Expository Essay Vocab List for General Paper
In General Paper, there's a need to also work on providing felicitous language expressions and wide-ranging vocabulary (refer to the syllabus rubrics) [linkhere]. Examiners will differentiate your language bands based on whether your choice of vocabulary is apt, and sophisticated and appropriate to the essay task.
As such, one way to enhance the language in your essay is to utilise vocabulary which are loaded vocabulary words with complex meanings. Note however, that you should not be looking to inundate the essay with complex words which makes it difficult to use, but instead, appropriately and aptly to provide a deeper nuance to your writing.
This will also be in parallel to what you will see in certain language questions for Paper 2 Short Answer Questions, where loaded languages are used! In tutorials, we will be adapting and seeing how these vocabulary can fit into your essays better too 🙂
Section A: Keywords for Introduction | |||
| No | Word/Phrase | Meaning | Sentence |
| A1 | Contemporary | (Adj.) Modern | In the contemporary world, social media…
One of the latest trends in contemporary Singapore is … |
| A2 | Advent | (N.) The arrival or coming of something | In contemporary Singapore, the advent of sophisticated new media technologies has led to … |
| A3 | Burgeoning | (Adj.) Increasing rapidly | In recent years, there has been a burgeoning demand for bike-sharing services in Singapore. |
| A4 | Ascendance | (Adj.) Rising in power or influence | The ascendance of technological advancements has resulted in a new age of volatility. |
| A5 | Nascent | (Adj.) only recently formed or started, but likely to grow larger quickly | Space exploration is a nascent industry that has only recently been popularised. |
| A6 | Copious | (Adj.) Abundant in supply or quantity | Schools in Singapore are reputed for giving copious amounts of homework. |
| A7 | Prevalent | (Adj.) Existing very commonly or widespread | An increasingly prevalent trend in society is the use of e-scooters as a form of transport.
New media technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in our modern lives today. |
| A8 | Promulgation | (V.) to spread beliefs or ideas among a lot of people | The promulgation of the concept of religious extremism has resulted in the discrimination of some religious groups. |
| A9 | Bone of contention | (N.) A subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement | The bone of contention is therefore whether e-scooters should be banned.
The bone of contention is the extent to which a child’s potential should be evaluated based on his/her academic performance. (*Tips: use this when bringing out the debate*) |
| A10 | Conundrum | (N.) A problem that is DIFFICULT to deal with | One of the most difficult conundrums is the question of whether casinos should be banned in Singapore. Though some argue that casinos should be banned because of its association with crime and immorality, casinos also bring a lot of investments and tourist spending to the country. (*Tip: please use this only if the topic is something difficult/controversial*) |
| A11 | Aphorism | (N.) A concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle | The famous aphorism, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’ can be used to signify the importance of education in preparing the younger generation for society today.
