus
“Streets filled with rubble and detritus.”
Waste or debris of any kind.
Transvalue
Transvaluation
“Survival strategies are esthetically transvalued into weapons of attack.”
To reestimate the value of, especially on a basis differing from accepted standards, reappraise, reevaluate.
Stochastic
“The study was fraught with stochastic variation.”
Involving chance or probability; random.
Pathos
“I felt a stab of pathos while visiting the animal shelter.”
An element in experience or artistic representation evoking pity or compassion, a feeling of sympathy or pity.
Commodious
“They moved to a more commodious dwelling.”
Convenient or roomy, comfy.
Philistine
(Filistyne)
“I am a complete philistine when it comes to paintings.”
A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them.
Prodigious
“Filling the Grand Canyon with tennis balls would be a prodigious undertaking.”
Enormous, extraordinary
Rendition
The practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less rigorous regulations for the humane treatment of prisoners.
Adroit
“She is an adroit leader.”
Showing skill or resourcefulness in handling situations.
Abrogate
“There is a real truth in this issue about the abrogation of responsibility.”
To nullify, abolish by authoritative action.
Vernacular
“He wrote in the vernacular to reach a wider audience.”
Using plain, everyday ordinary language.
Perspicacity
“Many perspicacious investors sold their high tech stocks long before the market crashed.”
Keenness of mental perception and understanding, discernment, keen vision, sound judgment.
Prescient
“The workers grasped the economic situation more presciently than their superiors.”
With foresight, to know beforehand.
Largess
Generosity on a big scale, as well as the gift itself.
Potentiate
“The glucose will potentiate absorption of sodium.”
Increase the power, effect, or likelihood of something.
Ennui
“The boy’s ennui was brought on by the incredibly large textbook (a tome) he was forced to study.”
A feeling of weariness, dissatisfaction or boredom (French word for boredom).
Idolatry
“All of the modern vernacular is really not dealing with the root issue of idolatry; something or someone is preeminent other than God.”
The worship of a physical object as a God- devotion to something.
Odious
“Slavery was an odious trade.”
Extremely unpleasant, hateful.
Cacophony
“Sometimes it seems as though the dogs in our neighborhood bark together to create a cacophony that wakes me up every morning.”
Harshness in the sounds of words or phrases.
Temerity
“She had the temerity to take someone out of my class.”
Confidence or boldness, audacity.
Vertiginous
“There were vertiginous drops to the valley below.”
Causing vertigo, especially by being extremely high or steep.
Cognate
“Our propensity to draw from such cognate languages as systems analysis and information theory.”
Similar
Appurtenances
“All the appurtenances of luxurious travel”
An accessory or other item associated with a particular activity or style of living
Dovishness
“A dovish economy would tend to indicate lower interest rates.”
Any political orientation favoring compromise to avoid conflict.
Opposite of hawkish- like a hawk in nature- advocating an aggressive or warlike policy, especially in foreign affairs.
Ephemeral
“Adhering to a diet often proves a tough task with only ephemeral results.”
Lasting a very short time, like a plant that dies quickly.
Sequelae (plural)
“The long-term sequelae of infection.”
A condition that is the consequence of a previous disease or injury.
Anomie
“Breakdown of personal relationships has been a major cause of anomie among boomers.”
Social instability resulting from a breakdown in standards and values.
Sundered
“In American society, greater mobility has sundered personal ties.”
To become parted, disunited or severed.
Melange
“A melange of tender vegetables and herbs.”
A mixture, a medley.
Stultifying
“It was interesting as an exercise I think, but quite stultifying.”
To cause to appear to be stupid, foolish or absurdly illogical.
Insuperable
“Lack of coordination presented insuperable problems.”
Incapable of being overcome.
Obsequious
“They were served by obsequious waiters.”
Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
Cachexia
Cachetic
Wasting syndrome- a general state of ill health involving marked weight loss and muscle loss.
Often a sight of disease like cancer, AIDS, heart failure or advanced COPD.
Axiom/Axiomatic
“It is a fully axiomatized theory.”
A widely accepted maxim accepted on its intrinsic merit.
I.e. Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior
By proxy
“John was invited to the party and since I’m his friend I was invited by proxy.”
Authority or power to act for another- someone else does it for you.
Ephemera
“Check out our gallery of other royal auction ephemera- including Queen Victoria’s knickers.”
Items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity.
Risible
“These are the most risible of charges.”
Such as to provoke laughter.
