Vocabulary

(adjective) lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring

1. "her perennial optimism irritated some of her more cynical colleagues"
2. "the perennial debate over privacy and security surfaced yet again"

enduring, lasting, persistent, continual, recurring, chronic

(adjective) characterised by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline; luxuriously self-indulgent

1. "the city's decadent nightlife masked deeper social problems"
2. "they indulged in a decadent dessert of triple-chocolate cake and cream"

self-indulgent, hedonistic, degenerate, corrupt, overindulgent, luxuriant

(adjective, adverb) relating to knowledge or justification that is independent of experience; deduced from self-evident principles rather than observed facts

1. "the theory rests on an a priori assumption about human rationality"
2. "we can say a priori that the result must be non-negative"

theoretical, presupposed, assumed, deduced, from first principles

(adjective) showing luminous colours that seem to change when seen from different angles

1. "the pigeon’s neck feathers shimmered with an iridescent green"
2. "oil on the surface of the water created an iridescent sheen"

shimmering, opalescent, lustrous, pearly, rainbow-coloured

(adjective) so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring

1. "he filled the presentation with banal clichés and buzzwords"
2. "the conversation soon sank into banal small talk"

trite, hackneyed, commonplace, clichéd, pedestrian

(noun, plural) wavering between different opinions or actions; repeated indecision

1. "her constant vacillations made it hard for the team to commit to a plan"
2. "the market’s vacillations reflected broader uncertainty in the economy"

hesitations, indecision, wavering, dithering, fluctuations

(noun) lack of seriousness; light-hearted or silly behaviour

1. "the meeting began with a moment of frivolity before turning serious"
2. "he resented what he saw as the frivolity of social media culture"

levity, silliness, triviality, light-heartedness, flippancy

(verb) foreshadowed or vaguely outlined; partially or sketchily disclosed

1. "the author adumbrated the novel’s tragic ending in the opening chapter"
2. "the policy changes were adumbrated in an internal memo months earlier"

foreshadowed, suggested, outlined, hinted, intimated

(noun) an abundance; the condition of being full or complete

1. "the garden offered a plenitude of fresh herbs and vegetables"
2. "in a world of data plenitude, the challenge is knowing what to ignore"

abundance, profusion, plenty, copiousness, fullness

(noun) an accusation made in response to one from someone else; mutual blaming

1. "the discussion devolved into bitter recrimination on both sides"
2. "they sought mediation to avoid endless cycles of blame and recrimination"

blame, counter-accusation, retaliation, finger-pointing, accusation

(noun) a thing that has already been done or decided, leaving those affected with no option but to accept it

1. "the merger was presented to employees as a fait accompli"
2. "by the time the committee met, the budget cuts were already a fait accompli"

done deal, accomplished fact, irreversible decision

(adjective) in or relating to a state of stupor, immobility, or unresponsiveness; colloquially, extremely passive or disengaged

1. "he sat in a nearly catatonic state after receiving the news"
2. "after working all night, she was catatonic in the morning meeting"

unresponsive, stuporous, inert, motionless, withdrawn

(adjective, adverb) created or done for a particular purpose as needed, rather than planned in advance; improvised or one-off

1. "the committee set up an ad hoc sub-group to handle the urgent complaint"
2. "they relied on ad hoc scripts instead of building a proper data pipeline"

improvised, makeshift, temporary, one-off, impromptu, provisional

(adjective, biology) occurring together in the same local habitat; able to coexist in the same place without excluding each other

1. "the two frog species are syntopic in these wetlands, sharing the same ponds"
2. "syntopic predators often partition resources to avoid direct competition"

coexisting, co-occurring, sympatric, overlapping, sharing a habitat

(noun) practice as opposed to theory; the process of applying ideas or values in real, concrete action

1. "for the philosopher, politics is the arena where theory becomes praxis"
2. "good teaching requires both sound pedagogy and reflective classroom praxis"

practice, application, implementation, exercise, enactment

(verb, past participle) tormented, troubled, or persistently plagued by difficulties

1. "the project was bedevilled by delays and shifting requirements"
2. "for years he felt bedevilled by a sense of vague but constant anxiety"

plagued, dogged, tormented, burdened, beset, harried

(verb) to criticise someone or something unfairly; to belittle or speak of as having little worth

