Vocab for Friday

21. rectitude
    righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    A more profound cinematic influence for would-be lawyers, he said, is Atticus Finch, that symbol of moral rectitude in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
    —New York Times (Oct 21, 2010)
22. proximity
    the property of being close together
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    And despite its proximity to Japan, South Korea, with 21 active nuclear reactors, is moving forward on 18 more.
    —New York Times (Jan 12, 2012)
23. affirm
    to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    In reclaiming "Flying," Young affirms that for him country music wasn't just another '80s mood swing, but an essential building block of his career.
    —Chicago Tribune (Jun 13, 2011)
24. ordinance
    an authoritative rule
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    At the same time, an ordinance was issued forbidding any person to carry out the King's good money or to bring in counterfeit.
    —Shaw, William Arthur
25. comport
    behave in a certain manner
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    Ironically, the one man on stage who did comport himself with dignity, John Huntsman, is now being dismissed as having not made an impact.
    —Time (Sep 8, 2011)
26. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    Bad advice, judgments and platitudes are not what Mitch needs right now.
    —The Guardian (Aug 11, 2011)
27. catharsis
    purging the body by the use of a cathartic to stimulate evacuation of the bowels
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    We needed distance and now we can finally have catharsis.”
    —New York Times (Jun 14, 2010)
28. eviscerate
    remove the entrails of
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    These animals were being eviscerated and just left there to slowly die, flailing about in the sun.
    —New York Times (Sep 20, 2010)
29. accord
    concurrence of opinion
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    The numbers present were not precisely ascertainable, as the men were not under discipline, but had turned up of their own accord.
    —Duncan, Sara Jeannette
30. selective
    characterized by very careful or fastidious selection
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    At a time of global uncertainties, though, consumers are becoming more selective.
    —Reuters (Nov 9, 2011)
31. figurative
    (used of the meanings of words or text) not literal; using figures of speech
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    I mean a kick in the figurative sense; the one that leaves no trace, and does not prevent us from sitting at our ease.
    —O'Rell, Max
32. objector
    a person who dissents from some established policy
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    A conscientious objector, he did not enlist in the armed forces during the second world war.
    —The Guardian (Jan 23, 2011)
33. implausible
    highly imaginative but unlikely
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    I find it utterly implausible that Google charges sites for placement in its search results, as the EU's inquiry insinuates.
    —Washington Post (Jan 14, 2011)
34. topography
    the configuration of a surface and the relations among its man-made and natural features
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    He had had some training in topography and he kindly agreed to take over the map question.
    —Roosevelt, Theodore
35. immediacy
    the quickness of action or occurrence
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    This absence of body language, and the single-click immediacy of online sharing has created problems that have no ready parallel offline.
    —New York Times (Sep 3, 2010)
36. conscientious
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    A conscientious hostess would be very much mortified if she served chicken out of its proper course.
    —Reed, Myrtle
37. predatory
    living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    Predatory birds, feeding on fish, insects, and even reptiles, birds, and small quadrupeds.
    —Johns, Rev. C. A.
38. defiance
    a hostile challenge
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    But in light of Iran’s continued defiance, some, including many in Israel, have argued that military action is the only solution.
    —Washington Post (Nov 8, 2011)
39. evasion
    the act of physically escaping from something (an opponent or a pursuer or an unpleasant situation) by some adroit maneuver
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    Two of its partners were found guilty of tax evasion in May.
    —Reuters (Jan 13, 2012)
40. controversial
    marked by or capable of arousing controversy
    EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
    

    The sites are blacking out to protest controversial anti-piracy legislation in the House and Senate.
    —Forbes (Jan 17, 2012)
41. toiling
    doing arduous or unpleasant work
42. serenity
    the absence of mental stress or anxiety
43. monotony
    constancy of tone or pitch or inflection
44. bewilderment
    confusion resulting from failure to understand
45. taut
    pulled or drawn tight