Vocabulary #3

Accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgement of merit. "The ultimate official accolade of a visit by the president."

Acerbity: being sharp and forthright "his wit was full of acerbity."

Attrition: the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure "The council is trying to wear down the opposition by attrition."

Bromide: a trite and unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate "feel-good bromides create the illusion of problem solving"

Chauvinist: showing or relating to excessive or prejudiced loyalty or support for a particular group or cause. "A chauvinist slur"

Chronic: persisting for a long time or constantly reoccurring "I have chronic bronchitis."

Expound: present and explain systematically and in detail "He was expounding a powerful argument."

Factionalism: self interested partisan "factional interests had obstructed justice."

Immaculate: perfectly clean, near, or tidy "The groom wore an immaculate white suit."

Imprecation: a spoken curse "She hurled her imprecations at anyone who might be listening." 

Ineluctable: unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable "The ineluctable facts of history."

Mercurial: subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind "his mercurial temperament."

Palliate: to make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause "The treatment works by palliative symptoms."

Protocol: the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions "Protocol forbids the prince from making any public statement in his defense."

Resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous "She was resplendent in a sea-green grass."

Stigmatize: to describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval "the institution was stigmatized as a last resort for the destitute."

Sub rosa: happening or done in secret "The committee operate sub rosa."

Vainglory: inordinate pride in I self or ones achievements; excessive vanity.

Vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists "the last vestiges of colonialism."

Volition: the faculty or power of using ones will "without conscious volition she backed into her office"