Destination C1-C2 Unit 20 Power and social issues

benign

pleasant and kind

bully

1) someone who hurts or frightens someone else, often over a period of time, and often forcing them to do something that they do not want to do

2) to hurt or frighten someone, often over a period of time, and often forcing that person to do something they do not want to do

command

1) an order, especially one given by a soldier

2) control over someone or something and responsibility for him, her, or it

3) a great knowledge of a subject and an ability to use that knowledge

conquer

1) to take control or possession of foreign land, or a group of people, by force

2) to deal with or successfully fight against a problem or an unreasonable fear

consent

1) permission or agreement

2) to agree to do something, or to allow someone to do something

enforce

to make people obey a law, or to make a particular situation happen or be accepted

entitle

1) to give someone the right to do or have something

2) to give a title to a book, film, etc

exempt

1) to excuse someone or something from a duty, payment, etc.

2) with special permission not to do or pay something

3) not having to obey a rule or to do something that is usually necessary

former

preceding; previous

impose

1) to officially force a rule, tax, punishment, etc. to be obeyed or received

2) to force someone to accept something, especially a belief or way of living

2) to expect someone to do something for you or spend time with you when they do not want to or when it is not convenient for them

inferior

not good, or not as good as someone or something else; lower, or of lower rank

intimidate

to frighten or threaten someone, usually in order to persuade them to do something that you want them to do

label

1) a word or a phrase that is used to describe the characteristics or qualities of people, activities, or things, often in a way that is unfair

2) a company that produces goods for sale, the goods themselves, or the company's name or symbol

3) to fasten a label to

liberate

1) to help someone or something to be free; to release someone from control, duties, limits, or prison

2) to steal something (humorous)

mainstream

1) considered normal, and having or using ideas, beliefs, etc. that are accepted by most people

2) the way of life or set of beliefs accepted by most people

3) to make something start to be considered normal

reign

1) to be the king or queen of a country

2) to be the main feeling or quality in a situation or person

3) a period when a particular person, feeling, or quality is very important or has a strong influence

reinforce

to make something stronge; provide more proof or support for opinion or idea and makes it seem true; to provide an army with more soldiers or weapons to make it stronger

reluctant

not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it

resist

1 to fight against something or someone that is attacking you;

2 to refuse to accept or be changed by something

3 to stop yourself from doing something that you want to do

restrict

to limit the movements or actions of someone, or to limit something and reduce its size or prevent it from increasing

submit

1) to give or offer something for a decision to be made by others;

2) to allow another person or group to have power or authority over you, or to accept something unwillingly

3) to formally send a document, plan, etc. to a person or group in authority so that they can make a decision about it

summon

1 to order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially arrange a meeting of people

2 to increase your courage or strength, especially with an effort

3 to find, call, or gather together something for use

4 to remember or imagine something

superior

1 better than average or better than other people or things of the same type

2 higher in rank or social position than others

3 a person or group of people who are higher in rank or social position than others

undermine

to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually

unrest

disagreements or fighting between different groups of people

victimise

to treat someone in an intentionally unfair way, especially because of their race, sex, beliefs, etc.

abolish

to end an activity or custom officially

advocate

to publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something; to speak for, support, or represent a person or group of people who may need extra help or protection

alleviate

to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe

convict

1 to decide officially in a law court that someone is guilty of a crime

2 someone who is in prison because they are guilty of a crime

deterrent

making someone less likely to do something by making it difficult for them to do it or by making them realize that it will have bad results; discourage

heritage

features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance; a person's racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural background;

relating to buildings, places, works of art, etc. that are considered to have historical importance for a particular area or for all people

prosecute

1 to officially accuse someone of committing a crime in a law court, or (of a lawyer) to try to prove that a person accused of committing a crime is guilty of that crime

