A lot of words get thrown around, I am often accused of "not understanding" them. Here's the thing, I follow the dictionary not unspoken social norms, so here are the **DICTIONARY** definitions of the words thrown around that people don't seem to understand. To me, these are some of the most misused words on FL/CM and in the rest of the world, but this is fairly targeted to what I see flying around here. If you would like to add a word to the list, do let me know and my dictionary and I will see to adding it :)
(disclaimer/trigger warning/blah blah flame avoidance blah/copied from actual dictionaries, most are credited - http://www.thefreedictionary.com, I like this one as it compiles from multiple sources, also http://www.onelook.com for the same reasons)
#### abuse
tr.v. a·bused, a·bus·ing, a·bus·es
1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse: abuse alcohol; abuse a privilege.
2. To hurt or injure by maltreatment; ill-use.
3. To force sexual activity on; rape or molest.
4. To assail with contemptuous, coarse, or insulting words; revile.
5. Obsolete To deceive or trick.
n. (-bys)
1. Improper use or handling; misuse: abuse of authority; drug abuse.
2. Physical maltreatment: spousal abuse.
3. Sexual abuse.
4. An unjust or wrongful practice: a government that commits abuses against its citizens.
5. Insulting or coarse language: verbal abuse.
Idiom:
abuse oneself Vulgar
To masturbate.
#### abusive
adj.
1. Characterized by improper or wrongful use: abusive utilization of public funds.
2. Using or containing insulting or coarse language: finally reprimanded the abusive colleague.
3. Causing physical injury to another: abusive punishment.
4. Relating to or practicing sexual abuse.
#### actual
adj.
1. Existing and not merely potential or possible. See Synonyms at real1.
2. Being, existing, or acting at the present moment; current.
3. Based on fact: an actual account of the accident.
#### actualize
v. ac·tu·al·ized, ac·tu·al·iz·ing, ac·tu·al·iz·es
v.tr.
1. To realize in action or make real: "More flexible life patterns could . . . nurture and renew our spirits through opportunities to actualize personal dreams" (Fred Best).
2. To describe or portray realistically.
v.intr.
To become actual.
#### anything
pron.
Any object, occurrence, or matter whatever.
adv.
To any degree or extent; at all: They aren't anything like last year's team.
n.
Something or someone of importance: "You had to be something to start with, and Jeremy never was anything" (Anne Tyler).
Idioms:
anything but
By no means; not at all: I was anything but happy about going.
anything goes
Anything is permissible or likely to be tolerated.
like anything
To an exceeding degree: We worked like anything to meet the deadline.
#### apologize
intr.v. a·pol·o·gized, a·pol·o·giz·ing, a·pol·o·giz·es
1. To make excuse for or regretful acknowledgment of a fault or offense.
2. To make a formal defense or justification in speech or writing.
#### appreciate
v. ap·pre·ci·at·ed, ap·pre·ci·at·ing, ap·pre·ci·ates
v.tr.
1. To recognize the quality, significance, or magnitude of: appreciated their freedom.
2. To be fully aware of or sensitive to; realize: I appreciate your problems.
3. To be thankful or show gratitude for: I really appreciate your help.
4. To admire greatly; value.
5. To raise in value or price, especially over time.
v.intr.
To increase in value or price, especially over time.
#### argue
v. ar·gued, ar·gu·ing, ar·gues
v.tr.
1. To put forth reasons for or against; debate: "It is time to stop arguing tax-rate reductions and to enact them" (Paul Craig Roberts).
2. To attempt to prove by reasoning; maintain or contend: The speaker argued that more immigrants should be admitted to the country.
3. To give evidence of; indicate: "Similarities cannot always be used to argue descent" (Isaac Asimov).
4. To persuade or influence (another), as by presenting reasons: argued the clerk into lowering the price.
v.intr.
1. To put forth reasons for or against something: argued for dismissal of the case; argued against an immediate counterattack.
2. To engage in a quarrel; dispute.
#### authentic
adj.
1. Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief: an authentic account by an eyewitness.
2. Having a claimed and verifiable origin or authorship; not counterfeit or copied: an authentic mediJerry D. Jennings).
Conscious emphasizes the recognition of something sensed or felt: "an importance . . . of which even Americans are barely conscious" (William Stanley Jevons).
Sensible implies knowledge gained through intuition or intellectual perception: "I am sensible that the mention of such a circumstance may appear trifling" (Henry Hallam).
To be awake is to have full consciousness of something: "as much awake to the novelty of attention in that quarter as Elizabeth herself" (Jane Austen).
Alert stresses quickness to recognize and respond: I remained alert to career opportunities.
Watchful and vigilant imply looking out for what is dangerous or potentially so: The watchful parents protected their toddler. The ranger kept a vigilant eye out for forest fires.
*subtext*
self-aware
adj.
Aware of oneself, including one's traits, feelings, and behaviors.
#### blunt
adjective
blunter, comparative; bluntest, superlative
(of a knife, pencil, etc.) Having a worn-down edge or point; not sharp
- a blunt knife
Having a flat or rounded end
- the blunt tip of the leaf
(of a person or remark) Uncompromisingly forthright
- he is as blunt as a kick in the shins
- a blunt statement of fact
#### care
n.
1. A burdened state of mind, as that arising from heavy responsibilities; worry.
2. Mental suffering; grief.
3. An object or source of worry, attention, or solicitude: the many cares of a working parent.
4. Caution in avoiding harm or danger: handled the crystal bowl with care.
5.
a. Close attention; painstaking application: painting the window frames and sashes with care.
b. Upkeep; maintenance: a product for the care of fine floors; hair care products.
6. Watchful oversight; charge or supervision: left the child in the care of a neighbor.
7. Attentive assistance or treatment to those in need: a hospital that provides emergency care.
v. cared, car·ing, cares
v.intr.
1. To be concerned or interested: Once inside, we didn't care whether it rained or not.
2. To provide needed assistance or watchful supervision: cared for the wounded; caring for an aged relative at home.
3. To object or mind: If no one cares, I'll smoke.
4.
a. To have a liking or attachment: didn't care for the movie.
b. To have a wish; be inclined: Would you care for another helping?
v.tr.
1. To wish; desire: Would you care to dance?
2. To be concerned to the degree of: I don't care a bit what critics think.
#### commit
v. com·mit·ted, com·mit·ting, com·mits
v.tr.
1. To do, perform, or perpetrate: commit a murder.
2. To put in trust or charge; entrust: commit oneself to the care of a doctor; commit responsibilities to an assistant.
3. To place officially in confinement or custody, as in a mental health facility.
4. To consign for future use or reference or for preservation: commit the secret code to memory.
5. To put into a place to be kept safe or to be disposed of.
6.
a. To make known the views of (oneself) on an issue: I never commit myself on such issues.
b. To bind or obligate, as by a pledge: They were committed to follow orders.
7. To refer (a legislative bill, for example) to a committee.
v.intr.
To pledge or obligate one's own self: felt that he was too young to commit fully to marriage.
#### communicate
v. com·mu·ni·cat·ed, com·mu·ni·cat·ing, com·mu·ni·cates
v.tr.
1.
a. To convey information about; make known; impart: communicated his views to our office.
b. To reveal clearly; manifest: Her disapproval communicated itself in her frown.
2. To spread (a disease, for example) to others; transmit: a carrier who communicated typhus.
v.intr.
1. To have an interchange, as of ideas.
2. To express oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood: "That ability to communicate was strange in a man given to long, awkward silences" (Anthony Lewis).
3. Ecclesiastical To receive Communion.
4. To be connected, one with another: apartments that communicate.
#### compassion
n.
Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. See Synonyms at pity.
#### confidence
n.
1. Trust or faith in a person or thing.
2. A trusting relationship: I took them into my confidence.
3.
a. That which is confided; a secret: A friend does not betray confidences.
b. A feeling of assurance that a confidant will keep a secret: I am telling you this in strict confidence.
4. A feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance.
5. The state or quality of being certain: I have every confidence in your ability to succeed.
adj.
Of, relating to, or involving a swindle or fraud: a confidence scheme; a confidence trickster.
Synonyms: confidence, assurance, aplomb, self-confidence, self-possession
These nouns denote a feeling of emotional security resulting from faith in oneself. Confidence is a firm belief in one's powers, abilities, or capacities: "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face" (Eleanor Roosevelt).
Assurance even more strongly stresses certainty and can suggest arrogance: How can you explain an abstruse theory with such assurance?
Aplomb implies calm poise: "It is native personality, and that alone, that endows a man to stand before presidents or generals . . . with aplomb" (Walt Whitman).
Self-confidence stresses trust in one's own self-sufficiency: "The most vital quality a soldier can possess is self-confidence" (George S. Patton).
Self-possession implies composure arising from control over one's own reactions: "In life courtesy and self-possession . . . are the sensible impressions of the free mind, for both arise . . . from never being swept away, whatever the emotion, into confusion or dullness" (William Butler Yeats). See Also Synonyms at trust.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
#### consensus
n.
1. An opinion or position reached by a group as a whole: "Among political women . . . there is a clear consensus about the problems women candidates have traditionally faced" (Wendy Kaminer). See Usage Note at redundancy.
2. General agreement or accord: government by consensus.
#### consent
intr.v. con·sent·ed, con·sent·ing, con·sents
1. To give assent, as to the proposal of another; agree. See Synonyms at assent.
2. Archaic To be of the same mind or opinion.
n.
1. Acceptance or approval of what is planned or done by another; acquiescence. See Synonyms at permission.
2. Agreement as to opinion or a course of action: She was chosen by common consent to speak for the group.
#### debt
n
1. something that is owed, such as money, goods, or services
(Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance)
bad debt a debt that has little or no prospect of being paid
3. an obligation to pay or perform something; liability
4. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance) the state of owing something, esp money, or of being under an obligation (esp in the phrases in debt, in (someone's) debt)
#### deserve
v. de·served, de·serv·ing, de·serves
v.tr.
To be worthy of; merit. See Synonyms at earn1.
v.intr.
To be worthy or deserving.
#### diplomacy
n.
1. The art or practice of conducting international relations, as in negotiating alliances, treaties, and agreements.
2. Tact and skill in dealing with people. See Synonyms at tact.
#### diplomatic
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or involving diplomacy or diplomats.
2. Using or marked by tact and sensitivity in dealing with others.
3.
a. Of or relating to diplomatics.
b. Being an exact copy of the original: a diplomatic edition.
#### discuss
tr.v. dis·cussed, dis·cuss·ing, dis·cuss·es
1. To speak with another or others about; talk over.
2. To examine or consider (a subject) in speech or writing
#### dominant
adj.
1. Exercising the most influence or control.
2. Most prominent, as in position; ascendant.
3. Genetics Of, relating to, or being an allele that produces the same phenotypic effect whether inherited with a homozygous or heterozygous allele.
4. Ecology Of, relating to, or being a species that is most characteristic of an ecological community and usually determines the presence, abundance, and type of other species.
5. Music Relating to or based on the fifth tone of a diatonic scale.
n.
1. Genetics A dominant allele or trait.
2. Ecology A dominant species.
3. Music The fifth tone of a diatonic scale.
[Middle English dominaunt, from Old French, from Latin dominns, dominant-, present participle of dominr, to dominate; see dominate.]
domi·nant·ly adv.
Synonyms: dominant, predominant, preponderant, paramount, preeminent
These adjectives mean surpassing all others in power, influence, or position. Dominant applies to what exercises principal control or authority or is unmistakably ascendant: For decades, the Soviet Union was the dominant nation of eastern Europe.
Predominant often implies being uppermost at a particular time or for the time being: "Egrets, gulls and small mammals are the predominant wildlife on the island these days" (Dan McCoubrey).
Preponderant implies superiority as the result of outweighing or outnumbering all others: "No big modern war has been won without preponderant sea power" (Samuel Eliot Morison).
Paramount means first in importance, rank, or regard: "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union" (Abraham Lincoln).
Preeminent suggests generally recognized supremacy: He is the preeminent tenor of the modern era.
#### drama
n.
1.a. A prose or verse composition, especially one telling a serious story, that is intended for representation by actors impersonating the characters and performing the dialogue and action.
b. A serious narrative work or program for television, radio, or the cinema.
2. Theatrical plays of a particular kind or period: Elizabethan drama.
3. The art or practice of writing or producing dramatic works.
4. A situation or succession o having the dramatic progression or emotional effect characteristic of a play: the drama of the prisoner's escape and recapture.
5. The quality or condition of being dramatic: a summit meeting full of drama.
#### dramatic
adj.
1. Of or relating to drama or the theater.
2. Characterized by or expressive of the action or emotion associated with drama or the theatre: a dramatic rescue at sea.
3. Arresting or forceful in appearance or effect: a dramatic sunset.
4. Music Having a powerful, expressive singing voice: a dramatic tenor
#### earnest
adj.
1. Marked by or showing deep sincerity or seriousness: an earnest gesture of goodwill.
2. Of an important or weighty nature; grave. See Synonyms at serious.
Idiom:
in earnest
1. With a purposeful or sincere intent: settled down to study in earnest for the examination.
2. Serious; determined: "Both sides are deeply in earnest, with passions that approximate those of civil war" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
#### empathy
n.
1. Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives. See Synonyms at pity.
2. The attribution of one's own feelings to an object.
#### entitle
tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles
1. To give a name or title to.
2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: The coupon entitles the bearer to a 25 percent savings. Every citizen is entitled to equal protection under the law.
#### entitlement
n.
1. The act or process of entitling.
2. The state of being entitled.
3. A government program that guarantees and provides benefits to a particular group: "fights . . . to preserve victories won a generation ago, like the Medicaid entitlement for the poor" (Jason DeParle).
#### ethic
n.
1.
a. A set of principles of right conduct.
b. A theory or a system of moral values: "An ethic of service is at war with a craving for gain" (Gregg Easterbrook).
2. ethics (used with a sing. verb) The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person; moral philosophy.
3. ethics (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession: medical ethics.
#### fantasy
n. pl. fan·ta·sies
1. The creative imagination; unrestrained fancy. See Synonyms at imagination.
2. Something, such as an invention, that is a creation of the fancy.
3. A capricious or fantastic idea; a conceit.
4.
a. Fiction characterized by highly fanciful or supernatural elements.
b. An example of such fiction.
5. An imagined event or sequence of mental images, such as a daydream, usually fulfilling a wish or psychological need.
6. An unrealistic or improbable supposition.
7. Music See fantasia.
8. A coin issued especially by a questionable authority and not intended for use as currency.
9. Obsolete A hallucination.
tr.v. fan·ta·sied, fan·ta·sy·ing, fan·ta·sies
To imagine; visualize.
#### forthright
adj
1archaic : proceeding straight on
2: free from ambiguity or evasiveness : going straight to the point
adv
1 archaic
a : directly forward
b : without hesitation : frankly
2archaic : at once
#### friend
n.
1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement: friends of the clean air movement.
5. Friend A member of the Society of Friends; a Quaker.
tr.v. friend·ed, friend·ing, friends
1. To add (someone) as a friend on a social networking website.
2. Archaic To befriend.
#### hate
v. hat·ed, hat·ing, hates
v.tr.
1.
a. To feel hostility or animosity toward.
b. To detest.
2. To feel dislike or distaste for: hates washing dishes.
v.intr.
To feel hatred.
n.
1. Intense animosity or dislike; hatred.
2. An object of detestation or hatred: My pet hate is tardiness.
#### healthy
adj. health·i·er, health·i·est
1. Possessing good health.
2. Conducive to good health; healthful: healthy air.
3. Indicative of sound, rational thinking or frame of mind: a healthy attitude.
4. Sizable; considerable: a healthy portion of potatoes; a healthy raise in salary.
#### honest
Adjective:
Free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere.
Adverb:
Used to persuade someone of the truth of something: "you'll like it when you get there, honest".
Synonyms:
straight - upright - sincere - fair - straightforward
#### honor/honour
n.
1. High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem: the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.
2.
a. Good name; reputation.
b. A source or cause of credit: was an honor to the profession.
3.
a. Glory or recognition; distinction.
b. A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction: the place of honor at the table.
c. A military decoration.
d. A title conferred for achievement.
4. High rank.
5. The dignity accorded to position: awed by the honor of his office.
6. Great privilege: I have the honor to present the governor.
7. Honor Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for certain officials, such as judges and mayors: Her Honor the Mayor.
8.
a. Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity.
b. A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms.
c. A woman's chastity or reputation for chastity.
9. honors Social courtesies offered to guests: did the honors at tea.
10. honors
a. Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated from college with honors.
b. A program of advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.
11. Sports The right of being first at the tee in golf.
12. Games
a. Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist.
b. The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
tr.v. hon·ored, hon·or·ing, hon·ors
1.
a. To hold in respect; esteem.
b. To show respect for.
c. To bow to (another dancer) in square dancing: Honor your partner.
2. To confer distinction on: He has honored us with his presence.
3. To accept or pay as valid: honor a check; a store that honors all credit cards.
Idiom:
honor bound
Under an obligation enforced by the personal integrity of the one obliged: I was honor bound to admit that she had done the work.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin.]
honor·er n.
Synonyms: honor, homage, reverence, veneration, deference
These nouns denote admiration, respect, or esteem accorded to another as a right or as due. Honor is the most general term: The hero tried to be worthy of the honor in which he was held.
