Lecture Vocabulary and Academic Terminology

A comprehensive list of vocabulary terms, academic definitions, and textual analysis concepts derived from lecture notes.

evasive movements

Quick, sudden or clever actions to avoid or hide.

exaggerated sense

A feeling or a belief that is much bigger or higher than it actually is.

convey

To carry, deliver, or pass something, such as a message.

triumphal arch

Describing a manner of walking as if one were on a pedestal.

identify the argument

The first step in approaching textual evidence; involves rephrasing the argument in the simplest terms possible.

anticipation

The act of looking forward to something; expectation or foresight.

confront

To directly conflict or engage in discussion with someone or something.

restrain

To prevent someone from doing something; to limit or restrict.

presumptuous

Overstepping your bounds; boldly assuming a right or authority that you don't actually have.

strain

Force, tension, or pressure.

gentrification

A process of neighborhood change involving the entry of higher-income residents.

edging out

To beat someone or something by a very small margin, or to push someone gradually out of a position.

disputes

Disagreements, debates, or arguments between opposing parties; questioning or challenging authority.

depiction

The representation or portrayal of someone or something in a picture, text, film, or artwork.

subverts

Undermines, overturns, or challenges established authority or traditional ideas.

contemporaries

Persons existing at the same time as others; peers or cohorts.

ascribing

Attributing, assigning, or crediting something to a cause, source, or author.

unearthed

Discovered or brought to light; revealed.

intricate

Very complicated or detailed; composed of interconnected parts requiring careful attention to analyze.

indigenous

Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native to a specific region or ecosystem.

adorning

Enhancing the appearance of someone or something by adding decorative elements, ornaments, or features.

primitive

Relating to an early stage in evolutionary or historical development; unsophisticated or rudimentary in nature.

jarring

Causing a shock, jolt, or strong feeling of disagreement; incongruous or striking in an unpleasant way.

ominous

Giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening or inauspicious.

decisive

Showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively, or having the power to resolve a situation definitively.

dormant

In a state of temporary inactivity but capable of becoming active again in the future; present but inactive.

inevitable

Certain to happen; unavoidable.

epitomizing

Serving as a perfect example of a particular type; making an example of something.

transcending

Going beyond the limits of something; exceeding, surpassing, or rising above standard boundaries.

reinforcing

Strengthening or supporting an argument or behavior to make it more effective.

anticipating

Expecting, foreseeing, or preparing for something before it happens.

trivialization

The act of making something less important or significant; downplaying or dismissing.

scrutiny

A close and critical examination to find faults or errors.

innocuous

Something that seems so simple, mild, or ordinary that it represents zero threat, harm, or insult.

impelled

Being pushed or compelled into action by an internal urge, sense of duty, or external force.

consensus

General agreement among a group of people.

overturned

Invalidated by an authority, or turned upside down/knocked over.

cultivate

To prepare and use land for crops, or to foster and develop a quality, skill, or relationship.

susceptible

Likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing; vulnerable or prone.

encounter

An unexpected meeting or confrontation.

courteous figure

A person who exemplifies politeness, respectfulness, and refined manners in actions and speech.

demeanor

A person's outward behavior, manner, or overall conduct observable on the outside.

hinder

To make it difficult for someone to do something or to delay/obstruct progress.

aggravate

To make a problem, injury, or offense worse; to annoy or exasperate someone persistently.

grapple with

To struggle to deal with or overcome a difficult problem or situation.

adhere to

To obey or follow a rule, belief, or plan; to stick firmly to a surface.

haphazard

Lacking any obvious principle of organization or order; random or disorganized.

premeditated

Thought out or planned beforehand; fully considered in advance.

surmised

Supposed that something was true without having solid evidence; inferred or guessed.

contrived

Created or arranged in a way that seems artificial, forced, or unnatural.

deceptive

Giving an appearance or impression different from the true one; intended to mislead.

novel

New and unusual; strikingly original or different from anything seen before.

paucity of

The presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities; scarcity or dearth.

profusion of

An extremely large amount or quantity of something; an abundance or extravagant supply.

verisimilitude

The appearance or quality of being true or real; the likeness to truth.

disengage

To uncouple or detach; to withdraw from an involvement.

annotate

To add explanatory notes or comments to a text.

buttress

To provide support or reinforcement for a belief, theory, or argument.

substantiate

To provide evidence to prove or support the truth of something; to give substance to an argument.

reciprocate

To respond to a gesture, action, or emotion with a corresponding one; to pay back in kind.

acquire

To obtain assets or property, or to learn and develop a skill or habit.

precariousness

The state of being uncertain, unstable, insecure, or dangerous where things could easily fail.

exactitude

A state of flawless accuracy, rigorous detail, or high precision where no errors are allowed.

inconspicuousness

The quality of not being clearly visible, noticeable, or attracting attention.

prudently

In a way that shows care, caution, and good judgement, especially regarding practical matters.

overtly

In an open, clear, and observable manner; not hidden or secret.

inadvertently

Without intention or planning; accidentally due to lack of attention.

perpetual

Continuing forever or occurring repeatedly without interruption; never-ending.

antecedent

Something or someone that exists or comes before another in time, order, or logic.

impending

About to happen very soon; imminent, often regarding something ominous or inevitable.

tentative

Not certain, fixed, or fully developed; done as a trial or subject to change.

warranted

Justified, necessary, or reasonable given the circumstances.

prominent

Important, famous, or noticeably sticking out; easily seen or widely recognized.

exploited

Used unfairly for someone else's advantage, or utilized effectively as a resource.

sanction

A threatened penalty for disobeying a law, or official approval and authorization for an action.

ameliorate

To make a bad or unpleasant situation better, more bearable, or more satisfactory.

postulate

To suggest or accept something as a given fact or starting point for reasoning without immediate proof.

inconsequential

Having no important effect, value, or significance; trivial or negligible.

subsequently

Happening or coming after something else in time; afterward.

conversely

Used to introduce a statement or idea that is the exact opposite, reverse, or inverse of what was mentioned.

integrity

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, or the state of being whole and undivided.

distort

To pull or twist out of shape, or to give a misleading or false account of facts or truth.

enact

To pass a law or decree, or to perform and act out a role or story.