Beliefs & World Views: English Vocabulary List

a situation in which all those involved are in complete agreement on something

"The jury reached unanimity."

"There was complete unanimity among all committee members about the final decision."

to publicly support or recommend something

"She advocates for environmental protection policies."

"The environmental group advocates for stronger government regulations to reduce carbon emissions from factories and power plants."

to prove something or someone wrong or false through evidence or argumentation

"He confuted the opposing argument easily."

"The brilliant scientist was able to confute the long held theory with a simple elegant experiment that clearly demonstrated its fundamental flaws."

to unfairly influence or manipulate something or someone in favor of one particular opinion or point of view

"Media coverage can bias public opinion strongly."

"The judge warned the jury not to let their personal feelings bias their decision and to remain objective throughout the trial."

a noisy dispute

"The police broke up the altercation."

"A loud altercation happened between two drivers after the minor traffic accident yesterday."

something that one perceives to be true, even though it remains to be proved, especially at the beginning of an argument

"Your argument is based on a false presupposition."

"The wrong presupposition led him to make an incorrect conclusion about the situation."

to agree with or correspond to something

"His actions accord with his words."

"His actions do not accord with his words because he often says one thing but then does the opposite."

a subject over which people disagree

"Money is a bone of contention between them."

"The main bone of contention between the two neighbours was the fence that separated their properties."

a person that one is opposed to and fights or competes with

"He is my adversary."

"He faced his strongest political adversary during the heated debate on television."

to argue over unimportant things in an ongoing and repetitive way

"Stop bickering about small things."

"The two siblings bicker constantly about small things like who left the dirty dishes in the sink."

the state of being in agreement

"We need the concurrence of all members."

"The committee gave full concurrence to the new project plan last week."

official approval or agreement

"The crowd showed its approbation with loud applause."

"The crowd showed its approbation with loud applause and cheers when the hero walked onto the stage to receive his award."

to agree to something, such as a suggestion, request, etc.

"She assented to the proposed plan."

"The committee members all nodded their heads to assent to the proposal without any further discussion or debate about the details."

an open declaration or affirmation of one’s opinions

"His avowal of guilt surprised everyone."

"His public avowal of support for the controversial policy surprised even his closest political allies."

the act of adhering to established norms, protocols, and standardized behaviors within a social system or institution

"Pressure for conformity can stifle creativity."

"The pressure for social conformity in the small town made it difficult for anyone to express unusual opinions."

a state of heated disagreement, often coming from different viewpoints or interests

"This is a contention."

"The main point of contention between the two sides was the ownership of the land."

a situation in which the parties involved do not compromise and therefore are unable to reach an agreement

"The meeting ended in a deadlock."

"The negotiations reached a complete deadlock because neither side was willing to compromise on the main issue."

a belief or a belief system held by an authority who proclaims it to be undeniably true and expects immediate acceptance

"The church's dogma is hard to change."

"The church's dogma was accepted by all members without question or doubt for centuries."

a projection about future events or hypothetical situations, drawn from known data, observations, or experience

"The prediction is an extrapolation of current trends."

"Making a risky extrapolation from limited data can lead to wrong conclusions."

a heated argument that lasts for a long time

"The family feud lasted for decades."

"The family feud continued for many years between the two brothers."

a division between a group of people caused by their disagreement over beliefs or views

"The schism divided the church."

"The schism divided the church into two separate denominations that never reconciled their differences."

expressing one's feelings in a dramatic and forceful way

"His speech was declamatory."

"The actor delivered his lines in a declamatory style, full of passion and exaggerated emotion."

true and therefore impossible to be denied or disagreed with

"The fact is incontestable."

"The fact is incontestable and nobody can argue against it because it has been proven many times."

referring to the method of argumentation or discourse that involves the exchange of opposing ideas or viewpoints in order to reach a deeper understanding or resolution

"The argument is dialectical."

"The argument is dialectical and involves a thesis an antithesis and then a synthesis of both ideas."

ready toward a course of action

"She is disposed to help."

"She is disposed to help and will gladly assist you if you ask her nicely."

expressing feelings or opinions, loudly and forcefully

"The protest was vociferous."

"The vociferous protesters shouted slogans outside the government building and their loud chants could be heard from several blocks away."

to have no respect for someone or something because one thinks they are stupid or undeserving

"They scorned his idea."

"The critics will likely scorn the director's latest attempt at avant-garde filmmaking, deeming it pretentious and amateurish."

a set of facts or information that can be used to win an argument against someone or to criticize them

"Use this ammunition."

"He gathered sufficient ammunition of compelling evidence to effectively counter all opposing arguments."

to adjust oneself in order to align with new or different circumstances or expectations

"They conform to rules."

"New employees are expected to conform to the established company policies and procedures."

a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief

"That is a bold assertion."

"Her assertion that the company was deliberately misleading customers was met with strong disbelief."

to disagree with someone or to hold different opinions, viewpoints, or beliefs

"Our views differ."

"Opinions on the best way to solve the problem differ widely among the members of the committee."

a difference of opinion, especially from commonly accepted beliefs

"Dissent is not allowed here."

"Any form of political dissent was quickly suppressed by the authoritarian government using violent methods."

someone who declares opposition to the government of one's country, knowing there is punishment for doing so

"The dissident was arrested by the regime."

"The political dissident was arrested after speaking against the government last year."

(of views, opinions, etc.) to be different from each other

"Our opinions diverge on this topic."

"Our opinions on the matter began to diverge significantly as we discussed the topic more deeply during the meeting."

any opinion or belief that conflicts with the official or widely accepted position

"That is heresy."

"Challenging the established dogma was considered pure heresy by the conservative members of the organization."

to state something as an excuse

"He will plead illness."

"The defendant attempted to plead temporary insanity as a defense against the serious charges."

not likely to offend people or cause disagreement or tension

"The speech was quite anodyne."

"The politician's carefully worded statement was intentionally anodyne to avoid alienating any voters."

(of statements, beliefs, facts, etc.) incompatible or opposed to one another, even if not strictly illogical

"His statements are contradictory."

"The witness gave contradictory statements to the police and they could not believe anything he said because his story kept changing."

very eager to persuade people to accept one's views or opinions

"He is evangelical about it."

"She has become an evangelical supporter of the new environmental policy, trying to convince everyone to join her."

involving rational arguments to support or oppose an opinion, usually the opposite of others'

"His polemic arguments were strong."

"The article is a polemic and attacks the other side's position without offering any reasonable solutions."

to support an opinion, argument, theory, etc. or to prove it's credibility

"We sustain our argument."

"The scientist presented compelling evidence to sustain her groundbreaking theory about cellular regeneration."