| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| 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. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |