- Altruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.
- Anachronism: a person or an idea that is old-fashioned; archaic.
- Atheism: god doesn't exist.
- Agnosticism: not knowing whether god exist. Questioning the existence of god.
- Chauvinism: excessive devotion towards a group, country, sex or cause.
- Capitalism: an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are run for profit by private owners rather than by government.
- Cronyism: favoritism shown to friends, relatives and associates without regards to their qualifications; Nepotism
- Colonialism: the practice of acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
- Communism: a political system whereby all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.
- Consumerism: the protection of the interests of the consumers.
- Dogmatism: being certain in a way that your beliefs and attitudes are right and others should accept without paying attention to evidence or opinions.
- Fascism: a right-wing system of government characterized by extreme nationalistic beliefs and strict obedience to a leader or the state.
- Feudalism: the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the crown in exchange for military service, and lower orders of society held lands from and worked for the nobles.
- Hedonism: the pursuit of pleasure; pleasure most important thing in life
- Liberalism: the state of being liberal; the philosophy advocating personal freedom for the individual, democratic forms of government, gradual reforms in social and political institutions.
- Masochism: the enjoyment of one's own pain or humiliation.
- Materialism: the belief that material possessions and physical comfort are most important than spiritual values.
- Narcissism: Excessive love and admiration of oneself.
- Fatalism: the belief that all events are decided by fate and are uncontrolled.
- Nepotism: Favoritism shown to relatives.
- Plagiarism: copying of other person's ideas and pretending they are your own.
- Sadism: enjoyment from watching or making others suffer.
- Stoicism: enduring pain and hardship without showing one's feelings or complaining.
- Secularism: not subject to or bound by religious rule.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Some -isms
There are few words that end in '-ism' and some of them have really been problematic to me. A good familiarity will help.
Confusing words/Nuances - 1
Here are few words that either sound the same or have a subtle difference in their meanings. I hope to clear some of the ambiguities. So here is my sincere attempt.
1. Decent - Descent
Decent means of an acceptable quality. Like when we say he is a decent guy.
Descent means downward slope. It may also mean a person's origin or nationality.
He claims direct descent from Mohammed.
2. Climatic - Climactic
Climactic pertains to climate.
some parts of India experienced climatic changes
Climactic means forming an exciting climax.
The third movement of the symphony ends in a climactic crescendo.
3. Amend - Emend
Amend: to make minor improvements.
MPs were urged to amend the law to prevent another oil tanker disaster.
emend: to edit or change a text.
The text is currently being emended and will be published shortly.
Note: Amend and emend both mean to improve by correcting or by freeing from error. Amend is a general term, used for any such correction in detail whereas emend usually applies to the correction of a text in the process of editing or preparing for publications(specific) .
4. Farther - Further
When talking about distances, either can be used.
e.g., She moved further down the train or she moved farther down the train. Both are correct.
However, when you mean 'beyond' or in addition to what has already been done - further is used (or when you mean additional).
e.g., I won't trouble you any further.
Phone me for further information.
5. Cannon - Canon
Cannon: a large heavy gun formerly used in warfare.
Canon: a general rule by which something is judged.
e.g., His designs break the canons of fashion.
6. Martial - Marital
Martial: having to do with war
e.g., Renegade forces captured the capital and declared/imposed martial law.
Marital: relating to marriage or relations between husband and wife.
e.g., Could I ask you about your marital status?
7. Elicit - Illicit
Elicit: produce or draw out (a response or reaction)
e.g., Have you managed to elicit a response from them yet?
Illicit: forbidden by law, rules or accepted standards.
e.g., He was having illicit relations with his colleague.
8. Immoral - Amoral
Amoral: with no moral values or principles.
e.g., Humans, he argues, are amoral and what guides them is not any sense of morality but an instinct for survival.
Immoral: with low moral values or principles.
e.g., It's an immoral tax, because the poor will pay relatively more.
9. Prerequisite - Perquisite
Perquisite: a special right or privilege enjoyed as a result of one's position
e.g., The perquisites attached to this job make it even more attractive than what the salary indicates.
