The Hindu Editorial (​​Inglorious retreat) – Feb 25, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (​​Inglorious retreat) – Feb 25, 2026:

1. inglorious (adjective) – causing shame or a loss of honor; shameful, dishonourable, ignominious, disgraceful.
2. retreat (noun) – an act of withdrawing from a previous position, commitment, or responsibility; withdrawal, pull-back, backdown, retraction.
3. cow vigilantism (noun) – the extrajudicial and often violent practice of taking the law into one’s own hands under the pretext of protecting cows; extrajudicial cow protection, anti-slaughter mob justice, bovine vigilantism, unauthorized cow policing.
4. vigilantism (noun) – extrajudicial law enforcement undertaken by a self-appointed group of individuals without legitimate legal authority; extrajudicial enforcement, self-appointed policing, mob justice, self-styled justice.
5. uphold (verb) – confirm, endorse, sustain, validate.
6. directive (noun) – an official or authoritative instruction or ruling issued by a legal or governmental body; instruction, order, command, mandate.
7. shocking (adjective) – appalling, horrific, dreadful, scandalous.
8. wash one’s hands of (phrase) – to deliberately absolve oneself of responsibility or refuse to be involved with a matter any longer; abandon, renounce, disown, reject.
9. mob (noun) – a large, disorderly, and potentially violent crowd of people acting without legal authority; crowd, horde.
10. in the name of (phrase) – for the sake of or ostensibly under the pretext of a specific cause; on behalf of, under the guise of, purportedly for, ostensibly for.
11. trajectory (noun) – the path or course of development that a specific process or event follows over time; course, path, route, direction.
12. foretold (verb) – past tense of foretell; predicted, forecasted, anticipated.
13. outcome (noun) – result, consequence, conclusion, aftermath.
14. diffidence (noun) – hesitancy or reluctance to act, particularly stemming from a lack of self-confidence or assertiveness; hesitancy, reluctance, timidity, reticence.
15. in the face of (phrase) – when confronted with or despite being challenged by a particular situation; despite, notwithstanding, regardless of, confronted by.
16. majoritarian (adjective) – governed by or predicated on the decisions and dominance of a majority group, often marginalizing minorities; majority-ruled, dominant-group, populist, majority-centric.
17. observe (verb) – remark, comment, state.
18. prosecute (verb) – charge, indict, litigate, take to court, try in court, bring to trial.
19. mobocracy (noun) – a system or situation wherein rule or domination is exerted by the masses or an unruly mob; ochlocracy, mob rule, mass rule, anarchic rule.
20. unmanageable (adjective) – uncontrollable, ungovernable, intractable, unwieldy.
21. take up (phrasal verb) – address, handle, tackle, undertake.
22. merit (noun) – the intrinsic, objective rights and wrongs of a legal case or argument, independent of external considerations; worthiness, excellence, validity, substance.
23. go on to (phrasal verb) – proceed, continue, advance, progress.
24. infringe (verb) – violate, breach, contravene, transgress.
25. seek (verb) – request, solicit, pursue, ask for.
26. legal recourse (noun) – the formal legal means or remedies available to demand redress or compensation for harm suffered; legal remedy, judicial relief, legal action, legal resolution.
27. recourse (noun) – a source of help, alternative, or remedy sought in a difficult or legally challenging situation; remedy, alternative, option, resort.
28. contempt proceeding (noun) – a formal legal process initiated to declare an individual or entity in contempt of court for defying a judicial order; contempt action, defiance hearing, non-compliance proceeding, punitive hearing.
29. proceeding (noun) – legal action, hearing, trial, lawsuit.
30. punitive (adjective) – penal, disciplinary, retaliatory, punishing.
31. remedial (adjective) – corrective, restorative, rectifying, ameliorative.
32. measure (noun) – step, action, procedure.
33. Bench (noun) – the judge or panel of judges presiding over and dictating the decisions of a court of law; judges, judiciary, court, tribunal.
34. Division Bench (noun) – a judicial panel of a high court or supreme court consisting specifically of two judges; two-judge panel, dual-judge bench, appellate bench.
35. Constitution Bench (noun) – a judicial panel of the Supreme Court of India comprising five or more judges to decide substantial constitutional questions; five-judge bench, constitutional panel, grand bench, higher bench.
36. dismay (noun) – a feeling of consternation, distress, or shock, typically caused by something unexpected or deeply concerning; alarm, shock, trepidation.
37. spate of (phrase) – a large, unusually frequent number of similar events occurring in quick succession; series, rash, wave, outbreak.
38. perpetrate (verb) – commit, execute, carry out, perform.
39. lynching (noun) – the extrajudicial killing or severe beating of an individual by a mob without legal trial or authority; mob execution, extrajudicial killing, vigilante murder, mob violence.
40. curb (verb) – restrain, check, control, contain.
41. cripple (verb) – disable, weaken, paralyse, debilitate.
42. stress (verb) – emphasize, highlight, underline, reiterate.
43. sacrosanct (adjective) – regarded as fundamentally too important, sacred, or valuable to be interfered with; inviolable, highly sacred, inviolate, unassailable.
44. watchdog (noun) – an individual, group, or institution that actively monitors practices to prevent illegal, unethical, or unconstitutional activities; monitor, observer, supervisor, custodian.
45. pronouncement (noun) – a formal, authoritative declaration, announcement, or ruling issued by a judicial or official body; declaration, decree, assertion, proclamation.
46. rule of law (phrase) – the fundamental legal principle that all persons and institutions are equally subject to and accountable to laws that are fairly applied and enforced; constitutionalism, due process, legal adherence, legal supremacy.
47. the highest court of the land (phrase) – the supreme and final judicial authority within a nation’s legal system; apex court, supreme court, ultimate tribunal, final court of appeal.
48. policing (noun) – law enforcement, patrolling, monitoring, regulation.
49. fidelity (noun) – strict and unwavering observance of duties, promises, or legal responsibilities; faithfulness, loyalty, adherence, allegiance.
50. bring to justice (phrase) – to successfully apprehend, formally charge, and try an individual in a court of law for a committed offense; prosecute, penalise, hold accountable, try.
51. acts of violence (phrase) – specific incidents involving the intentional use of physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill; violent deeds, brutalities, physical assaults, hostilities.
52. intervention (noun) – the action or process of intervening in a situation, especially by a judicial authority, to alter an outcome or enforce the law; involvement, mediation, arbitration, intercession.
53. revealing (adjective) – telling, significant, indicative, expressive.
54. reflect (verb) – indicate, display, demonstrate, exhibit.
55. monstrous (adjective) – exceptionally evil, legally or morally wrong, or horrifically disproportionate; heinous, atrocious, dreadful, horrifying.
56. overlook (verb) – ignore, disregard, neglect, bypass.
57. cow vigilante (noun) – a self-appointed individual who engages in unauthorized and often violent enforcement activities under the guise of cow protection; self-appointed cow protector, bovine defender, extrajudicial cow enforcer, anti-slaughter fanatic.
58. accord (verb) – grant, bestow, present, confer.
59. legal sanctity (noun) – the state of being formally recognized, protected, and rendered inviolable by the law; legal validity, lawful authority, judicial backing, legal inviolability.
60. sanctity (noun) – the state or quality of being considered holy, sacred, or legally inviolable; inviolability, sacredness, paramountcy, ultimate importance.
61. quasi-policing (noun) – activities resembling official law enforcement that are executed by entities or individuals lacking formal legal authority; semi-policing, pseudo-law enforcement, irregular policing, unofficial patrolling.
62. blatant (adjective) – done openly, unashamedly; flagrant, glaring, undisguised, brazen.
63. entertain (verb) – consider, countenance, deliberate over, contemplate.
64. empowerment (noun) – the process of delegating authority, granting legal capability, or bestowing autonomy upon an individual or group; authorization, enfranchisement, accreditation, enablement.
65. vigilante (noun) – a self-appointed individual who undertakes extrajudicial law enforcement and dispenses punishment without legitimate legal authority; extrajudicial punisher, self-appointed enforcer, private enforcer, avenger.
66. unabated (adjective) – undiminished, relentless, unremitting, unflagging.
67. look away (phrasal verb) – ignore, deliberately overlook, disregard, willfully ignore.
68. turn against (phrasal verb) – oppose, rebel against, show enmity toward, antagonize.
69. blow (noun) – setback, shock, reversal, detriment.
70. stick to (phrasal verb) – adhere strictly to, abide by, maintain, persist in.

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 (​Inglorious retreat) – Feb 25, 2026: