Manhatten #2 essential Flashcards
optimal or optimum
best, most desirable or favorable
implicit
implied, not state directly, involved in the very essence of something unquestionable, explicit is the antonym
default
failure to act, neglect (noun); fail to fulfill an obligation, especially a financial one “the government is cracking down on for profit colleges where graduates cannot use their degrees and end up defaulting on their student loans”. In court judgment by default is when someone loses a case for failing to show up in court.
viable
capable of living (or growing, developing) practical, workable
empirical
coming from, base on, or able to be verified by experience or experimentation, not purely based on theory
partisan
devoted to a particular group, cause, etc; fervent supporter of a group, party, idea, etc; guerilla fighter (noun)
ortho
adhering to a traditional, established faith, or to anything customary or commonly accepted- antonyms would be unorthodox or heterodox; ortho- means true
adverse
opposing, harmful
adhere
stick to, such as with glue, or to a plan or belief, cohere also means to stick but with two of the same things sticking together.
plausible
believable, having the appearance of truth - shares a latin root approve with applause and plaudits
disposition
a person’s general or natural mood; tendency “i could really use some help in the kitchen if you are disposed”, predilection and penchant are synonyms
efficacy
the quality of being able to produce the intended effect “I’m going to ask the waiter for a more efficacious implement”
intrinsic
belonging to the essential nature of a thing- communication is intrinsic to a healthy relationship, antonym - extrinsic
keen
sharp, piercing, very perceptive or mentally sharp; intense (of a feeling) wailing or moaning. when used as a noun it is an emotional speech or piece of writing commemorating the dead.
beauracracy
government characterized by man bureaus and petty administrators or by excessive, seemingly meaningless requirements.
paradox
contradiction, or seeming contradiction that is actually true
heirarchy
a ranked series; a classification of people according to rank, ability, etc. a ruling body
underscore
emphasize (or literally to underline text)
naive
(naivete, naif, naifness) - simple and unsophisticated, unsuspecting, lacking worldly experience and critical judgement
haven
harbor or port, refuge, safe place
subjective
existing in the mind or relating to one’s own thoughts, opinions, emotions, etc; personal, individual, based on feelings
eclipse
the obscuring of one thing by another such as the sun by the moon or a person by a more famous or talented person; to obscure, darken or make less important
dispatch
send off or deal with in a speedy way; speed, promptness could also mean to execute in a speedy manner
activism
the practice of pursuing political or other goals through vigorous action, often including protests and demonstrations. Usually considered noble. Judicial activism (going beyond interpreting existing laws to actually using court decisions to create new public policies is often controversial.
elevate
raise, lift up; lift the spirits of; move up to a higher rank or status or raise up to a higher spiritual or intellectual plane. Lev root means to lift up or raise
console
lessen the suffering or grief of; a control panel, or a small table or cabinet. Succor also means to comfort
pervasive
tending to spread throughout, “poverty is pervasive in our school system; 65% of students receive free lunch”
slack
loose, negligent, lazy, weak; neglect to do one’s duties; loosen up, relax, period of little work. “As the product of slack parenting, I never learned good time management skills”
elicit
call forth, bring out, evoke
bolster
strengthen or support “the general requested reinforcements to bolster the defensive line set up at the border”
explicit
direct, clear, fully revealed, clearly depicting sex or nudity. “The goal of my talk is to make explicit the connection between staying in school and avoiding crime life” explicate means to make clear.
offset
counteract, compensate for, a counterbalance “property taxes did go up this year, but the hit to our finances was offset by a reduction in fees paid to our homeowners association”
discrepancy
difference or inconsistency
paradigm
model or pattern, worldview, set of shared assumptions, values, etc. “far from being atypical bawdy, this limerick is a paradigm of the form- nearly all of them rely on off-color jokes, para means beside, and digm means show. So this word can mean pattern or example
volatile
varying, inconsistent, fleeting, tending to violence, explosive
qualified
modified, limited, conditional on something else,
prospective
potential, in the future, “prospective doctors”
static
fixed, not moving or changing, lacking vitality
inherent
existing as permanent, essential quality, intrinsic
stark
complete, total, utter, harsh or grim, extremely simple, severe, blunt or plain. “the designer’s work is appreciated for its stark beauty, but most people prefer to live in a cozier, more welcoming home. She is stark raving mad. the stark reality is that we will have to begin burning our furniture for warmth to survive.”
dissident
disagree or take an opposing view, esp in a relation to a formal body such as government, political party or church; an opposing opinion. Judge scalie cast the only dissenting vote, explaining in his written decision why he thought all the other justices had it wrong. Not every country has the right to free speech (and thus to dissent), although nations that throw dissenters in jail are condemned by the international community. Dissidence- strong, long standing determined practice of dissenting
entitlement
having a right to certain privileges, believing, sometimes without cause, that one deserves or has a right to certain privileges. Entitlement originally referred to investing a person with a title as in “charles Lennox was entitled Duke of Richmond”. It can also mean a government benefit as in social security payments or other entitlements.
lament
Mourn, express grief, sorrow, or regret, an expression of grief, esp as a song or poem.
impair
make worse, weaken
vintage
related to items of high quality from a previous era, old fashioned, antique, the wine of a particular year.
consolidate
unite, combine, solidify, make coherent
fringe
on the margin, periphery, the people in a group who hold the most extreme views “In america, reincarnation is a fringe believe, but in primarily hindu countries, the belief is common and mainstream. Stacey and Mark liked to say the live on the fringe of the big city, but really they had just moved to the suburbs.”
speculate
contemplate, make a guess or educated guess about, engage in a risky business transaction, gamble “during the gold rush, speculators bought up land sometimes with borrowed funds, expecting to prospect the land for gold and get rich quickly.
imminent
ready to occur, impending
wary
watchful, motivated by caution, on guard against danger
