The Hindu Editorial (The death debate) – Dec 01, 2018

In questioning the merits of retaining the death penalty, Justice Kurian Joseph has re-ignited a debate that is important and requires serious thought. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (The death debate) – Dec 01, 2018.

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Today’s word list-1 The Hindu Editorial (The death debate) – Dec 01, 2018:

merits (noun) – an essential inherent quality (rights and wrongs only) while evaluating a case (not by external aspects).
lay down (phrasal verb) – formulate, stipulate, enact (a rule).
uphold (verb) – confirm, endorse, justify.
hold the field (phrase) – continue to be the most important.
dimension (noun) – aspect, feature, element.
wisdom (noun) – (common) sense, wise thinking, perception/understanding.
underscore (verb) – emphasize, highlight, underline.
arbitrary (adjective) – capricious, random, unpredictable/inconsistent.
discourse (noun) – discussion, talk, debate.
freakishly (adverb) – strangely, unusually, surprisingly/eccentrically.
assertion (noun) – declaration/announcement, statement, opinion.
revolve around (phrasal verb) – be concerned with, be preoccupied with, focus/concentrate on.
gravity (noun) – seriousness, importance, significance.
fatality (noun) – death, casualty/mortality, victim.
outrage (noun) – fury, anger/wrath, indignation/resentment.
deterrence (noun) – the act of deterring/stopping someone from doing something.
clamour (noun) – protest, complaint, outcry/commotion.
befitting (adjective) – appropriate, suitable, proper.
ought to (modal verb) – must, should.
punitive (adjective) – penal, disciplinary, corrective/retributive.
grave (adjective) – serious, crucial/critical, awful/dangerous.
heinous (adjective) – extremely bad & evil, shocking, horrible/wicked.
condign (adjective) – earned, merited, warranted/justified.
plane (noun) – level, stage, degree.
consequence (noun) – result/outcome, ramification, aftermath.
cover (a lot of/considerable) ground (phrase) – to deal with/talk about a large amount of information.
humanise (verb) – civilize, improve; personalize.
sovereign (adjective) – supreme, absolute/ultimate, unrestricted/unrestrained.
clemency (noun) – mercy, leniency, forgiveness/forbearance.
prevail (verb) – exist, be present, be the case.
lasting (adjective) – permanent, long-term, stable.