1. "the article seemed designed to denigrate her achievements"
2. "he resented attempts to denigrate academic work as ‘mere theory’"

belittle, disparage, deprecate, run down, vilify, smear

(verb, past participle) having been persuaded that a belief or idea is mistaken; freed from illusion or false notions

1. "after a year in industry he was disabused of his romantic view of start-ups"
2. "the data quickly disabused them of the notion that the system was secure"

disillusioned, corrected, undeceived, set straight, enlightened

(adjective) relating to deep, instinctive feelings rather than the intellect; felt in the ‘guts’ rather than reasoned out

1. "the film provoked a visceral sense of dread in the audience"
2. "she had a visceral dislike of dishonesty in any form"

instinctive, gut-level, deep-seated, emotional, primal, intuitive

(noun, linguistics) the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish meaning (for example p vs b in ‘pat’ and ‘bat’)

1. "children learning to read must learn to map letters onto phonemes"
2. "in English, the words ‘ship’ and ‘sheep’ differ by just one phoneme"

speech sound, sound unit, basic sound, minimal sound unit

(adjective, adverb) genuine; real; made or carried out in good faith rather than as a sham or pretence

1. "they made a bona fide offer to settle the dispute"
2. "she is a bona fide expert in machine learning, not just a buzzword user"

genuine, authentic, legitimate, real, in good faith

(noun) a conclusion or remark that does not logically follow from what came before; an irrelevant or absurd jump in reasoning or conversation

1. "his comment about the weather was a complete non sequitur in the ethics seminar"
2. "the argument rests on a non sequitur: the premises do not support the conclusion"

illogical conclusion, non-follow, irrelevance, logical lapse, disconnect

(adjective) relating to or characteristic of a suburb; situated in or inhabiting the residential areas on the outskirts of a city

1. "they moved to a quiet suburban neighbourhood with good schools"
2. "the suburban sprawl has consumed what was once farmland"

residential, outlying, commuter-belt, outer-city, peripheral

(adjective) relating to or characteristic of a city or town; situated in or inhabiting densely populated areas

1. "urban planning must balance development with green spaces"
2. "the urban landscape was a mix of historic buildings and modern high-rises"

city, metropolitan, municipal, civic, town, built-up

(noun) a prefabricated metal building with a semicircular arched roof, originally developed during World War II

1. "the old quonset hut had been converted into a storage facility"
2. "rows of quonset buildings still stand on the former military base"

Nissen hut, prefab, corrugated shelter, arched hut, metal shed

(adjective) treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humour; flippant or joking in an unsuitable manner

1. "his facetious remarks during the meeting annoyed his colleagues"
2. "I was being facetious when I suggested we fire everyone"

flippant, glib, frivolous, tongue-in-cheek, joking, jocular

(noun) a large open area of grassland, especially in North America, with few trees

1. "the tall grasses of the prairie swayed in the wind"
2. "bison once roamed the prairies in vast herds"

grassland, plain, steppe, savanna, meadow, pampas

(noun) a soft, boggy area of land that gives way underfoot; figuratively, a complex or hazardous situation that is difficult to escape

1. "the army became stuck in a quagmire of mud and ditches"
2. "the project turned into a legal quagmire that lasted years"

bog, marsh, swamp, mire, morass, muddle, predicament

(noun) a small dome adorning a roof or ceiling; a rounded vault forming or crowning a building

1. "the capitol building is topped by a distinctive copper cupola"
2. "light flooded in through the windows of the cupola"

dome, turret, lantern, vault, rotunda

(adverb) in a loud and forceful manner; with vehement or clamorous expression

1. "the crowd vociferously protested the referee's decision"
2. "she vociferously defended her position in the debate"

loudly, clamorously, vehemently, stridently, forcefully, noisily

(adverb) in a manner showing loss of hope or courage; with dejection or low spirits

1. "he stared despondently at the rejection letter"
2. "she sighed despondently and slumped into her chair"

dejectedly, gloomily, dispiritedly, mournfully, sadly, hopelessly

(noun) an official in a church who acts as a caretaker and attendant; one who carries a rod before a dignitary

1. "the verger unlocked the church and prepared it for the service"
2. "she spoke to the verger about arranging a tour of the cathedral"

sexton, sacristan, church warden, beadle, custodian

(noun) the residence of a rector or parish priest; the house provided for a minister of religion

1. "the old rectory had been converted into a bed and breakfast"
2. "the priest invited them to tea at the rectory"

parsonage, vicarage, manse, clergy house, presbytery

(noun) a person's face, with reference to its form or expression; the surface or façade of something

1. "his stern visage softened into a smile"
2. "the castle presented a forbidding visage to approaching visitors"

face, countenance, features, physiognomy, expression, aspect

(adjective) extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not of this world; heavenly or spiritual

1. "the dancer moved with an ethereal grace across the stage"
2. "the mist gave the landscape an ethereal quality"

delicate, airy, celestial, otherworldly, heavenly, gossamer, intangible

(noun, plural) medieval lyric poets who composed and sang songs, especially about courtly love; itinerant poet-musicians

1. "the troubadours of Provence shaped the tradition of romantic poetry"
2. "he fancied himself a modern troubadour, guitar slung over his shoulder"

minstrels, bards, balladeers, singer-songwriters, poets

(verb, past participle) gradually spread through or over; permeated or filled with colour, light, or a quality

1. "her face was suffused with a warm blush"
2. "the room was suffused with the golden light of sunset"

permeated, pervaded, imbued, saturated, steeped, flooded

(adjective) existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface; underground; figuratively, secret or hidden

1. "the city has an extensive subterranean network of tunnels"
2. "the movement operated through subterranean channels to avoid detection"

underground, below-ground, buried, sunken, hidden, concealed

(noun) a low storey between two others, typically between the ground floor and the first floor; a mezzanine

1. "the entresol housed the library and study rooms"
2. "she peered down from the entresol at the grand foyer below"

mezzanine, half-storey, intermediate floor, loft

(verb, past participle) surrounded by armed forces aiming to capture; overwhelmed with requests, troubles, or worries

1. "the besieged city held out for three months before surrendering"
2. "the celebrity was besieged by fans demanding autographs"

surrounded, blockaded, encircled, beleaguered, overwhelmed, inundated

(noun, plural) humble prayers or earnest requests made to someone in authority; acts of asking humbly and earnestly

1. "the king received the supplications of his subjects"
2. "despite her supplications, the judge refused to grant clemency"

entreaties, pleas, petitions, appeals, prayers, requests

(noun, plural) people who inspire or influence others, especially in a particular field; also, natural light-giving bodies such as the sun or moon

1. "the conference attracted luminaries from the worlds of science and technology"
2. "she counted several literary luminaries among her close friends"

stars, leaders, notables, celebrities, experts, dignitaries

(noun) a person who acts as a guide in a museum, gallery, or zoo; in some countries, a university lecturer

1. "the docent led us through the Renaissance gallery with enthusiasm"
2. "volunteer docents offer free tours every Saturday"

guide, lecturer, museum guide, tour guide, educator

(verb, past participle) prevented or hindered from progressing; blocked or thwarted

1. "the investigation was stymied by a lack of witnesses"
2. "she felt stymied by the bureaucratic red tape"

thwarted, blocked, obstructed, hindered, frustrated, impeded

(adjective) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with; sacred and inviolable

1. "the weekend was sacrosanct family time"
2. "no tradition is sacrosanct in the face of genuine progress"

sacred, inviolable, untouchable, hallowed, protected, revered

(noun) the ability to produce an abundance of offspring or new growth; intellectual or creative productivity

1. "the fecundity of the soil made the region ideal for farming"
2. "the artist's fecundity astonished critics who expected a single masterpiece"

fertility, fruitfulness, productiveness, prolificacy, richness

(adjective) having a large, bulky body; excessively fat

1. "the corpulent merchant struggled to fit through the narrow doorway"
2. "years of rich food had left him distinctly corpulent"

obese, overweight, fat, stout, portly, rotund, plump

(noun, exclamation) an acknowledgement of one's fault or error; a formal admission of wrongdoing

1. "the CEO issued a public mea culpa for the company's failings"
2. "after years of denial, his mea culpa came as a surprise"

apology, admission of guilt, confession, acknowledgement of fault

(noun) a dish of stewed or fried pieces of meat, typically chicken, served in a thick white sauce

