Final Vocabulary: Outliers & Confession of the Jews

Nondescript

lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics.

Meritocracy

government or the holding of power by people selected based on their ability.

Tumultuous

Characterized by confusion, disorder, or loud noise.

Squandered

Wasted in a reckless and foolish manner, especially regarding a resource or opportunity.

Cohort

A group defined by a shared time period, such as birth years that line up with key opportunities.

Overrepresentation

A group that appears more often than expected.

Gatekeeper

Person or rule that controls access.

Subversive

seeking or intending to undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution).

Antecedent

a thing that existed before or logically precedes another.

Virtuoso

a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.

Ubiquitous

being everywhere at once.

Disparagement

negative criticism; belittling.

Keypunch Machine

an early data-entry device used to encode information by punching holes into a stiff paper card.

Erudition

the quality of having great knowledge.

Invariably

in every case or on every occasion; always.

Divergence

departure or spread-apart.

Despondent

in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.

Succinctly

in a brief and clearly expressed manner.

Concerted

coordinated.

Query

a question asked about something, especially in order to check its validity or accuracy.

Mitigated

a way of speaking that softens or downplays the message, often to show respect or deference to authority.

Deference

Respectful submission or yielding to the judgment or opinion of someone else.

Transgression

An act that goes against a law, rule, or moral code.

Piecework

work paid for by how much is produced rather than by the hour.

Autonomy

independence; the ability to make your own decisions.

Egalitarian

relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Ostracism

exclusion from a society or group.

Subsist

maintain or support oneself, especially at a minimal level.

Repugnant

extremely distasteful; unacceptable.

Convergence

when two or more things come together at a common point.

Contextual

dependent on surrounding circumstances or conditions.

Niche

a specialized segment of the market for a product and a service.

Perpetuate

to cause something to continue indefinitely.

Proximity

nearness in space, time, or relationship.

Retribution

punishment inflicted as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act.

Unequivocal

leaving no doubt; very clear and definite.

Astonished

very surprised or amazed.

Addendum

an extra part added at the end of a document, book, or contract.

Sensationalized

presented in an exaggerated or shocking way to grab attention.

Incapacitated

deprived of strength or power; debilitated.

Contingent

depending on something else.

Honor Culture

a society where personal reputation and respect are highly valued and defended, sometimes through violence.

Hierarchy

a system in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority.

Cosmopolitan

familiar with and at ease in many different cultures or countries.

Notorious

widely known, typically for a negative reason.

Ambiguity

the quality of having more than one meaning or interpretation; uncertainty.

Jurisdiction

the legal authority of a court or government agency.

Celestial

relating to outer space.

Timbre

the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity.

Idiosyncratic

Peculiar or individualistic in behavior or style.

Scoffers

People who mock or express contempt or doubt.

Martyr

someone who suffers or dies for their beliefs or cause.

Corrugated

shaped into ridges or folds, like the surface of cardboard.

Shtetl

A small Jewish town or village formerly found in Eastern Europe.

Shoah

Literally 'catastrophe' in Hebrew; used to describe the holocaust.

Subversion

The act of subverting: undermining, overthrowing or corrupting an established system, institution, or belief.

Epiphany

A sudden, intuitive moment of insight, a striking realisation of the essence or meaning of something.

Dogma

A belief or set of beliefs that is accepted without question or doubt by the members of a group, or taught by a religious organization as authoritative.

Vehemently

in a forceful, passionate, or intense manner; with great feeling.

Relic

an object surviving from an earlier time, one of historical or sentimental interest.

Monotonous

dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest.