Chapter 20 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter 20

directives (noun)

Official instructions or orders issued by an authority, requiring compliance from subordinates.

disciplinary (adjective)

Relating to punishment or enforcement of rules; intended to correct behavior and enforce obedience.

eulogy (noun)

A speech or piece of writing praising someone who has recently died, typically delivered at a funeral.

subversion (noun)

The act of undermining the power and authority of an established system or institution, often through covert means.

omniscience (noun)

The state of knowing everything; unlimited knowledge or awareness, often claimed by those in authority.

grotesque (adjective)

Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted; combining horror and absurdity in an unsettling way.

constituency (noun)

A body of voters or supporters; the group of people that an organization or leader claims to represent and serve.

asymmetry (noun)

A lack of equality or equivalence between two sides; an imbalance in which one party holds an advantage.

capitulation (noun)

The act of surrendering or giving in completely to an opponent or demand; total submission.

metonym (noun)

A figure of speech in which one thing is used to represent something closely associated with it.

complicit (adjective)

Involved with others in an illegal or morally wrong activity; sharing guilt through participation or silent approval.

cryptic (adjective)

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure; deliberately puzzling or ambiguous.

impervious (adjective)

Unable to be affected by something; impossible to penetrate or influence; resistant to persuasion.

vacuum (noun)

An empty space; in a political context, a gap in power or authority that invites others to fill it.

instrumentalization (noun)

The process of treating a person or group as a mere tool or means to an end rather than as having inherent worth.