Part V - Chapter I — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Part V - Chapter I

vanity

Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements; inflated self-regard.

parsimony

Extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources; excessive frugality.

preternatural

Beyond what is normal or natural; extraordinary, abnormal.

ephemeral

Lasting for a very short time; fleeting and transitory.

contingencies

Future events or circumstances that are possible but cannot be predicted with certainty.

indecorous

Not in keeping with good taste and propriety; improper or unseemly.

voluptuous

Relating to or characterized by luxury or sensual pleasure; in this context, an intense, almost physical pang of desire.

nihilists

Members of a Russian radical movement rejecting all traditional social institutions, religious authority, and moral conventions in favor of rational materialism.

scrofulous

Having or relating to scrofula (a form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes); used broadly to mean sickly or morally corrupt in appearance.

anaemic

Suffering from anaemia; lacking in vitality, color, or force. Used here to describe physical weakness and pallor.

coxcombs

Vain and conceited men who are excessively preoccupied with their appearance or accomplishments.

commune

A group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities, organized around socialist or utopian principles.

despotism

The exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way; tyranny.

forfeit

A penalty or fine paid as a consequence of breaking an agreement or contract.

providence

The protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power; here used figuratively to mean a benefactor or source of sustenance.

distinguons

A French term meaning "let us distinguish" or "let us make a distinction" — used to signal a nuanced point in philosophical argument.