| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |