Category Archives: Definitions

globalist – globalism

globalist |ˈglōbəlist|

noun
a person who advocates the interpretation or planning of economic and foreign policy in relation to events and developments throughout the world.
• a person or organization advocating or practicing operations across national divisions.

DERIVATIVES
globalism |-ˌlizəm| noun

Examples:
[catlist name=globalism numberposts=0]

rude

rude |roōd|

adjective
1 offensively impolite or ill-mannered : she had been rude to her boss | [with infinitive ] it’s rude to ask a lady her age.
• referring to a taboo subject such as sex in a way considered improper and offensive : he made a rude gesture.
• [ attrib. ] having a startling abruptness : the war came as a very rude awakening.
2 roughly made or done; lacking subtlety or sophistication : a rude coffin.
• archaic ignorant and uneducated : the new religion was first promulgated by rude men.
3 [ attrib. ] chiefly Brit. vigorous or hearty : Isabel had always been in rude health.

DERIVATIVES
rudely adverb
rudeness noun
rudery |-ərē| noun

ORIGIN Middle English (in sense 2, also [uncultured] ): from Old French, from Latin rudis ‘unwrought’ (referring to handicraft), figuratively [uncultivated] ; related to rudus ‘broken stone.’

THE RIGHT WORD
Someone who lacks consideration for the feelings of others and who is deliberately insolent is rude (: It was rude of you not to introduce me to your friends).
Ill-mannered suggests that the person is ignorant of the rules of social behavior rather than deliberately rude (: an ill-mannered child), while uncivil implies disregard for even the most basic rules of social behavior among civilized people (: his uncivil response resulted in his being kicked out of the classroom).
Rough is used to describe people who lack polish and refinement (: he was a rough but honest man), while crude is a more negative term for people and behavior lacking culture, civility, and tact (: he made a crude gesture).
Uncouth describes what seems strange, awkward, or unmannerly rather than rude (: his uncouth behavior at the wedding).
Although people of any age may be rude, crude, ill-mannered, or uncouth, callow almost always applies to those who are young or immature; it suggests naiveté and lack of sophistication (: he was surprisingly callow for a man of almost 40).

crude

crude |kroōd|

adjective
1 in a natural or raw state; not yet processed or refined : crude oil.
• Statistics (of figures) not adjusted or corrected : the crude mortality rate.
• (of an estimate or guess) likely to be only approximately accurate.
2 constructed in a rudimentary or makeshift way : a relatively crude nuclear weapon.
• (of an action) showing little finesse or subtlety and as a result unlikely to succeed : the measure was condemned by economists as crude and ill-conceived.
3 (of language, behavior, or a person) offensively coarse or rude, esp. in relation to sexual matters : a crude joke. See note at rude .

noun
natural petroleum : the ship was carrying 80,000 tons of crude.

DERIVATIVES
crudely adverb
crudeness noun
crudity |ˈkroōditē| noun

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin crudus ‘raw, rough.’

cruel . cruelty

cruel |ˈkroōəl|

adjective ( –eler, –elest; Brit. –eller , -ellest )
causing pain or suffering : I can’t stand people who are cruel to animals.
• having or showing a sadistic disregard for the pain or suffering of others : the girl had a cruel face.

DERIVATIVES
cruelly adverb

ORIGIN Middle English : via Old French from Latin crudelis, related to crudus (see crude ).

and

cruelty |ˈkroōəltē|

noun ( pl. –ties)
callous indifference to or pleasure in causing pain and suffering : he has treated her with extreme cruelty.
• behavior that causes pain or suffering to a person or animal : we can’t stand cruelty to animals | the cruelties of forced assimilation and genocide.
• Law – behavior that causes physical or mental harm to another, esp. a spouse, whether intentionally or not.

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French crualte, based on Latin crudelitas, from crudelis (see cruel ).

Traitor

traitor |ˈtrātər|
noun
a person who betrays a friend, country, principle, etc. : they see me as a traitor, a sellout to the enemy.

PHRASAL VERBS
turn traitor betray a group or person : to think of a man like you turning traitor to his class.

DERIVATIVES
traitorous |-tərəs| adjective
traitorously adverb

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French traitour, from Latin traditor, from tradere ‘hand over.’

Treason

treason |ˈtrēzən|
noun (also high treason)
the crime of betraying one’s country, esp. by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government : they were convicted of treason.
• the action of betraying someone or something : doubt is the ultimate treason against faith.
• ( petty treason) historical the crime of murdering someone to whom the murderer owed allegiance, such as a master or husband.