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| A12 | Prevalent | (Adj.) Exist or very common in a particular time/space. | Many diseases like Smallpox were prevalent a century ago and have been controlled by advances in medicine. |
| A13 | Notion | (N.) concept or belief | I have long since abandoned the notion that higher education will lead to happiness and success. |
Section B: Keywords for Thesis Statement | |||
| No | Word | Meaning | Sentence |
| B1 | Myriad/panoply/multitude/plethora | (N.) A wide range or impressive array | There are a myriad/panoply/multitude/plethora of reasons that exist to suggest why social media is… |
| B2 | Expound | (V.) Present and explain a theory/idea in detail | This essay will now expound on the reasons why I believe that e-scooters should be banned. |
| B3 | Elucidate | (V.) To provide explanation | This essay will now elucidate the reasons why I believe that social media does more harm than good. |
| B4 | Inter alia | (Adv.) Among other things | There are many advantages of using social media, such as inter alia, (point 1), (point 2) and (point 3). |
| B5 | Espouse | (V.) Adopt or support (a belief or a way of life) | Although many parents espouse the belief that phones are harmful for their students, they also carry many outlying benefits. |
| B6 | Egalitarian | (Adj.) Believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities | For Singapore’s education system to be ‘truly egalitarian’, there is a need to access the root causes that give rise to inequity. |
| B7 | Unequivocally | (Adv.) In a way that leaves no doubt | Some assert that the death penalty unequivocally violates human rights. |
| B8 | Onset | (N.) The beginning of something | With the onset of winter, the animals went into hibernation. |
| B9 | Precursor | (N.) Something that comes before something | Bad breath can be a precursor to bad gums, and this can lead to gum disease. |
| B10 | Momentous | (Adj.) important | Whether or not to move overseas was a momentous decision for the family. |
| B11 | Conspicuous | (Adj.) noticeable/obvious | She felt very conspicuous in her pink coat. |
Section C: Keywords for Concessions/Counter-argument paragraph | |||
| No | Word | Meaning | Sentence |
| C1 | Advocates | (N.) A person who supports or recommends a particular cause or policy | Advocates of free public transport have often argued that… |
| C2 | Proponents/ Adherents | (N.) A person who advocates a theory or course of action. | Proponents of gender equality have often suggested that… |
| C3 | Critics | (N.) Someone who disapproves of someone or something | Critics often claim that… |
| C4 | Abrogate | (V.) Repeal; To cancel, destroy, rebuke or void | Many may abrogate online learning, as they believe that students will not be as disciplined in studying the materials. |
| C5 | Prima facie | (Adv.) Based on the first impression/at first view | Prima facie, it would appear as though religion only results in bigotry and prejudice. This is because…
Prima facie, it would appear as though poverty cannot be solved. This is because… |
| C6 | Perfunctory | (Adj.) Hasty or careless | It may be perfunctory for one to simply ignore the repercussions of technological advancement. |
| C7 | Construe | (V.) Interpret (a word or action) in a particular way | In contemporary Singaporean society, outlandish hairstyles will always be construed as a sign of potential misbehaviour. |
| C8 | Assert | (V.) State a fact or belief confidently and forcefully | Proponents of the view that technology does more harm than good often assert that… |
| C9 | Cite | (V.) To quote or show proof | They often cite examples such as… |
| C10 | Justify | (V.) To show that a claim is accurate/right | They often cite examples such as (1), (2) and (3) to justify their assertions that e-scooters should be banned. |
| C11 | Proffer | (V.) offer something by holding it out, or to offer advice or an opinion | Detractors of science and technology proffer that it can only solve some problems, but not all problems. |
| C12 | Impediment | (V.) A hindrance or obstruction in doing something | Government regulation is an impediment to scientific progress. |
Section D: Keywords for Rebuttal paragraph | |||
| No | Word | Meaning | Sentence |
| D1 | Cognizant | (V.) understanding or realising something | Detractors are not cognizant of the fact that what happens in reality is different. |
| D2 | Archaic/primordial | (Adj.) very old or old fashioned | Aristotle’s views on women in society are archaic/primordial. |
| D3 | Myopic | (Adj.) Lacking in foresight, narrow in perspective | However, this assertion is clearly myopic, as it only considers the short-term but not the long-term consequences of (the issue)
However, this argument is clearly myopic, as it ignores the fact that there are also many benefits of using social media, which we should not ignore. |
| D4 | Over-simplified | (Adj.) Too simple | However, this assertion is over-simplified as it ignores the fact that there are also many benefits for teenagers who work during the school holidays, which we should not ignore. |
| D5 | Jejune/puerile | (Adj.) 1) Immature, childish 2) Lacking knowledge or experience | He made jejune/puerile generalisations about how all students were lazy and never did any work. |
| D6 | Complexities of reality | (N.) Reality is complex | However, this argument is clearly flawed and fails to take into account the complexities of reality. If public transport is made free, then who should bear the hefty costs of maintaining the system? |
| D7 | Quixotic | (Adj.) Extremely idealistic, unrealistic or impractical | However, more often than not, most advocates often fail to substantiate their assertions beyond mere quixotic ideas. |
| D8 | Misguided | (V.) Mislead | He described the government's economic policy as misguided. |
| D9 | Cursory glance | (V.) A quick look | A cursory glance at the relevant research reports would reveal that the benefits of group learning outweigh its disadvantages. |
| D10 | Sweeping generalisation | (N.) A logical fallacy in which a general rule is inferred from 1-2 specific cases | Though there are cases of cyber-bullying on social media, it would be a sweeping generalisation to argue that social media will result in cyber-bullying. |
| D11 | Fraught | (Adj.) Describing a situation to be filled with (something undesirable) | This argument is fraught with problems. Firstly, it assumes a direct causal link between group work and bullying which is not true in most cases. Secondly, by suggesting that group work should be banned, these critics have blatantly ignored that group work does carry many benefits too. Thirdly, the fact that group work is still a popular learning tool implemented by teachers in the classroom… |
| D12 | Beset | (V.) trouble or threaten persistently | Africa is beset/beleaguered with civil wars. |
| D13 | A beleaguered nation. | (V.) Beset with difficulties / plagued with problems. | |
| D14 | Merely | (Adv.) Just, only | His argument was merely based on an assumption. |
| D15 | Attenuated | (V.) To reduce the effect or value of something | The issue raised by critics can in fact be attenuated in various ways, such as pet-training workshops and… |
| D16 | Mitigated | (V.) Make something less severe, serious or painful | The issue raised by critics can in fact be mitigated in various ways. For example… |
| D17 | Abate | (V.) Become less intense or widespread | If schools wish to abate the impact of social media addiction, then why not completely ban phones from school premises? |
| D18 | Apt | (Adj.) Appropriate | It may however be more apt to argue instead that… |
| D19 | Acerbic | (Adj.) sharply or bitingly critical | It may be more appropriate to look past the acerbic remarks on genetically modified food and look at the potential benefits it can bring instead. |
| D20 | Quixotic | (Adj.) exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic and impractical | To celebrate our debut we would like to invite you to experience the quixotic world of Molton Brown. |
| D21 | Undermined | (V.) Damage or weaken someone or something | She tried to undermine my authority by complaining about me to my boss. |
| D22 | Perfidious | (Adj.) Deceitful and untrustworthy | Michelle sought revenge on her perfidious friend who stole her lottery ticket. |
| D23 | Fallacy; fallacious | (N.; Adj.) mistaken belief | But his arguments are generally vitiated by the fallacy of assuming what they profess to prove. ; The idea that nuclear power can solve the coming energy crisis is therefore totally fallacious . |
| D24 | Acrimony | (N.) Bitterness or an ill feeling | The acrimony of extreme advocates of animal rights acrimony manifests itself with hateful speech and defamation tactics. |
| D25 | Arbitrary | (Adj.) Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system | The government cannot take arbitrary measures based merely on suspicion, and not fact. |
| D26 | Belligerent | (Adj.) Hostile or aggressive | The Taliban’s belligerent forces attacked Kabul. |
