#50. denotation - 1. The act of denoting; indication. 2. Something, such as a sign or symbol, that denotes. 3. Something signified or referred to; a particular meaning of a symbol.
#51. linguistics - 1. The study of the nature and structure of human speech. 2. The science of languages, or of the origin, signification, and application of words; glossology.
#52. simile - A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as, as in "How like the winter hath my absence been" or "So are you to my thoughts as food to life" (Shakespeare).
#53. aphorism - 1. A tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage. 2. A brief statement of a principle.
#54. description - 1. The act, process, or technique of describing. 2. A statement or an account describing something: published a description of her travels; gave a vivid description of the game. 3. A pictorial representation: Monet's ethereal descriptions of haystacks and water lilies.
#55. literal - 1. Being in accordance with, conforming to, or upholding the exact or primary meaning of a word or words. 2. Word for word; verbatim: a literal translation. 3. Avoiding exaggeration, metaphor, or embellishment; factual; prosaic: a literal description; a literal mind.
#56. stereotype - 1. A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image: "Regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding. Westerners are trendy, Midwesterners are dull, Northeasterners are brainy, and Southerners are lazy." (Brad Edmondson). 2. One that is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type. 3. Printing. A metal printing plate cast from a matrix molded from a raised printing surface, such as type.
#57. appositive - 1. Of, relating to, or being in apposition. 2. A word or phrase that is in apposition.
#58. determine - 1. To decide or settle (a dispute, for example) conclusively and authoritatively. To end or decide, as by judicial action. 2. To establish or ascertain definitely, as after consideration, investigation, or calculation. 3. To cause (someone) to come to a conclusion or resolution.
#59. malapropism - 1. Ludicrous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound. 2. An example of such misuse.
#60. subjective - 1. Proceeding from or taking place within a person's mind such as to be unaffected by the external world. Particular to a given person; personal: subjective experience. 2. Moodily introspective. 3. Existing only in the mind; illusory.
#70. archaic - 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a much earlier, often more primitive period: an archaic bronze statuette. 2. No longer current or applicable; antiquated: archaic laws. 3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of words and language that were once common but are now used chiefly to suggest an earlier style or period.
#71. dialect - 1. A regional variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a variety of speech differing from the standard literary language or speech pattern of the culture in which it exists: Cockney is a dialect of English. 2. A variety of language that with other varieties constitutes a single language of which no single variety is standard: the dialects of Ancient Greek. The language peculiar to an occupational group or a particular social class; jargon: the dialect of science. 3. The manner or style of expressing oneself in language or the arts.
#72. metaphor - 1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage" (Shakespeare). 2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol: "The high-rise garbage repository is a metaphor for both accomplishment and failure" (Richard Sever).
#73. superfluous - Being beyond what is required or sufficient.
#74. argumentation - 1. The presentation and elaboration of an argument or arguments. 2. Deductive reasoning in debate. 3. A debate.
#75. diction - 1. Choice and use of words in speech or writing. 2. Degree of clarity and distinctness of pronunciation in speech or singing; enunciation.
#76. narrative - 1. A narrated account; a story. 2. The art, technique, or process of narrating. 3. Computer Science. A comment.
#77. syllogism - 1. Logic. A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; for example, All human beings are mortal, the major premise, I am a human being, the minor premise, therefore, I am mortal, the conclusion. 2. Reasoning from the general to the specific; deduction. 3. A subtle or specious piece of reasoning.
#78. articulate - 1. Endowed with the power of speech. 2. Composed of distinct, meaningful syllables or words, as human speech. 3. Expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language: an articulate speaker.
#79. didactic - 1. Intended to instruct. 2. Morally instructive. 3. Inclined to teach or moralize excessively.
#80. nonfiction - 1. Prose works other than fiction: I've read her novels but not her nonfiction. 2. The category of literature consisting of works of this kind.
#81. synonymous - 1. Having the same or a similar meaning: synonymous words. Equivalent in connotation: "a widespread impression that . . . Hollywood was synonymous with immorality" (Doris Kearns Goodwin).
#82. assertion - 1. The act of asserting. 2. Something declared or stated positively, often with no support or attempt at proof.
#83. digression - 1. The act of digressing. 2. An instance of digressing, especially a written or spoken passage that has no bearing on the main subject.
#84. objective - 1. Of or having to do with a material object. 2. Having actual existence or reality. 3. Uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices: an objective critic. Based on observable phenomena; presented factually: an objective appraisal.
#85. tautology - 1. Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy or an instance of such repetition. 2. Logic. An empty or vacuous statement composed of simpler statements in a fashion that makes it logically true whether the simpler statements are factually true or false; for example, the statement Either it will rain tomorrow or it will not rain tomorrow.
#86. awkwardness - 1. Not graceful; ungainly. 2. Not dexterous; clumsy. Clumsily or unskillfully performed: The opera was marred by an awkward aria. 3. Difficult to handle or manage: an awkward bundle to carry. Difficult to effect; uncomfortable: an awkward pose.
#87. discovery - 1. The act or an instance of discovering. 2. Something discovered. 3. Law. Data or documents that a party to a legal action is compelled to disclose to another party either before or during a proceeding.
#88. onomatopoeia - The formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
#89. testimonial - 1. A statement in support of a particular truth, fact, or claim. 2. A written affirmation of another's character or worth; a personal recommendation. 3. Something given in appreciation of a person's service or achievement; a tribute.
#90. axiom - 1. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim: "It is an economic axiom as old as the hills that goods and services can be paid for only with goods and services" (Albert Jay Nock). 2. An established rule, principle, or law. 3. ax. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument; a postulate.
#91. elaboration - 1. Planned or executed with painstaking attention to numerous parts or details. 2. Intricate and rich in detail.
#92. oversimplification - 1. To simplify to the point of causing misrepresentation, misconception, or error. 2. To cause distortion or error by extreme simplification of a subject.
#93. thesis - 1. A proposition that is maintained by argument. 2. A dissertation advancing an original point of view as a result of research, especially as a requirement for an academic degree. 3. A hypothetical proposition, especially one put forth without proof.
#94. banality - 1. The condition or quality of being banal; triviality. 2. Something that is trite, obvious, or predictable; a commonplace.
#95. ellipsis - 1. The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding. An example of such omission. 2. A mark or series of marks (. . . or � � �, for example) used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words.
#96. overt - 1. Open and observable; not hidden, concealed, or secret: overt hostility; overt intelligence gathering. 2. Of, relating to, or being military or intelligence operations sanctioned or mandated by Congress: overt aid to the rebels.
#97. understatement - 1. A disclosure or statement that is less than complete. 2. Restraint or lack of emphasis in expression, as for rhetorical effect. 3. Restraint in artistic expression.
#98. bandwagon - 1. Music. An elaborately decorated wagon used to transport musicians in a parade. 2. Informal. A cause or party that attracts increasing numbers of adherents: young voters jumping onto the party's bandwagon. 3. Informal. A current trend: tobacco companies that were hard hit by the nonsmoking bandwagon.
#99. empathy - 1. Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives. 2. The attribution of one's own feelings to an object.
#100. oxymoron - A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist.
#101. vernacular - 1. The standard native language of a country or locality. 2. The everyday language spoken by a people as distinguished from the literary language. 3. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: in the legal vernacular.
#102. bathos - 1. An abrupt, unintended transition in style from the exalted to the commonplace, producing a ludicrous effect. An anticlimax. 2. Insincere or grossly sentimental pathos: "a richly textured man who . . . can be . . . sentimental to the brink of bathos" (Kenneth L. Woodward).
#103. essay - 1. A short literary composition on a single subject, usually presenting the personal view of the author. Something resembling such a composition: a photojournalistic essay. 2. A testing or trial of the value or nature of a thing: an essay of the students' capabilities. 3. An initial attempt or endeavor, especially a tentative attempt.
#104. paradox - 1. A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: the paradox that standing is more tiring than walking. 2. One exhibiting inexplicable or contradictory aspects: "You have the paradox of a Celt being the smooth Oxonian" (Anthony Burgess). 3. An assertion that is essentially self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises.
#105. warrant - 1. Authorization or certification; sanction, as given by a superior. 2. Justification for an action or a belief; grounds: "He almost gives his failings as a warrant for his greatness" (Garry Wills). 3. Something that provides assurance or confirmation; a guarantee or proof: a warrant of authenticity; a warrant for success.
#106. bibliography - 1. A list of the works of a specific author or publisher. 2. A list of writings relating to a given subject: a bibliography of Latin American history. A list of writings used or considered by an author in preparing a particular work. 3. The description and identification of the editions, dates of issue, authorship, and typography of books or other written material. A compilation of such information.
#107. etymology - 1. The origin and historical development of a linguistic form as shown by determining its basic elements, earliest known use, and changes in form and meaning, tracing its transmission from one language to another, identifying its cognates in other languages, and reconstructing its ancestral form where possible. 2. The branch of linguistics that deals with etymologies.
#108. paragraph - 1. A distinct division of written or printed matter that begins on a new, usually indented line, consists of one or more sentences, and typically deals with a single thought or topic or quotes one speaker's continuous words. 2. A mark used to indicate where a new paragraph should begin or to serve as a reference mark. 3. A brief article, notice, or announcement, as in a newspaper.
