letter from birmingham jail vocab

ap lang & comp - mr. lynskey

compelled (verb.)

to be caused to do by overwhelming pressure

cognizant (verb.)

knowledgeable of something especially from experience

superficial (adj.)

concerned only with the obvious/apparent; concerning with only the surface

moratorium (noun.)

a legally authorized delay in performance of a legal obligation/debt

lamentably(adverb.)

regretting something; expressing grief

lynch(verb.)

to be put to death, especially by hanging

harried(verb.)

to harass/annoy by repeated attacks

paradoxical(adj.)

self contradictory but true

anarchy(noun.)

state of society w/o gov’t

suppressed(verb.)

to put an end to; to put down

paternalistically(adverb.)

exerting control & providing for the needs of someone or an area

obnoxious(adj.)

highly objectionable/offensive

extremist(adj.)

quality of being extreme/outside norms

repudiated(verb.)

to reject as having no authority

incorrigible(adj.)

bad beyond correction/reform

emulate(verb.)

to try to equal/excel

zeitgeist(noun.)

spirit of the time; general trend of thought

persistent(adj.)

lasting, enduring tenaciously

languished(verb.)

to become weaker/feeble

admonish(verb.)

to council/advise against

interposition(noun.)

to place in between

nullification(noun.)

to be made null & void

mores(noun.)

embodying the central morals of a group

authenticity(adj.)

quality of being genuine/real