Section E: Keywords for supporting body paragraph | |||
| No | Word | Meaning | Sentence |
| E1 | Paramount Importance | (Ph.) Most important | Of paramount importance is the point that… |
| E2 | Momentous | (Adj) important | Whether or not to move overseas was a momentous decision for the family. |
| E3 | Salient | (Adj.) Most noticeable or important | One salient example that best illustrates the point that e-scooter can be dangerous is… |
| E4 | Conspicuous | (Adj.) noticeable/obvious | She felt very conspicuous in her pink coat. |
| E5 | Egregious | (Adj.) extremely bad in a way that is very noticeable | |
| E6 | Detrimental | (Adj.) Harmful | One detrimental effect of using social media is that users may become more susceptible to cyber-bullying. |
| E7 | Deleterious | (Adj.) Causing harm or damage | Watching violent television programmes may have deleterious effects on young children. |
| E8 | Exacerbate | (V.) To make something more severe | The growing ageing population in Singapore is often exacerbated by factors such as rising property prices and an increase in living costs, which collectively discourage people from marrying and having children. |
| E9 | Eradicate | (V.) To put an end to | While it may not be possible to eradicate poverty in Singapore, there are many ways in which we can alleviate poverty, such as through strategies such as education, increased government subsidy for the less privileged and also community fund-raising. |
| E10 | Alleviate | (V.) To relieve/lessen or make something more bearable | |
| E11 | Imperative | (Adj.) Crucial/Of vital importance | It is imperative that teenagers should do more for the community, as… |
| E12 | Indifferent | (Adj.) Having no particular interest or sympathy | Although most schools try to help students develop greater empathy through various programs and activities, I feel that most teenagers are indifferent/apathetic to the plight and problems faced by the disadvantaged in Singapore. |
| E13 | Crux | (N.) The decisive or most important point at issue | I think that what is the crux of the issue here is that marriage is not simply a label…
I believe that the crux of the debate is not on whether there are disadvantages of using social media for education, but rather on what we can do to ensure how we can maximise the utility of such a powerful learning tool… |
| E14 | Integral | (Adj.) Necessary to make it whole, essential, fundamental | Reading is an integral part of any child's education, laying the foundation for communication and comprehension skills. |
| E15 | Debacle | (N.) A sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco | The recent Singhealth hacking debacle has exposed the poor cybersecurity our country possesses. |
| E16 | Disparate | (Adj.) Essentially different in kind; not able to be compared | For us to finally confront climate change, there is a need for disparate schools of thought to work on common ground and understanding. |
| E17 | Elicit | (V.) Evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone | The government’s attempts to reduce assessments in education has elicited a wide range of positive and negative responses. |
| E18 | Exemplary | (Adj.) Serving as a desirable model; very good | As a device for communication, mobile phones have been truly exemplary. |
| E19 | Advocate | (N. or V.) (A person who) publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy | Teachers strongly advocate the use of technology for learning in the classroom. |
| E20 | Substantiate | (V.) Provide evidence to support or prove the truth of | There is evidence in abundance which substantiates my argument. |
| E21 | Exemplify | (V.) Be a typical example of | Such diligence and grit exemplify the Singapore spirit. |
| E22 | Typify | (V.) Be characteristic or a representative example of | These examples typify the difficulties that an average student face in school. |
| E23 | Intangible / Tangible | Clear and definite (certain, concrete); real / Not clear and definite; fantasy. | He wants facts and reality in his scope, not intangibles that he can't grasp. / Some people enjoy tangible gifts, while others would rather spend time with friends or a phone call. |
| E24 | Inherent | (Adj.) Existing in something as a permanent, essential or characteristic attribute | The will to survive is inherent in all living creatures. |
| E25 | Intrinsic | Belonging naturally and essential | Corruption was the intrinsic factor for Najib’s downfall. |
| E26 | Apotheosis | (N.) The ideal example.
