Vocabulary Review – Lecture Notes Page 1

Flashcards covering all key vocabulary terms from the provided lecture notes (Page 1).

What does “abridge” mean?

To shorten without losing the main sense.

What does “acclaim” refer to?

Enthusiastic public praise.

What is an “affinity” for something?

A natural liking or attraction to it.

What does “amalgamated” mean?

Combined or united to form one structure.

How is the word “amorphous” defined?

Without a clearly defined shape or form.

What are “analyses”?

Detailed examinations of elements or structure.

What does “analogical” mean?

Based on analogy or comparison.

Define “ambiguous.”

Open to more than one interpretation.

What does it mean to feel “ambivalent”?

Having mixed or contradictory feelings.

What does “ameliorate” mean?

To make something better or more tolerable.

Define “anomalous.”

Deviating from what is standard or normal.

What does “antagonistic” describe?

Showing opposition or hostility.

What is “apathy”?

Lack of interest or concern.

What does “appraising” involve?

Evaluating or estimating the worth of something.

If you are “apprised of” something, what has happened?

You have been informed or notified about it.

Define “arcane.”

Understood by few; mysterious or secret.

What does it mean to “assimilate”?

To absorb or integrate into a larger group.

How is “assuage” used?

To make less intense; to ease.

What does “augment” mean?

To make greater by adding to.

Define “banal.”

So lacking in originality as to be obvious.

What does it mean when something “belies” another thing?

It gives a false impression of it.

What does the phrase “breadth of” refer to?

The wide scope or range of something.

If someone “brooded on” an issue, what did they do?

Thought deeply about something troubling.

What is a “buttress”?

Support or strengthen.

Define “candor.”

The quality of being open and honest.

What does “coalesce” mean?

To come together and form one whole.

What does it mean for events to “coincide”?

To happen at the same time.

What does it mean to “collaborate”?

To work jointly with others.

Define “complementary.”

Combining to enhance or complete each other.

What does “compressed” mean?

Pressed into a smaller space.

What is meant by “compulsory”?

Required by law or rule; obligatory.

What does it mean to “conflate” things?

To combine two or more things into one.

Define “confound.”

To confuse or perplex.

What are “conjectures”?

Guesses based on incomplete information.

What does “consensus” mean?

General agreement.

Define “conspicuous.”

Easily seen or noticed; attracting attention.

What does it mean to “constitute” something?

To be part of a whole; to make up.

What is a “constraint”?

A limitation or restriction.

Define “constrict.”

To make narrower; tighten.

What does it mean to “contemplate”?

To think about deeply and at length.

What does “contentious” describe?

Causing or likely to cause an argument.

What does it mean to “convene”?

To come together for a meeting.

Define “cornerstone.”

An essential or foundational element.

What does “corroborate” mean?

To confirm or support with evidence.

What does it mean to “counteract” something?

To act against; neutralize the effect of it.

Define “counterbalance.”

To offset or balance the effect of something.

What is a “critique”?

A detailed analysis and assessment.

What does “curtail” mean?

To reduce or limit something.

Define “cynical.”

Distrustful of human sincerity or integrity.

What is a “dearth” of something?

A scarcity or lack of it.

What does it mean to “decouple from” something?

To separate or disconnect from it.

If a policy was “decried,” what happened?

It was publicly denounced or criticized.

Define “defunct.”

No longer existing or functioning.

What is “deliberation”?

Careful consideration or discussion.

What does it mean to “denigrate” someone?

To unfairly criticize or belittle them.

Define “denounce.”

To publicly declare wrong or evil.

What does “desultory” mean?

Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.

Define “dissonance.”

Lack of harmony or agreement.

What does it mean to “disparage” something?

To speak of it as unimportant or bad.

Define “disparity.”

A great difference.

What does it mean to be “dispassionate”?

Not influenced by emotion; impartial.

What does “dispersed” describe?

Scattered or spread widely.

Define “disseminate.”

To spread or disperse widely.

What does “dissipate” mean?

To disappear or cause to disappear.

Define “dogmatic.”

Asserting opinions as undeniable truths.

What does it mean to “downplay” something?

To make it appear less important.

What does “dwindle” mean?

To gradually decrease in size or amount.

Define “dynamic.”

Characterized by constant change or activity.

What does “earnest” mean?

Showing sincere and intense conviction.

Define “eccentric.”

Unconventional and slightly strange.

What does it mean when something is “eclipsed”?

Overshadowed or made less important.

Define “efficacy.”

The ability to produce a desired result.

What is “eliciting” a response?

Drawing out a response or reaction.

What does “emblematic of” mean?

Serving as a symbol of something.

If an idea was “embraced,” what happened?

It was accepted or supported willingly.

What does it mean to “emulate” someone?

To imitate or match, typically by admiration.

Define “encapsulate.”

To express the main idea briefly.

What does it mean to “engender” something?

To cause or give rise to it.

Define “entail.”

To involve or require as a necessary part.

What does it mean to “enumerate” items?

To list them one by one.

Define “envision.”

To imagine as a future possibility.

What does it mean if an action “epitomized” a quality?

It served as a perfect example of it.

Define “equitable.”

Fair and impartial.

What does “equivocal” mean?

Open to multiple interpretations; ambiguous.

Define “erratic.”

Unpredictable; inconsistent.

What does it mean to “evince” something?

To show it clearly; reveal.

Define “exemplification.”

The act of showing by example.

What is “expediency”?

Convenience; practicality over principle.

What does it mean to “exploit” something?

To make full use of; benefit unfairly from it.

Define “extraneous.”

Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject.

What does it mean to “extrapolate” information?

To infer from known information.

Define “extricate.”

To free from difficulty.

What does “facetious” mean?

Treating serious issues with humor.

Define “fecundity.”

Ability to produce offspring or new growth.

What is “foresight”?

The ability to predict or plan for the future.

Define “hallmark.”

A distinguishing characteristic or feature.

What does “haphazard” describe?

Lacking any obvious principle of organization.

What is a “harbinger”?

Something that signals the approach of another.