1. "grandmother's chicken fricassee was a Sunday dinner staple"
2. "the recipe called for a veal fricassee with mushrooms and cream"

stew, casserole, ragout, braised dish

(verb, past participle) placed in a grave or tomb; buried

1. "the poet was interred in the churchyard beside his wife"
2. "the remains were interred with full military honours"

buried, entombed, laid to rest, inhumed, sepulchred

(noun) the central part of a church building, extending from the entrance to the chancel, where the congregation sits

1. "the nave was lined with rows of wooden pews"
2. "sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows into the nave"

main body, central aisle, body of the church

(verb, past participle) made or declared sacred; dedicated formally to a religious purpose

1. "the church was consecrated by the bishop in a solemn ceremony"
2. "she felt she stood on consecrated ground"

sanctified, blessed, hallowed, dedicated, sacred, holy

(noun) a building joined to or associated with a main building; (verb) to add territory to one's own by appropriation

1. "the museum annex houses the modern art collection"
2. "the empire sought to annex neighbouring territories"

(n.) extension, wing, addition, outbuilding; (v.) appropriate, seize, incorporate, acquire

(adjective) poor; needy; lacking the necessities of life

1. "the charity provides legal services to indigent clients"
2. "indigent families often lack access to healthcare"

poor, impoverished, destitute, needy, penniless, poverty-stricken

(noun, British slang) a vulgar term for the male genitalia

1. "the comedian's joke about todgers drew groans from the audience"
2. "the British slang term 'todger' is considered crude but not extremely offensive"

penis, member, phallus (and various slang terms)

(adjective) lying face upward; failing to act as a result of moral weakness or indolence

1. "the patient lay supine on the examination table"
2. "the government's supine response to the crisis drew criticism"

(position) face-up, recumbent, flat; (figurative) passive, spineless, weak, inactive

(noun) a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation

1. "the documentary highlighted the plight of refugees"
2. "no one seemed to understand the plight of small business owners"

predicament, difficulty, trouble, dilemma, quandary, hardship

(noun, plural) sculptures or models representing a person, especially in the form of a monument; crude representations of a person used for mockery

1. "the cathedral contained stone effigies of medieval knights"
2. "protesters burned effigies of the dictator in the streets"

statues, figures, images, likenesses, representations, dummies

(adjective) relating to or resembling an apse (a semicircular recess in a church, typically at the east end)

1. "the apsidal end of the church contained the high altar"
2. "the building featured an apsidal design typical of Romanesque architecture"

semicircular, vaulted, rounded, apse-like

(noun) the part of a cruciform church at right angles to the nave, forming the arms of the cross shape

1. "the north transept contained a beautiful rose window"
2. "the transepts extend out from the central nave"

cross-arm, crossing, wing of a church

(noun) an enclosed entrance or lobby of a church, between the main entrance and the nave

1. "visitors gathered in the narthex before the service began"
2. "the narthex served as a transition between the secular world and the sacred space"

vestibule, entrance hall, foyer, antechamber, lobby

(adjective) covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint; wealthy and privileged; superficially attractive but lacking substance

1. "the gilded frame enhanced the beauty of the painting"
2. "behind the gilded façade lay a deeply troubled family"

gold-plated, golden, aureate, luxurious, ornate

(adjective) lying down; in a reclining position; (of a plant) growing close to the ground

1. "the recumbent figure on the tomb was carved in exquisite detail"
2. "he preferred a recumbent bicycle for its ergonomic benefits"

reclining, lying down, prostrate, supine, prone, horizontal

(noun) a feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen; nervous uncertainty

1. "she approached the interview with some trepidation"
2. "there was trepidation among investors ahead of the earnings report"

fear, apprehension, anxiety, nervousness, unease, dread

(noun, plural) large, densely packed crowds of people; (verb) to flock or crowd into a place

1. "throngs of tourists filled the narrow streets"
2. "fans thronged the stadium hours before the concert"

crowds, masses, multitudes, hordes, swarms, mobs

(adjective) making a show of being morally superior to others; hypocritically pious or devout

1. "his sanctimonious lectures about ethics rang hollow given his own behaviour"
2. "she couldn't stand his sanctimonious attitude"

self-righteous, holier-than-thou, pious, smug, priggish, hypocritical

(verb, past tense) lowered one's body briefly by bending one knee to the ground, typically as a sign of reverence or worship

1. "he genuflected before the altar as he entered the church"
2. "the congregation genuflected in unison during the prayer"

knelt, bowed, curtseyed, kowtowed, showed reverence

(noun, plural) streets or passages closed at one end; dead ends; figuratively, situations from which there is no escape

