consecrate
(tr v) to make or declare something sacred.
2. to dedicate something to a goal
sacrament
(n) something considered to have sacred significance
sanctity
(n) godliness; holiness
sanctuary
(n) a sacred place; any place of refuge
hierarchy
(n) a group organized by rank
hieroglyphic
(adj) written with pictures to represent sounds or meanings of words.
2. hard to read
expiate
(tr v) to make amends for; to atone for
piety
(n) religious devotion; great respect toward something, especially parents
impious
(adj) sacrilegious; profane; lacking appropriate reverence or respect
pittance
(n) a meager portion of anything, especially an allowance or salary
execrate
(tr v) to denounce as vile or evil; to curse; to detest
sacrilege
(n) disrespect to something regarded as sacred
sacrosanct
(adj) sacred (often used ironically)
sanctimonious
(adj) pretending to be righteous
sanction
(n) approval; support; permission.
2. (usually pl) a penalty for breaking with law or custom.
(tr v) to approve; to encourage
sapient
(adj) wise; insightful (often used ironically)
sage
(n) a person, usually elderly, who is honored for wisdom and experience
cognition
(n) the act of perceiving or knowing
cognizant
(adj) aware; having knowledge of something
connoisseur
(n) an expert or very discriminating person, especially in matters of art and taste
notorious
(adj) widely and unfavorably known; infamous
compute
(tr v) to determine by mathematics
impute
(tr v) to attribute or ascribe a quality, especially a fault, to a person
repute
(tr v) to assign a reputation to (usually used with to be)
putative
(adj) supposed; reputed
presage
(n) a sign or feeling concerning some future event; omen; foreboding
sagacious
(adj) shrewd; having good judgment; perceptive
conscientious
(adj) guided by one's sense of right and wrong.
2. thorough; with careful attention
plebiscite
(n) a direct vote of all the people of a country or district on an important matter; a referendum
prescience
(n) knowledge of events before they occur; foresight; foreknowledge
dogma
(n) a system of doctrines put forward by an authority, especially a church, to be absolute truth.
dogmatic
(adj) pertaining to dogma.
2. expressed in an authoritative or arrogant manner
heterodox
(adj) not in agreement with accepted beliefs; holding unorthodox opinions
agnostic
(n) a person who believes nothing can be known about the existence of a god.
(adj) relating to the belief that the existence of a god is unknowable.
physiognomy
(n) the art of judging human character by facial features; facial features when regarded as revealing character.
prognosis
(n) a prediction of the outcome of a disease; any forecast or prediction
criterion
(n) a standard, rule or test on which a decision or judgment can be made
hypocrisy
(n) pretending to have feelings, beliefs, or virtues that one does not have
amnesty
(n) a general pardon for offenders, especially for political offenses
mnemonic
(adj) relating to or assisting the memory.
(n) a device used in remembering
frenetic
(adj) frantic; frenzied
schizophrenia
(n) a severe mental disorder in which a person becomes unable to act or reason in a rational way, often with delusions and withdrawal from relationship.
2. a situation of extreme conflict between choices, loyalties, or ways of life
arraign
(tr v) (legal) to call to court to answer charges.
2. to accuse; to charge with wrongdoing
rationale
(n) the reasons underlying something, often presented as a statement (used with for)
rationalize
(tr v) to provide a rational basis for something, often by false or self-serving reasoning
accredit
(tr v) to authorize; to certify; to believe
credence
(n) belief; acceptance as true
creditable
(adj) deserving praise
credulous
(adj) believing too easily; gullible
creed
(n) a statement of belief or principle
deify
(tr v) to make a god of
deity
(n) a god or goddess
divine
(tr v) to foretell by supernatural means.
2. to know by intuition or insight
divinity
(n) a god or goddess; a divine being.
2. the state of being divine.
3. the study of Christian theology
apotheosis
(n) making a god of something; deification.
2. a glorified ideal; an essence
theocracy
(n) government by divine power or priests
theology
(n) the study of religion
atheist
(n) a person who believe there is no god
pantheism
(n) identifying god with nature; belief in all gods
pantheon
(n) all the gods of a people or religion