| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| apropos |
appropriate; relevant; opportune. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |