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60 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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proscribe (v)
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forbid, esp. by law: strikes remained proscribed in the armed forces
- denounce or condemn |
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intransigent (adj)
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unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something
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untenable (adj)
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(esp. of a position or view) not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection: this argument is clearly untenable
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iconoclast (n)
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person who tears down cherished beliefs
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acumen (n)
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ability to make good judgments and decisions
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perforce (adv)
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used to express necessity or inevitability: amateurs, perforce, have to settle for less expensive solutions.
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ostensibly (adv)
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apparently or purportedly, but perhaps not actually : portrayed as a blue collar type, ostensibly a carpenter
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putative (adj)
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generally considered or reputed to be: the putative father of a boy of two
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pastiche (n)
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- an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period
* an artistic work consisting of a medley of pieces taken from various sources * a confused mixture or jumble: his speech is a pastiche of false starts and unfinished sentences |
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systemic (n)
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of or relating to a system, esp. as apposed to a particular part: the disease is localised rather than systemic
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tendentious (adj)
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expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, esp. a controversial one: a tendentious reading of history
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pretentious (adj)
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attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc. than is actually possessed: a pretentious literary device
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sublimate (v)
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divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity: people who will sublimate sexuality into activities which help build up and preserve civilization/he sublimates his hurt and anger into humor
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isotropic
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(of an object or substance) having a physical property that has the same value when measured in different directions
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inveterate (adj)
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having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long established and unlikely to change: an inveterate gambler
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austere (adj)
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sever or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance
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obstinate (adj)
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stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so/(of an unwelcome phenomenon or situation) very difficult to change or over come: the obstinate problem of unemployment.
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aloof (adj)
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not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant: they were courteous but faintly aloof | an aloof and somewhat austere figure/conspicuously uninvolved and uninterested, typically through distaste: he stayed aloof from the bickering
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insidious (adj)
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proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects: STDs can be insidious, and sometimes without symptms/treacherous, crafty: tangle proof of an insidious alliance
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treacherous (adj)
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guilty or involving betrayal or deception: a treacherous Gestapo agent | memory is particularly treacherous/(of ground, water, conditions, etc.) hazardous because of presenting hidden or unpredictable dangers: a vacationer was swept away by treacherous currents
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providential (adj)
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occurring at a favorable time; opportune:thanks to a providential snowstorm, the attack had been repulsed.
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solidarity (n)
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unity or agreement of feeling or action, esp. among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group: factory workers voiced solidarity with the striking students
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chimera
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1. in Greek mythology a fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail/any mythical animal with parts taken from various animals/a thing that is hoped or wished for but in fact is illusory or impossible to achieve: the economic sovereignty you claim to defend is a chimera
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credulity (n)
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a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is true/credulous - having or showing too great a readiness to believe things, gullible
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idyll (n)
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an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene, typically an idealized or unsustainable one: the rural idyll remains strongly evocative in most industrialized societies
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dissimulation (v)
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conceal or disguise (one's thoughts, feelings, or character): a country gentleman who dissimulates his wealth beneath ragged pullovers
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republic (n)
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a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch
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probity (n)
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the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency: financial probity
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sagacious (adj)
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having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement; shrewd
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shrewd (adj)
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having or showing sharp powers of judgement; astute : she was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind the gesture | a shrewd career move
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deign (v)
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to do something that one considers beneath one's dignity: she did not deign to answer the maid's question
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imposture (n)
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an instance of pretending to be someone else in order to deceive others.
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stipulate (v)
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demand or specify (a requirement), typically as part of a bargain or agreement
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perquisites (n)
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perk/a thing regarded as a special right or privilege enjoyed as a result of one's position: the wife of a president has all the perquisites of stardom
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gratuity (n)
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money given in return for some service
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honor (n)
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adherence to what is right or a conventional standard of conduct: I must as a matter of honor avoid any taint of dishonesty.
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artifice (n)
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clever or cunning devices or expedients, esp. as used to trick or deceive others: artifice and outright fakery | the style is not free from the artifices of the period
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expedient (adj, b)
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(of an action) convenient and practical, although possibly improper or immoral: either side could break the agreement if it were expedient to do so/(of an action) suitable or appropriate:holding a public inquiry into the scheme was not expedient
(n): a means of attaining an end, esp. one that is convenient but considered improper or immoral: the current policy is a political expedient |
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espouse (v)
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adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life): she espoused communism
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prejudice (n, v)
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preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or experience: English prejudice against foreigners | anti-Jewish prejudices
(v) give rise to prejudice in (someone); make biased: the statement might prejudice the jury |
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bias (n, v)
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prejudice in favor of or against one thing, a person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered unfair: there was evidence of bias against foreign applicants | the bias toward younger people in recruitment | a systematic bias in favor of the powerful
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preconceived (adj)
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(of an idea or opinion) formed before having the evidence for its truth or usefulness: the same set of facts can be tailored to fit any preconceived belief.
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stereotype (n,v)
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a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing: the stereotype of the woman as the carer | sexual and racial stereotypes
(v) view or represent as a stereotype: the city is too easily stereotyped as an industrial wasteland | the film is weakened by its stereotyped characters. |
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rapine (n)
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violent seizure of someone's property
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institution (n)
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social construct -- law, practice, custom/a society or organization founded for religious, educational, social, or similar purpose/an established official organization having an important role in the life of a country e.g. bank, church, legislature
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pithy (adj)
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consise, forcefully expressive; full of substance
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maxim (n)
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a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct: the maxim that actions speak louder than words
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dissolute (adj)
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lax in morals; licentious: a dissolute, drunken, disreputable rogue
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licentious (adj)
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promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters
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desultory (adj)
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lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm: a few people were left, dancing in a desultory fashion/(of conversation or speech) going constantly from one subject to another in a halfhearted way; unfocused: the desultory conversation faded/occurring randomly or occasionally: desultory passengers were appearing
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inexpiable (adj)
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(of an offense or feeling) so bad as to be impossible to expiate
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sentimental (adj)
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get a tender emotion, even when situation not that bad/prone to feelings of tenderness, sadness, nostalgia
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luster (n)
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a gentle sheen or soft glow
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sanctity (n)
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the state or quality of being holy, sacred, or saintly: the site of the tomb was a place of sanctity for the ancient Egyptians/ultimate importance and inviolability: the sanctity of human life
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vested interest (n)
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a personal stake or involvement in an undertaking or state of affairs, esp. one with an expectation of personal financial gain: banks have a vested interest in the growth of their customers / a person or group having such a personal stake or involvement: the problem is that the authorities are a vested interest
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vital (adj)
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Full of energy
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dynamic (adj)
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(Of a process or system) characterized by constant change, activity, or progress : a dynamic economy
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loquacious (adj)
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implies an inclination to talk incessantly or to keep up a constant flow of chatter: a loquacious woman who never seemed to tire of hearing her own voice
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glib (adj)
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Negative -- refers to a superficial or slick way of speaking : the glib manner of a used-car salesman
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voluble (adj)
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pertains to the ease with which someone is able to converse or speak.
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