Word List
Year 6 Vocabulary List
Year 6 learners are beginning to engage with complex, abstract ideas. This list introduces the vocabulary of serious literary study and critical thinking that will serve them throughout secondary school.
Good for
Year 6 students, teachers preparing students for high school, and selective entry preparation.
Focus
Literary devices, critical analysis language, philosophical and ethical vocabulary.
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001
Word
abrogation
noun
Meaning
the formal repeal or abolition of a law, right, or formal agreement
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002
Word
abstract
adjective
Meaning
relating to ideas and concepts rather than concrete physical things
#
003
Word
absurdism
noun
Meaning
the philosophical view that life lacks meaning and humans struggle to find purpose in a meaningless universe
#
004
Word
accrue
verb
Meaning
to accumulate or come about as a natural consequence over time
#
005
Word
acuity
noun
Meaning
sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing
#
006
Word
adhere
verb
Meaning
To stick firmly to a surface or to follow rules closely.
#
007
Word
adumbrate
verb
Meaning
to outline or sketch something in a rough way; to foreshadow
#
008
Word
affective
adjective
Meaning
relating to emotions and moods rather than to reason
#
009
Word
aggrieve
verb
Meaning
to give cause for complaint; to distress or oppress
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010
Word
agrarianism
noun
Meaning
a political and social movement promoting rural land ownership and farming values
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011
Word
alacrity
noun
Meaning
brisk and cheerful readiness to do something
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012
Word
alienate
verb
Meaning
to cause someone to feel isolated or estranged from others
#
013
Word
allegiance
noun
Meaning
loyalty or commitment to a superior, group, or cause
#
014
Word
allegory
noun
Meaning
a story where characters and events represent deeper moral or political ideas
#
015
Word
alleviate
verb
Meaning
to make something bad, such as pain or difficulty, less severe
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016
Word
allocution
noun
Meaning
a formal speech or statement, especially one delivered to a group
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017
Word
altruism
noun
Meaning
the practice of unselfish concern for the wellbeing of others
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018
Word
amalgamate
verb
Meaning
to combine or unite to form one organisation or structure
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019
Word
ambience
noun
Meaning
the character and atmosphere of a place
#
020
Word
ambivalent
adjective
Meaning
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something
#
021
Word
ameliorate
verb
Meaning
to make something bad or unsatisfactory better
#
022
Word
anachronistic
adjective
Meaning
out of keeping with its time period; belonging to an earlier age
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023
Word
analytical
adjective
Meaning
using careful analysis; breaking something down into parts to understand it
#
024
Word
anaphora
noun
Meaning
the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses for rhetorical effect
#
025
Word
animus
noun
Meaning
hostility or ill-feeling; the motivating spirit behind an action
#
026
Word
anomaly
noun
Meaning
something that deviates from what is standard or expected
#
027
Word
antagonise
verb
Meaning
to cause someone to feel hostile or resentful
#
028
Word
anthropic
adjective
Meaning
relating to human existence or humanity
#
029
Word
anthropology
noun
Meaning
the study of human societies, cultures, and their development
#
030
Word
antithetical
adjective
Meaning
directly opposed or contrasted; forming an antithesis
#
031
Word
aphorism
noun
Meaning
a short and memorable statement expressing a general truth
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032
Word
aphoristic
adjective
Meaning
expressing a general truth in a short and memorable way
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033
Word
apostasy
noun
Meaning
the abandonment of a previous loyalty, belief, or principle
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034
Word
approbation
noun
Meaning
formal approval or praise
#
035
Word
appropriate
verb
Meaning
to take something for one's own use, often without permission
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036
Word
approximation
noun
Meaning
a value or estimate close to but not exactly equal to something
#
037
Word
arbitrate
verb
Meaning
to act as an independent party to settle a dispute
#
038
Word
arcane
adjective
Meaning
understood by few; mysterious or secret
#
039
Word
arduous
adjective
Meaning
involving great effort; difficult and tiring
#
040
Word
articulation
noun
Meaning
the act of expressing ideas clearly and coherently
#
041
Word
ascertain
verb
Meaning
to find out the true or exact facts about something
#
042
Word
asperity
noun
Meaning
harshness of tone or manner; roughness of surface
#
043
Word
asperse
verb
Meaning
to attack the reputation of someone with false or damaging accusations
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044
Word
aspire
verb
Meaning
To have a strong desire to achieve something great.
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045
Word
assiduous
adjective
Meaning
showing great care and perseverance in one's work
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046
Word
assimilation
noun
Meaning
the process of absorbing and integrating people or ideas into a wider society
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047
Word
assuasive
adjective
Meaning
soothing or mollifying in tone or effect
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048
Word
attain
verb
Meaning
To achieve or gain something after working for it.
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049
Word
audacity
noun
Meaning
the willingness to take bold risks; extreme confidence or daring
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050
Word
auspicious
adjective
Meaning
conducive to success; favourable
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051
Word
authoritative
adjective
Meaning
Having expert knowledge and able to be trusted.
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052
Word
autonomous
adjective
Meaning
Acting independently; not controlled by others.
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053
Word
aversion
noun
Meaning
a strong dislike or disinclination
#
054
Word
avocation
noun
Meaning
a hobby or minor occupation; something pursued alongside one's main work
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055
Word
axiological
adjective
Meaning
relating to the philosophical study of values and value judgements
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056
Word
banal
adjective
Meaning
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring; trite
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057
Word
bathos
noun
Meaning
an abrupt shift from the lofty to the trivial, producing a comic or deflating effect
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058
Word
belittle
verb
Meaning
to make someone or something seem unimportant
#
059
Word
bellicose
adjective
Meaning
demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight
#
060
Word
beneficence
noun
Meaning
the quality of being kind and generous; the practice of doing good
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061
Word
benign
adjective
Meaning
gentle and kindly; not harmful in effect
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062
Word
bespoke
adjective
Meaning
made to a particular customer's order; custom-made
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063
Word
bifurcate
verb
Meaning
to divide into two branches or parts
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064
Word
bildungsroman
noun
Meaning
a novel that traces the moral and psychological growth of its protagonist from youth to adulthood
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065
Word
blight
noun
Meaning
a thing that spoils or damages something; a plant disease
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066
Word
boon
noun
Meaning
a welcome benefit or advantage
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067
Word
bracketed
adjective
Meaning
enclosed in brackets; grouped together for comparison
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068
Word
brevity
noun
Meaning
concise and exact use of words; shortness of time
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069
Word
broach
verb
Meaning
to raise a difficult subject for discussion
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070
Word
burgeon
verb
Meaning
to begin to grow or increase rapidly; to flourish
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071
Word
cacophony
noun
Meaning
a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds
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072
Word
callous
adjective
Meaning
showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
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073
Word
candour
noun
Meaning
the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness
#
074
Word
canonical
adjective
Meaning
included in or relating to a recognised body of great literary works
#
075
Word
capitulate
verb
Meaning
to stop resisting an opponent and agree to their terms; to give in
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076
Word
cardinal
adjective
Meaning
of the greatest importance; fundamental
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077
Word
caricature
noun
Meaning
an exaggerated picture or description, especially for comic effect
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078
Word
castigate
verb
Meaning
to reprimand or criticise severely
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079
Word
categorical
adjective
Meaning
unambiguously explicit and direct; leaving no room for doubt
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080
Word
catharsis
noun
Meaning
the emotional release and purification experienced by an audience through a dramatic work
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081
Word
catholic
adjective
Meaning
including or relating to a wide variety of things; all-encompassing
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082
Word
causality
noun
Meaning
the relationship between cause and effect
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083
Word
caustic
adjective
Meaning
sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way
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084
Word
cessation
noun
Meaning
the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end
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085
Word
charisma
noun
Meaning
compelling attractiveness or charm that inspires devotion in others
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086
Word
chastise
verb
Meaning
to rebuke or reprimand severely
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087
Word
chiasmus
noun
Meaning
a rhetorical figure in which the order of terms is reversed in the second clause
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088
Word
chronic
adjective
Meaning
persisting for a long time or constantly recurring
#
089
Word
circumspection
noun
Meaning
careful consideration of all possible consequences before acting
#
090
Word
clandestine
adjective
Meaning
kept secret or done secretly, especially because illicit
#
091
Word
coerce
verb
Meaning
to persuade someone to do something by using force or threats
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092
Word
cogent
adjective
Meaning
clear, logical, and convincing in argument
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093
Word
coinage
noun
Meaning
coins collectively; or the invention of a new word or phrase
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094
Word
colonialism
noun
Meaning
the practice of gaining political and economic control over another territory
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095
Word
commodification
noun
Meaning
the process of treating something as a product to be bought and sold
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096
Word
compassion
noun
Meaning
A feeling of sympathy and a desire to help those in need.