Homage is often in the form of a ceremonial tribute that conveys allegiance: "There is no country in which so absolute a homage is paid to wealth" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
Reverence is a feeling of deep respect and devotion: "Kill reverence and you've killed the hero in man" (Ayn Rand).
Veneration is both the feeling and the reverential expression of respect, love, and awe: Her veneration for her mentor never wavered.
Deference is courteous, respectful regard for another that often implies yielding to him or her: The funeral was arranged with deference to the family of the deceased.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
#### hurt
v. hurt, hurt·ing, hurts
v.tr.
1. To cause physical damage or pain to; injure.
2. To cause mental or emotional suffering to; distress.
3. To cause physical damage to; harm: The frost hurt the orange crop.
4. To be detrimental to; hinder or impair: The scandal hurt the candidate's chances for victory.
v.intr.
1. To have or produce a feeling of physical pain or discomfort: My leg hurts.
2.
a. To cause distress or damage: Parental neglect hurts.
b. To have an adverse effect: "It never hurt to have a friend at court" (Tom Clancy).
3. Informal To experience distress, especially of a financial kind; be in need: "Even in a business that's hurting there's always a guy who can make a buck" (New York).
n.
1. Something that hurts; a pain, injury, or wound.
2. Mental suffering; anguish: getting over the hurt of reading the letter.
3. A wrong; harm: What hurt have you done to them?
[Middle English hurten, possibly from Old French hurter, to bang into, perhaps of Germanic origin.]
#### improve
Verb:
Make or become better: "efforts to improve relations with China"; "improved rail links"; "his condition improved".
Develop or increase in mental capacity by education or experience.
Synonyms:
ameliorate - mend - meliorate - amend - better - perfect
#### integrity
n.
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.
#### know
v. knew (n, ny), known (nn), know·ing, knows
v.tr.
1. To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty.
2. To regard as true beyond doubt: I know she won't fail.
3. To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in: knows how to cook.
4. To have fixed in the mind: knows her Latin verbs.
5. To have experience of: "a black stubble that had known no razor" (William Faulkner).
6.
a. To perceive as familiar; recognize: I know that face.
b. To be acquainted with: He doesn't know his neighbors.
7. To be able to distinguish; recognize as distinct: knows right from wrong.
8. To discern the character or nature of: knew him for a liar.
9. Archaic To have sexual intercourse with.
v.intr.
1. To possess knowledge, understanding, or information.
2. To be cognizant or aware.
Idioms:
in the know Informal
Possessing special or secret information.
you know Informal
Used parenthetically in conversation, as to fill pauses or educe the listener's agreement or sympathy: Please try to be, you know, a little quieter. How were we supposed to make camp in a storm like that, you know?
#### like
v. liked, lik·ing, likes
v.tr.
1. To find pleasant or attractive; enjoy.
2. To want to have: would like some coffee.
3. To feel about; regard: How do you like her nerve!
4. Archaic To be pleasing to.
v.intr.
1. To have an inclination or a preference: If you like, we can meet you there.
2. Scots To be pleased.
n.
Something that is liked; a preference: made a list of his likes and dislikes.
#### limit
n.
1. The point, edge, or line beyond which something cannot or may not proceed.
2. limits The boundary surrounding a specific area; bounds: within the city limits.
3. A confining or restricting object, agent, or influence.
4. The greatest or least amount, number, or extent allowed or possible: a withdrawal limit of $200; no minimum age limit.
5. Games The largest amount which may be bet at one time in games of chance.
6. Abbr. lim Mathematics A number or point L that is approached by a function f(x) as x approaches a if, for every positive number , there exists a number such that f(x)-L < if 0 < x-a < . Also called limit point, point of accumulation.
7. Informal One that approaches or exceeds certain limits, as of credibility, forbearance, or acceptability: He is the limit of irresponsibility.
tr.v. lim·it·ed, lim·it·ing, lim·its
1. To confine or restrict within a boundary or bounds.
2. To fix definitely; to specify.
#### love
n.
1. A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
2. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.
3.
a. Sexual passion.
b. Sexual intercourse.
c. A love affair.
4. An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.
5. A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.
6. An expression of one's affection: Send him my love.
7.
a. A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language.
b. The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.
8. Love Mythology Eros or Cupid.
9. often Love Christianity Charity.
10. Sports A zero score in tennis.
v. loved, lov·ing, loves
v.tr.
1. To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward (a person): We love our parents. I love my friends.
2. To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward (a person).
3. To have an intense emotional attachment to: loves his house.
4.
a. To embrace or caress.
b. To have sexual intercourse with.
5. To like or desire enthusiastically: loves swimming.
6. Theology To have charity for.
7. To thrive on; need: The cactus loves hot, dry air.
v.intr.
To experience deep affection or intense desire for another.
Idioms:
for love
Out of compassion; with no thought for a reward: She volunteers at the hospital for love.
for love or money
Under any circumstances. Usually used in negative sentences: I would not do that for love or money.
for the love of
For the sake of; in consideration for: did it all for the love of praise.
in love
1. Deeply or passionately enamored: a young couple in love.
2. Highly or immoderately fond: in love with Japanese painting; in love with the sound of her own voice.
no love lost
No affection; animosity: There's no love lost between them.
[Middle English, from Old English lufu; see leubh- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: love, affection, devotion, fondness, infatuation
These nouns denote feelings of warm personal attachment or strong attraction to another person. Love is the most intense: marrying for love.
Affection is a less ardent and more unvarying feeling of tender regard: parental affection.
Devotion is earnest, affectionate dedication and implies selflessness: teachers admired for their devotion to children.
Fondness is strong liking or affection: a fondness for small animals.
Infatuation is foolish or extravagant attraction, often of short duration: lovers blinded to their differences by their mutual infatuation.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
love [l?v]
vb
1. (tr) to have a great attachment to and affection for
2. (tr) to have passionate desire, longing, and feelings for
3. (tr) to like or desire (to do something) very much
4. (tr) to make love to
5. (intr) to be in love
n
1.
a. an intense emotion of affection, warmth, fondness, and regard towards a person or thing
b. (as modifier) love song love story
2. a deep feeling of sexual attraction and desire
3. wholehearted liking for or pleasure in something
4. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity
a. God's benevolent attitude towards man
b. man's attitude of reverent devotion towards God
5. Also my love a beloved person: used esp as an endearment
6. Brit informal a term of address, esp but not necessarily for a person regarded as likable
7. (Individual Sports, other than specified) (in tennis, squash, etc.) a score of zero
fall in love to become in love
for love without payment
for love or money (used with a negative) in any circumstances I wouldn't eat a snail for love or money
for the love of for the sake of
in love in a state of strong emotional attachment and usually sexual attraction
make love (to)
a. to have sexual intercourse (with)
b. Now archaic to engage in courtship (with) Related adjective amatory
[Old English lufu; related to Old High German luba; compare also Latin libere (originally lubere) to please]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
#### mandate
n.
1. An authoritative command or instruction.
2. A command or an authorization given by a political electorate to its representative.
3.
a. A commission from the League of Nations authorizing a member nation to administer a territory.
b. A region under such administration.
4. Law
a. An order issued by a superior court or an official to a lower court.
b. A contract by which one party agrees to perform services for another without payment.
tr.v. man·dat·ed, man·dat·ing, man·dates
1. To assign (a colony or territory) to a specified nation under a mandate.
2. To make mandatory, as by law; decree or require: mandated desegregation of public schools
#### negotiate
v. ne·go·ti·at·ed, ne·go·ti·at·ing, ne·go·ti·ates
v.intr.
To confer with another or others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement: "It is difficult to negotiate where neither will trust" (Samuel Johnson).
v.tr.
1. To arrange or settle by discussion and mutual agreement: negotiate a contract.
2.
a. To transfer title to or ownership of (a promissory note, for example) to another party by delivery or by delivery and endorsement in return for value received.
b. To sell or discount (assets or securities, for example).
3.
a. To succeed in going over or coping with: negotiate a sharp curve.
b. To succeed in accomplishing or managing: negotiate a difficult musical passage.
#### obligate
tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates
1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force.
2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige.
3. To commit (money, for example) in order to fulfill an obligation.
adj. (-gt, -gt)
1. Biology Able to exist or survive only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role: an obligate parasite; an obligate anaerobe.
2. Absolutely indispensable; essential.
#### open
Adjective:
Allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space; not closed or blocked up: "the door was wide open".
Verb:
Move or adjust (a door or window) so as to leave a space allowing access and view.
Noun:
(Open) A championship or competition with no restrictions on who may qualify to compete.
Synonyms:
adjective. frank - overt - candid - free - public
verb. unfold - begin - start - unlock
noun. opening
#### opinion
n.
1. A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: "The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion" (Elizabeth Drew).
2. A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert: a medical opinion.
3. A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing: has a low opinion of braggarts.
4. The prevailing view: public opinion.
5. Law A formal statement by a court or other adjudicative body of the legal reasons and principles for the conclusions of the court.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin opni, opnin-, from opnr, to think.]
Synonyms: opinion, view, sentiment, feeling, belief, conviction, persuasion
These nouns signify something a person believes or accepts as being sound or true. Opinion is applicable to a judgment based on grounds insufficient to rule out the possibility of dispute: "A little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own, have rendered the great Government of the United States helpless and contemptible" (Woodrow Wilson).
View stresses individuality of outlook: "My view is . . . that freedom of speech means that you shall not do something to people either for the views they have or the views they express" (Hugo L. Black).
Sentiment and especially feeling stress the role of emotion as a determinant: "If men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences . . . reason is of no use to us" (George Washington). "There needs protection . . . against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling" (John Stuart Mill).
A belief is a conclusion to which one subscribes strongly: "Our belief in any particular natural law cannot have a safer basis than our unsuccessful critical attempts to refute it" (Karl Popper).
Conviction is belief that excludes doubt: "the editor's own conviction of what, whether interesting or only important, is in the public interest" (Walter Lippmann).
Persuasion applies to a confidently held opinion: "He had a strong persuasion that Likeman was wrong" (H.G. Wells).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
opinion [?'p?nj?n]
n
1. judgment or belief not founded on certainty or proof
2. the prevailing or popular feeling or view public opinion
3. Law) the advice given by a barrister or counsel on a case submitted to him or her for a view on the legal points involved
a matter of opinion a point open to question
be of the opinion (that) to believe (that)
[via Old French from Latin opinio belief, from opinari to think; see opine]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
Opinion
See also ideas.
heterodoxy
1. the state of being at variance with established doctrines or beliefs.
2. a heterodox view or belief.
opinionist
a person fond of his own opinions and of making them known.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Opinion
See Also: IDEAS
As men grow older, their opinions, like their diseases, grow chronic —Josh Billings
In Billings’ original dialect: Az men gro older their opinuns like thier diseazes, grow kronick.
Carried and opened this attitude like an umbrella —Delmore Schwartz
Observations … are like children’s cradles … sometimes empty, sometimes full of noisy imbecility, and often lulling to sleep —Sydney Smith
Smith modestly applied this simile to his own observations.
Of three minds, like a tree in which there are three blackbirds —Wallace Stevens
Opinion gathered like a cloud and danced and then seemed to freeze —H. E. Bates
Opinion is like a pendulum and obeys the same law. If it goes past the center of gravity on one side, it must go a like distance on the other —Arthur Schopenhauer
Schopenhauer continued his simile like this: “And it is only after a certain time that it finds the true point at which it can remain at rest.”
Opinion polls: polls are like sleeping pills designed to lull the public into sleeping on election day. You might call them “sleeping polls” —Harry S. Truman
Opinions, like showers, are generated in high places, but they invariably descend into lower ones, and ultimately flow down to the people, as rain unto the sea —Charles Caleb Colton
Opinions, like the temperaments, fell rapidly into pre-established categories —Marguerite Yourcenar
Opinions richocheted through the gathering like hyperactive pheromones —Susan Ferraro, New York Times/Hers, Feburary 19, 1987
Opinions stout as oak —Phyllis McGinley
Passed opinions like gas —Rita Mae Brown
Played with our ideas like jacks, pressing our fingertips against their sharp points and round protuberances, testing how many we could scoop up at once —Lynne Sharon Schwartz
Public opinion in this country runs like a shower bath. We have no temperature between hot and cold —Heywood Broun
Broun’s public opinion simile is amongst the best known witticisms born at the famed Algonquin Round Table.
Sweeping judgments which are so common are meaningless … like men who salute a whole crowd of people in the mass —Michel De Montaigne
The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind —William Blake
The pressure of public opinion is like the pressure of the atmosphere; you can’t see it —but, all the same, it is sixteen pounds to the square inch —James R. Lowell, interview with Julian Hawthorne, New York Times, April 2, 1922
The public buys its opinions as it buys its meat, or takes its milk, on the principle that it is cheaper to do this than to keep a cow. So it is, but the milk is more likely to be watered —Samuel Butler
Tosses off insights like the spray from a speedboat —Anon comment about an author’s work
Like many such complimentary similes, this one was later featured in an ad for the work thus praised.
To venture an opinion is like moving a piece at chess: it may be taken, but it forms the beginning of a game that is won —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
#### owe
v. owed, ow·ing, owes
v.tr.
1. To be indebted to the amount of: He owes me five dollars.
2. To have a moral obligation to render or offer: I owe them an apology.
3. To be in debt to: We owe the plumber for services rendered.
4. To be indebted or obliged for: owed their riches to oil; owes her good health to diet and exercise.
5. To bear (a certain feeling) toward a person or persons: You seem to owe your neighbors a grudge.
6. Archaic To have as a possession; own.
v.intr.
To be in debt: She still owes for the car.
#### passion
n.
1. A powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger.
2.
a. Ardent love.
b. Strong sexual desire; lust.
c. The object of such love or desire.
3.
a. Boundless enthusiasm: His skills as a player don't quite match his passion for the game.
b. The object of such enthusiasm: Soccer is her passion.
4. An abandoned display of emotion, especially of anger: He's been known to fly into a passion without warning.
5. Passion
a. The sufferings of Jesus in the period following the Last Supper and including the Crucifixion, as related in the New Testament.
b. A narrative, musical setting, or pictorial representation of Jesus's sufferings.
6. Archaic Martyrdom.
7. Archaic Passivity.
#### perception
n.
1. The process, act, or faculty of perceiving.
2. The effect or product of perceiving.
3. Psychology
a. Recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli based chiefly on memory.
b. The neurological processes by which such recognition and interpretation are effected.
4.
a. Insight, intuition, or knowledge gained by perceiving.
b. The capacity for such insight.
[Middle English percepcioun, from Old French percepcion, from Latin percepti, perceptin-, from perceptus, past participle of percipere, to perceive; see perceive.]
per·ception·al adj.
#### pity
n. pl. pit·ies
1. Sympathy and sorrow aroused by the misfortune or suffering of another.
2. A matter of regret: It's a pity she can't attend the reception.
v. pit·ied, pit·y·ing, pit·ies
v.tr.
To feel pity for.
v.intr.
To feel pity.
Idiom:
have/take pity on
To show compassion for.
#### problem
n.
1. A question to be considered, solved, or answered: math problems; the problem of how to arrange transportation.
2. A situation, matter, or person that presents perplexity or difficulty: was having problems breathing; considered the main problem to be his boss. See Usage Note at dilemma.
3. A misgiving, objection, or complaint: I have a problem with his cynicism.
adj.
1. Difficult to deal with or control: a problem child.
2. Dealing with a moral or social problem: a problem play.
Idiom:
no problem
Used to express confirmation of or compliance with a request.
#### rape
n.
1. The crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse.
2. The act of seizing and carrying off by force; abduction.
3. Abusive or improper treatment; violation: a rape of justice.
tr.v. raped, rap·ing, rapes
1. To force (another person) to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse; commit rape on.
2. To seize and carry off by force.
3. To plunder or pillage.
#### real
adj.
1.
a. Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable existence: real objects; a real illness.
b. True and actual; not imaginary, alleged, or ideal: real people, not ghosts; a film based on real life.
c. Of or founded on practical matters and concerns: a recent graduate experiencing the real world for the first time.
2. Genuine and authentic; not artificial or spurious: real mink; real humility.
3. Being no less than what is stated; worthy of the name: a real friend.
4. Free of pretense, falsehood, or affectation: tourists hoping for a real experience on the guided tour.
5. Not to be taken lightly; serious: in real trouble.
6. Philosophy Existing objectively in the world regardless of subjectivity or conventions of thought or language.
7. Relating to, being, or having value reckoned by actual purchasing power: real income; real growth.
8. Physics Of, relating to, or being an image formed by light rays that converge in space.
9. Mathematics Of, relating to, or being a real number.
10. Law Of or relating to stationary or fixed property, such as buildings or land.
adv. Informal
Very: I'm real sorry about that.
n.
1. A thing or whole having actual existence. Often used with the: theories beyond the realm of the real.
2. Mathematics A real number.
Idiom:
for real Slang
Truly so in fact or actuality: "Is this place for real? A wolf in a ... leisure suit and a cow in a print dress wait patiently on the couch in the lobby" (Teresa Carson).
[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin relis, from Latin rs, thing; see r- in Indo-European roots.]
realness n.
Synonyms: real1, actual, true, existent
These adjectives mean not being imaginary but having verifiable existence. Real implies authenticity, genuineness, or factuality: Don't lose the bracelet; it's made of real gold. She showed real sympathy for my predicament.
Actual means existing and not merely potential or possible: "rocks, trees ... the actual world" (Henry David Thoreau).
True implies consistency with fact, reality, or actuality: "It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true" (Bertrand Russell).
Existent applies to what has life or being: Much of the beluga caviar existent in the world is found near the Caspian Sea. See Also Synonyms at authentic.
#### reality
n. pl. re·al·i·ties
1. The quality or state of being actual or true.
2. One, such as a person, an entity, or an event, that is actual: "the weight of history and political realities" (Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.)
3. The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence.
4. That which exists objectively and in fact: Your observations do not seem to be about reality.
adj.
Relating to or being a genre of television or film in which a storyline is created by editing footage of people interacting or competing with one another in unscripted, unrehearsed situations.
Idiom:
in reality
In fact; actually.
#### secure (as confident)
1 not doubting or being worried about yourself and your personal relationships
Secure:
Adjective:
Fixed or fastened so as not to give way, become loose, or be lost.
Verb:
Fix or attach (something) firmly so that it cannot be moved or lost.
Synonyms:
adjective. safe - sure - certain - confident - assured - steady
verb. ensure - insure - assure - safeguard - obtain - fasten
#### strength
n.
1. The state, property, or quality of being strong.
2. The power to resist attack; impregnability.
3. The power to resist strain or stress; durability.
4. The ability to maintain a moral or intellectual position firmly.
5. Capacity or potential for effective action: a show of strength.
6.
a. The number of people constituting a normal or ideal organization: The police force has been at half strength since the budget cuts.
b. Military capability in terms of personnel and materiel: an army of fearsome strength.
7.
a. A source of power or force.
b. One that is regarded as the embodiment of protective or supportive power; a support or mainstay.
c. An attribute or quality of particular worth or utility; an asset.
8. Degree of intensity, force, effectiveness, or potency in terms of a particular property, as:
a. Degree of concentration, distillation, or saturation; potency.
b. Operative effectiveness or potency.
c. Intensity, as of sound or light.
d. Intensity or vehemence, as of emotion or language.
9. Effective or binding force; efficacy: the strength of an argument.
10. Firmness of or a continuous rising tendency in prices, as on the stock market.
11. Games Power derived from the value of playing cards held.
Idiom:
on the strength of
On the basis of: She was hired on the strength of her computer skills.
#### slave
n.
1. One bound in servitude as the property of a person or household.
2. One who is abjectly subservient to a specified person or influence: "I was still the slave of education and prejudice" (Edward Gibbon).
3. One who works extremely hard.
4. A machine or component controlled by another machine or component.
intr.v. slaved, slav·ing, slaves
1. To work very hard or doggedly; toil.
2. To trade in or transport slaves.
#### sorry
adj. sor·ri·er, sor·ri·est
1. Feeling or expressing sympathy, pity, or regret: I'm sorry I'm late.
2. Worthless or inferior; paltry: a sorry excuse.
3. Causing sorrow, grief, or misfortune; grievous: a sorry development.
#### stable
adj. sta·bler, sta·blest
1.
a. Resistant to change of position or condition; not easily moved or disturbed: a house built on stable ground; a stable platform.
b. Not subject to sudden or extreme change or fluctuation: a stable economy; a stable currency.
c. Maintaining equilibrium; self-restoring: a stable aircraft.
2. Enduring or permanent: a stable peace.
3.
a. Consistently dependable; steadfast of purpose.
b. Not subject to mental illness or irrationality: a stable personality.
4. Physics Having no known mode of decay; indefinitely long-lived. Used of atomic particles.
5. Chemistry Not easily decomposed or otherwise modified chemically.
#### submit
v. sub·mit·ted, sub·mit·ting, sub·mits
v.tr.
1. To yield or surrender (oneself) to the will or authority of another.
2. To subject to a condition or process.
3. To commit (something) to the consideration or judgment of another. See Synonyms at propose.
4. To offer as a proposition or contention: I submit that the terms are entirely unreasonable.
v.intr.
1. To give in to the authority, power, or desires of another. See Synonyms at yield.
2. To allow oneself to be subjected to something.
[Middle English submitten, from Latin submittere, to set under : sub-, sub- + mittere, to cause to go.]
sub·mittal (-mtl) n.
sub·mitter n.
#### submissive
adj.
Inclined or willing to submit.
sub·missive·ly adv.
sub·missive·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
submissive [s?b'm?s?v]
adj
of, tending towards, or indicating submission, humility, or servility
submissively adv
submissiveness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
#### sympathy
n. pl. sym·pa·thies
1.
a. A relationship or an affinity between people or things in which whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other.
b. Mutual understanding or affection arising from this relationship or affinity.
2.
a. The act or power of sharing the feelings of another.
b. A feeling or an expression of pity or sorrow for the distress of another; compassion or commiseration. Often used in the plural. See Synonyms at pity.
3. Harmonious agreement; accord: He is in sympathy with their beliefs.
4. A feeling of loyalty; allegiance. Often used in the plural: His sympathies lie with his family.
5. Physiology A relation between parts or organs by which a disease or disorder in one induces an effect in the other.
#### true
adj. tru·er, tru·est
1.
a. Consistent with fact or reality; not false or erroneous. See Synonyms at real1. See Usage Note at fact.
b. Truthful.
