Cohort refers to a group or band of individuals, as in “a cohort of supporters.” It can also be used for a group of individuals who have a statistical factor (such as age) in common in a demographic study, as in “a cohort of people born in the 1980s.” Cohort can be used for individuals too, as for a friend, companion, or colleague, but it is almost always used in its plural form.
// I wouldn’t have made it through graduate school without the help of my supportive cohort.
. a favorite saying of a sect or political group
. a manner of speaking or acting that is distinctive of a particular group
. a widely held belief
To ingratiate yourself with others is to gain their favor or approval by deliberately doing or saying things they will like. Ingratiate is usually used with with, and is often (though not always) used disapprovingly.
// Scam artists often have an uncanny ability to ingratiate themselves with their victims using subtle flattery that only seems obvious in retrospect.
// Although she was nervous to be the new girl in school, Emma quickly ingratiated herself with her classmates through her effortless charm and kind demeanor.
a state of nervous excitement, haste, or anxiety; flutter.
I was in such a swivet that I could hardly speak.
Gordian knot refers to a complicated and difficult problem. It is often used in the phrase cut the Gordian knot, which means “to solve a difficult problem in a very direct way by doing something forceful or extreme.”
// The organization’s change in leadership is being widely applauded as a step toward stability, but many are less than optimistic about the new director’s ability to cut the Gordian knot at the center of its troubles.
Sacrosanct is a formal word that describes something too important and respected to be changed or criticized. It can also mean "most sacred or holy."
// While the family's new matriarch aimed to maintain the familiar traditions of the holidays, she did not consider the details of their celebration to be sacrosanct.
Lacuna is a formal word that refers to a gap or blank space in something—in other words, a missing part. When used with respect to biology, lacuna also refers to a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure.
// The absence of hemlock pollen from one stretch of the fossil record is a notable lacuna that suggests the tree may have once suffered from some type of blight that nearly wiped out the species.
// An osteocyte is a cell that is isolated in a lacuna of bone.
Cordial describes someone or something that is politely pleasant and friendly.
// All the guests were assembled and given a cordial greeting by the host.
To vindicate someone is to show that they are not guilty. Vindicate can also mean “to show that someone or something that has been criticized or doubted is correct, true, or reasonable.”
// A series of testimonies helped vindicate the defendant.
// Their much-maligned approach to the problem has now been vindicated by these positive results.