The Hindu Editorial (​Past as a prelude) – Mar 20, 2025

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The Hindu Editorial (​​​​​​​​Past as a prelude) – Mar 20, 2025:

1. prelude (noun) – an introduction to the main event; intro, start, beginning, precursor, harbinger, curtain-raiser, overture.
2. medieval (adjective) – very old-fashioned, out of date, outdated, primitive, archaic; early, of the Middle Ages.
3. trope (noun) – figurative expression, metaphor, comparison, symbol.
4. polarise (verb) – separate into two opposing groups.
5. ample (adjective) – enough, sufficient, abundant, adequate, large, huge.
6. empirical (adjective) – factual, actual, real, verifiable, practical, pragmatic, hands-on, experimental
7. orchestrate (verb) – bring about, organize, coordinate, mobilize, stage, engineer, mastermind, choreograph.
8. vested interest (noun) – a personal interest in something to get benefit.
9. spontaneous (adjective) – natural, automatic, impulsive, instinctive, casual, impromptu, offhand, unplanned, voluntary, unforced.
10. eruption (noun) – sudden appearance/occurrence. outburst, outbreak, flare-up, epidemic.
11. tensions (noun) – strained relations, strain, unease.
12. inaccurate (adjective) – inexact, incorrect, erroneous, wrong, faulty, flawed.
13. attribute (verb) – connect with, associate with
14. solely (verb) – only, just, merely.
15. rumour-mongering (noun) – the spreading of  threatening reports/rumours deliberately (to make people feel worried or frightened).
16. impulsive (adjective) – natural, automatic, spontaneous, instinctive, casual, impromptu, offhand, unplanned, voluntary, unforced.
17. ruling (adjective) – currently exercising authority/power; reigning
18. right-wing (adjective) – relating to a person who is following the principles of conservatism; right-winger, rightist, conservative.
19. persistently (adverb) – continuously, constantly, relentlessly.
20. invoke (verb) – cause, give rise to, evoke, bring forth, elicit, induce.
21. legacy (noun) – something received from a predecessor or from the past.
22. talking point (noun) – a main/popular topic of conversation.
23. recurring (adjective) – recurrent, perpetual, frequent, repeated, periodical, cyclical.
24. contemporary (adjective) – modern, current, latest, new-age.
25. discourse (noun) – discussion, conversation, communication, expression.
26. highlight (verb) – emphasise, underscore, underline, accentuate, point up, call attention to, focus attention on.
27. misplaced (adjective) – misguided, misconceived, ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-judged.
28. governance (noun) – government, administration, regime.
29. suspicion (noun) – misgiving, doubt/qualm, scepticism.
30. deliberately (adverb) – intentionally, purposely, purposefully, consciously, knowingly.
31. manufacture (verb) – devise, formulate, frame, fabricate, think up, contrive.
32. pressing (adjective) – urgent, critical, crucial, important.
33. in particular (phrase) – particularly, especially, to be specific.
34. grapple with (verb) – tackle, confront, deal with, cope with.
35. inflation (noun) – simply meaning “cost of living”; increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value.
36. economic distress (noun) –  a state of financial hardship experienced by individuals, families, or communities due to factors like unemployment, poverty, or declining industries, often leading to significant challenges and impacting social structures and political engagement.
37. distress (noun) – difficulty, hardship, trouble; suffering/pain.
38. address (verb) – tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.
39. machinery (noun) – organization, system, structure, set-up, channel, apparatus, instrument, mechanism.
40. stoke (verb) – stir up, trigger, add fuel to, instigate, encourage, prompt, rouse, provoke (a strong emotion).
41. discord (noun) – disunity, disunion, conflict, division, disagreement.
42. inflammatory (adjective) – provocative, provoking, agitating, fomenting.
43. rhetoric (noun) – bombast, loftiness, hyperbole/extravagant language.
44. manipulate (verb) – exploit, influence, engineer, orchestrate, choreograph, use to one’s advantage.
45. loyalty (noun) – allegiance, faithfulness, obedience, staunchness, dependability.
46. (Legislative) Assembly (noun) – Assembly/Vidhan Sabha; a legislative body in the states and union territories of India.
47. campaign (noun) – canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.
48. ally (noun) – supporter, confidant, sympathizer, backer, partner.
49. repeatedly (adverb) – frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently.
50. dog whistle (noun) – political messaging employing coded language that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has an additional, different or more specific resonance for a targeted subgroup.
51. design (verb) – fabricate, conceive, plan, create, formulate, devise.
52. cast (verb) – cause to be connected with something; project, make.
53. inheritor (noun) – descendant, heir, next-in-line; successor, scion.
54. long-dead (adjective) – died a long time ago.
55. less likely (phrase) – not likely, unlikely, probably not.
56. interfaith (adjective) – between different religions; relating to members of different religions.
57. civic (adjective) – public.
58. engagement (noun) – participation, contribution, taking part, involvement.
59. the fact that (phrase) – used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion.
60. erupt (verb) – flare up, begin suddenly, start suddenly, erupt, burst out, break out, surface, arise, come up.
61. establishment (noun) – the powers that be, the ruling class, the people in charge, the administration, the system, corridors of power.
62. claim (verb) –  state, maintain, assert, affirm.
63. depict (verb) – portray, represent, illustrate, render
64. conflict (noun) – war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash.
65. fuel (verb) – stoke up, provoke, incite, goad, stimulate, encourage, intensify, support.
66. assertion (noun) – statement, opinion, affirmation, pronouncement; upholding, insistence.
67. trigger (verb) – cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate, provoke, stir up.
68. unrest (noun) – disruption, agitation, turmoil, disorder, chaos.
69. deflection (noun) – divergence, departure, deviation digression.
70. absolve (verb) – relieve, release, free, spare; clear acquit, forgive, pardon
71. foster (verb) – encourage, promote, further, endorse, support, back, uphold.
72. atmosphere (noun) – circumstances, situation, condition, context, background, backdrop.
73. hostility (noun) – opposition, conflict, resentment, enmity, aversion, antipathy.
74. stature (noun) – importance, status, distinction, repute, prominence , standing, eminence.
75. comprehensive (adjective) – complete, thorough, extensive, wide-ranging, all-embracing, in-depth, widespread, sweeping, far-reaching.
76. development (noun) – progress, progression, advancement, improvement, growth.
77. divisive (adjective) – alienating/isolating, disharmonious, discordant.
78. narrative (noun) – a representation of a particular situation; portrayal, account, description, statement.
79. socio-economic (adjective) – relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects.
80. civil society (noun) – civil society refers to space for collective action around shared interests, purposes, and values, generally distinct from government and commercial for-profit actors. It refers to a wide array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations. Civil society – sometimes called the “third sector” (after government and commerce) – has the power to influence the actions of elected policy-makers and businesses.
81. push back (phrasal verb) –  oppose, resist, object, deny, repulse, repel, fight back, refute, repudiate, drive back, dispute.force  (noun) – group, party, outfit.
82. exploit (verb) – take advantage of, make use of, utilize, capitalize on, cash in on, milk.
83. figure (noun) – person, individual, character.
84. cynical (adjective) – sceptical, doubtful, distrustful, suspicious, ironical, scornful, negative, unsentimental.
85. end (noun) – aim, goal, purpose, objective, target, intent, intention, ambition.
86. polarising (adjective) – dividing, separating, parting.

Note : 

1. 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/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.  

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

The Hindu Editorial (​​​​​Past as a prelude) – Mar 20, 2025: