📚 Words & Expressions 📚

I have read it all very carefully, and it smacks of future shock: the apotheosis of human technology at the expense of the human being

(n.) the highest or best part of something

quotidian fever

(adj.) occurring every day

computer geek

(n.) an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity

The process has tax benefits but also entails costs.

(v.) to have (something) as a necessary part, accompaniment, or result

The detective managed to excavate the truth from a mountain of conflicting testimonies.

(v.) To dig out, unearth, or bring to light through close analysis or investigation.

We shouldn't instrumentalise our friendships merely to network for career opportunities.

(v.) To treat something purely as a tool or instrument to achieve a specific goal, rather than valuing it for its own sake.

She could seamlessly turn any casual conversation into an erudite discussion about 19th-century literature

(adj.) Having or showing great knowledge or learning; scholarly

Instead of offering a balanced, objective review of the book, the critic wrote a highly polemical essay tearing the author's political beliefs to shreds

(adj.) arguing very strongly for or against a belief or opinion

Relying on paper maps for road trips has become largely outmoded due to smartphone GPS

(adj.) Old-fashioned, obsolete, or no longer accepted/current

Moving to a massive, crowded city where you don't speak the language can be an alienating experience.

(v.) Causing someone to feel isolated, estranged, or disconnected from themselves or society.

Legal scholars argue that passing emergency surveillance laws without strict judicial oversight serves to attenuate citizens' fundamental right to privacy

(v.) The reduction of the force, effect, value, or thickness of something; a weakening.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered the prototypical framework for modern international human rights law.

(adj.) A first example from which all later forms can be developed

We don't have a dinner reservation for tonight, so let's just walk around downtown and play it by ear

(exp.) to improvise or make decisions as a situation develops, rather than sticking to a fixed plan

Infrahumanisation can manifest quietly in sports, when fans refuse to see that the athletes on rival teams experience the same emotional vulnerabilities as their own.

(n.) a subtle psychological phenomenon where people tacitly perceive their own group ("ingroup") as fully human, while viewing outside groups ("outgroups") as less human and more animal-like

He took a surreptitious bite of the chocolate cake while nobody was looking

(adj.) doing something secretly or stealthily, typically because it would not be approved of

Economic instability often underlies social unrest.

(v.) to be the foundational cause, basis, or hidden force behind something

In the last few decades, that swagger seems to have collapsed under the weight of a tepid banality

(n.) something that lacks originality, freshness, or novelty

An estranged husband or wife is not now living with the person they are married to

(adj.) lacking interest in and no longer close or friendly with someone

The debate over the statutory clause quickly devolved into a mere logomachy, ignoring the real-world impact of the policy

(n.) a dispute over or about words

It is axiomatic that good athletes have a strong mental attitude.

(adj.) self-evident, prima facie

My knowledge about the financial laws are still rudimentary

(adj.) basic knowledge, understanding

The constitutional framework aims for a pleroma of institutional checks, leaving no room for arbitrary exercise of power

(n.) The fullness or totality of something

The wartime austerity¹ of my early years prepared me for later hardships.

(n.) the condition of living without unnecessary things and without comfort

People protested in the streets against austerity².

(n.) a difficult economic situation caused by a government reducing the amount of money it spends

They spent a lot of time arguing about legal niceties.

(n.) a detail or small difference that is only obvious after careful thought

He said that he deplored all violence

(v.) to say or think that something is very bad

The children were raised in deplorable conditions

(adj.) very bad

I spent years neglecting my sleep and diet, only trying to fix them after my health crashed; truly, you think of water when the well is empty.

(exp.) realizing the true value of something once it is completely gone

The vicissitudes of daily life

(n.) a fluctuation of state or condition

I found several anachronisms in his logical explanation.

(n.) a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place

He was known for his pithy summaries that captured complex legal doctrines in a single sentence.

(adj.) speech or writing that is brief, forceful, and packed with meaning

A clear, upfront constitutional clause can obviate the risk of future jurisdictional disputes.

(v.) to anticipate and prevent (something, such as a situation) or make (an action) unnecessary

She presented a cogent argument for institutional reform that won over the entire committee

(adj.) Clear, logical, and highly convincing

The initial data from the study was equivocal, leaving both sides to claim victory.

(adj.) Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous

A plenary meeting of the 500 members was held last summer.

(adj.) complete in every respect