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FSOT VOCABULARY ACTUAL EXAM WITH
CORRECT ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECTLY WELL DEFINED ANSWERS
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dun - ANSWERS-verb: make persistent demands on (someone), especially for payment of a debt.
noun, archaic: debt collector or an insistent creditor.
a demand for payment.
cock-a-hoop - ANSWERS-extremely and obviously pleased, especially about a triumph or success.
scofflaw - ANSWERS-a person who flouts the law, especially by failing to comply with a law that is difficult to enforce effectively.
ombudsman - ANSWERS-an official appointed to investigate individuals' complaints against maladministration, especially that of public authorities.
pyrrhic - ANSWERS-(of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor.
protracted - ANSWERS-lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual.
mea culpa - ANSWERS-an acknowledgment of one's fault or error
affidavit - ANSWERS-a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation, for use as evidence in court
mufti - ANSWERS-a Muslim legal expert who is empowered to give rulings on religious matters
mogul - ANSWERS-an important or powerful person, especially in the motion picture or media industry.
ideology - ANSWERS-a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic and political theory and policy.
cabal - ANSWERS-a secret political clique or faction
ayatollah - ANSWERS-a Shiite religious leader in Iran
troika - ANSWERS-The term Troika, which comes from the Russian meaning 'group of three', was increasingly used during the eurozone crisis to describe the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, who formed a group of international lenders that laid down stringent austerity measures when they provided bailouts, or promises of bailouts for indebted peripheral European states - such as Ireland, Portugal and Greece - in the financial crisis.
furore - ANSWERS-an outbreak of public anger or excitement.
extradite - ANSWERS-hand over (a person accused or convicted of a crime) to the jurisdiction of the foreign state in which the crime was committed.
vitriol - ANSWERS-1. cruel and bitter criticism.
"her mother's sudden gush of fury and vitriol"
- archaic literary:
sulfuric acid.
suzerainty - ANSWERS-a situation in which a powerful region or people controls the foreign affairs of a tributary vassal state while allowing the subservient nation internal autonomy.
Panglossian - ANSWERS-marked by the view that all is for the best in this best of possible worlds : optimistic. Origins: 1825-35; after Pangloss, an optimistic
character in Voltaire's Candide; compare Greek panglossía garrulousness, wordiness
Balkanize/ Balkanization - ANSWERS-divide (a region or body) into smaller mutually hostile states or groups. It is a pejorative geopolitical term used to describe the division of a multinational state into smaller ethnically homogeneous entities. The term also is used to refer to ethnic conflict within multiethnic states. It was coined at the end of World War I to describe the ethnic and political fragmentation that followed the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the Balkans. (The term Balkanization is today invoked to explain the disintegration of some multiethnic states and their devolution into dictatorship, ethnic cleansing, and civil war.)
Despotism - ANSWERS-the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way;
a country or political system where the ruler holds absolute power.
autocracy - ANSWERS-a system of government by one person with absolute power.
synonyms: absolutism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, despotism, tyranny, monocracy, autarchy.
a country, state, or society governed by one person with absolute power;
domineering rule or control.
soft power - ANSWERS-a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of economic or cultural influence.
exchequer - ANSWERS-the bank account into which tax receipts and other public monies are paid; the funds of the British government.
national security - ANSWERS-The protection of a sovereign state from threat of coercion or attack by hostile powers (or international terrorists). This category does not include "climate change" or "income inequality."
referendum - ANSWERS-a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision.
MP - ANSWERS-Acronym for "Member of Parliament" or "Military Police"
status quo - ANSWERS-the existing state of affairs, especially regarding social or political issues. Could be thought of as "the devil they know." Even though people may not be happy with the current states of affairs, it is nevertheless known, thus not as scary or risky, as change.
partisan - ANSWERS-adjective: prejudiced in favor of a particular cause.
noun: a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person.
first past the post (FPTP) - ANSWERS-Members of Congress are elected in single- member districts according to the "first-past-the-post" (FPTP) principle, meaning that the candidate with the plurality of votes is the winner of the congressional seat. The losing party or parties win no representation at all.
proportional representation (PR) - ANSWERS-PR Systems voters cast a vote directly for a party rather than an individual. The votes for each party can be added up to give a total across the country, or across regions. This determines by simple proportionality how many votes each parliamentary party has in the parliament.
Each PR system then has different ways of determining who should be the representatives of the people in the parliament.
kingpin - ANSWERS-1) A main or large bolt in a central position.
A vertical bolt used as a pivot.
A person or thing that is essential to the success of an organization or operation.
Pogrom - ANSWERS-an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular that of Jews in Russia or eastern Europe.
chauvinism - ANSWERS-1) exaggerated or aggressive patriotism.
- excessive or prejudiced loyalty or support for one's own cause, group, or gender.
bromide - ANSWERS-1) chemistry: a compound of bromine with another element or group, especially a salt containing the anion Br- or an organic compound with bromine bonded to an alkyl radical.