Disabuse
“He quickly disabused me of my fanciful notions.”
Persuade someone that an idea or belief is mistaken.
Ineffable
“An ineffable beauty descends upon the canyon as the sun begins to set.”
Incapable of being expressed or described in words, inexpressible.
Cognitive Dissonance
The state of holding a set of ideas or acting in ways that conflict with each other.
I.e. You believe you’re a good person but walk past a homeless person who’s obviously in distress but you don’t stope to help. Your actions don’t match your beliefs, a situation that produces cognitive dissonance within you. You reduce this dissonances by telling yourself it’s his own fault. By creating the belief that the homeless person is undeserving in some way, I reduce my dissonance. The truth of it is immaterial.
Epidemiology
Study of diseases
Obviate
“The new medical treatment obviates the need for surgery.”
To anticipate and prevent something (such as a situation) or make an action unnecessary.
Codify
“The statutes have codified certain branches of common law.”
To arrange or put in order.
To turn a common law requirement or practice into law.
Ebullient
“She sounded ebullient and happy.”
Cheerful and full of energy.
A priori
“Let me say I have a priori suspicions, prejudices mainly.”
From the earlier, knowledge or justification that is independent of experience- you don’t have to conduct scientific experiments to know it’s true.
Instantiate
“His opposing mansion is intended to instantiate his staggering success in the eyes of visitors.”
To provide an instance of or concrete evidence in support of a theory, concept, etc.
Politburo
The principal policy-making committee of a communist party.
Fait Accompli
Fet acomplee
“The results were presented to shareholders as a fait accompli.”
A thing that has already happened or been decided before those affected hear about it, leaving them no option but to accept it.
Provincials
An inhabitant of the regions outside the capital city of a country, especially when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded.
Depredation
“Protecting grain from the depredations of rats and mice.”
An act of attacking, plundering.
Salutary
“We’re not suggesting that this recipe has salutary effects, but it is delicious.”
Producing a beneficial effect.
Isomorphism
“The challenge is sustained isomorphism.”
Similarity in organisms of different ancestry resulting from convergence; Processes that cause organizations to become more like other organizations
Assiduous
“Good detectives are classically assiduous types.”
Careful, methodical and very persistent.
Eponymous
“Roseanne’s eponymous hit TV series.”
Something named after a particular person.
Ecological
“The nuclear accident was one of the world’s worst ecological disasters.”
The branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment, including other organisms.
Salutory
“They provided a salutory warning.”
Of or relating to a salutation
Intrepid
“Our intrepid reporter took the lead.”
Fearless, adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).
Opprobrium
“He has to contend with the opprobrium of being closely associated with gangsters.”
The public disgrace arising from someone’s shameful conduct.
Rapprochement
(Ra prosh ma)
“A rapprochement between warring factions was reached.”
An establishment or reestablishment of harmonious relations.
Anagrams
A word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase.
Binary-Brainy
Adobe- Abode
Impunity
“The impunity enjoyed by military officers implicated in civilian killings is becoming an issue.”
Exemption from punishment or freedoms from the injurious consequences of an action.
Ockam’s razor/law of parsimony
William of Ockham- one of the most important thinkers of the Middle Ages
The simplest explanation is usually the best one.
Polemical
“In a deservedly popular polemical text…”
An aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principals of another.
Monastic
“I’m somewhat monastic these days.”
Resembling or suggestive of monks or their way of life, especially in being austere, solitary or celibate.
Lacuna
Lacunae (Plural)
“Either way it suggests a profound lacuna in biologists’ understanding of the world.”
A gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series or logical argument.
Quiddity
Kwidede
“Rembrandt’s genius was his unparalleled ability to render a person’s quiddity in a single portrait.”
The quality that makes a thing what is is, the essential nature of a thing.
Profligate
“He was a profligate gambler and lost all of his money.”
Excessive
Eschew
Eschoo
“Many of us already eschew products that are made, raised or grown by energy and resource intensive methods.”
Reject, avoid habitually especially on moral or practical grounds.
Contrivance
“The relationship between the characters was given the room to develop gradually, without plot contrivances forcing them together.”
Something contrived, especially a mechanical device.
Nadir
Na dir
“From it’s nadir in the 1950s, BMW has become the world’s largest automaker.”
The lowest point, opposite of zenith, apogee
Inchoate
Inko et
“Giuliani described any attempts at collusion as an inchoate crime.”
“He suggests inchoate suspicions that all is not well with the nation.”
Being only partly in existence or operation.
