Vocabulary/Definitions Flashcards
Inductive reasoning vs. Deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning is a bottom-up approach, from specific to general.
eg. Dogs A and B have fleas. All observed dogs have fleas. All dogs have fleas.
Deductive reasoning is top-down, from general premises to specific conclusions.
eg. All spiders have eight legs. A tarantula is a spider. Therefore, tarantulas have eight legs.
Richard Dawkins’ Meme
-unit of cultural transmission or imitation
-the cultural parallel to biological genes
-considered them as being in control of their own reproduction
Spandrel (architectural and evolutionary biology definition)
-roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, at top of arch or rectangular frame
-phenotypical trait that is a byproduct of some other characteristic eg. chin or recursion (clause within a clause), theorised by Noam Chomsky to be part of the Universal Grammar
Semantics
-how one’s lexicon, grammatical structures, tone and other elements of a sentence coalesce to communicate meaning
Syntax
-set of rules needed to ensure a sentence is grammatically correct
Bona fide & Bona fides
- genuine/real (from Latin: with good faith)
- informal for credentials
Epithet (examples)
a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing
eg. “Richard the Lion-Hearted” is an epithet of Richard I
eg. “man’s best friend” for “dog”
Subversive
tending or intending to overthrow, destroy, or undermine an established or existing system
Castigate/Chastise
Synonyms with similar etymology
Punish or censure someone
Cashed up bogan
A person who is unsophisticated or of a lower class background but achieving a high salary, who spends money on flashy or trashy items to fulfil their aspirations of higher social status
Normative vs Normal vs Norms
Normative - establishing (or trying to establish) certain rules about what we perceive as normal
Normal - usual/conforming to norms
Norms - the rules that govern our behaviour
Equivocate
use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself
Exhort
strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something
Obstinate
Obdurate
Intransigent
Obstinate: stubborn, tenaciously unwilling to yield
Obdurate: stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action
Intransigent: uncompromising, unwilling or refusing to change one’s views
Ostensible
stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so
Pernicious
having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
Crass
showing no intelligence or sensitivity
Under the auspices
with the protection or support of something, especially an organization
Erudition
the quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning
Anaphora
the repetition of words or phrases in a group of sentences, clauses, or poetic lines
eg. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
eg. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities
Tautology
Needless repetition of an idea, statement or word
eg. always and forever
eg. 8am in the morning
Outright vs Downright
Outright - complete, without reservation/unqualified, at once
Downright - directly to the point, complete, really/actually
Promulgate
Announce to the public, popularise, advocate
Denotation vs Connotation
Denotation - direct meaning
Connotation - ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it
Ecru
colour of unbleached linen, beige
French word écru means ‘raw, unbleached’
Chamois/Buff
Light brownish yellow
Chamois is also a goat-like animal native to the mountains of Europe and the Middle East
Preclude
Prevent from happening, make impossible
Ribald
referring to sexual matters in an amusingly coarse or irreverent way
Direction v Directive v Order
Direction - guideline
Directive - instruction
Order - command
Assuage
make an unpleasant feeling less intense
Milieu
a person’s social environment
Esoteric
intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest
Spurious
not being what it purports to be; false or fake
Purports
appear to be or do something, especially falsely
Hermeneutic
concerning interpretation
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the late 1980s
Apropos
with reference to; concerning
Intractable
Unmanageable, hard to control or deal with
Abstemious
indulging only very moderately in something, especially food and drink
Furtive
secretive, attempting to avoid notice or attention
Vociferous
expressing or characterized by vehement opinions; loud and forceful
Impudent/Impertinent
not showing due respect for another person, rude
Ubiquitous
present, appearing, or found everywhere
Complacent vs Complaisant
- showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements
- willing to please others or to accept what they do or say without protest
Torrid
very hot and dry
Disparaging
expressing the opinion that something is of little worth; derogatory
Tacit
understood or implied without being stated; implicit
Incipient/Nascent
beginning to happen or develop
Derision
contemptuous ridicule or mockery
Incorrigible/Inveterate
not able to be changed or reformed
Repudiate
reject/deny
Perfunctory
carried out without real interest, feeling, or effort
Morose
sullen and ill-tempered
Voluble
talking fluently, readily, or incessantly
Assail
attack/assault
disturb
strongly criticize
Corroborate
confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding)
Precocious
having developed certain abilities or inclinations at an earlier age than is usual or expected
Imprecation
a spoken curse
Parochial
having a limited or narrow outlook or scope; relating to a church parish
Lacuna
an unfilled space; a gap
(in anatomy: a cavity or depression, especially in bone)
Reprobate
an unprincipled person
Approbation
approval or praise
Opprobrium
harsh criticism or censure; public disgrace
Heuristic
enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves
Hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence
Reticent
not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily
Impunity
exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action
Prevaricate
speak or act in an evasive way
Congenial
pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to one’s own
Seminal
strongly influencing later developments
Perennial
lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring
Reprimand
formal expression of disapproval
Attrition
process of reducing something’s strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure
Nexus
central or focal point
connection or series of connections linking two or more things
Rapacious
aggressively greedy or grasping
Disparage
regard or represent as being of little worth
Incisive
- (of a person or mental process) intelligently analytical and clear-thinking
- (of an action) quick and direct
Miscreant
a person who has done something wrong or unlawful
Dogma
a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true
Promontory
point of high land that juts out into the sea or a large lake; a headland
Fungible
replaceable by another identical item; mutually interchangeable
Expedient
convenient and practical although possibly improper or immoral
Vitriolic
filled with bitter criticism or malice
Animus
- hostility or ill feeling
- motivation to do something
Inexorable
impossible to stop or prevent
(person) unrelenting, impossible to persuade
Cogent
clear, logical, and convincing
Foment
instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action)
Portmanteau
- two-part suitcase
- a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others
eg. motel, brunch. podcast (iPod and broadcast), mockumentary, smog (from smoke and fog)
Clandestine
kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit
Judicious
having, showing, or done with good judgement or sense
Prosaic
relating to prose rather than poetry
commonplace/ordinary
