Speaking truth to power – The Hindu (Aug 25, 2016)

Speaking truth to power – The Hindu (Aug 25, 2016)

As the presiding officer of the legislature, the Speaker enjoys all power that is integral to the conduct of business and regulation of the proceedings of the House. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”.

Word List:

1. preside over (verb) – be in charge of, be responsible for, be accountable for, manage,  lead.
2. legislature (noun) – the legislative body of a country or state.
3. proceedings (noun) – events, activities, business, affairs, happenings,
4. arbiter (noun) – someone who has ultimate authority/power.
5. interpret (verb) – explain, elucidate, explicate, clarify, make clear.
6. ruling (noun) – decision, pronouncement, resolution, decree; judgement, verdict.
7. principal (adjective) – main, chief, primary, prominent; key.
8. extraordinary (adjective) – out of the ordinary, unusual, uncommon, rare, surprising.
9.  vigilante (noun) – a member of the self-appointed group of people who unofficially punishing crimes.
10. ratification (noun) – written agreement, an act of signing a written document; authorization, approval, formal consent on a decision.
11. eviction (noun) – expulsion, ejection, ousting, throwing out.
12. en masse (from French) (adverb) – in a mass, (all) together, as a group, as a whole, wholesale.
13. expunge (verb) – erase, remove, delete, rub out.
14. exemplary (adjective) – very good, flawless; outstanding, excellent.
15. give rise to (phrase) – produce, cause, generate, result in, effect.
16. spectacle (noun) – sight, view, scene, prospect, picture.
17. rob (verb) – deprive unjustly; deny unjustly; withhold unfairly.
18. unflattering (adjective) – unfavourable, uncomplimentary; unattractive, unbecoming.
19. take away (phrasal verb) – remove, withdraw, extract, pull.
20. undermine (verb) – subvert, weaken, impede, diminish, hinder, damage.
21. transact (verb) – conduct, carry out, do, perform, execute, negotiate.
22. have someone’s say (phrase) – right/chance/turn to express one’s opinion.
23. vest in (verb) – (phrasal verb) – be provided the power/authority.
24. stifle (verb) – constrain, restrain, hinder, impede, stop, hold back.
25. dissent (noun) – disagreement, dispute, disapproval, objection, opposition.
26. insofar as (phrase) – to the extent/degree that.
27. thwart (verb) – prevent, block, stop, check.
28. remit (noun) – area of responsibility, area of activity, task, scope.
29. intolerance (noun) – bias, partiality, one-sidedness, inequality.
30. partisan (adjective) – biased, prejudiced, one-sided, unfair.

Note:

• Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/ .
• Definitions (elementary level)  & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press.