synthesis – the mixing of different ideas, influences, or things to make a whole that is different,

or new:
- He describes his latest record as 'a synthesis of African and Latin rhythms'.
incursion – a sudden attack on or act of going into a place, especially across a border:
- incursions into enemy territory
displace – C1 to force something or someone out of its usual or original position:
- The building of a new dam will displace thousands of people who live in this area.
persistence – C2 the fact that someone or something persists:
- Most financial analysts have been surprised by the persistence of the recession.
persist – C2 If an unpleasant feeling or situation persists, it continues to exist:
- If the pain persists, consult a doctor.
defy – C2 to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.:
- It is rare to see children were openly defying their teachers.
driven – describes someone who is so determined to achieve something or be successful that
all their behaviour is directed towards this aim:
- Like most of the lawyers that I know, Rachel is driven.
inconclusive – not giving or having a result or decision:
- The evidence is inconclusive.
comprehensive – C1 complete and including everything that is necessary:
- We offer you a comprehensive training in all aspects of the business.
primer old-fashioned – a small book containing basic facts about a subject, used especially
when you are beginning to learn about that subject
nuanced – made slightly different in appearance, meaning, sound, etc.:
- His London accent is very slightly nuanced by an occasional Russian pronunciation.
dead end – a situation that has no hope of making progress:
- Negotiators have reached a dead end in their attempts to find a peaceful solution.
dehumanize – to remove from a person the special human qualities of independent thought,
feeling for other people, etc.:
- It's a totalitarian regime that reduces and dehumanizes its population.
mutilate – to damage something severely, especially by violently removing a part:
- Her body had been mutilated beyond recognition.
massacre – C2 an act of killing a lot of people:
 - He ordered the massacre of 2,000 women and children.
genocide – the murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race, or religious
group:
- victims of genocide
egalitarian (formal) – believing that all people are equally important and should have the same
rights and opportunities in life:
- an egalitarian society
undermine – C2 to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to
make something weaker, often gradually:
- The president has accused two cabinet ministers of working secretly to undermine his
position/him.
skeletal – describes something that exists in its most basic form:
- The newspaper report gave only a skeletal account of the debate.
trauma – C2 (a) severe emotional shock and pain caused by an extremely upsetting experience:
- the trauma of marriage breakdown
spark – C2 a first small event or problem that causes a much worse situation to develop:
- That small incident was the spark that set off the street riots.
cannibal – a person who eats human flesh, or an animal that eats the flesh of animals of its own
type
spur – C2 to encourage an activity or development or make it happen faster:
- Rising consumer sales have the effect of spurring the economy to faster growth.
recount – to describe how something happened, or to tell a story:
- He recounted his adventures since he had left home.
prospect – B2 the possibility that something good might happen in the future:
- Is there any prospect of the weather improving?
propel sb into/to/towards sth – to cause someone to do an activity or be in a situation:
- The film propelled him to international stardom.
enslave – to control and keep someone forcefully in a bad situation, or to make a slave of
someone:
- Women in this region were enslaved by poverty.
factor – B2 a fact or situation that influences the result of something:
- People's voting habits are influenced by political, social and economic factors.
wane – to become weaker in strength or influence:
- By the late 70s the band's popularity was beginning to wane.
fiercely – in a frightening, violent, or powerful way:
- to growl/fight fiercely
premature – happening or done too soon, especially before the natural or suitable time:
- premature birth/death
ill- – in a way that is bad or not suitable:
- ill-prepared
provocation – C2 an action or statement that is intended to make someone angry:
- He'd fly into a rage at the slightest provocation.
dilemma – B2 a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different
things you could do:
- The president is clearly in a dilemma about/over how to tackle the crisis.
preventive – C2 intended to stop something before it happens:
- In the past ten years, preventive measures have radically reduced levels of tooth decay in
children.
pre-emptive (formal) – describes something that is done before other people can act, especially
to prevent them from doing something else:
- The Treasury has decided to raise interest rates as a pre-emptive measure against
inflation.
ominous – suggesting that something unpleasant is likely to happen:
- There was an ominous silence when I asked whether my contract was going to be
renewed.
warmonger (disapproving) – a politician or other leader who is often encouraging a country to
go to war
hubris (literary) – a way of talking or behaving that is too proud:
- He was punished for his hubris.
in/for the foreseeable future – C2 as far into the future as you can imagine or plan for:
- I'll certainly carry on living here for the foreseeable future.