#
097
Word
compel
verb
Meaning
To force someone to do something; to strongly urge.
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098
Word
complicity
noun
Meaning
the fact or condition of being involved with others in wrongdoing
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099
Word
compunction
noun
Meaning
a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows wrongdoing
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100
Word
concession
noun
Meaning
a thing that is granted, often in response to pressure
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101
Word
condone
verb
Meaning
to accept and allow behaviour that is considered wrong
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102
Word
confound
verb
Meaning
to cause surprise or confusion in someone; to prove wrong
#
103
Word
congenial
adjective
Meaning
pleasant because similar to one's tastes; friendly and agreeable
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104
Word
consecrate
verb
Meaning
to make or declare something sacred; to dedicate something to a purpose
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105
Word
consensus
noun
Meaning
a general agreement reached by a group
#
106
Word
consequentialism
noun
Meaning
the ethical view that the morality of an action is judged by its outcomes
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107
Word
conspicuous
adjective
Meaning
standing out so as to be clearly visible; attracting notice
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108
Word
contempt
noun
Meaning
the feeling that something is worthless or beneath consideration
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109
Word
contentious
adjective
Meaning
causing or likely to cause argument and strong disagreement
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110
Word
contrite
adjective
Meaning
feeling or expressing remorse and guilt at having done wrong
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111
Word
conviction
noun
Meaning
A strong belief or opinion; certainty.
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112
Word
convolution
noun
Meaning
a thing that is complex and difficult to follow; a winding state
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113
Word
corroborate
verb
Meaning
to confirm or support a claim with additional evidence
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114
Word
culminate
verb
Meaning
To reach the highest point or most important moment.
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115
Word
cynical
adjective
Meaning
Believing that people act only out of selfish reasons.
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116
Word
decipher
verb
Meaning
to convert code into normal language; to work out the meaning of something difficult
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117
Word
deconstruct
verb
Meaning
to analyse a text or concept by breaking it into its components and questioning its assumptions
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118
Word
defiance
noun
Meaning
Open resistance or disobedience to authority.
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119
Word
delusion
noun
Meaning
A false belief held despite clear evidence against it.
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120
Word
denigrate
verb
Meaning
To criticise someone unfairly; to make them seem unimportant.
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121
Word
denounce
verb
Meaning
To publicly declare someone or something to be wrong or evil.
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122
Word
deontology
noun
Meaning
an ethical approach based on adherence to rules or duties regardless of consequences
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123
Word
deprivation
noun
Meaning
The state of lacking basic necessities or comforts.
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124
Word
determinism
noun
Meaning
the doctrine that every event is caused by prior events and natural laws
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125
Word
determinist
adjective
Meaning
relating to the belief that all events are caused by previous events and laws of nature
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126
Word
dialectic
noun
Meaning
a method of reasoning that resolves contradictions by examining opposing arguments
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127
Word
didactic
adjective
Meaning
intended to teach a moral lesson, sometimes in a heavy-handed way
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128
Word
dignity
noun
Meaning
A sense of self-respect and the respect of others.
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129
Word
discern
verb
Meaning
To recognise or identify something clearly.
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130
Word
discursive
adjective
Meaning
proceeding by reasoning rather than intuition; or digressing from the main point
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131
Word
diverge
verb
Meaning
to go in a different direction; to differ from a standard or common view
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132
Word
doctrine
noun
Meaning
A set of beliefs or principles held by a group.
#
133
Word
documentation
noun
Meaning
written material that provides official information, records, or evidence
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134
Word
dramatic irony
noun
Meaning
when the audience knows something important that a character in the story does not
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135
Word
elegy
noun
Meaning
a poem or piece of writing expressing sorrow, especially for someone who has died
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136
Word
elliptical
adjective
Meaning
leaving out words to achieve brevity; or relating to an indirect style
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137
Word
eloquent
adjective
Meaning
expressing ideas clearly, powerfully, and with good style
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138
Word
endure
verb
Meaning
To continue to exist or to put up with something difficult.
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139
Word
episteme
noun
Meaning
the body of knowledge and the criteria for what counts as knowledge in a given era
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140
Word
epistemic
adjective
Meaning
relating to knowledge and the way we come to know and justify things
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141
Word
epistolary
adjective
Meaning
written in the form of letters or other documents
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142
Word
equivocal
adjective
Meaning
having more than one possible interpretation; ambiguous
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143
Word
esoteric
adjective
Meaning
intended for or understood by only a select group with specialised knowledge
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144
Word
ethnocentrism
noun
Meaning
evaluating other cultures according to the standards of one's own culture
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145
Word
euphemism
noun
Meaning
a mild or indirect word used in place of one that might be considered harsh or blunt
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146
Word
evoke
verb
Meaning
To bring a feeling, image, or memory to mind.
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147
Word
exaggerate
verb
Meaning
To describe something as larger or more extreme than it really is.
#
148
Word
existentialism
noun
Meaning
a philosophical tradition emphasising individual freedom, choice, and responsibility
#
149
Word
facilitate
verb
Meaning
to make a process easier or help something to happen
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150
Word
fallibilism
noun
Meaning
the view that human knowledge may be incomplete or incorrect and is always open to revision
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151
Word
figurative
adjective
Meaning
Using figures of speech; not literal.
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152
Word
foil
noun
Meaning
a character who contrasts with the protagonist to highlight particular qualities
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153
Word
foreground
verb
Meaning
to make something the most prominent or important element
#
154
Word
forthright
adjective
Meaning
Direct and outspoken in manner.
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155
Word
free will
noun
Meaning
the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate
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156
Word
hegemony
noun
Meaning
the dominant influence of one group, nation, or ideology over others
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157
Word
hermeneutics
noun
Meaning
the theory and practice of interpreting texts, especially literary or scriptural works
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158
Word
hubris
noun
Meaning
excessive pride or self-confidence that leads to a character's downfall
#
159
Word
humanism
noun
Meaning
a system of thought that places human beings at the centre and emphasises human values and reason
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160
Word
immanent
adjective
Meaning
existing or operating within something; inherent
#
161
Word
imperialism
noun
Meaning
a policy of extending a country's power through colonisation or force
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162
Word
ineffable
adjective
Meaning
too great or extreme to be expressed in words
#
163
Word
inequity
noun
Meaning
Lack of fairness; an unjust situation.
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164
Word
instantiate
verb
Meaning
to represent or realise a principle or concept in a specific example
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165
Word
intersectionality
noun
Meaning
the complex, cumulative way different forms of discrimination combine and overlap
#
166
Word
intertextual
adjective
Meaning
relating to the connections between different texts and how they reference each other
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167
Word
juxtaposition
noun
Meaning
placing two contrasting things close together to highlight their differences
#
168
Word
laconic
adjective
Meaning
using very few words to express a great deal
#
169
Word
languish
verb
Meaning
To lose strength and vitality; to suffer from neglect.
