New words Flashcards
Myopic
lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight.
Polemical
relating to or involving strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious writing or speech.
Diminution
Diminutio - Latin
a reduction in the size, extent, or importance of something.
Drivelling
talk nonsense
Verb
a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen.
Adjective
a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.
An adjective is a word that describes the traits, qualities, or number of a noun. What are examples of adjectives? Descriptive words like “beautiful,” “smooth,” or “heavy” are all adjectives, as are numbers ( “twelve eggs”).
Copulation
sexual intercourse.
“males may seek copulation with the breeding female”
Ineffable
too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
Misnomer
a wrong or inaccurate name or designation.
“morning sickness is a misnomer for many women, since the nausea can occur any time during the day”
Anthologies
a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing.
“an anthology of European poetry”
Exemplars
Exemplaires - French
Exemplar - Latin
a person or thing serving as a typical example or excellent model.
“Linda was the exemplar of courage and stength as she battled cancer”
Didactic
intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
“a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice”
Paradigms
Paradigmes - French
Paradigmata - Latin
an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
Aprodictic (related to Casuistic)
clearly established or beyond dispute
synonyms: invincible. irrebuttable. irrefragable. irresistible. nof ifs ands or buts.
Casuistic (related to Aprodictic)
Casuistry, from the Latin casus meaning “a case,” is a method used in. moral theology that attempts to apply a set of general principles in specific. cases of human conduct. It relies upon knowledge of the law and moral. theology in so-called “real world” situations for the purposes of informing.
Jurisprudence
Iurisprudentia - Latin
The definition of jurisprudence is the legal system, or the theory and practice of the law. The court and trial system used to administer law and justice is an example of jurisprudence.
Epistemology
Épistémologie - French
Epistemology - Latin
Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. It is concerned with the mind’s relation to reality. What is it for this relation to be one of knowledge? Do we know things? And if we do, how and when do we know things?
Programmatic
Programmatique - French
of the nature of or according to a program, schedule, or method.
What are some synonyms for programmatic?
algorithmic.
computative.
Abstraction
Abstraction - French
Abstractio - Latin
the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events.
Abstraction is the process of generalising complex events in the real world to the concepts that underly them, tucking away the complexities of the situation.
synonyms for abstract
abstruse.
hypothetical.
philosophical.
unreal.
complex.
deep.
ideal.
intellectual.
Maxims
Maximes - French
a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.
“the maxim that actions speak louder than words”
Proverbial
Proverbial - French
Proverbialis - Latin
You use proverbial to show that you know the way you are describing something is one that is often used or is part of a popular saying.
synonyms for proverbial
accepted.
acknowledged.
archetypal.
axiomatic.
current.
customary.
famed.
familiar.
Opposite: paradox
Aphorism
aphorisme - French
sententia - Latin
An aphorism is a short witty sentence which expresses a general truth or comment.
An aphorism is an observation that tells a general truth, usually in a concise and witty way, and often embodying philosophical, literary, or moral principles. The phrase “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” is one example of a common aphorism.
Conscientiousness
Conscience - French
Conscientia - Latin
Conscientiousness is the personality trait of being careful, or diligent. Conscientiousness implies a desire to do a task well, and to take obligations to others seriously. Conscientious people tend to be efficient and organized as opposed to easy-going and disorderly.
synonyms for conscientiousness
dutifulness.
exactitude.
faithfulness.
honesty.
honor.
incorruptibility.
mindfulness.
pains.
Salient
Saillant - French
conspicabilis - Latin
most noticeable or important.
“it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case”
Some common synonyms of salient are conspicuous, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, and striking.
Fructifying
Fructifiant - French
Fructificans - Latin
make (something) fruitful or productive.
synonyms for fructify
fecundate.
impregnate.
pollinate.
Efficacious
Efficace - French
Efficax - Latin
(of something inanimate or abstract) successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective.
“the vaccine has proved both efficacious and safe”
effective.
effectual.
productive.
active.
adequate.
capable.
competent.
efficient.
Monotony
Monotonie - French
hebetudo - Latin
lack of variety and interest; tedious repetition and routine.
“you can become resigned to the monotony of captivity”
Opposite: Excited, variety
Juxtaposition
the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect.
Quintessential
Quintessentiel - French
Perfectum / Ignitus - Latin
representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
“he was the quintessential tough guy—strong, silent, and self-contained”
Opposite: atypical, abnormal
Teleological
téléologique - French
Teleologicum - Latin
relating to or involving the explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose they serve rather than of the cause by which they arise.
For instance, if we ask ourselves, “Why did John switch the TV on?” And we respond, “To watch his favorite program,” we are giving a teleological explanation.
Historgraphy
Historiographie - French
Scriptores Historiae - Latin
the writing of history especially : the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particulars from the authentic materials, and the synthesis of particulars into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods.
Syncretistic
syncrétiste - French
syncretismus - Latin
the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.
“interfaith dialogue can easily slip into syncretism”
Anathematized
Condamner - French
Maledictum / Damnare - Latin
curse; condemn
Duplicitous
Duplicité - French
dolosus - Latin
deceitful.
“treacherous, duplicitous behavior”
Prodigious
Prodigieux - French
Prodigus - Latin
remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree.
Impetus
Élan - French
Impetus - Latin
the force or energy with which a body moves.
“hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus”
Contretemps
contretemps - French
incommodum - Latin
a minor dispute or disagreement.
“she had occasional contretemps with her staff”
Monolithic
Monolithique - French
Monolithic - Latin
formed of a single large block of stone.
“later Byzantine columns were monolithic and usually made of marble”
(of an organization or system) large, powerful, and intractably indivisible and uniform.
“rejecting any move toward a monolithic European superstate”
Fecund
Fécond - French
Fecundi - Latin
producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile.
“a lush and fecund garden”
Idiosyncratic
Particulier - French
Idiosyncratic - Latin
a strange or unusual habit, way of behaving, or feature that someone or something has: She often cracks her knuckles when she’s speaking - it’s one of her little idiosyncrasies. One of the idiosyncrasies of this printer is that you can’t stop it once it has started.
Relationships of Consanguinity
Consanguinité - French
Consanguinitas - Latin
Relationships of Consanguinity - Two people are related to each other by consanguinity if one is a descendant of the other or if they share a common ancestor. An adopted child is considered to be a child of the adoptive parent for this purpose.
Prosaic
Prosaïque - French
Prosaic - Latin
commonplace; unromantic.
“the masses were too preoccupied by prosaic day-to-day concerns”
Capitulation
Capitulation - French
Capitulatio - Latin
the action of surrendering or ceasing to resist an opponent or demand.
“a capitulation to wage demands”
meritorious
méritoire - French
meritorium - Latin
deserving reward or praise.
“a medal for meritorious conduct”
Avarice
Avarice - French
Avaritia - Latin
extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
“he was rich beyond the dreams of avarice”
Equanimity
Équanimité - French
aequo animo - Latin
mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
“she accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity”
Slovenly
Négligé - French
sordide - Latin
(especially of a person or their appearance) messy and dirty.
“he was upbraided for his slovenly appearance”
Surfeiting
L’excès - French
cause (someone) to desire no more of something as a result of having consumed or done it to excess.
“I am surfeited with shopping”
Inimical
Hostile - French
Inimical - Latin
tending to obstruct or harm.
“actions inimical to our interests”
Morose
Morose - French
Morose - Latin
of a person : very serious, unhappy, and quiet. He became morose and withdrawn and would not talk to anyone.
Incongruous
Incongru - French
Incongruum - Latin
adjective. out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming: an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior. not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts: an incongruous mixture of architectural styles. inconsistent: actions that were incongruous with their professed principles.
Superfluous
Superflu - French
Superfluum - Latin
When something is so unnecessary that it could easily be done away with, like a fifth wheel on a car or a fifth person on a double date, call it superfluous.
unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.
“the purchaser should avoid asking for superfluous information”
Vitiated
Vicié - French
vitiatum - Latin
Some common synonyms of vitiate are corrupt, debase, debauch, deprave, and pervert. While all these words mean “to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character,” vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect.
Contumacy
Tête de mule - French
Pertinax - Latin
stubborn refusal to obey or comply with authority, especially a court order or summons.
Positivism
Positivisme - French
Positivismus - Latin
a philosophical system that holds that every rationally justifiable assertion can be scientifically verified or is capable of logical or mathematical proof, and that therefore rejects metaphysics and theism.
Positivism is a term used to describe an approach to the study of society that relies specifically on empirical scientific evidence, such as controlled experiments and statistics. Positivism is a belief that we should not go beyond the boundaries of what can be observed.
Fata Morgana
A rare optical illusion known as a fata morgana can really mess with your mind. Seen in a narrow band just above the horizon, it is a superior mirage that makes distant objects appear warped and much closer to you than they actually are.
Shibboleth
a custom, principle, or belief distinguishing a particular class or group of people, especially a long-standing one regarded as outmoded or no longer important.
“the majority, under the influence of vague nineteenth-century shibboleths, understood him to be associating himself with the doctrine that every nation has a right to be a sovereign state”
Historical criticism or higher criticism
Historical criticism or higher criticism is a branch of literary analysis that investigates the origins of a text. “Higher” criticism is used in contrast with Lower criticism (or textual criticism), whose goal is to determine the original form of a text from among the variants.
Impious
Impie - French
impia - Latin
not showing respect or reverence, especially for a god.
“the emperor’s impious attacks on the Church”
Hyperbolic
Hyperbolique - French
exaggerare - Latin
If someone is hyperbolic, they tend to exaggerate things as being way bigger deals than they really are. Hyperbolic statements are tiny dogs with big barks: don’t take them too seriously. Hyperbolic is an adjective that comes from the word hyperbole, which means an exaggerated claim.
recapitulation
an act or instance of summarizing and restating the main points of something.
“his recapitulation of the argument”
Promulgated
promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).
“these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization”
Dialectical thinking
Dialectical thinking refers to the ability to view issues from multiple perspectives and to arrive at the most economical and reasonable reconciliation of seemingly contradictory information and postures.
Distantiate
to put or keep at an emotional or intellectual distance
Paradigm
a typical example or pattern of something; a model.
Extrinsic
When you’re extrinsically motivated, your behavior is motivated by an external factor pushing you to do something in hopes of earning a reward – or avoiding a less-than-positive outcome. Examples of extrinsic motivation could include: Reading a book to prepare for a test. Exercising to lose weight.
etymology
the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.
“the decline of etymology as a linguistic discipline”
Datum
something known or assumed; information from which conclusions can be inferred.
surreptitiously
in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively.
“Matt surreptitiously slipped from the room”
dichotomy
A dichotomy is a contrast between two things. When there are two ideas, especially two opposed ideas — like war and peace, or love and hate — you have a dichotomy.
arbitrary
based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
“his mealtimes were entirely arbitrary”
assiduous
showing great care and perseverance.
“she was assiduous in pointing out every feature”
Capricious
Capricious is an adjective to describe a person or thing that’s impulsive and unpredictable, like a bride who suddenly leaves her groom standing at the wedding altar.
Serendipitous
Serendipitous is an adjective that describes accidentally being in the right place at the right time, like bumping into a good friend in some unusual location, or finding a hundred dollar bill on the ground.
polemicist
a person who engages in controversial debate.
“a brilliant polemicist with an independent critical mind”
Atrophy
gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.
“her artistic skills atrophied from lack of use”
melancholy
a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.
“an air of melancholy surrounded him”
proclivity
a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing.
“a proclivity for hard work”
copious
abundant in supply or quantity.
“she took copious notes”
supposition
an uncertain belief.
“they were working on the supposition that his death was murder”
Prurience
Prurience is a strong interest in sexual matters.
Enmity
Enmity and its synonyms “hostility,” animosity, and animus all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will. Enmity (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning “enemy”) suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed. Hostility implies strong, open enmity that shows itself in attacks or aggression.
stupor
a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility.
“a drunken stupor”
insatiable
(of an appetite or desire) impossible to satisfy.
“an insatiable hunger for success”
eviscerate
deprive (something) of its essential content.
“myriad little concessions that would eviscerate the project”
disembowel (a person or animal).
“the goat had been skinned and neatly eviscerated”
pernicious
pernicieux - French
perniciosus - Latin
having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
“the pernicious influences of the mass media”
Promulgates
promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).
“these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization”
put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation.
“in January 1852 the new Constitution was promulgated”
conjugal
relating to marriage or the relationship of a married couple.
“conjugal loyalty”
ignominy
public shame or disgrace.
“the ignominy of being imprisoned”
animosity
strong hostility.
“he no longer felt any animosity toward her”
avarice
extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
“he was rich beyond the dreams of avarice”
pretense
an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true.
“his anger is masked by a pretense that all is well”
execrable
extremely bad or unpleasant.
“execrable cheap wine”
prudent
If you show good and careful judgment when handling practical matters, you can be described as prudent. Similarly, a wise and well-thought-through decision or action can be called prudent.
Temperance
1 : moderation in action, thought, or feeling : restraint. 2a : habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions. b : moderation in or abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages.
obstinate
stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.
“her obstinate determination to pursue a career in radio”
Suppliant
a person making a humble plea to someone in power or authority.
corporeal
relating to a person’s body, especially as opposed to their spirit.
“he was frank about his corporeal appetites”
continence
self-restraint, especially with regard to sex.
“complete sexual continence is considered an essential feature of the monastic life”
indignant
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.
“he was indignant at being the object of suspicion”
convulsions
uncontrollable laughter.
“the audience collapsed in convulsions”
loquacity
the quality of talking a great deal; talkativeness.
“he was renowned for loquacity”
basilisk
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who can cause death with a single glance.
compunction
The definition of compunction is a strong feeling of uneasiness caused by guilt. An example of compunction is the feeling a teenager gets when returning to their house after sneaking out and realizing their mom is awake.
peripatetic
traveling from place to place, in particular working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
“the peripatetic nature of military life”
perturbation
anxiety; mental uneasiness.
“she sensed her friend’s perturbation”
analogous
comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared.
“they saw the relationship between a ruler and his subjects as analogous to that of father and children”
perfidious
deceitful and untrustworthy.
“a perfidious lover”
clemency
mercy; lenience.
“an appeal for clemency”
impunity
exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action.
“the impunity enjoyed by military officers implicated in civilian killings”
sapiential
characterized by or peculiar to wisdom
the sapiential attitude … replaced the imprecatory attitude
Joseph Frank
attributing a sapiential function to prudence
V. J. Bourke
dissipation
dissipated living.
“a descent into drunkenness and sexual dissipation”
the squandering of money, energy, or resources.
“the dissipation of the country’s mineral wealth”
austere
severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance.
“an austere man, with a rigidly puritanical outlook”
(of living conditions or a way of life) having no comforts or luxuries; harsh or ascetic.
“conditions in the prison could hardly be more austere”
having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance; unadorned.
“the cathedral is impressive in its austere simplicity”
continence
In another sense, continence is a little like abstinence, but while abstinence is refraining from sex, usually for a religious reason, continence refers to the ability to do so.
indigence
a state of extreme poverty.
“he did valuable work toward the relief of indigence”
wantonness
the trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry. synonyms: abandon, abandonment, unconstraint. type of: unrestraint. the quality of lacking restraint.
Raiment
clothing, garments.
cupidity
greed for money or possessions.
“new wealth, however tainted by cupidity and egoism, tends to be favorable for the arts”
perjury
the offense of willfully telling an untruth in a court after having taken an oath or affirmation.
“he claimed two witnesses at his trial had committed perjury”
tacit
understood or implied without being stated.
“your silence may be taken to mean tacit agreement”
praxis
practice, as distinguished from theory.
“the gap between theory and praxis, text and world”
accepted practice or custom.
“patterns of Christian praxis in church and society”
proletariat
workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism).
“the growth of the industrial proletariat”
bourgeoisie
the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.
“the rise of the bourgeoisie at the end of the eighteenth century”
(in Marxist contexts) the capitalist class who own most of society’s wealth and means of production.
“the conflict of interest between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat”
expropriation
the action by the state or an authority of taking property from its owner for public use or benefit.
“the decree provided for the expropriation of church land and buildings”
the action of dispossessing someone of property.
“a popular movement aiming at the expropriation of the landowners and the overthrow of the autocracy”
palpable
(of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible.
“a palpable sense of loss”
able to be touched or felt.
“the palpable bump at the bridge of the nose”
Declaim
utter or deliver words or a speech in a rhetorical or impassioned way, as if to an audience.
appellative or Appellation
relating to or denoting the giving of a name.
a name or title.
“the city fully justifies its appellation “the Pearl of the Orient.””
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as oink, meow, roar, and chirp.
potentate
a monarch or ruler, especially an autocratic one.
hamlet
a small settlement, generally one smaller than a village.
“the house is in a quiet hamlet overlooking open countryside”
nascent
(especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.
“the nascent space industry”
nexus
a connection or series of connections linking two or more things.
