| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |