| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |