Astronomy
The study of stars and planets
Botany
The study of plants
Cognitive Science, Neuroscience
The science of the brain
Ecology
The study of the natural world
Entomology
The study of insects
Geology
The study of rocks
Ornithology
The study of birds
Zoology
The study of animals
Anthropology
The study of human behavior and social organization
Archaeology
The study of historical human activity through physical objects
Economics
The study of monetary systems
Ethnography
The study of individual cultures
Folklore
The study of traditional stories and myths
Sociology
The study of everyday human social behaviors
Advantageous
Providing an advantage
Charge
In electricity, positive or negative
Control group
In an experiment, the group where the variable being tested is not changed
Empirical
Relying on hard data
Hierarchy
System of rank; opposite of egalitarian
Isotope
Alternate form of an element
Indigenous
Native
Inhibit
Prevent, impede a response
Innovative
New and revolutionary
Metabolism
The process of converting food to energy
Microbial
Relating to microscopic organisms
Predisposed
Having a tendency toward
Regenerate
Regrow
Replicate
Repeat an experiment and obtain the same results
Saturate
To become completely soaked with
Stimulus
Something that provokes a specific response
Symbiosis
Interaction between two organisms living close together, benefiting both
Trait
Characteristic
Velocity
Speed
Critic/Criticism
A critic is a person who writes commentary - either positive or negative - about a subject, such as art, music, or sports.
Discern/Discerning
To recognize or distinguish; perceptive.
Ineffable
Indescribable, sublime, beyond words.
Infallible
Unable to be wrong.
Ingenious
Clever, brilliant.
Ingenuous
Naive.
Inimitable
Unique, one-of-a-kind.
Innate, inherent, intrinsic
Inborn, natural.
Innocuous, benign
Harmless.
Invaluable
Having immense value, priceless.
Unassuming
Modest
Unqualified
Absolute
Adversary
Opponent
Align (oneself with)
Support or adopt the position of
Authentic
Genuine
Centrality
State of being central or essential
Complement
To complete or perfect
Comprehensive
Thorough, complete (NOT to be confused with comprehensible, which means "understandable)
Contingent
Dependent upon
Confer
Give, grant
Corollary
A statement or condition that logically results from a proven argument
Contemporary
Current
Cultivate
Grow, raise, e.g., crops
Displace
To force someone or something from its home or habitat
Disposition
Personality
Ideology
Belief system
Taxonomy
Classification system
Pigment
Color
Judicial
Related to the law
Marginal
Unimportant
Mitigate
Make less severe
Preliminary
Occurring before the main event
Prevail
Win
Prevalent, Prevailing
Widespread; generally accepted, e.g., the prevailing theory
Reciprocate
Respond to an action or behavior with the same action/behavior
Successor
Person who inherits another’s position
Afford
Grant (e.g., an opportunity)
Appreciate
To take into account, recognize the merits of, OR to increase in value
Arrest
To stop (not just put handcuffs on a criminal)
Assume
To take on responsibility for, acquire (e.g., to assume a new position)
Austerity
Financial policy to reduce excess spending on luxury or non-essential items
Badger
To pester or annoy (e.g., reporters repeatedly badgered the candidate after the scandal broke)
Bent
Liking for. Synonym for penchant, predilection, proclivity
Capacity
Ability
Chance
To attempt
Channel
To direct something (e.g., energy, money) toward a specific purpose
Check
To restrain, control, or reduce (e.g., the vaccine checked the spread of the disease)
Coin
To invent (e.g., coin a phrase)
Compromise
To endanger or make vulnerable (e.g., to compromise one's beliefs)
Constitution
Build (e.g., a football player has a solid constitution)
Conviction
Certainty, determination. Noun form of convinced
Couch
To hide
Discriminating
Able to make fine distinctions (e.g., a discriminating palate)
Doctor
To tamper with
Economy
Thrift (e.g., a writer who has an economical style is one who uses few words)
Embroider
To falsify, make up stories about
Execute
To carry out
Exploit
Make use of (does not carry a negative connotation)
Facility
Ability to do something easily (e.g., a facility for learning languages)
Foil
v. To put a stop to (e.g., to foil a robbery)
Grave/Gravity
Serious(ness)
Grill
To question intensely and repeatedly (e.g., the police officers grilled the suspect thoroughly)
Hamper
To get in the way of. hinder
Harbor
To possess, hold (e.g., to harbor a belief)
Hobble
Prevent, impede
Plastic
Able to be changed, malleable (e.g., brain plasticity)
Provoke
Elicit (e.g., a reaction)