History: Academic
Noun
act of officially ending a system, practice, or institution
The relevancy of the monarchy is once again brought into question as the royal wedding looms. Reactions of Britons have ranged from unalloyed enthusiasm to slogans of abolition.
Noun
forgiveness or pardon
Troy Anthony Davis will be executed for the murder of Mark MacPhail, after Georgia's board of pardons refused to grant him amnesty, despite a dearth of evidence.
Noun
group of parties, factions, or nations united in a common cause
Eleven mayors in Mexico have been killed since January, as the Mexican government pushes forward with its offensive against the drug cartels. Mayors are targeted in municipalities where drug violence rages.
Noun
person who helps create a colony (area under the political control of another country)
On December 16th, 1773, colonists famously dumped cargoes of tea into Boston Harbor. This protest against the British government remains an iconic event of American history.
Noun
group of people having a religion, race, profession, or other characteristic in common
Mr. Cosby is the boisterous veteran comedian who has spent the last few years hammering home some brutal truths about self-destructive behavior within the African-American community.
Adjective
officially free from attack after making an agreement to stop fighting
Tensions remain high at the Demilitarized Zone which separates the two Koreas. China is reported to be pushing for an emergency meeting between the two countries, also bringing in Russia, Japan and the US.
Noun
person who disagrees with or rejects an established policy
The jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. The committee praised Mr Liu for his long and non-violent struggle for human rights in China.
Noun
systematic killing of a large group of people
Killings of Hutu civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) during the 1990s may constitute "crimes of genocide". More than 1 million made the trek from Rwanda during the fighting.
Noun
policy or practice of extending a state's rule over other territories
After the U.S. accused China of engaging in cyberspace censorship, the Chinese have found a phrase intended as verbal retaliation: information imperialism.
Noun
plan or strategy designed to deal with a particular problem
Burhanuddin Rabbani, the face of the peace initiative between Afghanistan and the Taliban, was killed in an assassination by the terrorism group.
Adjective
officially required or orderd
What makes the new South Dakota law different is that the mandated counseling will come from people whose central qualification is that they are opposed to abortion.
Noun
information spread to help a cause, a political leader, a government, etc.
propaganda
The fact that the military manipulated Pat Tillman's tragic death in the line of duty into a propaganda tool is unfathomable and thoroughly explored in Amir Bar-Lev's riveting and enraging documentary.
The fact that the military manipulated Pat Tillman's tragic death in the line of duty into a propaganda tool is unfathomable and thoroughly explored in Amir Bar-Lev's riveting and enraging documentary.
Noun
revival of or renewed interest in something
For a glimpse into the future, observers have pointed to Lower Manhattan, where New Yorkers are indulging in a veritable barber's shop renaissance.
Noun
government free from external control
Pakistan's Parliament condemned the U.S. Bin Laden mission as a "violation of Pakistan's sovereignty," and expressed deep distress at an apparent "campaign to malign Pakistan."
Noun
something's condition with respect to whether it is happy or safe
We may see in vitro meat in supermarkets sooner than expected, preserving the taste of animal meat as well as the welfare of the animals themselves.