1. "the neighbourhood was full of quiet culs-de-sac"
2. "the investigation led them down several intellectual culs-de-sac"

dead ends, blind alleys, no-through roads, impasses

(adjective) intended to prevent disease; (noun) a medicine or course of action used to prevent disease; also, a contraceptive device

1. "prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed before the surgery"
2. "regular exercise serves as a prophylactic against many health problems"

preventive, precautionary, protective, preventative; (n.) contraceptive, condom

(noun) the practice of having many sexual partners; indiscriminate mingling or association

1. "the study examined attitudes towards promiscuity across different cultures"
2. "his promiscuity with data sources led to unreliable conclusions"

licentiousness, wantonness, looseness, immorality, indiscriminateness

(noun, plural) districts under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church

1. "the archbishop oversaw several dioceses in the region"
2. "the dioceses merged due to declining membership"

bishoprics, sees, ecclesiastical districts, episcopal jurisdictions

(adjective) relating to the Pope or the papacy

1. "the papal decree was issued from the Vatican"
2. "she received a papal blessing during her visit to Rome"

pontifical, apostolic, Vatican, Holy See

(noun) the office or authority of the Pope; the tenure of a particular Pope; the system of ecclesiastical government headed by the Pope

1. "the papacy has wielded enormous influence throughout European history"
2. "his papacy was marked by efforts at reform and reconciliation"

pontificate, Holy See, Vatican, the Pope's office

(noun, plural) private meetings; specifically, the assemblies of cardinals gathered to elect a new Pope

1. "the conclaves were held in strict secrecy"
2. "political conclaves behind closed doors shaped the party's strategy"

assemblies, councils, meetings, gatherings, synods

(verb) to accept something reluctantly but without protest; to comply passively

1. "she acquiesced to her parents' wishes despite her reservations"
2. "the board finally acquiesced to the shareholders' demands"

consent, agree, comply, yield, submit, concede, assent

(noun) a recess or small section of a room set back from the main area; a niche

1. "the reading alcove was furnished with a comfortable armchair"
2. "they found a quiet alcove in the restaurant for their conversation"

recess, niche, nook, bay, corner, hollow

(noun) an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of someone or something; also, an abusive or contemptuous word or phrase

1. "Alexander the Great is the epithet by which the Macedonian king is known"
2. "the argument degenerated into an exchange of racial epithets"

descriptor, title, sobriquet, nickname, name, label, slur

(adjective) presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms; unpleasantly bright in colour; ghastly pale

1. "the tabloid published lurid details of the scandal"
2. "the lurid glow of the neon signs lit up the street"

sensational, shocking, graphic, explicit, garish, gaudy, ghastly

(noun, plural) high-ranking members of the clergy, especially bishops, archbishops, or abbots

1. "the prelates gathered in Rome for the council"
2. "medieval prelates often wielded both religious and political power"

bishops, archbishops, clergy, ecclesiastics, church dignitaries

(noun) complete freedom to act as one wishes; unconditional authority

1. "the director was given carte blanche to cast the film as she saw fit"
2. "we don't have carte blanche to spend unlimited funds"

free rein, blank cheque, unconditional authority, full discretion, free hand

(noun, plural) persons holding beliefs contrary to the official doctrine of a particular religion; those who hold unorthodox opinions in any field

1. "the Inquisition sought to identify and punish heretics"
2. "in the world of economics, he was considered a heretic for questioning free markets"

dissenters, nonconformists, apostates, sceptics, freethinkers, unbelievers

(noun) sexual intercourse involving anal or oral copulation; historically, a legal term for certain sexual acts deemed unnatural or criminal

1. "laws against sodomy were used to persecute homosexuals for centuries"
2. "the court struck down the sodomy statute as unconstitutional"

buggery, unnatural act (archaic legal terminology)