Prerequisite: a thing that must exist or happen before something else can happen or exist.
e.g., Passing a written exam is a prerequisite for taking the advanced course.
10. Disinterested - Uninterested
Uninterested is mainly used in the sense 'not interested'.
e.g., He seemed uninterested in politics.
Disinterested means impartial or indifferent.
e.g., A disinterested judge is the best judge of the behavior.
11. Allude - Elude
Allude means to refer casually or indirectly; indirect reference to something
e.g., She mentioned some trouble that she'd had at home and I guessed she was alluding to her son.
Elude means to avoid or escape.
e.g., They eluded the police by fleeing.
12. Apprise - Appraise
Apprise: to inform
e.g., He apprised him of what has happened.
Appraise: to assess the quality, value or nature of
e.g., At the end of each teaching practice, trainee teachers are asked to appraise their own performance.
13. Complacent - Complaisant
Complacent: uncritically satisfied with oneself; self-satisfied; smug
e.g., We can't afford to become complacent about any of our products.
Complaisant: willing to please others or to accept their behavior without protest
e.g., His complaisant behavior towards seniors has fetched him the highest hike this year.
14. Delusion - Illusion - Hallucination
Delusion refers to false perceptions or ideas; persistent false beliefs
e.g., A paranoiac has delusions of persecution.
An illusion is a false mental image produced by misinterpretation of things that actually exist.
e.g., A mirage is an illusion produced by reflection of light against the sky.
Hallucination is a perception of a thing or quality that has no physical counterpart.
e.g., Under the influence of LSD, Terry had hallucinations that the living room was rippling.
15. Extant - Extent
Extant means still in existence.
e.g., We have some extant parish records from the sixteenth century.
Extent means size or scale.
e.g., Rosie's teacher was impressed by the extent of her knowledge
16. Atheist - Agnostic
Agnostic: questions the existence of God. He doesn't know whether God exists or not.
Atheist: doesn't believe in God. He knows that God exists but doesn't believe in him.
17. Corporeal - Corporal
Corporeal: relating to person's body; physical rather than spiritual
e.g., The doctor had no patience with spiritual matter; his job was to attend to his patient's corporeal problems, not to minister their souls.
Corporal: a rank of non-commissioned officer in the army; lowest rank
e.g., Steve, being a corporal, could only take orders from his senior officers.
18. Famous - Infamous
Famous: known about by many people
e.g., Marie Curie is famous for her contribution to science.
Infamous: well known because of some bad deed or quality.
e.g., The list included the infamous George Drake, a double murderer.
19. Classic - Classical
1. Decent - Descent
Decent means of an acceptable quality. Like when we say he is a decent guy.
Descent means downward slope. It may also mean a person's origin or nationality.
He claims direct descent from Mohammed.
2. Climatic - Climactic
Climactic pertains to climate.
some parts of India experienced climatic changes
Climactic means forming an exciting climax.
The third movement of the symphony ends in a climactic crescendo.
3. Amend - Emend
Amend: to make minor improvements.
MPs were urged to amend the law to prevent another oil tanker disaster.
emend: to edit or change a text.
The text is currently being emended and will be published shortly.
Note: Amend and emend both mean to improve by correcting or by freeing from error. Amend is a general term, used for any such correction in detail whereas emend usually applies to the correction of a text in the process of editing or preparing for publications(specific) .
4. Farther - Further
When talking about distances, either can be used.
e.g., She moved further down the train or she moved farther down the train. Both are correct.
However, when you mean 'beyond' or in addition to what has already been done - further is used (or when you mean additional).
e.g., I won't trouble you any further.
Phone me for further information.
5. Cannon - Canon
Cannon: a large heavy gun formerly used in warfare.
Canon: a general rule by which something is judged.
e.g., His designs break the canons of fashion.
6. Martial - Marital
Martial: having to do with war
e.g., Renegade forces captured the capital and declared/imposed martial law.
Marital: relating to marriage or relations between husband and wife.
e.g., Could I ask you about your marital status?
