| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |