Carolina Institute for Faith & Culture

Paul Schleifer In common parlance, polygamy refers to being married to multiple spouses at the same time, and when people think of the word, they normally think of one man […]

Paul Schleifer According to the OED, a poem is a “piece of writing or an oral composition, often characterized by a metrical structure, in which the expression of feelings, ideas, […]

Paul Schleifer Beneficent means doing good or performing good deeds. Unlike beneficial, the emphasis is on the second (not the third) syllable: /bɪˈnɛfɪsənt/. The word evolves in English in a […]

Paul Schleifer A riposte is a “quick, sharp return in speech or action; a counterstroke,” according to www.dictionary.com. Synonyms would include comeback, quip, and retort. According to www.etymonline.com, the word […]

Paul Schleifer The emphasis is on the second syllable, not the first (/luːˈsɪfərəs/). It’s an adjective, as are all words that are derived from nouns by the addition of the […]

Paul Schleifer According to the OED, neologism means “the use of, or the practice of using, new words; innovation in language.” Here are some synonyms: coinage, slang, a new word. […]

Paul Schleifer According to the OED, to cajole someone is to “get one’s way with [that someone] by delusive flattery, specious promises, or any false means of persuasion.” Synonyms include […]

Paul Schleifer   The OED defines dictator as “A ruler or governor whose word is law; an absolute ruler of a state.” That is extended, as a kind of metaphor, […]

Paul Schleifer The definition of maladroit from www.dictionary.com is “lacking in adroitness,” a definition which appears somewhat circular, but then it is followed up with several synonyms: “unskillful; awkward; bungling; […]

Paul Schleifer The definition of apex on www.dictionary.com reads more like a list of synonyms than an actual definition: “1. the tip, point, or vertex; summit. 2. climax; peak; acme.” […]

Paul Schleifer According to the Oxford English Dictionary, denouement means “Unravelling; spec. the final unravelling of the complications of a plot in a drama, novel, etc.; the catastrophe; transf. the […]

Paul Schleifer There are two definitions of platitude in the OED, and it is the second one which is the more familiar. The first is “The quality (esp. in speech […]