#109. canon - 1. An ecclesiastical law or code of laws established by a church council. 2. A secular law, rule, or code of law. 3. An established principle: the canons of polite society. A basis for judgment; a standard or criterion.
#110. euphemism - The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive: "Euphemisms such as ?slumber room? . . . abound in the funeral business" (Jessica Mitford).
#111. parallelism - 1. The quality or condition of being parallel; a parallel relationship. 2. Likeness, correspondence, or similarity in aspect, course, or tendency. 3. Grammar. The use of identical or equivalent syntactic constructions in corresponding clauses.
#112. categorical - 1. Being without exception or qualification; absolute. See Synonyms at explicit. 2. Of or relating to a category or categories. According to or using categories: a categorical arrangement of specimens.
#113. example - 1. One that is representative of a group as a whole: the squirrel, an example of a rodent; introduced each new word with examples of its use. 2. One serving as a pattern of a specific kind: set a good example by arriving on time. 3. A similar case that constitutes a model or precedent: a unique episode, without example in maritime history.
#114. paraphrase - 1. A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning. 2. The restatement of texts in other words as a studying or teaching device.
#115. causation - 1. The act or process of causing. 2. A cause. 3. Causality.
#116. expletive - 1. An exclamation or oath, especially one that is profane, vulgar, or obscene. 2. A word or phrase that does not contribute any meaning but is added only to fill out a sentence or a metrical line. A word that stands in place of and anticipates a following word or phrase. In the sentence There are many books on the table, the word there functions as an expletive.
#117. parataxis - The juxtaposition of clauses or phrases without the use of coordinating or subordinating conjunctions, as It was cold; the snows came.
#118. characterization - 1. The act or an instance of characterizing. 2. A description of qualities or peculiarities: a list of places of interest, with brief characterizations of each. 3. Representation of a character or characters on the stage or in writing, especially by imitating or describing actions, gestures, or speeches.
#119. exposition - 1. A setting forth of meaning or intent. 2. A statement or rhetorical discourse intended to give information about or an explanation of difficult material. The art or technique of composing such discourses. 3. Music. The first part of a composition in sonata form that introduces the themes. The opening section of a fugue.
#120. parody - 1. A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule. 2. The genre of literature comprising such works. Something so bad as to be equivalent to intentional mockery; a travesty: The trial was a parody of justice. 3. Music. The practice, popular in the 15th and 16th centuries, of significantly reworking an already established composition, especially the incorporation into the Mass of material borrowed from other works, such as motets or madrigals.
#121. citation - 1. The act of citing. 2. A quoting of an authoritative source for substantiation. A source so cited; a quotation. 3. Law. A reference to previous court decisions or authoritative writings.
#122. faulty - 1. Containing a fault or defect; imperfect or defective. 2. Obsolete. Deserving of blame; guilty.
#123. pathos - 1. A quality, as of an experience or a work of art, that arouses feelings of pity, sympathy, tenderness, or sorrow. 2. The feeling, as of sympathy or pity, so aroused.
#124. claim - 1. To demand or ask for as one's own or one's due; assert one's right to: claim a reward. 2. To take in a violent manner as if by right: a hurricane that claimed two lives. 3. To state to be true, especially when open to question; assert or maintain: claimed he had won the race; a candidate claiming many supporters.
#125. fiction - 1. An imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented. The act of inventing such a creation or pretense. 2. A lie. 3. A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. The category of literature comprising works of this kind, including novels and short stories.
#126. peroration - 1. To conclude a speech with a formal recapitulation. 2. To speak at great length, often in a grandiloquent manner; declaim.
#127. cause - 1. The producer of an effect, result, or consequence. The one, such as a person, an event, or a condition, that is responsible for an action or a result. 2. A basis for an action or a response; a reason: The doctor's report gave no cause for alarm. 3. A goal or principle served with dedication and zeal: "The cause of freedom versus tyranny" (Hannah Arendt).
#128. figurative - 1. Based on or making use of figures of speech; metaphorical: figurative language. 2. Containing many figures of speech; ornate. 3. Represented by a figure or resemblance; symbolic or emblematic. Of or relating to artistic representation by means of animal or human figures.
#129. phrase - 1. A sequence of words intended to have meaning. 2. A characteristic way or mode of expression. A brief, apt, and cogent expression. 3. A word or group of words read or spoken as a unit and separated by pauses or other junctures.
#130. cliche - A trite or overused expression or idea: "Even while the phrase was degenerating to clich� in ordinary public use . . . scholars were giving it increasing attention" (Anthony Brandt).