The Hindu Editorial (​Meaningless formality) – Jan 22, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (​Meaningless formality) – Jan 22, 2026:

1. conduct (noun) –  behaviour.
2. undermine (verb) – weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.
3. counterpart (noun) – a person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another in a different place or situation; equivalent, match, peer.
4. customary (adjective) – traditional, standard, conventional, usual.
5. Assembly (noun) – the legislature of State government in the Indian system of government with elected representatives by the voters of an electoral districts (constituencies); law-making body or governing body.
6. legislative assembly (noun): Also known as Vidhan Sabha; it is the lower house in the states and union territories of India that have a bicameral legislature. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people through assembly elections. The term of the Legislative Assembly is five years unless dissolved earlier. A member of a Legislative Assembly is referred to as an MLA.
7. address (noun) – speech, lecture, talk, discourse.
8. unsubstantiated (adjective) – groundless, ill-founded, unproven, baseless.
9. claim (noun) – assertion, affirmation, statement.
10. walk out (phrasal verb) – leave suddenly; depart.
11. digress (verb) – deviate, diverge, depart, drift, go off.
12. clear (verb) – endorse, give approval to.
13. long-serving (adjective) – expert, seasoned, matured, established/experienced (person in an area of activity).
14. time-honoured (adjective) – well established, long-established, long-standing, deep-rooted, enduring, constant, persistent, continuing (for a long time).
15. convention (noun) – tradition, practice, custom, formality; standard, norm, regulation.
16. monarch (noun) – emperor, ruler, king.
17. depart (verb) – leave, go away, run away, flee, exit.
18. Westminster (noun) – a place/town (borough) in London which contains the Houses of Parliament and many government offices).
19. parliamentary democracy (noun) – a system of government in which citizens elect representatives to a legislative parliament to make the necessary laws and decisions for the country.
20. mouthpiece (noun) – a media outlet that expresses the opinions or policies of a specific (political/religious) entity, such as a government, party, or organization.
21. penchant (noun) – interest, liking, disposition, inclination, partiality, preference, affection.
22. court (verb) – pursue, see, be involved with; curry favour with.
23. stick to (verb) – follow, obey, adhere, conform to.
24. strike a tone (phrase) – to describe the manner or attitude conveyed through someone’s speech or writing.
25. punctilious (adjective) – careful, diligent, attentive, painstaking, meticulous, thorough.
26. tone (noun) – style.
27. apparently (adverb) – seemingly, outwardly, allegedly, supposedly, ostensibly, at first glance.
28. violation (noun) – breach, contravention, infringement, breaking, non-observance.
29. favour (verb) – support, back, recommend, subscribe to, stand up for.
30. do away with (phrasal verb) – scrap, abolish, get rid of, quash, discard, eliminate, remove.
31. Article 87 of the Indian Constitution (noun) – It provides for the President’s special address to Parliament at the first session after each general election and at the first session of every year.
32. Article176 of the Indian Constitution (noun) – It provides for the Governor’s special address to the State Legislature at the first session after each general election and at the first session of every year.
33. legislature (noun) – law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, council, assembly.
34. the legislature (noun) – the House; a deliberative body of persons, usually elective, who are empowered to make, change, or repeal the laws of a country or state. India follows a bicameral (two chambers/parts) system at both the centre and state level.
35. anachronism (noun) – an old-fashioned thing that does not belong to the present time; an irrelevant or inappropriate thing exists in the wrong time period.
36. in line with (phrase) – in alignment with; in accordance with; conforming to
37. regime (noun) – government, system.
38. take it upon oneself (phrase) – to take the responsibility for.
39. repeal (verb) – invalidate, reverse, cancel, nullify, revoke.
40. outdated (adjective) – archaic, antique, ancient, out of date, outmoded, old-fashioned.
41. language (noun) – wording, expression, mode of expression.
42. borrow (verb) – take, abstract, lift, use as one’s own.
43. House of Commons (noun) – the lower house of the Parliament (of the United Kingdom) (“the House of Lords” is the upper house).
44. scrap (verb) – remove, discard, eliminate, get rid of, do away with.
45. Article 86 of the Indian Constitution (noun) – it empowers the President of India to address either House of Parliament or both Houses together and to send messages to them regarding pending bills or other matters.
46. Article 175 of the Indian Constitution (noun) – it empowers the Governor to address the State Legislature and to send messages to either House or both Houses of the Legislature regarding bills or other matters.
47. envisage (verb) – conceive, imagine, envision, think, perceive, apprehend.
48. constitution (noun) – body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter. 
49. The Constitution of India (noun) – India, also known as Bharat, is a Union of States. It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950.
50. letter and spirit (phrase) – (to obey) both literal interpretation/wording and the intent/purpose of the law.

Note :

1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc. from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.  

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

The Hindu Editorial (Meaningless formality) – Jan 22, 2026: