| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| attune |
to adjust so as to be harmonious. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |