Insight or Evolution

confer

v.

to exchange ideas on a particular subject, often in order to reach a decision on what action to take:

confer with

I need some time to confer with my lawyer.

arbitrary

adj.

based on chance rather than being planned or based on reason

- arbitrary decision-making - Did you have a reason for choosing your destination or was it arbitrary?

cumulative

adj.

increasing by one addition after another:

SYNONYM accumulative

The cumulative effect of using so many chemicals on the land could be disastrous.

speculation

n.

[C or U] the act of guessing possible answers to a question without having enough information to be certain:

speculation about sth

Rumours that the CEO is retiring have been dismissed as pure speculation.

amid

pre. in the middle of or surrounded by:

• On the floor, amid mounds of books, were two small envelopes.

noteworthy

adj.

deserving attention because of being important or interesting:

be noteworthy that be noteworthy for sth

- It is noteworthy that one third of students do not pay any tuition fees. - King Darius I was noteworthy for his administrative reforms, military conquests, and religious toleration. - a noteworthy example/event

postulate

v.

to suggest a theory, idea, etc. as a basic principle from which a further idea is formed or developed:

noun form: postulate

[ + that ] It was the Greek astronomer, Ptolemy, who postulated that the earth was at the centre of the universe.

unheralded

adj.

not previously mentioned; happening without any warning		I didn’t want to make an unheralded entrance.
not previously known about or recognized for hard work or great achievements:	go unheralded	In America, the band is largely unheralded and does not have a record deal.

notion

n. an idea, a belief or an understanding of something

• She had only a vague notion of what might happen.

undermine

v.

to make something, especially somebody’s confidence or authority, gradually weaker or less effective

undermine something/somebody

Our confidence in the team has been seriously undermined by their recent defeats.

duly

adv.

(formal) in the correct or expected manner		The document was duly signed by the inspector.
at the expected and correct time	COMPARE unduly	They duly arrived at 9.30 in spite of torrential rain.

monumental

n.

[usually before noun] very important and having a great influence, especially as the result of years of work	SYNONYM historic	Gibbon’s monumental work ‘The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’
[only before noun] very large, good, bad, stupid, etc.	SYNONYM major	- We have a monumental task ahead of us. - a monumental error/disaster/cock-up
[only before noun] appearing in or serving as a monument		a monumental inscription/tomb

justify

v.

to show that somebody/something is right or reasonable	justify doing sth justify sb/sth doing sth justify sth	- Her success had justified the faith (niềm tin) her teachers had put in her. - How can they justify paying such huge salaries? - The results of the inquiry did not justify them departing from their existing policy.
to give an explanation or excuse for something or for doing something	SYNONYM defend justify sth/yourself justify sth/yourself to sb justify (sb /sth) doing sth	- The senator made an attempt to justify his actions. - The Prime Minister has been asked to justify the decision to Parliament. - He sought to justify taking these measures by citing the threat of a terrorist attack. - The press release was intended to justify them sacking her.
(specialist) to arrange lines of printed text so that one or both edges are straight	justify sth

enterprise

n.

[countable] a company or business		He is in charge of an enterprise with a turnover of $26 billion.
[countable] a large project, especially one that is difficult	SYNONYM venture	Have you heard about his latest business enterprise?
[uncountable] the development of businesses by the people of a country rather than by the government		They provide grants to encourage enterprise in the region.
[uncountable] (approving) the ability to think of new projects and make them successful	SYNONYM initiative show enterprise	- a job in which enterprise is rewarded - Many hotels are showing enterprise and imagination by staging special events.

endeavor

n.

an attempt to do something, especially something new or difficult

[uncountable, countable] (formal) endeavor to do sth in an endeavor to do sth

- There have been great advances in the field of scientific endeavour. - Please make every endeavour to arrive on time. - The public bombarded the company with complaints in an endeavour to have the price increases revoked.

domain

n.

an area of knowledge or activity; especially one that somebody is responsible for	- Financial matters are her domain. - things that happen outside the domain of the home
(computing) a set of websites on the internet that end with the same group of letters, for example ‘.com’, ‘.org’	top-level domains