7. Elicit - Illicit
Elicit: produce or draw out (a response or reaction)
e.g., Have you managed to elicit a response from them yet?
Illicit: forbidden by law, rules or accepted standards.
e.g., He was having illicit relations with his colleague.
8. Immoral - Amoral
Amoral: with no moral values or principles.
e.g., Humans, he argues, are amoral and what guides them is not any sense of morality but an instinct for survival.
Immoral: with low moral values or principles.
e.g., It's an immoral tax, because the poor will pay relatively more.
9. Prerequisite - Perquisite
Perquisite: a special right or privilege enjoyed as a result of one's position
e.g., The perquisites attached to this job make it even more attractive than what the salary indicates.
Prerequisite: a thing that must exist or happen before something else can happen or exist.
e.g., Passing a written exam is a prerequisite for taking the advanced course.
10. Disinterested - Uninterested
Uninterested is mainly used in the sense 'not interested'.
e.g., He seemed uninterested in politics.
Disinterested means impartial or indifferent.
e.g., A disinterested judge is the best judge of the behavior.
11. Allude - Elude
Allude means to refer casually or indirectly; indirect reference to something
e.g., She mentioned some trouble that she'd had at home and I guessed she was alluding to her son.
Elude means to avoid or escape.
e.g., They eluded the police by fleeing.
12. Apprise - Appraise
Apprise: to inform
e.g., He apprised him of what has happened.
Appraise: to assess the quality, value or nature of
e.g., At the end of each teaching practice, trainee teachers are asked to appraise their own performance.
13. Complacent - Complaisant
Complacent: uncritically satisfied with oneself; self-satisfied; smug
e.g., We can't afford to become complacent about any of our products.
Complaisant: willing to please others or to accept their behavior without protest
e.g., His complaisant behavior towards seniors has fetched him the highest hike this year.
14. Delusion - Illusion - Hallucination
Delusion refers to false perceptions or ideas; persistent false beliefs
e.g., A paranoiac has delusions of persecution.
An illusion is a false mental image produced by misinterpretation of things that actually exist.
e.g., A mirage is an illusion produced by reflection of light against the sky.
Hallucination is a perception of a thing or quality that has no physical counterpart.
e.g., Under the influence of LSD, Terry had hallucinations that the living room was rippling.
15. Extant - Extent
Extant means still in existence.
e.g., We have some extant parish records from the sixteenth century.
Extent means size or scale.
e.g., Rosie's teacher was impressed by the extent of her knowledge
16. Atheist - Agnostic
Agnostic: questions the existence of God. He doesn't know whether God exists or not.
Atheist: doesn't believe in God. He knows that God exists but doesn't believe in him.
17. Corporeal - Corporal
Corporeal: relating to person's body; physical rather than spiritual
e.g., The doctor had no patience with spiritual matter; his job was to attend to his patient's corporeal problems, not to minister their souls.
Corporal: a rank of non-commissioned officer in the army; lowest rank
e.g., Steve, being a corporal, could only take orders from his senior officers.
18. Famous - Infamous
Famous: known about by many people
e.g., Marie Curie is famous for her contribution to science.
Infamous: well known because of some bad deed or quality.
e.g., The list included the infamous George Drake, a double murderer.
19. Classic - Classical
“Classical” usually describes things from ancient Greece or Rome, or things from analogous ancient periods like classical Sanskrit poetry. The exception is classical music, which in the narrow sense is late 18th- and 19th-century music by the likes of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, and in the broader sense formal concert music of any period in the West or traditional formal music from other cultures, like classical ragas.
“Classic” has a much looser meaning, describing things that are outstanding examples of their kind, like a classic car or even a classic blunder.
20. Tortuous - Torturous
Tortuous: full of twists and turns; complex.
e.g.He took a tortuous route through back streets.
Torturous: characterized by pain or suffering
e.g., Preparing for any competitive examination has always been torturous.
Words you must know - 2
This is the second list.
