The New Word Project

This project is just a little bit of fun for me. There are 161 definitions in the project. Most definitions were taken from Terminology app, which is based on the Princeton University’s WordNet lexical database. You can use the tools below to filter and sort all of the entries.

  • ab initio

    ab initio

    Latin terms are always so interesting and useful. Lets start this one at the begining....

    Added 09/07/19 and includes: Story Image
  • acquiescence

    acquiescence Noun acceptance without protest Less specific acceptance Related ...

    Added 05/01/14
  • agglutination

    agglutination Noun a clumping of bacteria or red cells when held together by antibodies (agglutinins) Less specific ...

    Added 03/15/15
  • amalgam

    amalgam Noun an alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and...

    Added 02/23/15
  • amorphous

    amorphous Adjective having no definite form or distinct shape; “amorphous clouds of insects”; “an aggregate of formless particles”; ...

    Added 03/30/15
  • anachronistic

    anachronistic Adjective chronologically misplaced; “English public schools are anachronistic” Synonyms ...

  • anapaest

    anapaest Noun a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables Synonyms anapest ...

    Added 02/16/15
  • anathema

    anathema Noun a detested person; “he is an anathema to me” Synonyms bete noire L...

    Added 02/22/15
  • anneal

    anneal Verb bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling; “temper glass” ...

    Added 08/25/15
  • anthropocentric

    anthropocentric

    Isn't pretty much anything that most people do human centered? Not saying that's how it should be, but more an observation.

    Added 10/11/19 and includes: Story Image
  • anthroposophy

    anthroposophy

    anthroposophy Noun a system of beliefs and practices based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner; it claims to integrate the practical...

    Added 07/05/21 and includes: Image
  • apraxia

    apraxia Noun inability to make purposeful movements Less specific brain disorder encephalopa...

    Added 10/31/14
  • argumentation

    argumentation Noun a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal; “the argument over forei...

    Added 07/22/18
  • armature

    armature Noun coil in which voltage is induced by motion through a magnetic field Less specific coil ...

    Added 09/20/17
  • avant-garde

    avant-garde Noun any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especi...

    Added 02/27/14
  • axiology

    Axiology Noun the study of values and value judgments Less specific philosophy R...

    Added 08/24/19
  • basilar

    basilar

    basilar Adjective of or relating to or located at the base; “the basilar membrane of the cochlea” Synonyms ...

    Added 05/05/20 and includes: Image
  • befuddle

    befuddle Verb be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; “These questions confuse even the experts”; “This ...

    Added 07/24/14
  • beleaguer

    beleaguer Verb annoy persistently; “The children teased the boy because of his stammer” Synonyms tease...

    Added 07/24/14
  • bivouac

    bivouac

    Emergency military housing. I would not have guessed this was the meaning from the context.

    Added 09/20/19 and includes: Story Image
  • blustery

    blustery Adjective blowing in violent and abrupt bursts; “blustering (or blusterous) winds of Patagonia”; “a cold blustery day”; “a ...

    Added 03/06/15
  • bombastic

    bombastic Adjective ostentatiously lofty in style; “a man given to large talk”; “tumid political prose” Synonyms ...

    Added 11/22/14
  • bon vivant

    bon vivant Noun a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink) Synonyms ...

    Added 03/01/14
  • cacophony

    cacophony Noun a loud harsh or strident noise Synonyms blare blaring clamor ...

    Added 12/27/14
  • capricious

    capricious Adjective changeable; “a capricious summer breeze”; “freakish weather” Synonyms freakish ...

    Added 11/26/14
  • centrifugal versus centripetal

    centrifugal versus centripetal

    This paradox between things that drive you to the center and away at the same time is an interesting description.

    Added 11/03/19 and includes: Story Image
  • chagrin

    chagrin Noun strong feelings of embarrassment Synonyms humiliation mortification ...

    Added 12/07/14
  • chattel

    chattel

    I hadn't ever heard this term. It is still so crazy to think of people being possessions.

    Added 10/04/19 and includes: Story Image
  • chauvinism

    chauvinism

    The concept of fanaticism is interesting. In some contexts I guess it can be a good thing. Pretty sure the authors didn’t mean the second...

    Added 09/16/19 and includes: Story Image
  • clandestine

    clandestine Adjective conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; “clandestine intelligence operations”; “cloak-and-dagger a...

    Added 07/22/14
  • cocksure

    cocksure

    cocksure Adjective marked by excessive confidence; “an arrogant and cocksure materialist”; “so overconfident and impudent as to spea...

    Added 03/06/20 and includes: Image
  • commensurate

    commensurate Adjective corresponding in size or degree or extent; “pay should be commensurate with the time worked” Anton...

    Added 03/19/14
  • compendium

    compendium Noun a publication containing a variety of works Synonyms collection ...

    Added 09/12/14
  • compensatory time

    compensatory time Noun time off that is granted to a worker as compensation for working overtime Less specific ...

    Added 09/13/14
  • concomitant

    concomitant

    I went to post this word, imagining that I hadn’t ever posted it before. It turns that that I did in August third of 2014. Now I have a s...

    Added 03/10/25 and includes: Story Image
  • conviviality

    conviviality Noun a jovial nature Synonyms joviality Less specific ...

    Added 08/31/19
  • deleterious

    deleterious

    Learning to be able to process things in a context related to both genders can be challenging.

    Added 10/11/19 and includes: Story Image
  • denizen

    denizen Noun a person who inhabits a particular place Synonyms inhabitant habitant ...

    Added 03/22/15
  • despotic

    despotic

    despotic Adjective belonging to or having the characteristics of a despot Synonyms despotical ...

    Added 11/02/19 and includes: Image
  • deus ex machina

    deus ex machina Noun any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an insoluble difficulty Less specific ...

    Added 07/26/14
  • dramaturgy

    dramaturgy

    I find the idea of how do I put myself into research a little difficult. While I get the idea that we all put ourselves into our research...

    Added 09/05/19 and includes: Story Image
  • ebullient

    ebullient Adjective joyously unrestrained Synonyms exuberant high-spirited ...

    Added 02/27/14
  • elephantine

    elephantine Adjective of great mass; huge and bulky; “a jumbo jet”; “jumbo shrimp” Synonyms gargantuan...

    Added 12/02/14
  • elucidate

    elucidate Verb make clear and (more) comprehensible; “clarify the mystery surrounding her death” Synonyms ...

    Added 03/25/15
  • elucidation

    elucidation Noun an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on Less specific explanat...

    Added 03/28/14
  • envisage

    envisage

    The idea of looking at things we can't quite see yet is interesting.

    Added 10/12/19 and includes: Story Image
  • epicurean

    epicurean Noun a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink) Synonyms ...

    Added 03/01/14
  • epistemology

    epistemology Noun the philosophical theory of knowledge Less specific philosophy ...

    Added 08/24/19
  • equipoise

    equipoise Noun equality of distribution Synonyms balance equilibrium counterbalanc...

    Added 02/26/14
  • equivoque

    equivoque Noun an expression capable of having more than one meaning; a pun. the fact of having more than one meaning or possible int...

    Added 02/22/15
  • eros

    eros

    When I was reading Coats, I was very taken with discussion and focus on the body. While not the same context it is connected.

    Added 11/23/25 and includes: Story Image
  • exegesis

    exegesis Noun an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible) Less specific interp...

    Added 09/19/14
  • exogenous

    exogenous

    The contrast of exogenous and endogenous is a good description for many things. Being able to identify whether something originates inter...

    Added 02/16/20 and includes: Story Image
  • fennel

    fennel Noun any of several aromatic herbs having edible seeds and leaves and stems Less specific herb ...

    Added 12/20/14
  • filial

    filial Adjective designating the generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation Antonyms ...

    Added 02/23/15
  • flummox

    flummox Verb be a mystery or bewildering to; “This beats me!”; “Got me–I don’t know the answer!”; “a vexing problem”; “This question...

    Added 09/07/15
  • generative

    generative

    I was preparing to create [these pages](/new-word-project/) and so I was trying to find an interesting word in one of my recent readings.

     and includes: Story Image
  • gentrification

    gentrification Noun the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middle class (resulting in the displacement of low-income residen...

    Added 06/10/14
  • genuflect

    genuflect Verb bend the knees and bow in church or before a religious superior or image Less specific ...

    Added 12/04/14
  • germane

    germane Adjective relevant and appropriate; “he asks questions that are germane and central to the issue” Similar to ...

    Added 04/16/14
  • gerontological

    gerontological Adjective of or relating to or practicing geriatrics; “geriatric hospital” Synonyms ger...

    Added 10/12/14
  • gestalt

    gestalt

    I guess I didn’t realize the photos made of other photos were called gestalt. Interesting term and connects well with synergy.

    Added 09/16/19 and includes: Story Image
  • gossamer

    gossamer Noun a gauze fabric with an extremely fine texture Less specific gauze netting ...

    Added 09/22/16
  • gregarious

    gregarious Adjective (of animals) tending to form a group with others of the same species; “gregarious bird species” Anto...

    Added 03/01/14
  • haberdasher

    haberdasher Noun a merchant who sells men’s clothing Synonyms clothier Less spec...

    Added 12/16/14
  • hackneyed

    hackneyed Adjective repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse; “bromidic sermons”; “his remarks were trite and commonplace”; ...

    Added 08/27/19
  • hagiography

    hagiography Noun a biography that idealizes or idolizes the person (especially a person who is a saint) Less specific ...

    Added 03/26/15
  • hegemony

    hegemony

    Discussion about oppression and power is important to have. Several of my readings today are about decentralizing western culture.

    Added 02/08/20 and includes: Story Image
  • hermeneutics

    Hermeneutics Noun the branch of theology that deals with principles of exegesis Less specific theology...

    Added 08/30/19
  • heterogeneous

    heterogeneous Adjective consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature; “the population of the United States is vast...

    Added 08/03/14
  • ichthyosis

    ichthyosis Noun any of several congenital diseases in which the skin is dry and scaly like a fish Less specific ...

    Added 04/02/14
  • iconoclastic

    iconoclastic

    Such a relevant word for these times.

    Added 09/18/19 and includes: Story Image
  • idiographic

    idiographic

    It's so interesting the parallels that I'm seeing in-between my teaching and my Ph.D. program.

    Added 09/08/19 and includes: Story Image
  • idiosyncratic

    idiosyncratic Adjective peculiar to the individual; “we all have our own idiosyncratic gestures”; “Michelangelo’s highly idiosyncrat...

  • impetus

    impetus Noun a force that moves something along Synonyms drift impulsion ...

    Added 02/23/14
  • in vitro

    in vitro Adjective of a biological process occurring in an artificial environment outside the living organism; “in vitro fertilizati...

    Added 08/30/19
  • in vivo

    in vivo Adjective of a biological process occurring within a living organism; “in vivo techniques” Antonyms ...

    Added 08/30/19
  • inclement

    inclement Adjective (of weather or climate) severe Antonyms clement See also ...

    Added 03/03/14
  • incredulity

    incredulity

    The list of ways in which white Americans avoid facing their unhealed trauma is interesting. It can be easy to have this doubt that he de...

    Added 09/18/19 and includes: Story Image
  • inculcate

    inculcate Verb teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions; “inculcate values into the young generation” Syn...

    Added 07/09/18
  • Individuate

    individuate Verb give individual character to Less specific characterize characterise ...

    Added 07/09/18
  • inflammable

    inflammable Adjective easily ignited Synonyms flammable Similar to ...

    Added 10/30/16
  • Interlocutor

    Interlocutor

    Great word for being a participant in a dialog. Makes me think of being in the middle, very participatory.

    Added 09/12/19 and includes: Story Image
  • interregnum

    interregnum

    Here is to hoping that there is a quickly closing time in-between this administration and the next.

    Added 11/22/19 and includes: Story Image
  • inviolable

    inviolable

    This is a great concept

    Added 10/26/19 and includes: Story Image
  • jeremiad

    jeremiad

    There are so many things that we can lament about, what can we do to bring hope?

    Added 10/26/19 and includes: Story Image
  • Kafkaesque

    Kafkaesque

    I guess I have heard of Kafka, but never read anything by him.

    Added 02/09/20 and includes: Story Image
  • kotow

    kotow Noun a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission Synonyms ...

    Added 01/01/15
  • lacuna

    lacuna Noun a blank gap or missing part Synonyms blank Less specific ...

    Added 01/29/17
  • laudable

    laudable Adjective worthy of high praise; “applaudable efforts to save the environment”; “a commendable sense of purpose”; “laudable...

    Added 01/02/15
  • liaise

    liaise Verb act between parties with a view to reconciling differences; “He interceded in the family dispute”; “He mediated a settle...

    Added 06/14/17
  • licentious

    licentious

    licentious adjective lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained Similar unchaste Derived F...

    Added 11/06/25 and includes: Image
  • locum tenens

    locum tenens Noun someone (physician or clergyman) who substitutes temporarily for another member of the same profession ...

    Added 04/01/15
  • lubricious

    lubricious Adjective having a smooth or slippery quality; “the skin of cephalopods is thin and lubricious” Similar to ...

    Added 09/19/14
  • malady

    malady Noun any unwholesome or desperate condition; “what maladies afflict our nation?” Less specific ...

    Added 02/25/14
  • mezzanine

    mezzanine Noun first or lowest balcony Synonyms first balcony Less specific ...

    Added 09/09/17
  • mongoloid

    mongoloid Noun a member of the Mongoloid family Less specific Asian Asiatic ...

    Added 02/24/15
  • morose

    morose Adjective showing a brooding ill humor; “a dark scowl”; “the proverbially dour New England Puritan”; “a glum, hopeless shrug”...

    Added 02/22/14
  • myopic

    myopic

    The idea of seeing the forest from the trees, it is so hard to see further than what is right in front of us sometimes.

    Added 09/26/19 and includes: Story Image
  • nascent

    nascent

    This is an interesting thought yo think about how ideas are born.

    Added 10/27/19 and includes: Story Image
  • nihilism

    nihilism Noun a revolutionary doctrine that advocates destruction of the social system for its own sake Less specific ...

    Added 09/02/19
  • obfuscate

    obfuscate Verb make obscure or unclear Antonyms clarify clear up elucidate ...

    Added 08/11/14
  • oligopoly

    oligopoly Noun (economics) a market in which control over the supply of a commodity is in the hands of a small number of producers a...

    Added 04/24/14
  • ontology

    ontology Noun (computer science) a rigorous and exhaustive organization of some knowledge domain that is usually hierarchical and co...

    Added 08/24/19
  • panacea

    panacea Noun (Greek mythology) the goddess of healing; daughter of Aesculapius and sister of Hygeia Is a ...

    Added 08/21/15
  • Pangloss

    Pangloss

    Pangloss Noun an incurable optimist in a satire by Voltaire Is a fictional character fictiti...

    Added 03/17/20 and includes: Image
  • panoptic

    panoptic

    I want to be able to take a panoptic view in life.

    Added 07/01/25 and includes: Story Image
  • paradigmatic

    paradigmatic Adjective of or relating to a grammatical paradigm; “paradigmatic inflection” Pertains to ...

    Added 01/01/16
  • parallax

    parallax Noun the apparent displacement of an object as seen from two different points that are not on a line with the object ...

    Added 06/15/14
  • parochial

    parochial Adjective relating to or supported by or located in a parish; “parochial schools” Pertains to ...

    Added 08/07/14
  • paroxysm

    paroxysm Noun a sudden uncontrollable attack; “a paroxysm of giggling”; “a fit of coughing”; “convulsions of laughter” Sy...

    Added 08/31/19
  • pastiche

    pastiche Noun a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources Synonyms...

    Added 03/08/15
  • patois

    patois

    While I love words I don’t know much about regional ideas

    Added 11/18/25 and includes: Story Image
  • Patrilocality

    Patrilocality

    I started reading Eisler and Fry (2019) in thinking about using partnership as a model for considering my dissertation research. I ended ...

    Added 01/30/24 and includes: Story Image
  • peccadillo

    peccadillo

    I always find words from Spanish that make their way into English interesting.

    Added 02/07/20 and includes: Story Image
  • pedagogy

    pedagogy Noun the principles and methods of instruction Synonyms teaching method pedagogics ...

    Added 03/15/14
  • pedantic

    pedantic Adjective marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects Synonyms ...

    Added 05/06/14
  • pernicious

    pernicious Adjective exceedingly harmful Synonyms baneful deadly pestilent ...

    Added 11/26/14
  • perseverate

    perseverate Verb psychology: repeat a response after the cessation of the original stimulus; “The subjects in this study perseverate...

    Added 03/05/14
  • plenary

    plenary Adjective full in all respects; “a plenary session of the legislature”; “a diplomat with plenary powers” Similar ...

    Added 07/23/14
  • polemic

    polemic

    The idea of have having these separate poles to so much in our world is interesting, but can be so dividing.

    Added 09/25/19 and includes: Story Image
  • polyglot

    polyglot

    I guess I'm am one of these... although I almost feel like it should be reserved for people who know more than two languages.

    Added 02/08/20 and includes: Story Image
  • positivism

    positivism Noun the form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation) ...

    Added 07/22/18
  • precipitous

    precipitous Adjective done with very great haste and without due deliberation; “hasty marriage seldom proveth well”- Shakespeare; “h...

    Added 10/21/14
  • prodigious

    prodigious Adjective so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe; “colossal crumbling ruins of an ancient temple”; “has a c...

    Added 11/22/14
  • progenitor

    progenitor Noun an ancestor in the direct line Synonyms primogenitor Less specif...

    Added 10/28/14
  • proletariat

    proletariat

    proletariat Noun a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages; “there is a shortage of skilled labor in thi...

    Added 05/22/20 and includes: Image
  • prolific

    prolific Adjective intellectually productive; “a prolific writer”; “a fecund imagination” Synonyms fec...

    Added 01/20/15
  • promulgate

    promulgate

    Maybe its the authoratiative nature of this word, but makes me think of pummeling .

