Vocabulary # 3

accolade- an award granted as a special honor / an expression of praise or admiration 

-The student was given many accolades for his academic performance in school.  

acerbity-  a sharp bitterness 

- Her acerbity was shown through the sharpness of her eyes. 

attrition-  gradually reducing the strength of something through pressure.  

- About a third of the jobs will be lost through natural attrition. 

bromide- a person who is platitudinous and boring 

-Most try to avoid a person with a bromide personality. 

chauvinist-  A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism 

-She accused the employer of being a male chauvinist after not being offered the job. 

chronic-  Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring 

- Chronic illness also seems to be evolving rapidly. 

expound-  Present and explain systematically and in detail  

-The newspaper expounds global issues into curious minds. 

factionalism- The splitting of a group into factions; Conflict between factions.  

-Factionalism has cause the government to spiral downwards. 

immaculate-  Free from flaws or mistakes; perfect 

-I thought my essay was immaculate, until I got it back and saw it was marked over in red. 

imprecation- A spoken curse 

-The imprecation of the apple caused snow white to go into a deep sleep.  

ineluctable-  Unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable  

-He was forced to the ineluctable conclusion that his wife had murdered his best friend. 

mercurial- Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes 

-Because she is bipolar, her mercurial mood kept everyone on their toes. 

palliate- Make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause. 

-The medical staff used strong narcotics to palliate the terminally ill patients pain. 

protocol- The established code of procedure or behavior in any group, organization, or situation. 

-It is a protocol for the doctor to examine you before you receive a prescription. 

resplendent- Impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous 

-The Pastors daughter was supposed to be resplendent in her virtues.

stigmatize- To set some mark of disgrace. 

-Although she was a bright girl, cheating stigmatized her reputation with the professor. 

sub rosa- Happening or done in secret 

-The confession to his priest was sub rosa, therefore; inadmissible to use in court. 

vainglory- Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements 

-His vainglorious touchdown chant caused him to lose many fans. 

vestige-  A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists  

-The only remaining vestige of Jesus is the Bible. 

volition- the act of willing or choosing 

-Enter at your own volition.