- disabuse: persuade someone that an idea or belief is mistaken
- discern: recognize or be aware of
- disparate: very different in kind
- dissemble: hide or disguise one's motives or feelings
- dissonant: lacking harmony
- dogma: a principle or principles laid sown by an authority and intended to be accepted without question
- dogmatic: firmly putting one's opinions as true
- dupe: to deceive
- eclectic: deriving ideas or style from a wide range of sources
- efficacy: effectiveness
- elegy: a sad poem
- eloquent: clearly expressive
- emulate: to copy; imitate
- enervate: cause to feel drained of energy
- engender: give rise to
- enigma: difficult to understand
- enumerate: enlist
- ephemeral: short lived
- equivocate: use language that can be understood in more than way in order to avoid truth
- erratic: not regular in pattern
- erudite: learned; scholar
- esoteric: intended for or understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge
- eulogy: song of praise
- euphemism: use a less direct word instead of a harsh or blunt one when referring to something unpleasant or embarassing
- exacerbate: make worse
- exculpate: declare not guilty
- exonerate: declare not guilty
- explicit: clear and detailed
- fanatic: a person with extreme enthusiasm; zealot
- fawn: try to gain favour by flattery
- fervid: fervent
- florid: over-elaborate
- frugality: sparing with money or food
- garrulous: talkative
- gregarious: sociable
- guile: cunning intelligence
- gullible: easily persuaded to believe something
- homogeneous: made up of parts of the same kind
- iconoclast: a person who attacks popular beliefs or established values and practices
- imperturbable: unable to be upset or disturbed
- impervious: impenetrable
- implacable: unable to be pacified
- inchoate: just begun
- ingenuous: innocent and frank
- inimical: harmful; hostile
- innocuous: harmless
- insipid: lacking flavour
- intransigent: refusing to change one's views or behaviour
- inundate: flood; myriad; plethora
- irascible: hot tempered
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Words you must know - 1
I will be providing a list of words that a person who has just jumped into this gargantuan pool of words with the aim of improving his vocabulary must know. This is the first list. I may add few words as and when the need arises.
- abate: to lessen, reduce in amount
- abscond: to leave quickly and secretly to escape from custody or avoid arrest
- abstain: to choose not to do something
- abyss: a deep hole
- adulterate: to make impure
- advocate: to speak in favour of something or someone
- aesthetic: pertaining to beauty or appreciation of beauty
- aggrandize: to increase the power, wealth and status of
- alleviate: to lessen (pain or difficulty)
- amalgamate: combine to form one organization or structure
- ambiguous: doubtful or dubious
- ameliorate: to improve
- anachronism: a thing belonging to a period other than the one in which it exists
- analogous: similar
- anomaly: abnormal, aberration
- antagonize: make (someone) hostile
- antipathy: extreme dislike
- apathy: lack of interest or enthusiasm
- arbitrate: to judge
- archaic: old fashioned; quainted
- ardor: great enthusiasm and passion
- articulate: clear and fluent in speech
- assuage: to satisfy (an appetite or desire); make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
- attenuate: to weaken
- audacious: bold and dauntless
- austere: bold; willing to take risks
- banal: boring because not new or unusual
- bolster: to strengthen
- bombast: language that sounds impressive but has little meaning
- cacophony: harsh mixture of sounds
- candid: frank; straightforward
- capricious: changing one's mind quickly; wavering
- castigate: criticize harshly; reprimand severely
- catalyst: something that triggers an event
- caustic: bitter, sarcastic
- chaos: great confusion or disorder
- chauvinist: a person displaying extreme or unreasonable support for his country, cause, group or sex
- chicanery: use of trickery to achieve one's aim; subterfuge
- cogent: (of an idea) clear, logical and convincing
- convoluted: twisted; complex
- corroborate: to support
- credulous: too ready to believe things
- crescendo: a climax; a gradual increase in loudness in a piece of music
- decorum: polite and socially acceptable behaviour
- deference: respect
- deride: to ridicule; express contempt
- desiccate: to dry out completely
- desultory: lacking purpose or enthusiasm
- diatribe: a harsh and forceful verbal attack
- diffident: lacking confidence
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