2. Real; genuine. See Synonyms at authentic.
3. Reliable; accurate: a true prophecy.
4. Faithful, as to a friend, vow, or cause; loyal. See Synonyms at faithful.
5. Sincerely felt or expressed; unfeigned: true grief.
6. Fundamental; essential: his true motive.
7. Rightful; legitimate: the true heir.
8. Exactly conforming to a rule, standard, or pattern: trying to sing true B.
9. Accurately shaped or fitted: a true wheel.
10. Accurately placed, delivered, or thrown.
11. Quick and exact in sensing and responding.
12. Determined with reference to the earth's axis, not the magnetic poles: true north.
13. Conforming to the definitive criteria of a natural group; typical: The horseshoe crab is not a true crab.
14. Narrowly particularized; highly specific: spoke of probity in the truest sense of the word.
15. Computer Science Indicating one of two possible values taken by a variable in Boolean logic or a binary device.
adv.
1. In accord with reality, fact, or truthfulness.
2. Unswervingly; exactly: The archer aimed true.
3. So as to conform to a type, standard, or pattern.
tr.v. trued, tru·ing or true·ing, trues
To position (something) so as to make it balanced, level, or square: trued up the long planks.
n.
1. Truth or reality. Used with the.
2. Proper alignment or adjustment: out of true.
[Middle English trewe, from Old English trowe, firm, trustworthy; see deru- in Indo-European roots.]
trueness n.
Word History: The words true and tree are joined at the root, etymologically speaking. In Old English, the words looked and sounded much more alike than they do now: "tree" was trow and "true" was trowe. The first of these comes from the Germanic noun *trewam; the second, from the adjective *treuwaz. Both these Germanic words ultimately go back to an Indo-European root *deru- or *dreu-, appearing in derivatives referring to wood and, by extension, firmness. Truth may be thought of as something firm; so too can certain bonds between people, like trust, another derivative of the same root. A slightly different form of the root, *dru-, appears in the word druid, a type of ancient Celtic priest; his name is etymologically *dru-wid-, or "strong seer."
#### trust
n.
1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
2. Custody; care.
3. Something committed into the care of another; charge.
4.
a. The condition and resulting obligation of having confidence placed in one: violated a public trust.
b. One in which confidence is placed.
5. Reliance on something in the future; hope.
6. Reliance on the intention and ability of a purchaser to pay in the future; credit.
7. Law
a. A legal title to property held by one party for the benefit of another.
b. The confidence reposed in a trustee when giving the trustee legal title to property to administer for another, together with the trustee's obligation regarding that property and the beneficiary.
c. The property so held.
8. A combination of firms or corporations for the purpose of reducing competition and controlling prices throughout a business or an industry.
v. trust·ed, trust·ing, trusts
v.intr.
1. To have or place reliance; depend: Trust in the Lord. Trust to destiny.
2. To be confident; hope.
3. To sell on credit.
v.tr.
1. To have or place confidence in; depend on.
2. To expect with assurance; assume: I trust that you will be on time.
3. To believe: I trust what you say.
4. To place in the care of another; entrust.
5. To grant discretion to confidently: Can I trust them with the boat?
6. To extend credit to.
Idiom:
in trust
In the possession or care of a trustee.
[Middle English truste, perhaps from Old Norse traust, confidence; see deru- in Indo-European roots.]
#### truth
Noun:
The quality or state of being true: "the truth of her accusation".
That which is true or in accordance with fact or reality: "tell me the truth".
#### understand
v. un·der·stood (-std), un·der·stand·ing, un·der·stands
v.tr.
1. To perceive and comprehend the nature and significance of; grasp. See Synonyms at apprehend.
2. To know thoroughly by close contact or long experience with: That teacher understands children.
3.
a. To grasp or comprehend the meaning intended or expressed by (another): They have trouble with English, but I can understand them.
b. To comprehend the language, sounds, form, or symbols of.
4. To know and be tolerant or sympathetic toward: I can understand your point of view even though I disagree with it.
5. To learn indirectly, as by hearsay: I understand his departure was unexpected.
6. To infer: Am I to understand you are staying the night?
7. To accept (something) as an agreed fact: It is understood that the fee will be 50 dollars.
8. To supply or add (words or a meaning, for example) mentally.
v.intr.
1.
a. To have understanding, knowledge, or comprehension.
b. To have sympathy or tolerance.
2. To learn something indirectly or secondhand; gather.
[Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan : under-, under- + standan, to stand; see st- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
understand [??nd?'stænd]
vb -stands, -standing, -stood
1. (may take a clause as object) to know and comprehend the nature or meaning of I understand you I understand what you mean
2. (may take a clause as object) to realize or grasp (something) he understands your position
3. (tr; may take a clause as object) to assume, infer, or believe I understand you are thinking of marrying
4. (tr) to know how to translate or read can you understand Spanish?
5. (tr; may take a clause as object; often passive) to accept as a condition or proviso it is understood that children must be kept quiet
6. (tr) to be sympathetic to or compatible with we understand each other
[Old English understandan; related to Old Frisian understonda, Middle High German understan step under; see under, stand]
understandable adj
understandably adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
appreciate, recognize, understand - The use of "appreciate" should involve valuing something or understanding it sympathetically; when there is no value or sympathy, use "recognize" or "understand"; appreciate first meant "set at a price; appraised."
#### value
n.
1. An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return.
2. Monetary or material worth: the fluctuating value of gold and silver.
3. Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit: the value of an education.
4. A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable: "The speech was a summons back to the patrician values of restraint and responsibility" (Jonathan Alter).
5. Precise meaning or import, as of a word.
6. Mathematics An assigned or calculated numerical quantity.
7. Music The relative duration of a tone or rest.
8. The relative darkness or lightness of a color. See Table at color.
9. Linguistics The sound quality of a letter or diphthong.
10. One of a series of specified values: issued a stamp of new value.
tr.v. val·ued, val·u·ing, val·ues
1. To determine or estimate the worth or value of; appraise.
2. To regard highly; esteem. See Synonyms at appreciate.
3. To rate according to relative estimate of worth or desirability; a unit of currency, for example).
****Ending here for now as my eyes are crossing from cross-referencing, even then, already updated it at least twice lol****
