| auspice |
(usually plural) sponsorship or protection; patronage. |
| defray |
to pay or assist in the payment of (costs or the like). |
| disconcert |
to upset the calm or self-assurance of; ruffle. |
| discreet |
reserved and judicious, especially in talking about or otherwise revealing confidential matters; circumspect. |
| egoism |
the tendency to evaluate everything in relation to one's own interests; self-centeredness. |
| fatalism |
a belief or doctrine that the events of life are predetermined and cannot be altered by human free will. |
| hew |
to follow or obey strictly. |
| lobbyist |
one who attempts, on behalf of a special interest group, to influence the way legislators vote. |
| microcosm |
a small, complete whole; tiny world. |
| overweening |
particularly forward, vain, and self-promoting. |
| pronouncement |
a formal or official declaration. |
| resilience |
the ability to resume shape after being pressed or stretched. |
| risqué |
very close to indecency or indelicacy; sexually suggestive; racy. |
| skirmish |
a minor or preliminary battle between small military units. |
| soporific |
causing sleep or sleepiness. |