Saturday, August 15, 2009

Today's vocabulary Lesson

With so many words being thrown at us in regurgitated talking points. I wanted to stop and look up words and put a meaning behind what is running on a never-ending cycle of banter in the news.

Tyranny:

Date: 14th century
1 : oppressive power ; especially : oppressive power exerted by government
2 a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant
3 : a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force
4 : a tyrannical act



Globalization:

Function: noun
Date: 1951
: the act or process of globalizing : the state of being globalized; especially : the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets



Global Village: The world regarded as having become a single community by the effects of mass media, rapid travel, etc.



Polarization:

Pronunciation: \ˌ-lə-rə-ˈ-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 1812
1 : the action of polarizing or state of being or becoming polarized: as a (1) : the action or process of affecting radiation and especially light so that the vibrations of the wave assume a definite form (2) : the state of radiation affected by this process b : an increase in the resistance of an electrolytic cell often caused by the deposition of gas on one or both electrodes c : magnetization 2 a : division into two opposites b : concentration about opposing extremes of groups or interests formerly ranged on a continuum


Socialism:

Function: noun
Date: 1837
1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done.

Marxism:

Function: noun
Date: 1887
: the political, economic, and social principles and policies advocated by Marx; especially : a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society
— Marx·ist \-sist\ noun or adjective

Tort:
Function: noun
Date: 1586
: a wrongful act other than a breach of contract for which relief may be obtained in the form of damages or an injunction

Which means that Tort Reform would be needed to help defray insurance costs for the outrageous number of malpractice suits in our courts today?

I am sure there are more words that are being used today.....I just can't remember them, but I will and as I do, they will be promptly looked up and recorded here.

1 comment:

Suzanne said...

Definitions ... a good idea.