| abridgment |
the process or an instance of making shorter or condensing. |
| aver |
to assert to be true; affirm. |
| blasphemy |
disrespect or irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable, especially God. |
| condescend |
to act as if one were of superior rank or station, treating others as inferior; patronize. |
| droll |
wryly amusing or humorous. |
| empirical |
based on or verifiable by experience or experiment, rather than on or by theory. |
| malign |
to speak badly of or tell harmful lies about. |
| nonconformity |
refusal or failure to adjust one's behavior and actions to accord or comply with societal customs, values, or the like. |
| patron |
a regular customer of a shop, restaurant, or some other business. |
| perturb |
to cause great disturbance in (the mind); agitate or worry. |
| potentate |
a person of great power, such as a ruler. |
| probity |
proven trustworthiness; honesty; integrity. |
| soluble |
able to be dissolved. |
| succumb |
to give in or give way to a fatal illness, superior force, overwhelming desire, or the like; yield. |
| upshot |
the most important issue, result, or conclusion. |