#
170
Word
liminal
adjective
Meaning
occupying a position at or on either side of a boundary or threshold
#
171
Word
lucid
adjective
Meaning
Clearly expressed and easy to understand.
#
172
Word
ludic
adjective
Meaning
playful, especially in an unruly or irresponsible way
#
173
Word
marginalisation
noun
Meaning
the treatment of a person or group as insignificant or peripheral to society
#
174
Word
marginalise
verb
Meaning
To treat someone as unimportant and exclude them.
#
175
Word
menace
noun
Meaning
A person or thing likely to cause harm; a threat.
#
176
Word
moral relativism
noun
Meaning
the view that moral judgements are not objectively true but depend on cultural or personal perspective
#
177
Word
nihilism
noun
Meaning
the rejection of all religious, moral, and political principles as meaningless
#
178
Word
omniscience
noun
Meaning
The quality of knowing everything.
#
179
Word
omniscient
adjective
Meaning
knowing everything; used to describe a narrator who knows all characters' thoughts
#
180
Word
ontology
noun
Meaning
the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of existence
#
181
Word
paradox
noun
Meaning
a statement that seems contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth
#
182
Word
pastiche
noun
Meaning
a creative work that imitates the style of an earlier work or artist
#
183
Word
patriarchy
noun
Meaning
a system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of authority
#
184
Word
persona
noun
Meaning
The character assumed by a writer in a text.
#
185
Word
polarise
verb
Meaning
To divide into two sharply opposing groups or sets of opinions.
#
186
Word
polemic
noun
Meaning
a strong written or spoken argument against or in support of a controversial position
#
187
Word
postcolonialism
noun
Meaning
a field of study that examines the legacy of colonisation on cultures and societies
#
188
Word
pragmatism
noun
Meaning
an approach that evaluates theories by their practical consequences
#
189
Word
précis
noun
Meaning
A summary of a text written in fewer words.
#
190
Word
problematise
verb
Meaning
to make something appear problematic by questioning its assumptions
#
191
Word
provoke
verb
Meaning
To stimulate a reaction, often a strong one.
#
192
Word
qualify
verb
Meaning
To make a statement less absolute; to limit its meaning.
#
193
Word
rebuke
verb
Meaning
To express sharp disapproval of someone's actions.
#
194
Word
reconcile
verb
Meaning
To restore friendly relations; to make consistent.
#
195
Word
rectify
verb
Meaning
To put right; to correct something.
#
196
Word
redress
noun
Meaning
Remedy or compensation for a wrong.
#
197
Word
reductive
adjective
Meaning
tending to oversimplify a complex subject by ignoring important details
#
198
Word
reify
verb
Meaning
to treat an abstraction as if it were a concrete thing
#
199
Word
remonstrate
verb
Meaning
To make a forceful protest about something.
#
200
Word
repudiate
verb
Meaning
To refuse to accept or acknowledge something.
#
201
Word
rigorous
adjective
Meaning
thorough, careful, and applying strict standards
#
202
Word
satirise
verb
Meaning
To use humour or exaggeration to expose criticism.
#
203
Word
scrutinise
verb
Meaning
to examine something very closely and critically
#
204
Word
seminal
adjective
Meaning
strongly influencing later developments; original and highly important
#
205
Word
soliloquy
noun
Meaning
a speech in a play where a character speaks their inner thoughts aloud
#
206
Word
solipsism
noun
Meaning
the view that only one's own mind is certain to exist
#
207
Word
subvert
verb
Meaning
to undermine the power and authority of a system or assumption
#
208
Word
tautology
noun
Meaning
saying the same thing twice in different words; unnecessary and circular repetition
#
209
Word
thesis
noun
Meaning
the main idea or central argument of a piece of writing
#
210
Word
valorise
verb
Meaning
to assign value or importance to something
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