2 to continue to take part in a planned group of activities, especially a war

back down

stop asking for sth, or stop saying you will do sth; to admit that you were wrong or that you have been defeated

blend in

to look or seem the same as surrounding people or things and therefore not be easily noticeable

bring about

to make something happen, especially to cause changes in a situation

crack down on

to start dealing with someone or something much more strictly

get in

be elected for a political job

get off

not be punished severely or at all for sth you have been accused of in court

have a particular period of time as a holiday

send sth, for example in the post

give in

to finally agree to something that someone wants after first refusing

hit back

criticise someone who has criticised you; deliberately hurt someone who has hurt you

lock up

put someone in a prison; lock all the doors and windows of a building so that no one can get in

opt out of

to decide not to take part in something or to stop taking part in it

push around

keep telling someone what to do in an unfair or unpleasant way

phase out

to gradually stop using something

single out

choose one person from a group for special attention

stand up to

to defend yourself against a powerful person or organization when they treat you unfairly

take over

take control of something; begin to do something that someone else was doing

talk down to

to talk to someone as if they are less intelligent than you or not important

arm yourself against

be prepared to defend yourself against sth

take up arms against

to prepare to fight against someone or something

lay down arms

to surrender

up in arms about

angry and complaining about something

grant somebody the authority to do smth

allow others to take necessary actions

have something on good authority

to be able to believe a piece of information because you trust the person who told you it

charge with

to publicly accuse someone of doing something bad

take charge of (be in charge of)

to take control of or make yourself responsible for something

combat crime

to try to stop illegal activity

deny (all) responsibility for

refuse to be held accountable for sth

force your way into/through

achieve or bring about sth by effort

force a smile

to smile when you do not really feel like it

grant a request

give sb what they asked for

Grant someone's wish

make someone's wish come true

grant

1) to give, agree to give, or do something that another person has asked for, esp. as an official or formal act

2) to accept that something is true, often before expressing an opposite opinion

3) an amount of money given especially by the government to a person or organization for a special purpose

uphold the law

to support and maintain a law

amend a law

to make changes to a law

repeal a law

to officially end a rule

lay down the law

To speak in an authoritative manner, to give explicit orders, to forcefully make known what do you think should happen

be above the law

If you accuse someone of thinking they _______, you critisize them for thinking that they are so clever or important thet they don't need to obey the law

by/under law

according to law

law and order

a situation in which the laws of a country are being obeyed, especially when the police or army are used to make certain of this

lock horns with

to be in a conflict with somebody

under lock and key

locked away safely. If a person, especially a criminal, is __________, they are being kept in a place from which they cannot escape, usually a prison.

seize power

to take control of a place suddenly and quickly, using military force

exert power

to use power in order to make something happen

wield power (influence/authority)

to have a lot of power or influence, and to use it

abuse of power

the misuse of authority for harmful, unethical, or illegal ends

power struggle

an unpleasant or violent competition for power.

prison sentence

the length of time a person must remain in prison

Provoke somebody into (doing) something

to make or try to make a person or an animal angry

provoke a reaction (protest/response)

to cause a reaction, especially a negative one

provoke outrage

cause an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock or indignation

bend the rules

to break the rules in a way that you consider unimportant or not harmful

rule of thumb

a practical and approximate way of doing or measuring something; a method of judging a situation or condition that is not exact but is based on experience

sentense (somebody to)

to decide and say officially what a punishment will be

pass sentence

when the judge says what the punishment will be

e.g. After the jury declared man guilty, the judge _________ed ___________ and condemned him to 10 years in prison.

serve a sentence of

to spend time in prison

death sentence

capital punishment

subject someone to something

to make someone experience something unpleasant

get onto a subject

start talking about

drop a subject

To stop discussing something

subject to

likely to be affected by something

bury your head in the sand

ignore a problem or an unpleasant situation and hope that it will disappear

gain/get/have/take the upper hand

gain/get/have/take control or advantage over a person or situation

get/have your way

be allowed to have or do what you want

live and let live

used for saying that you should accept other people's beliefs and way of life, even if they are very different from your own

pull strings

use your own or someone else's influence to get what you want

red tape

documents, rules or processes that cause delays

take the law into one's own hands

punish someone in your own way without involving the police or the courts, often by doing something illegal yourself

the power that be

the people who control a situation