| He was the apotheosis of goodness. |
| E27 | Epitome | He was the epitome of goodness. | |
| E28 | Acme | He was the acme of goodness. | |
| E29 | Quintessential | (Adj.) Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class | The Tuas Maritime dispute is a quintessential example of our frosty relations with Malaysia of late. |
| E30 | Envisage | (V.) Form a mental picture of something not yet existing or known. | Nobody can envisage the consequences of total nuclear war. |
| E31 | Perpetuate | (V.) Make something (undesirable) continue indefinitely | Fears about an epidemic are being perpetuated by the media. |
| E32 | Perplexity; perplexities | (N.) Complex, complications
| Increasing perplexities ; Perplexities of international relations |
| E33 | Punitive measures | (Adj.) Inflict or intending punishment | The landowning class in England felt severely threatened by the riots, and responded with harsh punitive measures |
| E34 | Fraught | (Adj.) Filled with or destined to result in something undesirable | This ill-planned and hazardous enterprise was fraught with the elements of inevitable failure |
| E35 | Polarised / polarisation | (N.) Division into two groups | The current debate polarised along lines of class and race. / There is increasing polarisation between the blacks and whites in the US. |
| E36 | Splinter/atomise | (V.) to split into fragments, parts, or factions. | Military technology failed to fully eliminate the Taliban, but rather caused it to splinter/atomise. |
| E37 | Alienated / marginalised | (V.) Cause someone to feel isolated | Even where we least like him we find nothing small or mean to alienate our respect from him. / Women either play a secondary role or are completely marginalised. |
| E38 | Scourge | (N.) A person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering | The scourge of mass unemployment. |
| E39 | Incessant | (Adj.) something unpleasant that continues on indefinitely | The noise was incessant throughout the night. |
| E40 | Materialise/ transpire | (V.) occur, happen | I do not think her idealistic plans will ever materialise. |
| E41 | In retrospect / Retrospectively | (Phrase, Adv.) Looking back | In retrospect, it was a miracle none of us fainted. / Retrospectively, it seems as if they probably were negligent. |
| E42 | Zenith/apex/apogee/apotheosis | (N.) Peak | He was at the zenith / apex / apogee / apotheosis of his career |
| E43 | Nadir | (N.) Lowest point | The situation reached its nadir in March after he hurt his shoulder moving luggage |
| E44 | Stifle / impede | (V.) prevent, constrain | They stifle / impede growth and offer no realistic prospect of a recovery. |
| E45 | Postulate | (V.) to put forth, suggest | Many people often postulate that with technological advancements in education, we do not need teachers anymore. |
| E46 | Ergo | (Adv.) Therefore, for that reason. | I need to spend hours studying this weekend for my exams; ergo, I will not be attending the game. |
| E47 | Corollary | (N.) something that naturally follows or something that incidentally or naturally accompanies or parallels | Increased taxes are the inevitable corollary to any new government spending program |
| E48 | Antithesis | (N.) A person or thing that is directly opposite of something else | Slavery is the antithesis of freedom. |
| E49 | Prevail | (V.) to be or prove superior in strength, power, or influence (usually followed by over) | The law still prevails in some states. |
| E50 | Puissance | (N.) great power, influence, or prowess. | Fidel Castro's harsh puissance over Cuba led to his dictatorial leadership and strict control of its citizens. |
| E51 | Vestige | (N.) A trace or something that is disappearing or no longer exist | The last vestiges of colonialism can still be seen in rural towns around the Philippines. |
| E52 | Testament | (N.) Something that serves as a sign or evidence of a claim/fact | The fact that there are some celebrities who are role models is testament to the fact that the statement that ‘celebrities can never be role models’ is a flawed one. |
| E53 | Intransigent | (Adj.) Unwilling to change one’s view or to agree to something. | The government’s intransigence on LGBTQ issues is a main obstruction to a free society. |
| E54 | Idiosyncrasy | (N.) A mode of behaviour or thought peculiar to an individual. | Her worst idiosyncrasy involved repeating back every word that was said to her |
| E55 | Profound | (Adj.) Of a state, quality or emotion being very great or intense | Martin Luther King Jr. brought about profound social changes in terms of human civil rights. |
| E56 | Abject | (Adj.) Extremely bad, unpleasant | One never knows why these people are thrown into a society where there is no development and these people are living in horrendous conditions of abject poverty. |
| E57 | Apathetic | (Adj.)Lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern | Millennials are more politically apathetic compared to previous generations. |
| E58 | Benign | (Adj.) Mild, favourable and not harmful | China and the US should embrace the concept of benign competition. |
| E59 | Concomitant | (Adj.) Something that happens with something else and is connected with it | |
Section F: Chim Like Chimera(Can be used for any paragraph) | |||
| No | Word | Meaning | Sentence |
| F1 | Faustian bargain | (N.) A pact whereby a person trades something of supreme moral or spiritual importance i.e. personal values for worldly, material benefit | Advocates of animal rights would label animal testing as a Faustian bargain, as animals are put at risk for the sake of developing vaccines. |
| F2 | Gravitas | (N.) Seriousness or sobriety, as of conduct or speech; causing feelings of respect and trust in others | Visuals on social media platforms tend to have an immediate gravitas on the audience. |
| F3 | Penury | (N.) Extreme poverty; scarcity; dearth | If nations fail to take appropriate measures now, a country may end up in penury. |
| F4 | Elysian | (Adj.) Blissful; delightful; of, relating to or resembling Elysium | The dream to live an Elysian life becomes increasingly distant due to the rise in the cost of living. |
| F5 | Saturnine | (Adj.) Gloomy, of a person or their manner | The world has started to take up a saturnine mood due to the global economic recession. |
| F6 | Stentorian | (Adj.) Loud and powerful, of a person’s voice | The argument to defer mandatory military service for pop stars in South Korea is stentorian, due to the economic benefits it brings for the country. |
| F7 | Stygian | (Adj.) Very dark or gloomy; infernal; hellish; relating to the River Styx or to Hades | While some find thrill in the stygian features of a violent, horror movie, others may find the graphics to be too jarring. |
| F8 | Apocryphal | (Adj.) Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being through | The story of Pope Francis supporting Donald Trump is apocryphal. |
| F9 | Paradigm | (N.) A typical example or a pattern of something; a model | Being demure is society’s paradigm of an ideal lady. |
| F10 | Archetypal | (Adj.) Very typical of something or someone | It is now increasingly archetypal for parents to be concerned with their child’s academic performance in school. |
| F11 | Juggernaut | (N.) A huge, powerful and overwhelming force; unstoppable. | With a billion hits each day, google is the juggernaut of search engines. |
| F12 | Allegory | (N.) A symbol to reveal a hidden meaning | The viral photograph of a seahorse clinging to a plastic bag serves as an allegory to the current state of our oceans. |
| F13 | Labyrinth | (N.) A complicated irregular network of passages or events, which makes it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze | One cannot simply ignore the labyrinth of conflicting political and sociological interpretations in our world today. |
| F14 | Sophistry | (N.) A false argument; generally fallacious. Method of reasoning | However, naysayers put forth sophistry that lacks adequate evidence to substantiate itself. |
| F15 | Sisyphean | (Adj.) Denoting or relating to a task that can never be completed | Naysayers assert that the goal to make education more accessible in a society is a Sisyphean task. |
| F16 | Quixotic | (Adj.) Extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; impractical | Eliminating the environmental crisis is considered to be a quixotic goal, due to its multifaceted nature. |
| F17 | Herculean | (Adj.) Of extraordinary power; a large extent of difficulty | The agenda to solve worldwide global hunger is deemed to be a Herculean task. |
| F18 | Hydra | (N.) A multi-faceted problem that cannot be solved by a single effort; a problem that is persistent or presents many sides | The concern of drug trafficking is akin to a hydra-headed monster. |
| F19 | Mercurial | (Adj.) Changeable; volatile; erratic | With the manifestation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is now considered to be in a mercurial situation. |
| F20 | Genesis | (N.) The origin or mode of formation of something | It is imperative to consider the genesis of the problem, ... |
| F21 | Behemoth | (N.) Something enormous, especially a huge and powerful organisation | Shoppers are now more loyal to their local shops than to faceless behemoths. |
| F22 | Apollonian | (Adj.) Connected with aspects of reason; order and self-control in nature; connected with the Greek god Apollo | With an Apollonian leader, democracy is sure to prevail. |
| F23 | Dionysiac | (Adj.) Relating to the emotional and physical senses, especially when expressed without control; connected with Greek god Dionysus | Such dionysiac behaviours in warlords are prevalent in failed states and anarchies. |
| F24 | Avarice | (N.) Extreme greed for wealth or material gain | Motivated by avarice, the infamous Monsanto exploited the poor Indian farmers into buying infertile GM seeds at extremely high prices. |
| F25 | Grandiloquent | (Adj.) Extravagant in language, style or manner | Her speech was full of grandiloquent language, but it contained no new ideas. |
| F26 | Verisimilitude | (N.) the quality of seeming true or of having the appearance of being real | The detail gave the novel some verisimilitude. |
| F27 | Quasi- | (Adj.) being partly or almost | Mandatory arbitration is a private, quasi-legal system of resolving disputes. |
Section G: Phrases | |||
| No | Word | Meaning | Sentence |
| G1 | Fissiparous nature / tendencies | (Adj.) Inclined to cause or undergo division into separate parts or groups. | There were divisive fissiparous tendencies within the political party. |
| G2 | Avant garde | (Adj.) experimental, radical, or unorthodox | Homomorphic encryption is an avant garde technology that opens up possibilities that most people would view as unachievable. |
| G3 | Noblesse oblige | (N.) the inferred act of the rich and privileged to act with generosity to the less fortunate
| The notion of noblesse oblige was part of the ethic of the country gentleman. More should be done out of noblesse oblige. |
| G4 | Double Edged Sword | (Adj.) Something which is both beneficial and harmful at the same time | The use of mobile phones in school is a double edged sword. |
| G5 | Clarion call | (N.) A strongly expressed demand request for action | Proponents of banning e-scooters have often tried to sound a clarion call for more regulation to be implemented. |
| G6 | Faute de mieux | (Adv.) For the lack of anything better | The Hong Kong government decided to cull hamsters over fears of the Delta variant spreading, faute de mieux. |
| G7 | Raison d’être | (N.) Reason or justification of existence | Chinese communism’s raison d’être is the unity, stability, growth, and strength of China. |
| G8 | Magnum opus | (N.) the greatest achievement | Leonardo da Vinci is known for many things, but the Mona Lisa was his great magnum opus. |
| G9 | Bona fide | (Adj.) genuine, real | The opposition made a bona fide proposal. |
| G10 | Status quo | (N.) the state of existing affairs | The government implemented policies to maintain the status quo of the economy. |
| G11 | Deus ex machina | (N.) an artificial or improbable means of resolving a conflict is used. | The rapid retreat of American troops from Kabul was a dues ex machina to the long standing conflict in Afghanistan. |
| G12 | Exempli gratia | (Adv.) for example | Exempli gratia, Monsanto is a company that exploits farmers for profits. |
| G13 | Ad infinitum | (Adj, Adv) without end or limit | The point about democracy has been made ad infinitum during the debate. |
| G14 | De facto | (Adv.) In fact (Adj.) By right, existing | the country was de facto (adv) divided between two states China has a de facto (adj) one-party system |
| G15 | Ipso facto | (Adv.) by that very fact or act: as an inevitable result | If we refuse to tolerate bigotry, do we become, ipso facto, as intolerant as those whom we condemn? |
| G16 | A priori | (Adj.) relating to or derived by reasoning from self-evident propositions | One can claim, a priori, that all bachelors are single. |
| G17 | A posteriori | (Adj.) relating to or derived by reasoning from observed facts | One can observe, a posteriori, some bachelors are happy. |
| G18 | Ad nauseam | (Adj.) to a sickening or excessive degree | Pro-life and pro-choice are sides to an argument that has been discussed and analyzed ad nauseam. |
| G19 | Ad hominem | Detractors are relying on anecdotes, arguing ad hominem, decreasing their credibility. | |
| G20 | Quid pro quo | (N.) An exchange of value necessary for a contract to take place. | The pardon was a quid pro quo for their help in releasing hostages |
Topic Specific
| Vocabulary
| Meaning |
| Obfuscate (media) | to make something less clear and harder to understand, especially intentionally |
| Incumbent (politics) | officially having the named position: |
| Interpellation (politics, culture) | an occasion when questions are formally asked of a government minister in parliament; the process of asking questions in this way: The controversy became the subject of an interpellation in the Chambre des Députés. |
| Shibboleths (National identity) | a belief or custom that is not now considered as important and correct as it was in the past |
| Calumniating [Calumniate] (Media) | to make statements about someone that are not true and that are damaging to their reputation |