“the nexus between industry and political power”
epithet
an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
“old men are often unfairly awarded the epithet “dirty.””
casuistry
a resolving of specific cases of conscience, duty, or conduct through interpretation of ethical principles or religious doctrine. : specious argument : rationalization.
declamation
A declamation speech is the term used to describe the re-giving of an important or famous speech. It could be a political, graduation or commencement speech, a eulogy, a sermon: any type of speech at all as long as it’s one that had significant impact on those who heard it.
sonorous
(of a person’s voice or other sound) imposingly deep and full.
“he read aloud with a sonorous and musical voice”
extraneous
irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with.
“one is obliged to wade through many pages of extraneous material”
licit, licitness
not forbidden; lawful.
“licit and illicit drugs”
conforming to the requirements of the law : not forbidden by law : permissible.
pleonasm
the use of more words than are necessary to convey meaning (e.g. see with one’s eyes ), either as a fault of style or for emphasis.
the use of more words than are needed to express a meaning, done either unintentionally or for emphasis; an example of this: An example of pleonasm might be “kick it with your feet.”
Inveigh
to protest or complain bitterly
pillory
attack or ridicule publicly.
“he found himself pilloried by members of his own party”
rancor
bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long-standing.
“he spoke without rancor”
Nomism
ethical or religious basing of conduct on the observance of moral law : LEGALISM
patrimony
property inherited from one’s father or male ancestor.
“owners refuse to part with their patrimony in the interests of agricultural development”
didactic
intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
“a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice”
inculcate
instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction.
“the failures of the churches to inculcate a sense of moral responsibility”
exculpate
show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.
“the article exculpated the mayor”
benevolence
the quality of being well meaning; kindness.
vivacious
attractively lively and animated (typically used of a woman).
“her vivacious and elegant mother”
acumen
the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.
“business acumen”
felicitous
well chosen or suited to the circumstances.
“a felicitous phrase”
recension
a revised edition of a text; an act of making a revised edition of a text.
“under the Carolingians new recensions of the code were made”
connotes
(of a word) imply or suggest (an idea or feeling) in addition to the literal or primary meaning.
“the term “modern science” usually connotes a complete openness to empirical testing”
analogous, analogon
something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail : something that is analogous to something else
Prescind
leave out of consideration.
“we have prescinded from many vexing issues”
cut off or separate from something.
“his is an idea entirely prescinded from all of the others”
adduce
cite as evidence.
“a number of factors are adduced to explain the situation”
satiety
The noun satiety means a state of fullness. Eating a huge, delicious meal will give you a satisfying feeling of satiety.
antithetical
directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.
“people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine”
calumniating
make false and defamatory statements about.
“foes were calumniating him in the press”
concomitants
a phenomenon that naturally accompanies or follows something.
“some of us look on pain and illness as concomitants of the stresses of living”
putrefaction
the process of decay or rotting in a body or other organic matter.
“the breeze shifted and we caught the stench of putrefaction”
insipid
lacking flavor.
“mugs of insipid coffee”
lacking vigor or interest.
“many artists continued to churn out insipid, shallow works”
Pleonasm
Pleonasm is redundancy in linguistic expression, such as “black darkness” or “burning fire”.
eminent
standing above others especially in rank, worth, or achievement. an eminent physician
lexicography
the practice of compiling dictionaries.
“Webster’s name had become famous before he embarked on his career in lexicography”
enervating
causing one to feel drained of energy or vitality.
“the enervating humidity of the coast”
Implacable
Not to be appeased or quieted
august
respected and impressive.
“she was in august company”
hemistich
An approximate half-line of verse, separated from another by a caesura, often for dramatic effect. An unfinished line of verse.
syllogism
A syllogism is a form of deductive argument where the conclusion follows from the truth of two (or more) premises. A deductive argument moves from the general to the specific and opposes inductive arguments that move from the specific to the general: 1. All mammals are animals.
An example of a syllogism is “All mammals are animals. All elephants are mammals. Therefore, all elephants are animals.” In a syllogism, the more general premise is called the major premise (“All mammals are animals”).
aesthetic
concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
“the pictures give great aesthetic pleasure”
insoluble
impossible to solve.
“the problem is not insoluble”
Enigmatic
Énigmatique / mystérieux - French
Aenigmatica / arcanum - Latin
Enigmatic is an adjective meaning “mysterious” or “puzzling”.
Interpolations
Interpoler - French
interpono - Latin
the insertion of something of a different nature into something else.
