| autocracy |
rule by one person with absolute power; despotism. |
| catharsis |
in psychotherapy, the bringing of repressed thoughts and feelings to consciousness in order to release emotional tension, or the release itself. |
| conjecture |
the making of a guess or inference, especially with little evidence. |
| distend |
to swell or cause to swell from, or as if from, internal pressure; balloon. |
| fractious |
inclined to be irritable and quarrelsome; cranky. |
| labyrinthine |
complex and intricate to the point of being puzzling. |
| laity |
the body of members of a religious group who are not part of the clergy. |
| malice |
the wish to harm others; ill will. |
| ominous |
giving a sign of future evil or trouble. |
| preemptive |
of or relating to a strike or attack such as a bid in bridge or a military attack, made in anticipation of or to prevent an opposing strike. |
| propound |
to propose or set forth for consideration. |
| recalcitrant |
stubbornly disobedient; refractory. |
| reformatory |
a corrective institution for disciplining and re-educating young offenders. |
| tenure |
the period of holding or possessing something. |
| tutelage |
the act or function of a teacher, especially one who gives lessons to individuals; instruction; teaching. |