(adverb) to a sickening or excessive degree; repeatedly to the point of boredom

1. "he repeated his argument ad nauseam until everyone tuned out"
2. "the same talking points were recycled ad nauseam in the media"

endlessly, repeatedly, incessantly, to excess, tiresomely

(noun) a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand

1. "she remained an enigma to those who thought they knew her"
2. "the Voynich manuscript is one of history's greatest enigmas"

mystery, puzzle, riddle, conundrum, paradox, unknown

(adjective) having a smoothly rising and falling form or movement; wavelike

1. "the undulating hills stretched to the horizon"
2. "the dancer's undulating movements mesmerised the audience"

wavy, rolling, rippling, sinuous, serpentine, flowing

(noun, plural) senior ecclesiastical officials of the Catholic Church who rank below the Pope and are empowered to elect him; also, North American songbirds with bright red plumage

1. "the cardinals convened in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope"
2. "a pair of cardinals nested in the maple tree outside our window"

(religious) princes of the Church, papal electors; (birds) redbirds

(noun) the office, authority, or territory of a prelate; a group of prelates collectively

1. "the personal prelature operates independently of local dioceses"
2. "his rise through the prelature was swift"

prelacy, bishopric, ecclesiastical jurisdiction, hierarchy

(noun) brisk and cheerful readiness; eager willingness

1. "she accepted the invitation with alacrity"
2. "the team responded to the challenge with surprising alacrity"

eagerness, enthusiasm, readiness, willingness, promptness, zeal

(noun) a grey alloy of tin with copper and antimony, used for making tableware and ornaments; (adjective) of a dull greyish colour

1. "the antique shop displayed a collection of pewter tankards"
2. "the pewter sky threatened rain"

(material) tin alloy; (colour) grey, silver-grey, leaden

(adjective) kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit

1. "the clandestine meeting took place in an abandoned warehouse"
2. "they carried on a clandestine affair for years"

secret, covert, furtive, surreptitious, undercover, hidden

(verb, past participle) scheduled or planned; (British) severely criticised

1. "the new product is slated for release next month"
2. "the film was slated by critics for its poor script"

(scheduled) planned, scheduled, earmarked, designated; (criticised) panned, lambasted, condemned

(noun) physical or mental weakness; frailty, especially associated with old age

1. "despite the infirmities of old age, she maintained her sharp wit"
2. "the infirmity in his legs made climbing stairs difficult"

weakness, frailty, debility, ailment, illness, feebleness

(adjective) severe or strict in manner or appearance; having no comforts or luxuries; simple and plain

1. "the monastery maintained an austere way of life"
2. "his austere demeanour intimidated new employees"

severe, stern, strict, spartan, ascetic, plain, unadorned

(adjective) of, resembling, or fit for a monarch; royal, stately, and magnificent

1. "she entered the room with a regal bearing"
2. "the hotel offered regal accommodations at premium prices"

royal, majestic, kingly, queenly, stately, noble, magnificent

(adjective) full of mirth; cheerful and merry; causing or expressing amusement or laughter

1. "her mirthful laughter filled the room"
2. "the mirthful atmosphere of the party was infectious"

merry, cheerful, jolly, jovial, gleeful, joyful, festive

(noun, adjective) a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions; relating to pantheistic or polytheistic nature-based religions

1. "many Christmas traditions have pagan origins"
2. "the temple was built on the site of an ancient pagan shrine"

heathen, idolater, polytheist, non-believer (in Abrahamic terms)

(noun) great respect or reverence; the act of honouring someone or something as sacred

1. "the saint is held in veneration throughout the Catholic world"
2. "his veneration for the written word was evident in his vast library"

reverence, respect, adoration, worship, esteem, devotion

(adjective) representing or promoting unity among the world's Christian churches; broader sense: promoting worldwide unity or cooperation

1. "the ecumenical council brought together representatives from various denominations"
2. "their approach to interfaith dialogue was genuinely ecumenical"

universal, unifying, catholic, interdenominational, all-embracing

(verb, past participle) brought under domination or control, especially by conquest; made subservient

1. "the indigenous population was subjugated by colonial powers"
2. "she refused to be subjugated by social expectations"

conquered, subdued, dominated, oppressed, enslaved, vanquished

(adjective) reserved, modest, and shy; affectedly modest or coy

1. "she gave a demure smile and looked away"
2. "behind her demure exterior was a fiercely competitive spirit"

modest, reserved, shy, coy, unassuming, meek, retiring

(noun) the state of abstaining from marriage and sexual relations, typically for religious reasons

1. "Catholic priests take a vow of celibacy"
2. "he chose celibacy as part of his spiritual practice"

chastity, abstinence, continence, virginity, purity

(noun) a raised enclosed platform in a church from which the preacher delivers a sermon; figuratively, a position of religious or moral authority