“the interpolation of songs into the piece”
a remark interjected in a conversation.
“as the evening progressed their interpolations became more ridiculous”
Some common synonyms of interpolate are insert, insinuate, intercalate, interject, interpose, and introduce. While all these words mean “to put between or among others,” interpolate applies to the inserting of something extraneous or spurious.
invectives
invective - French
convicium - Latin
- Swearing or abusive language that is harsh or insulting: James was very upset with the invectives his wife was saying to him because he forgot that it was her birthday.
- Any vehement accusations or denunciations including bitterly abusive or sarcastic speech: The politicians were throwing invectives at each other during their TV debate.
Deontology
Déontologie - French
Deontology is an ethical theory that says actions are good or bad according to a clear set of rules.
Kant’s deontological philosophy stemmed from his belief that humans possess the ability to reason and understand universal moral laws that they can apply in all situations. Unlike many other ethical theories, deontology does not focus on the consequences of individual actions
Immanuel Kant
Pliable
Souple - French
flexibilis - Latin
- Able to be easily bent: Jane’s arms and legs were so pliable and flexible when she practiced her ballet lessons.
- Disposed to comply with or consent to something or someone; easily influenced: Sam was pliable and easily persuaded to go horseback riding with Judy the day before because he just loves horses!
Prodigality
Prodigalitas - Latin
Lavishness and extravagance in spending: The prodigality of some politicians often results in higher taxes for the citizens and have no real value for the populations.
Synonyms for prodigality include extravagance, profligacy, and lavishness. Definitions of prodigality. the trait of spending extravagantly. synonyms: extravagance, profligacy. type of: improvidence, shortsightedness.
concupiscence
Concupiscence - French
Concupiscentia - Latin
concupiscible (comparative more concupiscible, superlative most concupiscible) (archaic) Greatly to be desired or lusted after; exciting concupiscence. quotations ▼ (archaic) Pertaining to concupiscence or lust; characterized by strong desire.
- A strong physical desire for intimacy which is associated with Cupid, the Roman god of love.
- Powerful or ardent feelings for close personal relationships.
obdurate
- Stubborn or unyielding; obstinate: Caroline responded with an obdurate refusal to arrive for work on Thanksgiving Day when her supervisor told her to show up.
Trina’s obdurate little girl refused to eat her vegetables at dinner. - Hardened in feelings or heart; not repentant: Bob’s cousin was an obdurate criminal who refused to change his ways.
- Etymology: from Latin ob-, “against” + durus, “hard”, therefore “hardened against”.
The Latin durus, “hard”, has also given English such words as “durable” and “duration” (the period of time during which anything is hard enough to last), and “duress” (hard treatment, or coercion, which forces a person to do something even when he or she doesn’t want to do it).
Fresco
Fresque - French
a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.
exigency
exigence - French
necessitas - Latin
an urgent need or demand.
“women worked long hours when the exigencies of the family economy demanded it”
utilitarian
utilitariste - French
designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive.
“a utilitarian building”
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes. It is a form of consequentialism. Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number.
vacuous
Vide - French
Vacuus - Latin
having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless.
“a vacuous smile”
postulate
postulat - French
postulatum - Latin
To assume that something is true: Jarvis stated he would postulate that the garden would do much better if it rained more often.
Potentate
Potentia - French
Potentat - Latin
a monarch or ruler, especially an autocratic one.
congenial
agréable - French
consentaneus - Latin
(of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to one’s taste or inclination.
“he went back to a climate more congenial to his cold stony soul”
(of a person) pleasant because of a personality, qualities, or interests that are similar to one’s own.
“his need for some congenial company”
dereliction
abandon - French
derelictionem - Latin
the state of having been abandoned and become dilapidated.
“every year valuable gardens start the slow slide to dereliction”
- A deliberate or conscious neglect of someone or something: The security guard at the bank committed a dereliction of his duty when he was not available to stop the robber because the officer was down in the locker room eating a sandwich.
- An act of not doing what a person or people are responsible for: A dereliction of military duty that soldiers were obligated to perform was the reason for their punishment.
- Etymology: from the 1590s, “abandonment”; formerly with an extended sense than in modern use; that is, of the sea withdrawing from the land; from Latin derelictionem, derelictio, from the stem of derelinquere, “to forsake wholly, to abandon”; from de- “entirely” + relinquere, “to leave behind”.
