Words for Rules and Authority
Official language runs on a small set of verbs. A rule gets created, applied, lifted for certain people, or wiped out entirely, and English has a separate word for each of those actions. Abolish, authorize, compel, exempt, mandate, and revoke are the six that do most of the work. They are easy to confuse because […]
Words for Risk, Cause, and Result
Any account of something going wrong follows the same chain. A harmful condition appears, someone tries to head it off, the situation improves or gets worse, and afterward the damage is either absorbed or it is not. English has a precise word for every link. Adverse, avert, consequence, crucial, exacerbate, and resilient name those links […]