1. "the minister ascended the pulpit to deliver his sermon"
2. "he used the pulpit of his newspaper column to advocate for reform"

lectern, rostrum, platform, dais, podium

(noun) a direct ancestor; a person or thing from which others originate; a predecessor

1. "the species is believed to be the progenitor of modern horses"
2. "Ada Lovelace is often considered the progenitor of computer programming"

ancestor, forefather, forebear, predecessor, originator, founder

(adjective) relating to a tomb or burial; gloomy, dismal, or suggestive of death

1. "his sepulchral voice echoed through the empty hall"
2. "the sepulchral silence of the crypt was unnerving"

funereal, gloomy, dismal, mournful, sombre, tomb-like

(noun) an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrust of human sincerity or integrity

1. "years of broken promises had bred deep cynicism in the electorate"
2. "his cynicism about politics kept him from voting"

scepticism, distrust, pessimism, suspicion, disbelief, doubt

(noun) excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance; self-centredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects

1. "social media has been blamed for encouraging narcissism among young people"
2. "his narcissism made it impossible for him to acknowledge others' contributions"

self-love, vanity, egotism, self-absorption, egocentrism, conceit

(noun) the action of flogging or beating, either as a religious discipline or for sexual gratification; self-punishment

1. "flagellation was practised by some medieval penitents"
2. "he engaged in mental self-flagellation over his past mistakes"

flogging, whipping, scourging, beating, lashing

(noun) severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons

1. "the monks practised strict asceticism, fasting and praying daily"
2. "there was something of asceticism in her spartan lifestyle"

self-denial, austerity, abstinence, self-discipline, puritanism

(adjective) enclosed or secluded, especially in a religious house; sheltered from the outside world

1. "the cloistered nuns rarely left the convent"
2. "his cloistered academic life left him unprepared for corporate politics"

secluded, sheltered, sequestered, withdrawn, isolated, reclusive

(noun) a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief; a novice; a new convert to a religion

1. "as a neophyte in the world of finance, she had much to learn"
2. "the neophyte monks underwent a year of training before taking vows"

beginner, novice, newcomer, rookie, tyro, apprentice

(noun) a long, close-fitting garment worn by clergy, members of church choirs, and others taking part in church services

1. "the priest's black cassock swept the floor as he walked"
2. "altar servers wore red cassocks with white surplices"

soutane, robe, vestment, habit, clerical garment

(verb) to look at someone with an angry or sullen expression; (noun) an angry or sullen look

1. "he glowered at the interruption and continued his speech"
2. "her glower made it clear she was not amused"

scowl, glare, frown, look daggers, lower

(noun, adjective) a person or animal having a congenital absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes; relating to or affected by albinism

1. "the albino rabbit had striking red eyes and pure white fur"
2. "people with albinism often have increased sensitivity to light"

unpigmented, colourless, white-skinned, achromic

(noun) a person who practises severe self-discipline and abstention; (adjective) characterised by severe self-discipline and abstention from indulgence

1. "the desert ascetics lived in caves and fasted for days"
2. "his ascetic lifestyle allowed for few comforts"

(n.) hermit, monk, abstainer; (adj.) austere, spartan, abstemious, self-denying

(noun) a long bench with a back, placed in rows in a church for the congregation to sit on

1. "the congregation sat in the wooden pews awaiting the service"
2. "the church's original oak pews dated back to the 18th century"

bench, seat, church bench, church seat

(preposition, adjective, adverb) with reference to; concerning; very appropriate to a particular situation

1. "apropos our earlier conversation, I have some new information"
2. "the remark was entirely apropos given the circumstances"

regarding, concerning, with respect to; appropriate, relevant, apt, pertinent

(noun, plural) five-pointed stars enclosed in circles, used as mystical or magical symbols; one of the suits in a tarot deck, often associated with material matters

1. "the altar was decorated with pentacles and candles"
2. "she drew the Ten of Pentacles, suggesting material prosperity"

pentagrams, five-pointed stars, mystical symbols

(noun) either of the two times in the year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marking the longest and shortest days

1. "the summer solstice falls around June 21st in the northern hemisphere"
2. "ancient peoples built monuments aligned with the winter solstice"

midsummer, midwinter (depending on which solstice)