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empirical (adj)
- DEFINITION: To be guided by practical experience and not theory
- SENTENCE: It is very important to be empirical and gather facts, not to speculate.
- SYNONYMS: experimental, observational
- ANTONYMS: hypothetical, theoretical gestate (v)
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gestate (verb)
- DEFINITION: To conceive and develop in the mind
- SENTENCE: Jefferson admitted that the concept of free will had been gestating in his mind for a while.
- SYNONYMS: n/a
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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paradigm (n)
- DEFINITION: A framework or model of thought; example
- SENTENCE: Galileo's work triggered an important shift of paradigm for human thought.
- SYNONYMS: archetype, model, standard
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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entrepreneur (n)
- DEFINITION: A person who starts, organizes, and/or manages a business or enterprise
- SENTENCE: Steve Jobs was a famous entrepreneur who founded Apple, Inc.
- SYNONYMS: innovator
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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lucrative (adj)
- DEFINITION: Very profitable
- SENTENCE: One of the most lucrative college majors is computer science.
- SYNONYMS: rewarding, money-making
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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extravagant (adj)
- DEFINITION: Excessive and therefore lacking restraint
- SENTENCE: The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is the world's most powerful and extravagant car.
- SYNONYMS: indulgent, wasteful, fanciful
- ANTONYMS: temperate, moderate, reasonable
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avarice (n)
- DEFINITION: Excessive desire for material wealth
- SENTENCE: Philosophers have often condemned avarice.
- SYNONYMS: greedy, covetous
- ANTONYMS: generous
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glut, plethora, surfeit (n)
- DEFINITION: A surplus
- SENTENCE: Our landfills are filling up with a plethora of old computers, printers, TVs, and other consumer electronic goods.
- SYNONYMS: overflow, extra
- ANTONYMS: lacking, few, scarcity
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destitute, impoverished, indigent (adj)
- DEFINITION: Very poor
- SENTENCE: Oliver was a destitute child; he had no money.
- SYNONYMS: impecunious, penurious, penniless
- ANTONYMS: affluent, rich, wealthy
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affluent, opulent (adj)
- DEFINITION: Very wealthy
- SENTENCE: Chris became affluent by learning how to become a successful stock broker.
- SYNONYMS: rich, prosperous
- ANTONYMS: poor, destitute, impoverished
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munificent (adj)
- DEFINITION: Very generous
- SENTENCE: Oprah Winfrey is a very munificent person; then again, when a person has that much money, one probably should be generous.
- SYNONYMS: philanthropic, benevolent, magnanimous
- ANTONYMS: stingy, greedy, miserly
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parsimonious (adj)
- DEFINITION: Excessively cheap with money; stingy
- SENTENCE: Ebeneezer Scrooge from "A Christmas Carol" is often thought to be the example of a parsimonious man.
- SYNONYMS: greedy, miserly, avaricious
- ANTONYMS: philanthropic, munificent, benevolent
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depreciation (n)
- DEFINITION: Any decrease or loss in value caused by age, wear, or market conditions
- SENTENCE: The stock market crash of 1929 caused a severe depreciation in the value of stocks.
- SYNONYMS: devaluation
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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remunerate (v)
- DEFINITION: To compensate; to make payment for; to pay a person
- SENTENCE: The President of the United States earns $400,000 a year -- not as high of a remuneration as one would think.
- SYNONYMS: grant, pay, reimburse
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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accord (n)
- DEFINITION: A formal agreement
- SENTENCE: In world affairs, nations will sign accords.
- SYNONYMS: pact
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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enlighten (v)
- DEFINITION: To inform, instruct, illuminate, and thus remove darkness and ignorance
- SENTENCE: Writers such as Voltaire enlightened European society by urging people to use science and reason.
- SYNONYMS: educate, teach, elucidate
- ANTONYMS: bewilder, confound, confuse
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appeasement (n)
- DEFINITION: The policy of granting concessions to maintain peace
- SENTENCE: The mother used a piece of candy to appease her crying baby.
- SYNONYMS: accommodation, peace offering, settlement
- ANTONYMS: aggravation, annoyance, irritation
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nullify (v)
- DEFINITION: To make null; declare invalid
- SENTENCE: South Carolina voted to nullify or invalidate the tariffs.
- SYNONYMS: abolish, cancel, invalidate
- ANTONYMS: affirm, pass, validate
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triumvirate (n)
- DEFINITION: A group or association of three leaders
- SENTENCE: The videogame console market is dominated by the triumvirate of Nintendo's Wii, Sony's PlayStation 3, and Microsoft's Xbox 360.
- SYNONYMS: n/a
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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pretext (n)
- DEFINITION: An excuse; an alleged cause
- SENTENCE: President Johnson used alleged attacks as a pretext to ask Congress for broader powers.
- SYNONYMS: alibi, pretense, ploy
- ANTONYMS: reality, truth
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watershed (adj)
- DEFINITION: Describing a critical point that marks a change of course; a turning point
- SENTENCE: The inauguration of Barack Obama was a watershed event in American history.
- SYNONYMS: n/a
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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consensus (n)
- DEFINITION: A general agreement
- SENTENCE: There is a consensus that American must develop new sources of energy.
- SYNONYMS: accord, concord, harmony
- ANTONYMS: disagreement, discord, clash
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autocrat, despot (n)
- DEFINITION: A ruler having unlimited power
- SENTENCE: Kim Jong Il (or, as George W. Bush said, "Kim Jong 2") was an autocrat.
- SYNONYMS: dictator, oppressor, tyrant
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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manifesto (n)
- DEFINITION: A public declaration of beliefs, policies, or intentions
- SENTENCE: Marx's Communist Manifesto is one of the most famous works in the world.
- SYNONYMS: announcement, proclamation
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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enfranchise (v)
- DEFINITION: To receive the right to vote
- SENTENCE: The 26th Amendment enfranchised 18-year-old American citizens.
- SYNONYMS: n/a
- ANTONYMS: n/a
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