| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| aleatory |
pertaining to or depending on luck, chance, or contingency. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| rebarbative |
tending to irritate or repel; forbidding or unattractive. |