    Added 11/08/19 and includes: Story Image
  • proprioception

    proprioception Noun the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts ...

    Added 11/03/14
  • protean

    protean Adjective taking on different forms; “eyes…of that baffling protean grey which is never twice the same” Similar t...

    Added 08/07/19
  • proxemics

    proxemics Noun the study of spatial distances between individuals in different cultures and situations Less specific ...

    Added 09/23/14
  • pusillanimity

    pusillanimity

    I hope to not fall prey to this too frequently. Id like to develop a higher level of courage in my life.

    Added 02/07/20 and includes: Story Image
  • quixotic

    quixotic

    quixotic adjective not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic Synonyms romantic wild-eye...

    Added 06/04/25 and includes: Image
  • rhizome

    rhizome

    This is a great concept for thinking about transdisplinarity (Td). I'm actually really enjoying diving into Td as a topic, and excited to...

    Added 02/14/20 and includes: Story Image
  • rogue

    rogue Noun a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel Synonyms knave rascal rapscallion ...

    Added 04/27/14
  • sacrosanct

    sacrosanct Adjective must be kept sacred Synonyms inviolable inviolate ...

    Added 11/15/15
  • salient

    salient Noun (military) the part of the line of battle that projects closest to the enemy Less specific ...

    Added 04/15/14
  • salutary

    salutary

    The new oxford dictionary also includes that it is often related to something negative. I wonder if we can call something like traumatic...

    Added 07/02/25 and includes: Story Image
  • scrivener

    scrivener Noun someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts Synonyms copyist ...

    Added 12/04/14
  • sequela

    sequela Noun any abnormality following or resulting from a disease or injury or treatment; “paralysis is one of the sequelae of poli...

    Added 01/29/17
  • sero-

    sero- combining form prefix: sero- relating to serum. “serotype” involving a serous membrane. “serositis” ...

    Added 02/26/14
  • serodiscordant

    serodiscordant Adjective serodiscordant (not comparable): Of a couple with one partner HIV positive and the other HIV negative....

    Added 02/26/14
  • soporific

    soporific Noun a drug that induces sleep Synonyms hypnotic Less specific ...

    Added 03/03/14
  • sordid

    sordid Adjective morally degraded; “a seedy district”; “the seamy side of life”; “sleazy characters hanging around casinos”; “sleazy...

    Added 08/31/19
  • spastic

    spastic Noun a person suffering from spastic paralysis Less specific paralytic ...

    Added 02/24/15
  • spindrift

    spindrift

    This word ellicits such a great picture. I really like it.

    Added 09/05/19 and includes: Story Image
  • stanchion

    stanchion Noun any vertical post or rod used as a support Less specific post

    Added 01/31/18
  • stymie

    stymie Noun a situation in golf where an opponent’s ball blocks the line between your ball and the hole Synonyms ...

    Added 07/22/18
  • sublimation

    sublimation Noun (chemistry) a change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid Less specific ...

    Added 07/20/15
  • syllogism

    syllogism

    I really enjoy the discussion of logic, and how we think. I haven't been exposed to many of the more formalized and academic terms and fo...

    Added 06/23/25 and includes: Story Image
  • synecdoche

    synecdoche

    synecdoche Noun substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa Less specific ...

    Added 03/14/20 and includes: Image
  • syntony

    syntony Noun the state of being normally responsive to and in harmony with the environment resonance 1b Origin of SYNTO...

    Added 06/30/14
  • tacit

    tacit Adjective implied by or inferred from actions or statements; “gave silent consent”; “a tacit agreement”; “the understood provi...

    Added 12/28/15
  • teleology

    teleology Noun (philosophy) a doctrine explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes Less specific ph...

    Added 07/22/18
  • tellurian

    tellurian

    It is always such a small feeling to imagine the cosmos.

    Added 11/02/19 and includes: Story Image
  • theodicy

    theodicy

    I'm finding this book interesting. The idea of people not necessarily being evil is a topic I'm pretty interested in.

    Added 11/22/19 and includes: Story Image
  • valence

    valence

    valence Noun (biology) a relative capacity to unite or react or interact as with antigens or a biological substrate Synon...

    Added 01/01/26 and includes: Image
  • vermiform

    vermiform

    I find some of the word choices and the descriptive phrases that Montuori uses both wonderful and funny.

    Added 09/12/19 and includes: Story Image
  • vestibular

    vestibular Adjective relating to the sense of equilibrium Pertains to equilibrium labyrinthi...

    Added 11/03/14
  • zygote

    zygote Noun (genetics) the diploid cell resulting from the union of a haploid spermatozoon and ovum (including the organism that dev...

    Added 07/27/14