- A trite and unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate.
altruism - ANSWERS-the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.
narcissism - ANSWERS-excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance.
PSYCHOLOGY:
extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.
PSYCHOANALYSIS:
self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.
nihilism - ANSWERS-the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless.
synonyms: skepticism, negativity, cynicism, pessimism
PHILOSOPHY:
extreme skepticism maintaining that nothing in the world has a real existence.
patrician - ANSWERS-an aristocrat or nobleman; belonging to or characteristic of the aristocracy.
blue blood - ANSWERS-Noble birth; a person of noble birth
pogonophile - ANSWERS-Someone who loves beards
bellwether - ANSWERS-the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck; an indicator or predictor of something.
sclerotic - ANSWERS-MEDICINE: of or having sclerosis.
General: becoming rigid and unresponsive; losing the ability to adapt.
facetious - ANSWERS-treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.
peripatetic - ANSWERS-traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
faux pas - ANSWERS-an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.
prophylactic - ANSWERS-A preventive measure. The word comes from the Greek for "an advance guard," an apt term for a measure taken to fend off a disease or another unwanted consequence. In medicine, this term is used to describe a medication or a treatment designed and used to prevent a disease from occurring.
plutocracy - ANSWERS-government by the wealthy.
a country or society governed by the wealthy.
the ideas and manner of thinking characteristic of a group, social class, or individual.
gulag - ANSWERS-a system of labor camps maintained in the former Soviet Union from 1930 to 1955 in which many people died; any political labor camp.
opprobrium - ANSWERS-harsh criticism or censure
bellicose - ANSWERS-demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.
harrumph - ANSWERS-verb: clear the throat noisily
noun: a noisy clearing of the throat
nobble - ANSWERS-(British informal) try to influence or thwart (someone or something) by underhanded or unfair methods; obtain dishonestly; steal.
kibosh - ANSWERS-put an end to; dispose of decisively.
moniker - ANSWERS-a name
laggard - ANSWERS-a person who makes slow progress and falls behind others.
histrionic - ANSWERS-exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention
kleptocratic - ANSWERS-Adjectival form of "kleptocracy," a term applied to a government seen as having a particularly severe and systemic problem with officials or a ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats) taking advantage of corruption to extend their personal wealth and political power. Typically this system involves the embezzlement of state funds at the expense of the wider population, sometimes without even the pretense of honest service.
sine qua non - ANSWERS-Latin phrase that means an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary
politburo - ANSWERS-the principal policymaking committee of a Communist Party
MNF - ANSWERS-Acronym for multinational force, usually made up of military contingents from multiple nations deployed together to combat the same enemy.
fatwa - ANSWERS-a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority
sui generis - ANSWERS-Latin phrase that denotes in a class or group of its own; not like anything else; unique.
peccadillo - ANSWERS-a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin
pique - ANSWERS-a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one's pride
maverick - ANSWERS-an unorthodox or independent-minded person; nonconformist
bunkum - ANSWERS-nonsense
fiefdom - ANSWERS-The estate or domain of a feudal lord. Informally, anything, such as an organization or real estate, owned or controlled by one dominant person or group.
primogeniture - ANSWERS-the state of being the firstborn child; the right of succession belonging to the firstborn child, especially the feudal rule by which the whole real estate of an intestate passed to the eldest son.
ad hominem - ANSWERS-(of an argument or reaction) directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining, e.g. "vicious ad hominem attacks"; relating to or associated with a particular person, e.g.
"the office was created ad hominem for Fenton"
parsimony - ANSWERS-extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources, e.g.
"a great tradition of public design has been shattered by government parsimony"
antipodal - ANSWERS-adj. relating to or situated on the opposite side of the earth; diametrically opposed to something (antipodal to)
mimesis - ANSWERS-noun. imitation, in particular representation or imitation of the real world in art and literature; the deliberate imitation of the behavior of one group of people by another as a factor in social change.
aphorism - ANSWERS-a pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as "if it ain't broke don't fix it." or, a concise statement of a scientific principle, typically by an ancient classical author.
acolyte - ANSWERS-a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession; an assistant or follower.
totalitarian - ANSWERS-(adj.) of or relating to a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.
(noun) a person advocating a totalitarian system of government.
in extremis - ANSWERS-Latin phrase meaning "in the farthest reaches" or "at the point of death"
casus belli - ANSWERS-an act or situation provoking or justifying war.
"the country's ruling military junta"
synonyms: faction, cabal, clique, camarilla, party, set, ring, gang, league, confederacy
"the press is censored and controlled by the military junta"
statism - ANSWERS-a political system in which the state has substantial centralized control over social and economic affairs.
"the rise of authoritarian statism"
putsch - ANSWERS-noun: a violent attempt to overthrow a government.
