abstract
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
abstract thought
We throw up our hands at a problem phrased in an abstract way, but have no difficulty at all solving the same problem rephrased as a social dilemma.
abstract = of a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 8 |
acute (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 2 uses
1 —1 use as in:
acute pain
It used to be an acute infection, something that most people could get treated fairly quickly before they had a chance to infect many others.
acute = severely negative
Definition
Generally this sense of acute means:sharp (severe or strong) — usually negative
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
2 —1 use as in:
acute sense of smell
The people who didn't get a buzz from their first cigarette and who found the whole experience so awful that they never smoked again are probably people whose bodies are acutely sensitive to nicotine, incapable of handling it in even the smallest doses.
acutely = sharply (highly)
Definition
Generally this sense of acute means:sharp (highly perceptive in some area or mentally sharp)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
bias
4 uses
Instinctively, I think, most of us would probably assume that the causation runs in the opposite direction, that Reagan supporters are drawn to ABC because of Jennings's bias, not the other way around.
bias = a personal preference — especially a prejudice that prevents objective consideration
Definition
Generally bias means:a personal preference — especially a prejudice that prevents objective consideration
or:
any tendency to move in a particular direction — such as a car that tends to want to swerve toward the right
or:
any tendency to move in a particular direction — such as a car that tends to want to swerve toward the right
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
candid
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
your candid opinion
It deals candidly with emotion, and, unlike other children's shows, tells children that it's okay not to be happy all of the time.
candidly = with honesty and directness
Definition
Generally this sense of candid means:honest and direct
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
context
47 uses
The Power of Context says that human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment than they may seem.
context = situation or setting
Definition
Generally context means:the setting or situation in which something occurs
Word Statistics
| Book | 47 uses |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
discord
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
discord amongst the group
...to make that new interpretation work, discordant details were leveled out,
discordant = conflicting
Definition
Generally this sense of discord means:conflict or disagreement — especially among those expected to cooperate
or (especially in the form discordant):
seeming different or wrong along with everything else
or (especially in the form discordant):
seeming different or wrong along with everything else
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
disdain
1 use
The Band-Aid solution is actually the best kind of solution because it involves solving a problem with the minimum amount of effort and time and cost. We have, of course, an instinctive disdain for this kind of solution because there is something in all of us that feels that true answers to problems have to be comprehensive, that...
disdain = lack of respect
Definition
Generally disdain means:a lack of respect — often suggesting distaste and an undeserved sense of superiority
or:
to reject as not good enough
or:
to reject as not good enough
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 8 |
disparage
1 use
A critic looking at these tightly focused, targeted interventions might dismiss them as Band-Aid solutions. But that phrase should not be considered a term of disparagement. The Band-Aid is an inexpensive, convenient, and remarkably versatile solution to an astonishing array of problems.
disparagement = criticism or belittlement
Definition
Generally disparage means:to criticize or make seem less important — especially in a disrespectful or contemptuous manner
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 8 |
dubious
1 use
"It's my understanding that I'm the only social scientist to have the dubious distinction of being called a 'jackass' by Peter Jennings," says Mullen.
dubious = doubtful (describing this particular distinction as bad)
Definition
Generally dubious means:doubtful
in various senses, including:
- doubtful that something should be relied upon — as in "The argument relies on a dubious assumption."
- doubtful that something is morally proper — as in "The company is accused of using dubious sales practices to influence minors."
- bad or of questionable value — as in "The state has the dubious distinction of the highest taxes."
- doubtful or uncertain — as in "She is dubious about making the change."
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2 |
empirical
1 use
"Attempted Suicide as Language: An Empirical Study," British Journal of Psychiatry
empirical = based on experience or observation rather than theory
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | E.Notes |
epidemic
178 uses
This idea of crime as an epidemic, it must be said, is a little strange.
epidemic = a widespread outbreak of a disease that is passed from one person (or other organism) to another
or more rarely: anything that spreads quickly — especially something bad
or more rarely: anything that spreads quickly — especially something bad
Word Statistics
| Book | 178 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Intr. |
innovate
26 uses
In the manufacturing realm, they had a hundred and fifty people, and they worked closely together and there was peer pressure about how to be the best and how to be the most innovative.
innovative = able to develop good, new ideas
(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word into an adjective; though over time, what was originally an adjective often comes to be used as a noun. The adjective pattern means tending to and is seen in words like attractive, impressive, and supportive. Examples of the noun include narrative, alternative, and detective.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word into an adjective; though over time, what was originally an adjective often comes to be used as a noun. The adjective pattern means tending to and is seen in words like attractive, impressive, and supportive. Examples of the noun include narrative, alternative, and detective.)
Definition
Generally innovate means:bring something new to an environment
Word Statistics
| Book | 26 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
novel
3 uses
If you think about the world of a preschooler, they are surrounded by stuff they don't understand — things that are novel.
novel = new and original
Definition
Generally this sense of novel means:new and original — typically something considered good
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
precipitate
1 use
1 —1 use
(verb) as in: it could precipitate war
The precipitating event is invariably domestic: a dispute with girlfriends or parents.
precipitating = triggering (thing that causes something else to suddenly happen)
Definition
Generally this sense of precipitate means:make something happen or to fall or move — typically suddenly and often of something undesired
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 2000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
precocious
5 uses
...the most independent, precocious, rebellious teens are hardly likely to be the most susceptible to rational health advice.
precocious = behaving in a manner considered more appropriate for someone who is older
Definition
Generally precocious means:early development — especially ability or maturity in a child
or more rarely:
disapproving description of a child who takes liberties usually afforded to people who are older
or more rarely:
disapproving description of a child who takes liberties usually afforded to people who are older
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
refute
1 use
All of these things are ... a refutation of the notion that the way we function and communicate and process information is straightforward and transparent.
refutation = evidence or argument that something is false
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
Definition
Generally refute means:to disprove or argue against
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 8 |
relevant
4 uses
That's why the epidemic of suicide in Micronesia is so interesting and potentially relevant to the smoking problem.
relevant = relates in a meaningful way
Definition
Generally relevant means:relating in a meaningful way to the issue in question
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 10 |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
scrutiny
3 uses
Virtually every time the show's educational value has been tested — and Sesame Street has been subject to more academic scrutiny than any television show in history — it has been proved to increase the reading and learning skills of its viewers.
scrutiny = careful look or inspection
Definition
Generally scrutiny means:careful examination of something
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 10 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
ubiquitous
2 uses
The drug trade ran so rampant and gang warfare was so ubiquitous in that part of Brooklyn that most people would take to the safety of their apartment at nightfall.
ubiquitous = being present everywhere or all the time
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Intr. |