Descriptionary

advocate n. (AD vuh kut) 1. a supporter of a cause or person. He is an advocate of racial equality. —vb. 2. to support a cause. (AD vuh kayt) Our congress­man, unfortunately, tends to advocate higher taxes.

aesthetic adj. (es THET ik) concerning that which is beautiful or pleasing to the eye. The artist had an exceptional aesthetic sense, as his work always drew admiration.

affectation n. (AF ek TAY shun) a phony put-on; an act or pretense; a behavior that is unnatural. Her English accent was an obvious affectation, as she had spent her entire life in New York.

affidavit n. (AF uh DAY vit) a written statement made under oath. We were required by law to provide an affi­davit, which was witnessed by an official of the court.

affinity n. (uh FIN i tee) an attraction or positive feeling toward someone or something, often due to some kinship or sense of similarity. It's natural to experience an affinity toward one's cousins.

affluent adj. (AFF loo unt) wealthy; rich. We drove through the affluent side of town and marveled at the beautiful mansions.

affront n. (uh FRUNT) an insult; an offensive remark or action. Refusing to attend the wedding would be an affront to the bride and groom.

agenda n. (uh JEN duh) a list of things to be done. I

have an extremely busy agenda today.

agile adj. (AJ ul) nimble, alert, and quick. A World leader must have an especially agile mind.

agnostic n. (ag NOS tik) one who believes that the existence of God cannot be known or proven. An agnostic doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of a God, as an atheist does; rather, he requires more evidence for believing either way.

alarmist n. (uh LARM ist) one who panics, often unnecessarily, and overreacts to every threat. It is easy to convince an alarmist that the world will end.

albatross (around one's neck) a metaphor used to symbolize a burden of guilt or disgrace, derived from the albatross that was shot and hung around the neck of the Mariner in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." The president's scandalous love affairs will remain forever as an albatross around his neck.

alchemy n. (AL kem ee) any apparent magical pro­cess, as that of turning base metal into gold, or con­cocting a formula into a medical cure-all. Although some people would like to believe in magic, alchemy is clearly a pseudo-science and has no place in the world of modern technology.

alienate vb. (AYL ee un ayt) to estrange; to cause to be emotionally distant. It's easy to alienate people— just insult them.

allege vb. (uh LEJ) to accuse or assert without proof. We allege that Ralph stole the last doughnut; however, we don't have sufficient proof to convict him.