amnesty
N.—a general pardon for an offense against a government in general, any act of forgiveness or absolutionSynonym—reprieve
Many political prisoners were freed under the amnesty granted by the new regime.
autonomy
n.—self-government, political controlSynonym—home rule
After the colonies gained autonomy from England, many Americans still clung to English traditions.
axiomatic
Adj.—self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principleSynonym—taken for granted
One should not accept the idea that the camera never lies as an axiomatic truth.
blazon
v.—to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widelySynonym—broadcast
They will blazon the results of the election across the Internet and every television set in the land.
caveat
n.—a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behaviorSynonym—admonition
The well-known Latin phrase “caveat emptor” means, “Let the buyer beware.”
equitable
Adj.—fair, just, embodying principles of justiceSynonym—right; reasonable
He did more work, so a sixty-forty split of the profits seemed an equitable arrangement.
extricate
v.—to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effortSynonym—disentangle; extract
The ring must have slid off my finger as I was trying to extricate the fish from the net.
filch
v.—to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amountsSynonym—pilfer; swipe
If you filch pennies from the cash drawer, you will be tempted to steal larger amounts one day.
flout
v.—to mock, treat with contemptSynonym—sneer at; snicker at
She chose to ignore my advice, not because she wanted to flout my beliefs, but because she had strong opinions of her own.
fractious
Adj.—tending to be troublesome; unruly; quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictableSynonym—peevish; recalcitrant
It seems as if even the smoothest-running organizations contain one or two fractious elements.
precept
n.—a rule of conduct or actionSynonym—principle; maxim
Many philosophies follow the precept that it is important to treat others as you would like to be treated.
salutary
Adj.—beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesomeSynonym—helpful
The cute new puppy had a salutary effect on her health.
scathing
Adj.—bitterly severe, withering; causing great harmSynonym—harsh; savage
Sometimes a reasoned discussion does more to change people’s minds than a scathing attack.
scourge
v.—to whip, punish severelyn.—a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticismSynonym—flog, beat
Reverend Dimmesdale used a scourge to punish himself for his sins.
sepulchral
Adj.—funereal; typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismalSynonym—mortuary
In a severe and sepulchral tone of voice, my sister announced that we were out of cookies.
soporific
Adj.—tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargyN.—something that induces sleep
He claimed that the musical was soporific and that he had slept through the entire second act.
straitlaced
Adj.—extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish; puritanicalSynonym—overly strict; stuffy
Travelers may find people overseas straitlaced in some ways but surprisingly free in others.
transient
Adj.—lasting only a short time, fleetingN.—one who stays only a short timeSynonym—evanescent
His bad mood was transient, and by the time he’d finished his breakfast, he was smiling.
unwieldy
Adj.—not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexitySynonym—bulky; clumsy
We loaded the truck with the chairs and the coffee table, but the grand piano was too unwieldy.