DERIVATIVES
treasonous |ˈtrēzənəs| adjective

ORIGIN Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French treisoun, from Latin traditio(n-)handing over,’ from the verb tradere.

USAGE Formerly, there were two types of crime to which the term treason was applied: petty treason (the crime of murdering one’s master) and high treason (the crime of betraying one’s country). As a classification of offense, the crime of petty treason was abolished in 1828. In modern use, the term high treason is now often simply called treason.

Depraved

depraved |diˈprāvd|
adjective
morally corrupt : a depraved indifference to human life.

THE RIGHT WORD
There are many terms to describe the dark side of human nature.

  • Someone who preys on young children would be considered depraved, a term that means totally immoral and implies a warped character or a twisted mind (: a depraved man who stole money from his own mother and eventually murdered her).
  • While depraved suggests an absolute condition, degenerate is a relative term that implies deterioration from a mental, moral, or physical standard (: her degenerate habits eventually led to her arrest for possession of drugs).
  • Corrupt also suggests a deterioration or loss of soundness, particularly through a destructive or contaminating influence. But unlike depraved, which usually applies to the lower end of the human spectrum, people in high positions are often referred to as corrupt (: a corrupt politician from a prominent family).
  • To say that someone or something is debased suggests a lowering in quality, value, dignity, or character (: debased by having to spend time in prison).
  • Perverted and vile are the strongest of these words describing lack of moral character. Perverted suggests a distortion of someone or something from what is right, natural, or true; in a moral sense, it means to use one’s appetites or natural desires for other ends than those which are considered normal or natural (: a perverted individual who never should have been left alone with young children).
  • Most people find criminals who prey on either very old or very young victims to be vile, a more general term for whatever is loathsome, repulsive, or utterly despicable (: a vile killer who deserved the maximum sentence).

de-prave |diˈprāv|
verb [ trans. ]
make (someone) immoral or wicked : this book would deprave and corrupt young children.

DERIVATIVES
depravation |ˌdeprəˈvā sh ən| noun

ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense [pervert the meaning or intention of something] ): from Old French depraver or Latin depravare, from de- ‘down, thoroughly’ + pravus ‘crooked, perverse.

Corrupt

cor-rupt |kəˈrəpt|
adjective
1 having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain : unscrupulous logging companies assisted by corrupt officials.
• evil or morally depraved : the play can do no harm since its audience is already corrupt.
See note at depraved .
• archaic (of organic or inorganic matter) in a state of decay; rotten or putrid : a corrupt and rotting corpse.
2 (of a text or manuscript) debased or made unreliable by errors or alterations.
• (of a computer database or program) having errors introduced.
verb [ trans. ]
1 cause to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain : there is a continuing fear of firms corrupting politicians in the search for contracts.
• cause to become morally depraved : he has corrupted the boy.
• archaic infect; contaminate : [as adj. ] ( corrupting) the corrupting smell of death.
2 (often be corrupted) change or debase by making errors or unintentional alterations : Epicurus’s teachings have since been much corrupted.
• cause errors to appear in (a computer program or database) : a program that has somehow corrupted your system files.
DERIVATIVES
cor.rupt.er noun
cor.rupt.i.bil.i.ty |kəˌrəptəˈbilitē| noun
cor.rupt.i.ble adjective
cor.rup.tive |-tiv| adjective
cor.rupt.ly adverb
ORIGIN Middle English : from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere ‘mar, bribe, destroy,’ from cor- ‘altogether’ + rumpere ‘to break.’

Conspiracy

conspiracy |kənˈspirəsē|
noun ( pl. –cies)
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful : a conspiracy to destroy the government. See note at PLOT.
• the action of plotting or conspiring : they were cleared of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

PHRASES
a conspiracy of silence an agreement to say nothing about an issue that should be generally known.

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French conspiracie, alteration of Old French conspiration, based on Latin conspirareagree, plot’ (see CONSPIRE ).

Kakistocracy

kakistocracy noun
kak·is·toc·ra·cy \ˌkakə̇ˈstäkrəsē\Definition of KAKISTOCRACY:  government by the worst men

Origin of KAKISTOCRACYGreek kakistos (superlative of kakos bad) + English -cracy — more at cack: excrement, dung, rubbish. Old English (as cac- in cachūs ‘privy’); the verb dates from late Middle English and is related to Middle Dutch cacken; based on Latin cacare ‘defecate’.