Causative [caus·a·tive] adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. “A causative factor of war.”

Ambivalence [am·biv·a·lence] n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.

Gratuitous [gra·tu·i·tous] adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark.

Aplomb [a·plomb] n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise – especially in difficult or challenging circumstances.

Arduous [ar·du·ous] adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. “An arduous undertaking.” 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. “A long and arduous process.”

Secular [sec·u·lar] adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. “A secular book.”

Oxymoron [ox·y·mo·ron] n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool” or “to make haste slowly.”

Pervicacious [per·vi·ca·cious] adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. “He became quite pervicacious in his old age.”

Accoutrement [ac·cou·tre·ment] n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements.”

Paradigm [par·a·digm] n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. “The economic paradigm was flawed.”

Vexatious [vex·a·tious] adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. “Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation.”

Assiduous [as·sid·u·ous] adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: “An assiduous worker who strove for perfection.” 2. Unceasing; persistent: “Assiduous cancer research.”

Obtuse [ob·tuse] adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. “An obtuse remark.” 3. Not distinctly felt. “An obtuse pain.”

Demure adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. “Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber.”

Acrimonious [ac·ri·mo·ni·ous] adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: “An acrimonious debate between the two candidates.”

Prolific adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. “A prolific artist.” “A prolific writer.”

Innocuous adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. “The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus.”

Capricious adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. “He’s such a capricious boss I never know how he’ll react.”

Visceral adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. “A visceral business decision.” 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions.

Cognitive adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. “A Cognitive model for success.”

Specious adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. “A specious argument.” 2. Deceptively attractive.

Nebulous adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. “The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable.”

Exacerbate transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. “The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project.”

Ostensible adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. “The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business.”

Disingenuous adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  “It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company.”

Derisive (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. “A derisive laugh.”

Prodigious (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. “Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion.”

Bucolic (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. “He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm.”

Atypical adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. “The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market.”

Antiquated adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. “The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve.”

Fortuitous adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. “The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time.”

Voluminous adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. “Voluminous paperwork.”

Reciprocity (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. “The president’s proposal calls for full reciprocity.”

Myopic; Myopia n.  Distant objects appear blurred – Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: “Myopic thinking.”

Vociferous (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: “A vociferous crowd.”

Expeditious (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency.

Placid (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet.

Demonstrable (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: “demonstrable truths.”  2. Obvious or apparent: “demonstrable lies.”

Perpetuity (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: “The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity.”

Amorous adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to intimate desire. “She did not appreciate his amorous advances.”

Maniacal adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. “A maniacal grin on his face.”

Sartorial adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. “Sartorial taste; “Sartorial elegance.”

Luddite n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. “He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer.”

Conflate v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. “Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful.”

Epicene adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. “Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene.”

Peripatetic adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. “He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle.”

Rapier n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. “Rapier combat was not for the meek.” “Rapier wit.”

Acuity n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. “The sun’s glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity.”

Sycophant; Sycophantic Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. “There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes.”

Surreptitious adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. “His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail.”