| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| corollary |
a readily drawn conclusion; deduction or inference. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| regicide |
the murderer of a king. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |