GMAT vocabulary: society, culture, markets and institutions.

Vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change

Her activism on behalf of migrant workers earned her both admiration and fierce political opposition.

Memory cueActivism means becoming active, organized, and vocal for social change.

Modified versions of something adjusted for a new purpose

Film adaptations of classic novels rarely satisfy readers who cherish the original prose.

Memory cueAdaptations are altered versions fitted to survive a new setting.

A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty

The aesthetics of Japanese garden design emphasize simplicity, asymmetry, and the beauty of natural materials.

Memory cueAesthetics asks what makes an object or style feel beautiful.

Relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of land; agricultural

The country's agrarian economy left it vulnerable to droughts that devastated crop yields.

Memory cueAn agrarian society centers its life on agricultural fields and farms.

Estranged; made to feel isolated or withdrawn from

The artist's uncompromising vision alienated mainstream audiences but earned devoted followers among critics.

Memory cueAn alienated person feels like an outsider on a distant planet.

A vigorous and pioneering advocate of a particular cause or idea

She became an apostle of sustainable architecture, lecturing worldwide on carbon-neutral building design.

Memory cueAn apostle carries a cause outward as its devoted pioneering advocate.

The practice of profiting from a price difference for the same or closely related assets in different markets.

Traders used arbitrage to buy the commodity cheaply in one market and sell it immediately elsewhere.

Memory cueArbitrage crosses a price bridge: buy on the low side and sell on the high side.

Very old or old-fashioned; belonging to an earlier period

The archaic language of the legal code made it nearly incomprehensible to modern readers.

Memory cueAn archaic custom belongs in an archive of very old practices.

A self-contained piece for one voice, usually in an opera

The soprano's aria in the second act brought the audience to tears with its haunting simplicity.

Memory cuePicture one opera singer holding the stage alone during an aria.

Favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom

The authoritarian regime suppressed dissent through censorship, surveillance, and the imprisonment of political opponents.

Memory cueAn authoritarian ruler demands strict obedience from a high command chair.

Sent away from a place as an official punishment; expelled

The dissident was banished from the country and spent twenty years in exile before the regime fell.

Memory cueA banished person is sent beyond the border as punishment.

Yielded or submitted to

The company bowed to public pressure and withdrew the controversial advertisement within hours of its release.

Memory cueSomeone who bowed to pressure lowered resistance and finally yielded.

A system of government or administration marked by excessive red tape and rigid procedures

The grant application required navigating a labyrinth of bureaucracy that discouraged all but the most determined researchers.

Memory cueBureaucracy resembles a maze built from forms, desks, and rigid procedures.

Money or productive resources used to create goods, services, or future income.

The startup raised enough capital to purchase equipment and operate until customer revenue became dependable.

Memory cueCapital is the seed money and equipment planted now to grow future production and income.

A V-shaped or zigzag pattern used as decoration or insignia

The mosaic floor featured a repeating chevron pattern that archaeologists traced to second-century Roman workshops.

Memory cueA chevron looks like a pointed V stitched onto a uniform.

Relating to the clergy or religious officials

The clerical hierarchy resisted the reforms, viewing them as a threat to the church's traditional authority.

Memory cueClerical robes identify matters connected with clergy and religious officials.

A composition made by combining diverse elements

The filmmaker's work is a collage of documentary footage, animation, and staged reenactments.

Memory cueA collage joins diverse scraps into one unified composition.

Shared by all members of a community; for common use

The communal gardens provided fresh produce and, more importantly, a gathering place for the neighborhood.

Memory cueA communal table belongs to and serves the whole community.

Standing out so as to be clearly visible; attracting notice

The artist's conspicuous absence from the gallery opening fueled speculation about a rift with the curator.

Memory cueA conspicuous red umbrella stands out in a gray crowd.

Familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures

The cosmopolitan city attracted artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars from every continent.

Memory cueA cosmopolitan traveler feels comfortably at home among many world cultures.

To determine or control; to prescribe authoritatively

Economic realities, rather than ideological preferences, often dictate the policies a government can pursue.

Memory cueA dictator's commanding voice dictates what others must write or do.

Lack of attention to or concern for something

The company's blatant disregard for environmental regulations resulted in a record-setting fine from federal authorities.

Memory cueDisregard turns its eyes away and pays no attention or concern.

The strategy of spreading activity or investment across different areas to reduce concentrated risk.

Geographic diversification protected the company when demand weakened sharply in its largest regional market.

Memory cueDiversification puts eggs into several baskets so one dropped basket cannot destroy everything.

The degree to which demand or supply changes in response to a change in price or another factor.

Demand showed little elasticity because customers continued buying the medicine after its price increased.

Memory cueAn elastic demand curve stretches a lot when price gives it a small pull.

All the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election

The electorate was deeply polarized, with no single issue capable of uniting voters across party lines.

Memory cueThe electorate is the entire body of people entitled to vote.

Fame or recognized superiority within a particular sphere; high rank or distinction

The historian achieved such eminence in the field that her interpretations shaped an entire generation of scholarship.

Memory cueEminence places recognized excellence high above others in its field.

Native to or restricted to a certain place; regularly found among particular people or in a certain area

Corruption was endemic in the regime, permeating every level of government.

Memory cueAn endemic species is at home only in its restricted native region.

Involves (something) as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence

Rebuilding the city's infrastructure entails not just financial investment but also years of careful urban planning.

Memory cueA responsibility entails every necessary consequence bundled inside it.

Firmly established and difficult to change

Entrenched interests in the energy sector have repeatedly blocked legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

Memory cueAn entrenched habit has dug defenses so deep that change is difficult.

A person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type

The museum is considered the epitome of modern architectural design.

Memory cueThe epitome wears a sash reading “perfect example of this quality. ”

Fair and impartial; just

The mediator proposed an equitable division of resources that gave each community access to clean water.

Memory cueAn equitable decision divides benefits with fair and impartial judgment.

The characteristic spirit, attitudes, or guiding beliefs of a community, era, or movement

The company's ethos of innovation encourages employees to experiment freely, even at the risk of occasional failure.

Memory cueEthos is the shared spirit and guiding character of a community.

Short for flying buttresses; the arched supports on the exterior of a Gothic building

The flyers of Notre-Dame transfer the weight of the vault across open space to massive outer piers.

Memory cueGothic flyers are flying buttresses arching outward to support a wall.

A written or carved text; here, the artist's written claim

The inscription on the ancient stele recorded a peace treaty between two rival city-states.

Memory cueAn inscription presses written words permanently into stone or another surface.

Shows or proves to be right or reasonable

The evidence presented so far barely justifies the sweeping conclusions the authors draw in their final chapter.

Memory cueEvidence justifies a decision by showing it is reasonable and right.

Not sufficiently strict or careful; negligent

The agency's lax oversight of the industry allowed unsafe products to reach consumers for years before a recall was issued.

Memory cueA lax safety rope hangs too loose because standards are not strict enough.

The ease with which an asset can become cash without losing much value.

The firm maintained liquidity by holding cash reserves that could cover unexpected bills without selling property.

Memory cueLiquid assets flow quickly into cash; high liquidity means little gets stuck.

An independent-minded person; unorthodox or independent in thought and action

The maverick scientist challenged the establishment with her unconventional theories.

Memory cueA maverick leaves the herd and follows an independent path.

A market condition in which one seller controls the supply of a product or service.

The regulator feared that the acquisition would create a monopoly with power to raise prices freely.

Memory cueMONO means one: one seller alone controls the board in a monopoly.

Failing to take proper care in doing something; careless

The hospital was found negligent for failing to follow established protocols during the surgical procedure.

Memory cueA negligent caretaker walks past a warning and leaves needed care undone.

A market dominated by a small number of powerful sellers.

In the airline oligopoly, a few large carriers watch and respond closely to one another's fares.

Memory cueOLIGO means few: only a few giant players occupy the oligopoly board.

Authorized or generally accepted beliefs, doctrines, or practices

Challenging the prevailing orthodoxy in any scientific field requires not just evidence but considerable courage.

Memory cueOrthodoxy is the fenced field of generally accepted doctrine and practice.

Seeking to promote the welfare of others; generous and benevolent

The billionaire's philanthropic efforts focused on improving access to education in rural areas.

Memory cueA philanthropic hand gives generously to promote other people’s welfare.

Having a large population; densely inhabited

The most populous cities in the developing world face urgent challenges in providing clean water and sanitation.

Memory cueA populous city contains a dense and numerous population.

The complete collection of investments, products, or projects held by a person or organization.

The fund reduced risk by building a portfolio containing bonds and shares from several industries.

Memory cueA portfolio is one carrying case holding many different investments or projects together.

In its original condition; unspoiled; immaculately clean

The pristine wilderness area remained untouched by commercial development.

Memory cueA pristine object remains sealed in its original, unspoiled condition.

Relating to an owner; protected as intellectual/trade property

The company's proprietary algorithm gave it a significant competitive advantage in processing financial data.

Memory cueProprietary information belongs to an owner and remains legally protected.

Causing annoyance, anger, or strong reaction deliberately; stimulating debate

The scholar's provocative reinterpretation of the Civil War challenged narratives that had been accepted for generations.

Memory cueA provocative action deliberately presses a button for a strong reaction.

Acting with or showing care and thought for the future; wise and careful

It would be prudent to save a portion of the windfall rather than spending it all immediately.

Memory cueA prudent traveler checks tomorrow's weather and consequences before leaving.

In an unceasingly intense or harsh manner; without letting up

The prosecutor relentlessly cross-examined the witness, exposing inconsistency after inconsistency in his account.

Memory cueRelentlessly means the pressure never relents or lets up.

To formally declare one's abandonment of a claim, right, or possession

The prince renounced his claim to the throne in order to marry a commoner.

Memory cueRenounce a claim by tearing up its ownership paper in a formal declaration.

The action or process of suppressing or restraining a thought, feeling, or desire

The government's repression of free speech drove intellectual life underground, where it flourished in secret salons.

Memory cueRepression pushes an unwanted thought or feeling down beneath awareness.

Official permission or approval; a penalty for disobeying a law (note: can mean either approval or penalty)

The international community imposed economic sanctions on the regime to pressure it into compliance.

Memory cueAn official green seal grants sanction and permission.

With certainty; in a way that is firmly established and beyond doubt

The archaeological record securely establishes that the settlement existed long before European contact.

Memory cueA conclusion established securely is fastened firmly beyond reasonable doubt.

Lower in rank or position; secondary in importance

The general insisted that military objectives must never be subordinate to political considerations during active operations.

Memory cueA subordinate position occupies a lower rung beneath a superior.

Financial assistance, often from a government, intended to support an activity or reduce its cost.

The renewable-energy subsidy lowered installation costs and encouraged more households to purchase solar panels.

Memory cueA subsidy is a supporting hand sliding money beneath an activity to help hold it up.

The right to vote in political elections

The long struggle for women's suffrage culminated in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

Memory cueSuffrage gives citizens the political right to cast a vote.

A tax imposed by a government on goods entering or leaving a country.

The new tariff made imported steel more expensive for domestic manufacturers that relied on foreign suppliers.

Memory cueAt the border, a tariff is a tax gate that imported goods must pay to pass.

The quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully

The family's thrift during the Depression years instilled habits of saving that persisted for generations.

Memory cueThrift stretches resources by using money carefully and avoiding waste.

Present, appearing, or found everywhere

Smartphones have become so ubiquitous that their absence is more noticeable than their presence.

Memory cueThe same symbol appearing on every wall and street is ubiquitous.