Professional Documents
Culture Documents
“Without naming names, the candidate criticized the national leaders by allusion.”
“His helping the old lady with her shopping was deemed highly altruistic by everyone,
especially since her home was a mile away.”
“the ambiguous world that we live in, is full of uncertainties and predicaments.”
Amiable (adj.) having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; friendly; sociable:
agreeable
“Seen through the public spectacles, he cannot be said to have presented a very
amiable personality.”
“She recounted an amusing anecdote which Cowper turned into his narrative of John
Gilpin.”
“In Russia the Communist State became the sole arbiter of all the needs of the social
body.”
Caricature (noun) a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of
persons or things:
“His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.”
“They wanted to steer between a register of language that was too colloquial and one
that was too formal.”
Compatriot (noun) a native or inhabitant of one's own country; fellow countryman or countrywoman:
a colleague
“Among the victims were even some of our own compatriots from Taiwan.”
Contemporeity (noun) Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time
Digression (noun) a passage or section that deviates from the central theme in speech or writing;
especially one that has no bearing on the main subject.
“In all, it seems a pointless digression that does little for our appreciation of the film.”
“Darkness is not the evil force painted by the doctrine and dogma of religion.”
Egotistical (adj.) given to talking about oneself; vain; boastful; opinionated; indifferent to the
wellbeing of others; selfish.
Embody (verb) to give a concrete form to; express, personify, or exemplify; to collect into or
include in a body
“We do, however, broadly support the principles embodied in these parts of the Bill.”
Ephemeral (adj.) lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory; Living or lasting only for a day
"There remain some truths too ephemeral to be captured in the cold pages of a court
transcript"
Epitome (noun) a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a
whole class; condensed account
“It goes way beyond what even the most erudite scholar could possibly have known
about in its entirety.”
Hobbesian (adj.) theory that people have a fundamental right to self-preservation and to pursue
selfish aims but will relinquish these rights to an absolute monarch in the interest of
common safety and happiness
Hyperbole (noun) obvious and intentional exaggeration; an extravagant figure of speech not
intended to be taken literally
“He probably thought he needed melodramatic hyperbole to win over his audience's
hears.”
Inflammable (adj.) capable of being set on fire; combustible; flammable; easily aroused or excited, as
to passion or anger; irascible
Infrahuman (adj.) less than human; subhuman; an animal and especially a primate that is not human
“Several reviews have shown that the law has been extensively supported in
experiments with infrahuman subjects.”
“It is high time that studies should be undertaken to explore the intricacies inherent in
such contingencies.”
Intangible (adj.) incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch; not definite or clear to the
mind; existing only in connection with something else
“The Virginia General Assembly exempted intangible personal property from taxation”
Jargon (noun) incoherent speech; vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade; hybrid language or
dialect; a derogatory term
“A tutor will teach you how to use the internet without confusing jargon.”
“The lamentable accident threw a gloom over the rest of the day's proceedings.”
“Ptah was his body, the earthly manifestation and Amun the hidden divine invisible
aspect.”
Mixed (noun) the use in the same expression of two or more metaphors that are incongruous
Metaphor or illogical when combined, as in
“The president will put the ship of state on its feet” Or “The negotiator played his cards
to the hilt.”
Multipara (noun) a woman who has borne two or more children, or who is parturient for the
second time.
Oratorical (adj.) of or pertaining to a person who delivers an oration; a public speaker, esp. one of
great eloquence
Perspicuity (noun) clearness or lucidity; plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and
precision of presentation
“Her strong interpersonal skills and keen sense of perspicuity make her an irreplaceable
asset to the interview team.”
“Science proceeds exponentially, coming nearer and nearer to the very essence of
phenomena.”
Preposterous (adj.) completely contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd; senseless;
utterly foolish
Pretension (noun) the laying of a claim to something; a claim to dignity, importance, or merit; the act
of pretending or alleging; a pretext
Rhetorical (noun) a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to
Question elicit a reply
Sagacity (noun) The quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted; wisdom.
“I must do many things which require skill of hand and also sagacity of mind.”
“They were often played as ladies men, or slightly sardonic and rather witty.”
Specious (adj.) apparently good or right though lacking real merit; pleasing to the eye but
deceptive
“The alternative extreme would make the specious present ' eternal ' in the static sense
of the world.”
“A long time ago I did a stint of work in an Exeter high street bookshop.”
Superannuate (verb) to allow to retire from service on a pension because of age or infirmity; to set
aside as out of date
“I was invited to his assemblies which were frequented by superannuated women and
witty men.”
“Social styles developed in the 19th century withstand, with sporelike tenacity, all that
the present century can throw at them"
“As an ambassador of Christ, he preached the wondrous mercy of God with a spiritual
unction and solemn earnestness.”
Verity (noun) the state or quality of being true; accordance with fact or reality; something that
is true, as a principle, belief, idea, or statement
“It is set in the context of certain eternal verities which are the substance of our faith.”
Weal (noun) well-being, prosperity, or happiness; The welfare of the community; the general
good
“We greet the Canadian working class and people with whom for thirty years and more
we have shared weal and woe.”