Autocracy

Autocracy-n
1-a government in which somebody holds unlimited power
2-the unlimited political power of a single ruler
3-a country governed by a single ruler who has unlimited power

Synonyms
dictatorship
monarchy
despotism
tyranny
democracy (antonym)

Authoritarian

Authoritariarn-adj
1-favoring strict rules and established authority
2-belonging to or believing in a political system in which obedience to the ruling person or group is strongly enforced

n
1-somebody who favors or maintains strict rules and obedience to authority
2-somebody who favors or belongs to a political system in which obedience to authority is strongly enforced

Austere

Austere-adj
1-imposing or suggesting physical hardship
2-grimly unsmiling, humorless, or suggesting strict self-denial
3-plain and simple, without luxury or self-indulgence
4-severly plain in design in lines, without distractions or decorations

Synonyms
severe
strict
stern
grave
sober
ascetic
serious
rigorous

Auspicious

Auspicious-adj
marked by lucky signs or good omens, and therefore by the promise of success or happiness

Synonyms
favorable
promising
positive
fortunate
propitious
lucky
good
inauspicious (antonym)

Auspice

Auspice-n
a sign or token for the future, especially a happy or promising one

npl-auspices
the help or supoort of a person or organization

Ausculate

Ausculate-vt
to listen to various sounds made by a patient's internal organs, usually with the help of a stethoscope, in order to make a diagnosis

Auricle

Auricle-n
1-the part of the external ear that projects outward from the head
Also called pinna
2-an ear-shaped muscular part that sticks out from the surface of each upper chamber (atrium) of the heart
3-an atrium of the heart (dated)

Auriferous

Auriferous-adj
used to describe rock or minerals that contain gold

Aureate

Aureate-adj
1-gold, gilded, golden, or gold-colored
2-expressed or written in a highly or excessively ornameted, florid, or elaborate style

Augury

Augury-n
1-the art, activity, prophecies, or pronouncements of an augur, soothsayer, or diviner
2-an indication of what will happen in the future

Synonyms
omen
sign
resage
warning
indication
signal
threat

Augur

Augur-n
1-a religious official in ancient Rome who interpreted natural phenomena, such as the flight of birds, as signs that the dieties favored or disapproved of actions propose by the city
2-any soothsayer, prophet, or diviner

vt
to suggest or indicate what will happen in the future

Synonyms
bode
promise
portend
foretell
predict

Augment

Augment-v
1-(vti) to grow, or to increase something in number, amount size, strength, or intensity (formal)
2-(vt) in music, to enlarge a perfect or major interval by a semitone

n
in Greek or Sanskrite grammar, a vowel prefixed to a verb, or added to its initial vowel so as to lengthen it into a diphthong, to form a past tense

Synonyms
supplement
add to
enlarge
expand
enhance
increase
boost
bump up
diminish (antonym)

Auger

Auger-n
a hand tool with a corkscrew-shaped bit for boring holes, or a larger tool, using the same principle, for boring holes in the ground

Auditory

Auditory-adj
relating to the sense, organs, or process of hearing

Synonyms
aural
hearing
accoustic
audio

Auditor

Auditor-n
1-somebody who is qualified to audit accounts or to conduct an audit of a department or organization
2-a student who attends a class without asking for or receiving graduation credit
3-a hearer or listener, for example, a member of an audience or somebody listening to somebody who is talking

Synonyms
assessor
examiner
inspector

Audit

Audit-n
1-a formal examination, correction, and official endorsing of financial accounts, especially those of a business, undertaken annually by an accountant
2-a systematic check or assessment, especially of the efficiency or effectiveness of an organization or department, typically carried out by an independent assessor

vt
1-to carry out an audit of the financial accounts of a business, department, or organization to establish accuracy or efficiency
2-to attend a class without asking for or receiving graduation credit for it, usually attending all the sessions but not doing the assignments

Synonyms
review
appraisal
check
inventory
inspection
examination
assessment

Andiophile

Andiophile-n
somebody who has an enthusiam for sound reproduction, especially hig-fidelity recordings or broadcasts of music

Audacious

Audacious-adj
bold, daring, or fearless, especially in challenging assumptions or conventions

Synonyms
daring
bold
brave
overconfident
risky
impudent
foolhardy
cowardly (antonym)

Au Courant

Au Courant-adj
abreast of the latest developments

SYnonyms
chic
stylish
smart
designer
in hip
up-to-the-minute
the latest thing
trendy
cool
happening
in vogue
modish
a la mode
up to date
modern

Atypical

Atypical-adj
not conforming to the usual type or expected pattern

Synonyms
uncharacteristic
weird
out of character
peculiar
out of the ordinary
out of the usual run of things
nonconforming
different
unusual
uncommon
strange
odd
abnormal
typical (antonym)

Attune

Attune-vt
to adjust or accustom something to become receptive or responsive to something else

Attrition

Attrition-n
1-the wearing away of a surface, typically by friction or abrasion
2-the gradual wearing away of morale and the powers of resistance by persistent attacks
3-the gradual reduction of the size of a workforce by not replacing personnel lost through retirement or resignation
4-remorse for sin typically engendered by the fear of damnation

Synonyms
abrasion
slow destruction
erosion
wear and tear
eating away
gnawing away
wearing away
grinding down

Attribute

Attribute-vt
1-to think of something as caused by a particular circumstance
2-to give credit for a certain thing, such as a work of art or literature, or a saying, to a perticualr person, often wrongly
3-to regard somebody or something as having particular qualities

n
a quality, property, or characteristic of somebody or something

Synonyms
quality
characteristic
trait
feature
point
power
aspect
element
part

Attenuated

Attenuated-adj
long, narrow, and sometimes tapering

Attest

Attest-vit
1-to show that something exists or is true or valid
2-to state that something is true, especially in a formal written statement

Synonyms
show
confirm
be evidence of
verify
bear out
demonstrate
make plain
prove
indicate
disprove (antonym)

Attenuate

Attenuate-v
1-(vti) to reduce the size, strength, or density of something, or to become thinner, weaker, or less dense
2-(vt) to reduce the virulence of a bacterium or virus, for example, by exposing it to heat or producing a culture of it in a special medium

Synonyms
satisfy
assuage
calm
sooth
ease
intensify (antonym)

Attar/atar

Attar/atar-n
essential oil extracted from flowers, especially the oil extracted from the rose petals.
Also called dotto

Synonyms
essence
perfume
extract
scented oil
essential oil
ditillate

Attainder

Attainder-n
in former times, the removal of the rights or the confiscation of the property of somebody outlawed or sentenced to death for a serious crime, often treason

Attache

Attache-n
somebody on the staff of a diplomatic mission who has responsibilities in a specific area

Synonyms
civil servant
ambassador
envy
representative
cultural attache
military attache
public servant