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The following are believed to be the words most frequently looked up in dictionaries, excluding vulgarities, based on studies of words looked up in online dictionaries between 1997 and 1998. The words are listed in reverse order of frequency, and brief definitions are given. For complete definitions, it is recommended that you look the words up in a proper dictionary.
- paradigm
- an example that serves as a pattern or model.
- conundrum
- a riddle answered by a pun; also, a paradoxical, insoluble, or difficult problem.
- oxymoron
- the juxtaposition of incongruous or contradictory terms.
- ubiquitous
- omnipresent.
- bastion
- a well-fortified position.
- epiphany
- a revelation.
- serendipity
- the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
- encephalopathy
- any of various brain diseases.
- portcullis
- a wooden or iron grate, suspended in front of a gateway and lowered to block passage.
- heuristic
- a speculative formulation which serves as a guide in the investigation of a problem.
- metaphor
- implied comparison between two things by calling or implying that one is the other.
- pedantic
- characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules.
- eclectic
- selecting and employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles.
- misogynist
- one who hates women.
- hubris
- overbearing pride; arrogance.
- egregious
- conspicuously bad or offensive.
- acronym
- a word fabricated from the initial letters of a name or phrase.
- synergy
- the interaction of multiple agents or forces in such a way that the combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
- ontology
- the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being.
- nihilism
- the belief that the destruction of existing political and/or social institutions is necessary for future improvement.
- algorithm
- a step-by-step procedure for solving a particular problem or set of problems.
- epistemology
- the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of knowledge.
- esoteric
- intended for or understood by only a particular group.
- empirical
- relying on or derived from observation or experiment; guided by practical experience rather than theory.
- stochastic
- conjectural; involving chance or randomness.
- integrity
- the state of being unimpaired, sound, whole, complete, or strictly moral.
- hyperbole
- an exaggeration.
- symbiosis
- a relationship of mutually beneficial or dependence.
- paradox
- an apparent contradiction which may nevertheless be true.
- pragmatic
- dealing with facts and actual occurrences; practical.
- obsequious
- exhibiting servile compliance.
- caveat
- a warning, qualification, or explanation.
- euthanasia
- the practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or incurable condition.
- rhetoric
- the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; more generally, verbal communication.
- hegemony
- the predominant influence of one state over others.
- holistic
- emphasizing the whole and the interdependence of its parts.
- kvetch
- to complain persistently and whiningly
- dichotomy
- division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions.
- sanguine
- cheerfully confident or optimistic; also, having a healthy, reddish color.
- semantic
- of or relating to meaning.
- deficit
- inadequacy or insufficiency.
- spongiform
- soft and porous, as a sponge.
- ambiguous
- open to more than one interpretation.
- superfluous
- extraneous.
- salient
- strikingly conspicuous; prominent.
- capricious
- subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable.
- facetious
- playfully jocular; humorous.
- sycophant
- one who attempts to gain a personal advantage by servile flattery.
- fascist
- a dictatorial person.
- protocol
- a code of correct conduct.
- agnostic
- one who believes that existence of God cannot be known but does not deny the possibility that God exists.
- empathy
- identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives.
- loquacious
- talkative; garrulous.
- ethereal
- characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible.
- anomaly
- something that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify.