Words starting with A

818 words from the Lexfall vocabulary, each with a definition and an example sentence.

80/20 The Pareto idea that a large share of the effect comes from a small share of the causes,...
a 65-year-old The conventional demographic opener used to introduce a patient by age, often followed by...
A/B test A controlled experiment that randomly splits users between two variants to measure which...
A/B testing A method of comparing two versions of an asset to see which performs better.
a background of A concise way to introduce a patient's relevant chronic conditions within a single...
a baptism of fire A very difficult introduction to a new job or activity that tests someone severely.
a blessing in disguise Something that seems bad at first but eventually has good results.
a case in point A relevant example that clearly illustrates the general point just made.
a curate's egg Something that is partly good and partly bad, so that it is difficult to judge as a whole.
a damp squib Something that is much less impressive or exciting than expected and ends in...
a flash in the pan A sudden but brief success that is not repeated or sustained.
a foregone conclusion A result that is obvious and certain before it happens.
a fortiori By even stronger reasoning, given that a related weaker case already holds.
a known case of A phrase identifying a patient with an established, previously diagnosed condition.
a red herring A piece of information or a topic that is misleading and distracts attention from the...
a storm in a teacup A great deal of anger or excitement about something that is really quite trivial.
ab initio From the very beginning, used to describe something treated as invalid or valid from its...
abandonment The relinquishment of a contract or right, often inferred from a party's conduct.
abashed Embarrassed or ashamed, especially after being criticised.
abate To become less intense or widespread, or to make something do so.
abatement The suspension or termination of legal proceedings, as on the death of a party.
ABCDE assessment A structured, prioritised examination of Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability and...
abdicate To formally give up power or responsibility.
abdication A leader's failure to exercise the authority the role demands, leaving decisions to drift.
abdominal distension A visible or measurable swelling of the abdomen from gas, fluid, or a mass.
abduct To take someone away unlawfully by force or deception.
abduction Movement of a limb away from the midline of the body.
abductive Reasoning that infers the most plausible explanation for a set of observations.
abet To encourage or assist someone in committing a crime or wrongdoing.
abetment The act of encouraging or assisting the commission of a crime.
abettor A person who assists or encourages another to commit an offence.
abeyance A state in which the ownership of an estate or the identity of its holder is temporarily...
abfraction The loss of cervical tooth structure attributed to occlusal loading forces flexing the...
abjure To solemnly renounce or reject a belief, cause, claim, or course of action.
ablation The catheter-based destruction of arrhythmogenic tissue using heat, cold, or...
abnegate To renounce or give up a right, belief or pleasure.
abode The place where someone lives; a dwelling.
abortifacient An agent that induces the termination of a pregnancy.
above-mentioned Referred to or named earlier in the document.
above the line Relating to mass-media advertising aimed at a broad audience, such as television and...
abrasion The pathological wearing of tooth substance through mechanical action other than...
abreaction The therapeutic release of repressed emotion achieved by reliving the experience that...
abrogate To repeal or formally do away with a law, right, or agreement.
abrogation The formal abolition or annulment of an agreement or provision.
abruption The premature separation of a normally sited placenta from the wall of the uterus.
abscess A localised collection of pus arising from bacterial infection, either at the root apex...
abscission The natural shedding of a leaf, flower or fruit from a plant.
abscond To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to escape custody or evade the law.
absconder A person who has failed to comply with immigration conditions and cannot be traced by the...
absconding Leaving a ward or place of care without permission when subject to observation or...
absenteeism Habitual or persistent absence from work without good reason.
absolute advantage The ability to produce more of a good than a rival using the same resources.
absolute priority rule The principle that no junior class may receive value under a plan until senior dissenting...
absolute right A right that admits of no exception or limitation and cannot be balanced against...
absolute title The best class of registered title, guaranteeing ownership subject only to entries on the...
absolution Formal release from guilt, blame, or punishment.
absolve To declare someone free from guilt or liability.
absorb To recover overhead by including it in the cost of units produced.
absorption A costing method under which fixed manufacturing overheads are included in the cost of...
abstain To decline to cast a vote either for or against a resolution.
abstemious Sparing and self-restrained, especially in eating and drinking.
abstention A formal refusal to vote either for or against a proposal.
abstruse Difficult to understand because of profundity or obscurity.
absurdist Relating to humour that highlights the irrationality and meaninglessness of existence.
abulia A pathological loss of will, drive or initiative in which a person is unable to make...
abuse of a dominant position The prohibited conduct of an undertaking holding market power that exploits or excludes...
abuse of process The improper use of court procedure for a purpose other than resolving the genuine...
abusive Describing an arrangement that exploits the tax rules in a way Parliament never intended.
abutment A tooth or implant component that provides support and retention for a prosthesis.
acantholysis The loss of cohesion between epidermal keratinocytes owing to breakdown of their...
acanthosis A diffuse thickening of the prickle-cell layer of the epidermis.
ACAS early conciliation The mandatory pre-claim process through which ACAS attempts to settle a dispute before a...
accede To become a party to an existing agreement by formally consenting to its terms.
acceleration The lenders' exercise of their right, on default, to declare the loan immediately due and...
acceleration clause A term letting a creditor demand the entire balance at once upon default.
accelerator An escalating commission rate that kicks in once a rep sells past quota.
acceptance An unqualified agreement to all the terms of an offer, communicated to the offeror, which...
acceptance criteria The specific conditions a deliverable must meet before the client will accept it as...
acceptor The party who signs and thereby undertakes to pay a bill of exchange when it matures.
accession The process by which a state becomes a member of the European Union.
accessorial Relating to liability incurred as an accessory rather than as the principal offender.
accessory A person who assists or encourages the commission of an offence without being the...
accessory after the fact One who assists an offender, knowing a crime has been committed, in order to hinder...
accessory muscles Muscles of the neck and shoulders recruited to assist breathing when respiratory effort...
accidental awareness The unintended return of consciousness during general anaesthesia, sometimes with...
accolade An award or expression of high praise.
accommodate To adjust the focusing power of the eye in order to see objects clearly at varying...
accommodation The process by which the eye changes the shape of its lens to focus on objects at...
accomplice A person who knowingly helps another to commit a crime.
accord An agreement to accept a different performance in satisfaction of an existing obligation,...
accord and satisfaction The discharge of a claim by an agreement to accept some substituted performance in place...
accordingly A formal connector meaning as a result of what has just been stated.
account-based marketing A B2B approach that targets a defined set of high-value accounts with tailored campaigns.
account management The work of maintaining and growing relationships with existing customers to retain and...
account manager The person responsible for the ongoing relationship with a set of existing customers.
account of profits An equitable remedy compelling a wrongdoer to hand over the gains made from the breach.
accountability The obligation of directors to answer for their conduct and decisions to the members.
accountability principle The requirement that the controller be responsible for, and able to demonstrate...
accountability sink A structural arrangement in which responsibility dissolves so that no individual can be...
accountable Responsible for one's actions and answerable for their outcomes.
accounts payable The money a company owes to its suppliers for goods or services it has received but not...
accounts receivable The money owed to a company by its customers for goods or services already delivered but...
accreditation Official certification that a supplier meets a required standard.
accrete To grow or build up gradually, especially value, interest, or a claim.
accretion The gradual, natural addition of land by deposits of soil along a shore or bank.
accretive Describing a transaction that increases the acquiring company's earnings per share.
accrual The recognition of income or expense when it is earned or incurred rather than when cash...
accrual basis An accounting method that records revenue and expenses when they are earned or incurred...
accrue (Of a right, liability or interest) to come into existence or accumulate as an...
acculturation The process by which a new hire absorbs the values and norms of an organisation.
accumulated earnings tax A penalty levy on a corporation that hoards profits beyond its reasonable needs to shield...
accumulation The retention of trust income by adding it to capital rather than distributing it to the...
acerbic Sharp and cutting in tone, especially in humour or criticism.
acetylation A metabolic conjugation reaction adding an acetyl group to a drug, the rate of which...
achalasia A motility disorder in which the lower oesophageal sphincter fails to relax and...
achromatopsia A congenital inability to perceive colour, accompanied by poor acuity and light...
acid reflux The backflow of stomach acid into the oesophagus, producing heartburn and regurgitation.
acknowledge To accept or admit that something, such as a patient's concern, is real and worth noting.
acknowledgement of service The form by which the respondent confirms they have received the divorce application.
acknowledging emotion Explicitly naming and validating the feeling a patient is expressing, rather than moving...
acoustic shadowing The dark band seen deep to a structure that strongly reflects or absorbs ultrasound, such...
acqui-hire An acquisition made primarily to obtain a company's talent rather than its product.
acquiesce To accept or comply, often reluctantly and without protest.
acquiescence A rights holder's tacit tolerance of another's use, which may bar later objection to it.
acquired distinctiveness The capacity of an otherwise descriptive mark to identify source, gained through long and...
acquiree The company that is being purchased in a takeover.
acquirer The company that takes over another in a merger or acquisition.
acquis The accumulated body of Union legislation, case law and obligations binding on the Member...
acquisition The purchase of a controlling interest in a company by another company or investor.
acquit To formally clear someone of a criminal charge.
acquittal A judgment that a person is not guilty.
acrid Unpleasantly bitter or sharp in taste or smell.
acrimonious Angry and bitter in tone or manner, especially in a dispute.
acrimony Bitterness or harshness of feeling, speech or manner.
acrocyanosis A bluish discolouration of the hands and feet due to poor peripheral circulation.
acromegaly A disorder of adults caused by excess growth hormone, producing enlargement of the hands,...
acronym A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, used as a memory aid or shorthand.
act in good faith To behave honestly and with fair dealing towards the other party, having regard to the...
actinic Caused by or relating to the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the skin.
actinic keratosis A rough, scaly premalignant lesion arising on chronically sun-damaged skin, with...
action in rem An admiralty proceeding brought against the ship or other maritime property itself,...
action item A specific task assigned to someone during a meeting, to be completed by an agreed...
action title A slide headline written as a complete sentence stating the slide's takeaway rather than...
actionability The quality of providing sufficient legal grounds for a claim.
actionable Describing information or a recommendation that is specific enough for the receiver to...
actionable feedback Feedback specific enough that the recipient knows exactly what to change.
actionable metric A metric that ties directly to a decision or intervention a team can actually take.
active-assisted range of motion Joint movement performed by the patient with additional help from the therapist or the...
activism The practice by which investors use their shareholdings to pressure a company into...
activities of daily living The routine self-care tasks a person performs each day, such as washing, dressing, and...
actual bodily harm Injury that is more than trivial but less serious than grievous bodily harm, resulting...
actuarial Relating to the statistical calculation of risk, premiums and reserves in insurance and...
actuary A professional who uses statistics and probability to price risk, set reserves and assess...
actus reus The physical conduct or omission that forms the objective element of a crime.
acuity Sharpness of a sense or of thought; severity of illness.
acumen The ability to make quick, keen and skilful judgements.
acute Of an illness, coming on suddenly and lasting a short time.
acute kidney injury A sudden decline in kidney function over hours to days, marked by a rise in serum...
acute onset A sudden beginning of symptoms.
acute respiratory distress syndrome An acute, diffuse inflammatory lung injury causing bilateral infiltrates and severe...
acutely unwell Describing a patient who has become seriously and suddenly ill and needs prompt...
ad hoc arbitration Arbitration conducted without the administration of an institution, typically under the...
ad hominem Directed at an opponent's character rather than at the substance of their argument.
ad idem In agreement on the same thing, denoting the meeting of minds needed to form a contract.
ad valorem Levied as a percentage of the value of the goods rather than as a fixed amount.
adaptation A restricted act by which a work is translated, dramatised, or otherwise recast into a...
adaptive Designed or modified to help a person carry out a task despite a limitation.
adaptive reuse The conversion of an existing building to a new use rather than demolishing it.
add-on A smaller acquisition made by a company to strengthen an existing platform business.
added matter Content introduced into a patent by amendment that extends it beyond what was originally...
addendum An addition appended to a finalised report to convey further information or a...
additur A court's increase of an inadequate jury award, offered to the defendant to avoid a new...
adduce To cite something, especially evidence or an example, as proof in support of an argument.
adduce evidence To put forward evidence to the court in support of a case.
ademption The failure of a specific legacy because its subject matter no longer forms part of the...
adenocarcinoma A malignant tumour arising from glandular epithelium, the commonest histological type of...
adenoidectomy The surgical removal of the adenoids, often performed for nasal obstruction or recurrent...
adept Highly skilled or proficient at something.
adequacy decision A determination by the Commission that a third country ensures an adequate level of data...
adequate protection The compensation or safeguards a secured creditor is owed for any decline in its...
adherence The extent to which a patient follows agreed treatment recommendations.
adhesiolysis The surgical division of fibrous adhesions that abnormally bind tissues or organs...
adhesion A band of fibrous scar tissue that abnormally binds together structures which are...
adhocracy A flexible, informal organisational form that adapts to circumstances rather than...
adiposity The condition of having excess body fat.
adjacency A related market or capability a business can plausibly expand into.
adjourn To suspend a meeting with the intention of resuming it later.
adjournment A postponement of proceedings to a later time.
adjudge To decide or award something by formal judgment.
adjudicate To make a formal judgment on a dispute.
adjudication The formal resolution of a dispute by a judge or other tribunal.
adjudicator An official who hears and determines immigration claims or appeals.
adjunct Something added to a main treatment or process as a secondary support.
adjusted present value A valuation that prices the unlevered business first and adds the value of financing...
adjuster A specialist who investigates a claim and determines the amount the insurer should pay.
adjuvant Given in addition to the main treatment to enhance it.
administer To give a medicine or treatment to a patient.
administer adrenaline To give an intramuscular injection of adrenaline as first-line treatment for anaphylaxis.
administer medication To give a patient a prescribed drug by the correct route, dose, and time.
administration An insolvency procedure in which an appointed practitioner runs a company to rescue it or...
administrative fine A financial penalty imposed by a supervisory authority for infringement of the GDPR,...
administrator An insolvency practitioner appointed to manage a company in administration and act in the...
admissibility The quality of evidence being legally acceptable and capable of being received by a court.
admissible Allowed to be considered as evidence by a court.
admission The act of taking a patient into hospital for care.
admonish To reprove or warn someone firmly but not harshly.
admonition A judicial warning or reproof, sometimes given in place of a formal penalty.
adopter A person or organisation that takes up a new product or technology.
adoption The extent to which customers actively use and embed a product after purchase.
adrenal insufficiency A condition in which the adrenal glands fail to produce enough cortisol, causing fatigue,...
adrenoceptor A receptor that mediates the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline on target tissues.
adroit Clever and skilful, especially in handling difficult situations.
adroitness Skill and cleverness in physical movement or in managing affairs.
adulteration The debasing of a product by adding an inferior or harmful substance.
adumbrate To outline or foreshadow something in a faint or partial way.
advance care planning The process of discussing and recording a patient's wishes for future care should they...
advance pricing agreement An arrangement agreed in advance with a tax authority fixing the transfer pricing method...
advancement The equitable presumption that a transfer to a person to whom the transferor owes a duty...
adventitious Arising by chance rather than by design or inherent nature.
adversarial Characterised by opposing parties contesting a matter against each other.
adverse Harmful or unfavourable, especially describing an unwanted effect of treatment.
adverse development cover Reinsurance protecting against reserves on past claims proving inadequate.
adverse drug reaction A harmful and unintended response to a medicine given at a normal therapeutic dose.
adverse impact A neutral-looking selection practice that nonetheless screens out a protected group at a...
adverse inference A conclusion drawn against a party for failing to produce evidence within its control.
adverse possession Acquiring title to land by occupying it openly and continuously against the owner's...
adverse selection The market failure that arises when hidden information draws in the worst risks and...
advertorial An advertisement designed to resemble genuine editorial content.
advocacy Support that helps a person express their views and defend their rights and interests.
advocate To publicly support or recommend a particular cause or policy.
advocate for To speak or act on behalf of a patient to protect their rights, preferences and best...
advowson The right of presentation to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice, treated in law as a form...
aeolian Produced, carried or shaped by the wind.
aestival Of or occurring in the summer.
aestivate To pass the summer or a dry season in a dormant state.
aetiology The cause or origin of a disease or condition.
afebrile Having a normal body temperature; without fever.
affability The quality of being warm, approachable, and easy to talk to.
affable Warmly friendly, good-natured and easy to talk to.
affect The outward, observable expression of a person's emotional state, as inferred from face,...
affect heuristic Relying on an immediate emotional reaction rather than reasoned analysis to reach a...
affiant A person who makes and swears an affidavit.
affidavit A written statement sworn under oath for use as evidence.
affiliate A company connected to another through common ownership or control.
affinity The strength with which a drug binds to its receptor.
affirmance The election to keep a contract on foot despite having grounds to end it.
affirmant A person who makes a solemn affirmation instead of swearing an oath.
affirmation A solemn non-religious declaration of truth made in place of an oath.
affluence The state of having plenty of money; wealth.
affordance A feature of a product that signals and enables a particular use.
affray A public fight or brawl that disturbs the peace.
aforementioned Referred to earlier in the same document.
aforesaid Mentioned or referred to earlier in the same document, used to point back to a previously...
after-acquired evidence Employee misconduct discovered only after termination that limits, though rarely bars,...
afterload The wall tension the ventricle must generate to eject blood against arterial resistance.
aftermarket The market for parts, accessories, and services sold after the original product.
agency A relationship where one person acts on another's behalf.
agenda A planned list of the topics to be discussed in a meeting.
agent provocateur A person who incites another to commit an offence in order to secure their prosecution.
ageusia The complete loss of the sense of taste.
agglutination The visible clumping of particles or cells caused by antibody binding, used in many...
aggrandise To increase one's own power, wealth, or status, often unduly.
aggravated Of damages, increased because the defendant's conduct injured the claimant's feelings or...
aggravated damages Enhanced compensation reflecting the injury to the claimant's feelings caused by the...
aggravating factors Things that make a symptom worse.
aggravation Any circumstance that increases the seriousness of an offence and the appropriate...
aggregate demand The total demand for goods and services across an entire economy at a given price level.
aggregation The combining of individual data points into summary figures.
aggregator A company that grows by acquiring and consolidating many smaller businesses in a...
agility The organisational capacity to respond and adapt quickly to change.
agio The premium or percentage charged on the exchange of one currency or security for another.
agitated Restless, distressed and unable to keep still, often pacing or fidgeting.
agitation A state of restless, distressed overactivity often accompanied by rising tension.
agnosia An inability to recognise or interpret sensory stimuli despite intact sensory pathways.
agonal Relating to the gasping, ineffective breaths that occur close to death.
agonist A substance that binds to a receptor and activates it to produce a biological response.
agrammatism A pattern of speech lacking grammatical structure, with function words and inflections...
agranulocytosis A severe and potentially life-threatening deficiency of granulocytes, frequently...
agraphia An acquired loss of the ability to express thoughts in writing.
agreement to agree An arrangement leaving essential terms to be settled later, usually too uncertain to bind.
AI slop Low-quality machine-generated content flooding feeds and search results.
aide-mémoire A written summary of the key points of a diplomatic communication, handed to the other...
aiding and abetting Assisting or encouraging another to commit a crime so as to share in the criminal...
air bronchogram The appearance of air-filled bronchi made visible against surrounding opacified lung.
air entry The degree to which breath sounds can be heard in a region of lung, reflecting airflow.
airborne precautions Measures, including a negative-pressure room and a respirator, against pathogens carried...
akathisia A distressing sense of inner restlessness that produces a compelling need to keep moving.
akimbo With hands on the hips and elbows turned outwards.
akinesia A loss or marked poverty of voluntary movement.
akrasia Acting against one's own better judgment through a lack of self-control.
alacrity Brisk and cheerful readiness to do something.
albatross A source of persistent trouble or burden that hampers a company's performance.
albeit Although, used to introduce a concise concessive qualification within a sentence.
aleatory Depending on chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome.
alexia An acquired loss of the ability to read despite intact vision.
alexithymia A difficulty in identifying and describing one's own emotional states.
algospeak Coded vocabulary used to slip past platform moderation.
aliasing A sampling artefact in which fast flow or fine detail is mismapped, distorting the image.
alibi A defence asserting that the accused was elsewhere when the offence was committed and so...
alienability The capacity of property to be sold, given, or otherwise transferred.
alienation The transfer of ownership of property from one person to another.
align on To reach a shared position on a decision, priority, or approach.
aliquot A measured portion of a sample separated from the whole for a specific test or for...
all-monies guarantee A guarantee securing all present and future liabilities the debtor owes the creditor,...
allege To assert something as true without yet proving it.
alleged Stated to have occurred or to be the case, without proof having been established.
allegiance The loyalty owed by a person to the state of which they are a national or subject.
allergic reaction An abnormal immune response to a drug, ranging from a rash to life-threatening...
allergies Substances that cause a harmful immune reaction in the patient.
alleviate To make a symptom, pain, or worry less severe.
allocable Able to be assigned to a cost centre or cost object on some reasonable basis.
allocate To assign a whole cost to a single cost centre or cost object.
allocative efficiency A state in which resources flow to the uses that buyers value most highly.
allocution The defendant's own statement of remorse or explanation offered to the court before...
allodial Held in absolute ownership, free of any feudal superior or obligation of tenure.
allodium Land held in absolute ownership without any obligation of service to a superior.
allodynia Pain provoked by a stimulus that would not normally be painful, such as light touch.
allograft A tissue or organ graft taken from a genetically different individual of the same species.
alloimmunisation The development of antibodies against foreign red-cell or platelet antigens following...
allosteric Relating to a site on a protein distinct from the active site, at which binding modulates...
allotment The appropriation of a company's newly issued shares to an applicant.
allow the appeal To decide an appeal in favour of the appellant and set aside or vary the decision below.
allowable Permitted by the tax code as a deduction against income.
allowable deduction An item of expenditure that the legislation permits to be set against income or gains in...
allowance An amount of income or expenditure that may be set against tax.
allure The quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive.
alluvial Relating to fine, fertile sediment deposited by flowing water.
alluvion Land added to a bank or shore by the gradual deposit of waterborne soil, which accrues to...
allyship Active support by a member of a majority group for colleagues from marginalised groups.
alogia A poverty of speech, with a reduction in the amount or informational content of what is...
alopecia Partial or complete loss of hair or fur from areas where it is normally present.
alpha The excess return of an investment above what its market risk alone would predict.
also-ran A competitor that consistently trails far behind the leaders.
altered level of consciousness A change in a patient's alertness and awareness, ranging from drowsiness to...
altricial Born or hatched blind, naked and helpless, requiring prolonged parental care.
altruism Unselfish concern for the welfare of others.
altruistic Showing unselfish concern for others' well-being.
alveolus The bony socket in the jaw that houses the root of a tooth.
amalgam A durable restorative material made by combining mercury with an alloy of silver, tin and...
amalgamate To combine two or more companies into a single entity.
amalgamation The combination of two or more companies into a single new or surviving entity.
amatory Relating to or expressing sexual love or desire.
amaurosis Loss of vision, especially without an obvious ophthalmoscopic lesion of the eye.
ambidexterity An organisation's capacity to exploit its current business while exploring new ones.
ambidextrous Able to use both hands with equal skill and ease.
ambiguity aversion A preference for known risks over unknown ones, even when the unknown may be better.
ambiguous Open to more than one interpretation and therefore unclear.
ambit The range or sphere within which something operates or applies.
ambit claim A deliberately extravagant opening demand pitched well beyond expectation to leave room...
ambivalence The simultaneous existence of contradictory feelings or attitudes towards the same object...
ambivalent Having mixed or contradictory feelings about something.
amblyopia Reduced vision in one eye that develops in childhood because the brain fails to process...
ambrosial Exquisitely fragrant or delicious.
ambulate To walk or move about, especially after surgery or a period of bed rest.
ambulation The act of walking or moving about, especially after injury, surgery or illness.
ambulatory Able to walk; relating to care that does not require admission.
ambush marketing The practice of associating a brand with an event without paying to be an official...
ameliorate To make a bad or unsatisfactory situation better.
ameloblast An epithelial cell that secretes the enamel matrix during tooth development.
amelogenesis The biological process by which enamel is formed by ameloblasts during tooth development.
amenable Willing to be persuaded or to cooperate with a proposal.
amenable to judicial review Describing a body or decision that is susceptible to challenge in judicial review...
amend To make a small change to a document in order to correct or improve it.
amend the articles To change a company's articles of association by special resolution of the members.
amends Reparation or compensation made for a wrong or injury.
amicable Characterised by friendliness and goodwill rather than hostility.
amicus curiae A non-party who, with the court's leave, files argument to assist on a point of broad...
aminoglycoside A class of antibiotic effective against many gram-negative organisms but associated with...
amiodarone A broad-spectrum antiarrhythmic drug that prolongs repolarisation to suppress arrhythmias.
amity A relationship of friendship and peaceful goodwill between people or groups.
amnesia A partial or total loss of memory.
amnesty A general measure regularising the status of a class of unlawfully present migrants.
amorphous Lacking a clear shape, structure or definition.
amortisation The systematic writing-off of the cost of an intangible asset over its useful life.
amortise To write off the cost of an intangible asset or a debt gradually over time.
amortization The gradual writing off of an intangible asset or the spreading of a loan's repayment...
amortize To write off a cost gradually over a period.
amputation The surgical removal of all or part of a limb.
amyotrophy Wasting or atrophy of muscle tissue, typically from denervation.
anabolism The metabolic building of complex molecules from simpler ones, requiring energy.
anachronism A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than the one in which it exists.
anaemia A reduction in haemoglobin concentration below the reference range, diminishing the...
anaesthesia Induced loss of sensation for surgery.
anaesthetic A substance that produces a loss of sensation or consciousness, used to prevent pain...
anaesthetise To render a patient or body part insensible to pain by administering an anaesthetic.
anaesthetist A doctor who administers anaesthesia and manages the patient through surgery.
anagnorisis The moment of critical recognition or discovery by a tragic protagonist.
analgesia Relief of pain without loss of consciousness.
analgesic A class of medicine used to relieve pain.
analgosedation An analgesia-first sedation strategy in which pain is treated before adding hypnotic...
analyte The specific substance in a sample that a test is designed to measure.
anamnesis The recollection or calling to mind of things past.
anapaest A metrical foot of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable.
anaphora The rhetorical repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or...
anaphylactic Relating to a severe, rapidly developing allergic reaction that can threaten the airway...
anaphylaxis A severe, rapidly progressing allergic reaction that can obstruct the airway and cause...
anaplasia The loss of cellular differentiation and structural organisation characteristic of...
anaplastic Describing poorly differentiated cells that have lost the features of their tissue of...
anastomose To join two hollow structures, such as bowel ends or blood vessels, so that their lumens...
anastomosis A surgical connection between two vessels or channels.
anastomotic leak The escape of luminal contents through a defect at a surgical join between two hollow...
anathema Something or someone that one strongly dislikes or finds utterly unacceptable.
anchor To set a reference point, usually with an ambitious first number, that shapes the rest of...
anchor tenant A large, prominent occupier whose presence draws footfall and secures a scheme's overall...
anchoring Opening with an extreme figure to pull the final outcome toward your side.
ancient lights A right to the continued passage of light to a window acquired by long enjoyment.
ancillary Supporting the main matter without being central to it.
andon A visual alert system that lets workers flag a problem on the line so it can be addressed...
anechoic Appearing black on ultrasound because it reflects no sound, as with clear fluid.
anergia A profound lack of energy and physical or mental drive, characteristic of depression.
aneuploidy An abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, a frequent feature of cancer.
aneurysm A localised, permanent dilatation of an artery or of the heart wall.
angel A wealthy individual who invests personal money in early-stage startups.
angina Chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart.
angina pectoris Chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough...
angioedema A deep, transient swelling of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, often affecting the...
angiogenesis The formation of new blood vessels, which tumours co-opt to sustain their growth.
angiography The imaging of blood vessels after injection of a radio-opaque contrast agent.
angioplasty The widening of a narrowed blood vessel using a balloon-tipped catheter.
anguish Severe mental or physical pain and suffering.
anhedonia The inability to feel pleasure in normally enjoyable things.
anhidrosis An absence or marked deficiency of sweating, which may predispose to heat intolerance.
animadversion A critical or censorious remark.
animus Hostility or ill feeling directed towards someone or something.
aniridia A congenital, usually bilateral absence or severe hypoplasia of the iris.
anisocoria An inequality in the diameters of the two pupils.
anisocytosis Excessive variation in the size of red blood cells, quantified in the laboratory by the...
anisometropia A condition in which the two eyes have unequal refractive power.
ankylosis The pathological fusion of a tooth root directly to the alveolar bone with loss of the...
annexure A document attached to and forming part of a principal instrument.
annotate To add explanatory notes or comments to a result or report.
annual recurring revenue The value of a company's recurring subscription revenue normalised to a twelve-month...
annualise To convert a figure covering part of a year into its equivalent yearly rate.
annualised Expressed or calculated as a total over a full year, especially of working hours or pay.
annuitant A person who receives income from an annuity.
annuitise To convert a lump sum of savings into a stream of guaranteed income payments.
annuity A series of equal payments made or received at regular intervals over a defined period.
annul To declare a contract or transaction void and of no legal effect.
annular Describing a lesion arranged in a ring with central clearing.
annulment The judicial vacating of an arbitral award, rendering it of no legal effect.
anodontia The congenital absence of all teeth, a rare condition often linked to ectodermal...
anodyne Deliberately inoffensive or bland so as to avoid causing offence or controversy.
anomalous Deviating from what is standard or expected in the data.
anomaly An observation that deviates from what a theory or expectation predicts.
anomia A difficulty in retrieving words, particularly the names of objects, despite otherwise...
anonymisation The irreversible rendering of data so that the data subject is no longer identifiable,...
anorexia A loss of appetite for food, as a symptom rather than a psychiatric diagnosis.
anosmia The complete loss of the sense of smell.
anosognosia A neurological condition in which a patient is unaware of or denies their own deficit,...
anoxia A complete absence or total lack of oxygen supply to the tissues.
answerable Obliged to account for one's actions to someone.
antacid A preparation that neutralises stomach acid to relieve indigestion and heartburn.
antagonist A substance that binds to a receptor without activating it, thereby blocking the action...
antalgic Describing a posture or gait adopted to avoid or reduce pain.
antalgic gait A limping walking pattern adopted to avoid pain, in which less time is spent bearing...
antecedent A thing or event that comes before and often gives rise to another.
antecedents A defendant's previous convictions and personal history, presented to the court before...
antediluvian Ridiculously old-fashioned; belonging to a far earlier age.
antelucan Belonging to the hours just before dawn.
antenatal Relating to the medical care and monitoring of a woman during pregnancy before the baby...
anthelmintic Acting to expel or destroy parasitic worms.
anthropometry The systematic measurement of the body's physical dimensions, such as height, weight and...
anti-deprivation principle The rule invalidating arrangements designed to strip assets from an insolvent party's...
anti-dilution Protecting an investor's stake from being watered down by later, cheaper share issues.
anti-dilution provision A clause that adjusts an investor's conversion terms to protect them if the company later...
anti-embarrassment clause A provision entitling the seller to a share of any quick, richer resale profit the buyer...
anti-reliance clause A stipulation that the buyer relied on no statements beyond those written into the...
anti-suit injunction A court order restraining a party from commencing or continuing court proceedings brought...
antianginal Acting to relieve or prevent the chest pain of angina.
antiarrhythmic Acting to correct or prevent irregularities of the heartbeat.
antibiotic A medicine that fights bacterial infection.
anticholinergic Blocking the action of acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors.
anticholinesterase An agent that inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, thereby prolonging the action of...
anticipate To foresee a likely clinical problem so that colleagues can prepare for it in advance.
anticipation The disclosure of every feature of an invention by a single earlier item of prior art,...
anticipatory Occurring before the time fixed for performance, especially of a breach declared in...
anticipatory breach A breach committed by signalling, before performance falls due, that one will not perform.
anticipatory repudiation A party's clear renunciation of its obligations before performance falls due, entitling...
anticoagulant A drug that reduces the blood's ability to clot, used to prevent or treat harmful blood...
anticoagulation The therapeutic reduction of the blood's tendency to clot, to prevent thromboembolism.
anticompetitive Tending to reduce or distort competition in a market to the detriment of consumers.
anticonvulsant A drug used to prevent or suppress epileptic seizures.
antidiarrhoeal Acting to relieve or prevent diarrhoea.
antidilution Protecting an investor's stake from being reduced in value by later share issues at a...
antidilutive Describing a security whose conversion would raise earnings per share and is therefore...
antidote An agent that counteracts the effects of a poison or the excessive action of a drug.
antidumping Relating to duties imposed on imports sold below their normal market price.
antiemetic A drug given to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, a frequent aim in the postoperative...
antiemetic prophylaxis The preventive administration of anti-sickness drugs to reduce the likelihood of nausea...
antiepileptic Acting to prevent or reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.
antifibrinolytic Inhibiting the breakdown of fibrin and thereby helping to stabilise blood clots and...
antifragile Describing a system that gains strength or improves from stress, volatility, or disorder.
antifungal Acting to destroy or inhibit the growth of fungi.
antihistamine A drug that counteracts the effects of histamine, used to relieve allergic symptoms.
antihypertensive A medicine used to lower high blood pressure.
antimetabolite A drug that interferes with normal metabolic pathways, often by mimicking a natural...
antimicrobial stewardship A coordinated programme to optimise antimicrobial use so as to improve outcomes and limit...
antimuscarinic Blocking muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, typically reducing secretions and relaxing...
antineoplastic Acting to inhibit or prevent the growth of tumours.
antipathy A deep-seated feeling of dislike or aversion.
antiphony Responsive alternating singing or chanting between two groups.
antiplatelet Relating to a drug that stops blood platelets from clumping together to form clots, such...
antipodes A place diametrically opposite one's own on the globe.
antipruritic Relieving or preventing itching.
antipyretic A medicine used to reduce fever.
antiretroviral Acting against retroviruses, particularly the human immunodeficiency virus.
antiretroviral therapy A combination of drugs used to suppress replication of the human immunodeficiency virus.
antisepsis The prevention of infection by destroying microorganisms on living tissue.
antisialagogue A drug that reduces the production of saliva.
antispasmodic Relieving or preventing spasm of smooth muscle, particularly in the gut.
antithesis A rhetorical figure that sets sharply contrasting ideas against each other in balanced...
antithetical Directly opposed to or incompatible with something.
antithrombin A natural anticoagulant that inhibits thrombin and other serine proteases, its action...
antitrust Relating to legislation that curbs monopolies and protects market competition.
antitussive Acting to suppress or relieve coughing.
antiviral Acting to inhibit the replication or spread of a virus.
antrostomy The surgical creation of an opening into the maxillary antrum to promote drainage and...
anuria The virtual absence of urine production, usually defined as less than 100 millilitres per...
anxiolysis The relief of anxiety, the lightest level of sedation in which responsiveness is fully...
anxiolytic Serving to reduce anxiety.
anxious Feeling worried, nervous, or uneasy about an uncertain outcome.
any other business A standing agenda item at the end of a meeting for topics not otherwise scheduled.
apartheid An institutionalised regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group...
apathy A lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern.
apex The anatomical tip of a tooth root, through which the nerves and blood vessels enter the...
apgar score A rapid assessment of a newborn's condition scored out of ten at one and five minutes...
aphakia Absence of the crystalline lens from the eye.
aphasia A loss or impairment of the ability to understand or produce language, usually due to...
apheresis A procedure in which whole blood is separated so that a specific component is removed and...
aphonia The complete loss of voice with an inability to produce phonation.
aphorism A pithy observation that contains a general truth.
aphoristic Expressed in, or fond of, concise and memorable statements of general truth.
apical Relating to the apex or tip of a tooth root.
apicoectomy The surgical removal of the apex of a tooth root, usually combined with a retrograde...
aplasia Failure of an organ or tissue to produce cells, as in the marrow failure of aplastic...
aplomb Composure and assurance under pressure.
apnoea A temporary cessation of breathing.
apnoeic Characterised by a temporary cessation of breathing.
apnoeic oxygenation The maintenance of arterial oxygenation during apnoea by a passive flow of oxygen into...
apocryphal Of a story, widely circulated but of doubtful authenticity.
apodictic Clearly established or beyond dispute; demonstrably certain.
apologies for the delay A conventional email opener acknowledging a late reply without over-explaining.
apologies if I've missed anything A hedging close used when summarising or forwarding, inviting correction of any oversight.
apophasis A rhetorical device by which a speaker raises a subject precisely by claiming to pass...
apophatic Describing knowledge of God or ultimate reality by negation, stating only what it is not.
apophysis A bony outgrowth or process that serves as a site of tendon or muscle attachment and has...
apoptosis Programmed cell death that occurs in an orderly, regulated manner.
aporia A state of puzzlement or an insoluble contradiction reached in inquiry or argument.
apostrophe A rhetorical address to an absent person, abstraction or thing as though it could reply.
apothegm A short, pointed, and instructive saying.
apotheosis The highest point in the development of something; the culmination or perfect example.
apparatchik A loyal, unquestioning official within a large political party or bureaucratic...
apparent authority Authority that a principal, by conduct, leads a third party reasonably to believe an...
apparent bias The appearance, judged objectively, of a real possibility that a decision-maker was not...
appear to A hedging verb used to report an apparent pattern without asserting it as established...
appease To pacify a demanding counterparty by giving in to their claims.
appeasement The act of satisfying a hostile party by making concessions.
appellant The party who appeals a court's decision.
appendant Attached to land by operation of law as an incident of its ownership.
appendicectomy The surgical removal of the vermiform appendix, typically for acute appendicitis.
appendicitis Acute inflammation of the appendix, typically causing pain that shifts to the right iliac...
apperception The mind's reflective awareness of its own perceptions and unity of experience.
apply direct pressure To press firmly on a wound to stem external bleeding.
appoint To formally assign someone to a role or position.
appointing authority The institution or person empowered to appoint arbitrators where a party defaults or the...
apportion To divide loss or liability proportionately between parties.
apportionment The division of income or a tax base between jurisdictions or persons.
apposite Strikingly appropriate and relevant to the matter in hand.
appraisal A structured review of an employee's performance against agreed objectives.
appraisal arbitrage Buying shares after a deal is announced purely to demand a judicial fair-value...
appraisal rights A dissenting shareholder's statutory entitlement to a judicial determination of the fair...
appreciation A rise in the value of an asset over time.
apprehension Anxiety or unease about something that may happen in the future.
apprehensive Feeling anxious or fearful that something bad may happen.
apprenticeship A structured arrangement combining paid employment with training towards a recognised...
approbate and reprobate To both accept a benefit under an instrument and reject its accompanying burdens, which...
approbation Approval or praise, especially when formally expressed.
appropriability The degree to which a firm can capture the value its own innovation creates rather than...
appropriate technical and organisational measures The security safeguards a controller or processor must implement to ensure a level of...
appropriation The assumption of the rights of an owner over property, a key element of theft.
approximate To bring the edges of a wound or tissue together so that they can heal or be sutured.
approximation The bringing of national laws into closer alignment, short of complete uniformity.
appurtenance A minor right, privilege or property that attaches to and passes with the principal land...
appurtenant Attached to and passing with a piece of land as a legal accessory.
apraxia An inability to carry out learned purposeful movements despite intact motor and sensory...
apricity The warmth of the sun in winter.
aptitude A natural ability or talent that predisposes one to acquire a skill.
apyrexial Having no fever; with a body temperature within the normal range.
aqueous Relating to the watery fluid in the front chamber of the eye that nourishes the cornea...
aqueous humour The clear fluid in the front chamber of the eye that nourishes the cornea and lens and...
arbiter A person with authority to settle a dispute or decide a contested matter.
arbitrability The capacity of a particular type of dispute to be resolved by arbitration rather than...
arbitrage The practice of profiting from price differences for the same asset in different markets.
arbitrageur An investor who trades on the price gap that opens once a takeover is announced.
arbitral Relating to arbitration or to the tribunal that conducts it.
arbitral tribunal The arbitrator or panel of arbitrators appointed to hear and decide the dispute.
arbitrament The settling of a dispute by an arbitrator, or the decision itself.
arbitrary Based on individual discretion rather than law, and therefore unjust or unpredictable.
arbitrate To settle a dispute as an impartial third party chosen by those in disagreement.
arbitration Settling a dispute via a neutral third party instead of a court.
arbitration agreement The parties' agreement to submit present or future disputes to arbitration rather than to...
arbitration clause A provision within a wider contract by which the parties agree to refer disputes arising...
arbitrator A neutral individual appointed to hear a dispute and render a binding decision outside...
arboreal Living in or adapted to life among trees.
arcadian Relating to an idealised, simple and unspoilt rural existence.
arcane Understood by few; mysterious or secret.
archetype A universal character pattern a brand adopts to shape its personality and story.
ardour Intense passion, enthusiasm or desire.
arduous Requiring great and sustained effort; strenuous and tiring.
areflexia The complete absence of a normal reflex response to stimulation.
arguendo For the sake of argument, conceding a point only hypothetically.
arm's length Conducted between independent parties each acting in their own interest.
arm's length principle The standard requiring that intra-group transactions be priced as if the parties were...
armistice A formal agreement between opposing parties to stop fighting.
aromatic Having a pleasant, distinctive and usually spicy or fragrant smell.
arraign To bring an accused before a court to hear the charges and enter a plea.
arraignment The first hearing at which an accused is formally read the charges and enters a plea.
arrearage The total amount of an overdue debt that has accumulated in arrears.
arrears Tax that remains unpaid after its due date.
arrest of a vessel The detention of a ship by order of an admiralty court to found jurisdiction or provide...
arrhythmia Any disturbance of the rate, regularity, or origin of the heartbeat.
arrhythmogenic Tending to provoke or sustain abnormal heart rhythms.
arrived ship A vessel that has reached the agreed destination in the charter such that it is legally...
arriviste An assertively ambitious person determined to succeed socially or financially, often...
arrogate To take or claim something for oneself without justification.
arson The criminal act of deliberately and unlawfully setting fire to property.
artefact A spurious feature in a result that arises from the method of measurement rather than...
arterial Relating to the arteries, as in an indwelling line used for continuous blood-pressure...
arterial blood gas A blood test taken from an artery to measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid-base status.
arteriovenous fistula A surgically created connection between an artery and a vein used as long-term access for...
arthrocentesis Aspiration of fluid from a joint with a needle, for diagnosis or therapeutic relief.
arthrodesis The surgical fusion of a joint to relieve pain or provide stability.
arthrokinematics The small accessory movements, such as rolling and gliding, that occur between joint...
arthroplasty The surgical reconstruction or replacement of a joint to restore movement and relieve...
arthroscopy A minimally invasive procedure using a camera to inspect and treat the inside of a joint.
articles of association The internal rulebook of a company governing its management and the rights of its members.
articulate To express an idea or concern clearly and coherently in words.
articulation The shaping of speech sounds by movement of the lips, tongue, jaw and palate.
artificer A skilled craftsman, maker or inventor of things.
artificiality The quality of being contrived and lacking genuine commercial substance.
artisanal Made in a traditional, small-scale, and skilled way.
as a matter of urgency A phrase signalling that the action requested must be taken immediately.
as between Governing the position solely between the named parties, without affecting the rights of...
as-efficient competitor test An analytical test asking whether a rival as efficient as the dominant firm could compete...
as per my last email A pointed reference to information already sent, often signalling mild frustration that...
as the case may be Indicating that whichever of two or more stated alternatives applies is to be selected...
ASA physical status A standardised classification of a patient's overall fitness for anaesthesia based on...
asbestosis Diffuse interstitial lung fibrosis resulting from prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibres.
ascendancy A position of dominant power or influence over rivals.
ascertain To find out or establish something with certainty.
ascetic Characterised by severe self-discipline and abstention from indulgence.
ascites An abnormal build-up of fluid within the abdominal cavity.
asepsis The state or practice of being free from pathogenic micro-organisms, maintained by...
aseptic Free from contaminating micro-organisms, or using a technique that prevents infection.
aseptic technique A method of carrying out a procedure that keeps the area free from contaminating...
asperity Harshness or sharpness of tone, manner, or temper.
aspersion An attack on the reputation or integrity of someone.
asphyxia A dangerous lack of oxygen supply to the tissues, of particular concern around the time...
aspirate To draw back stomach contents through a feeding tube to check its position or measure...
aspiration The inhalation of gastric contents or other material into the tracheobronchial tree.
aspirational Appealing to customers' desire for a higher status or lifestyle.
asportation The carrying away of another's property, an element of larceny and kidnapping.
assay A laboratory procedure for measuring the presence, amount, or activity of a substance.
assent Willing agreement or approval, particularly that of a child or person who cannot give...
assertion A representation by management, explicit or implied, about the recognition, measurement,...
assertiveness The quality of stating one's views and needs confidently without aggression.
assessable Liable to be evaluated and charged to tax.
assessment The SBAR element in which you state your clinical impression and what you think is going...
asset allocation The way an investment portfolio is divided among different asset classes such as shares,...
asset-heavy Describing a business model that requires substantial investment in fixed capital such as...
asset-light Describing a business model that relies on minimal fixed capital, often through...
asset purchase A transaction in which the buyer acquires selected assets and liabilities of a business...
assiduity Constant and diligent effort or attention applied to a task.
assiduous Showing great care, persistence and unremitting attention in whatever one does.
assign To transfer ownership of an intellectual property right to another person.
assignability The capacity of a contractual right to be transferred to a third party.
assignation A secret arrangement to meet, especially between lovers.
assignee The party to whom a contractual right or benefit is transferred.
assignment The transfer of a right or benefit under a contract to another person.
assignor The party who transfers a contractual right or benefit to another.
assimilate To absorb an acquired business fully into the buyer's structure and culture.
assimilation The process by which a new employee becomes fully absorbed into a team's ways of working.
assist with washing and dressing To help a patient carry out personal hygiene and get dressed when they cannot manage...
assisted delivery A vaginal birth aided by instruments such as forceps or a ventouse.
assistive Relating to equipment or technology that supports independence in daily activities.
associated symptoms Other symptoms occurring alongside the main one.
assonance The repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words.
assuage To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to soothe or relieve.
assumptive Describing a closing technique that proceeds as if the customer has already agreed.
assurance An independent professional opinion that gives users confidence in the reliability of...
astereognosis An inability to identify objects by touch alone despite intact primary sensation.
asterixis A brief, involuntary lapse of muscle tone producing a flapping tremor of the outstretched...
asthma A chronic condition in which the airways narrow and swell, causing wheezing and...
astigmatism A refractive error caused by an irregularly curved cornea or lens, producing distorted or...
astringent Sharp or puckering to the taste, causing the mouth to contract.
astroturfing Faking grassroots enthusiasm by disguising sponsored promotion as spontaneous public...
astute Having or showing an ability to assess situations shrewdly and act to advantage.
asylee A person who has already been granted asylum, as distinct from a pending asylum-seeker.
asylum The protection granted by a state to someone fleeing persecution in another country.
asymmetry An imbalance, especially where one party holds more information than another.
asymptomatic Showing no symptoms despite having a condition.
asymptotic Approaching a given value or line ever more closely without ever quite reaching it.
asyndeton The rhetorical omission of conjunctions between successive clauses to quicken the pace of...
asystole The complete absence of electrical and mechanical cardiac activity, seen as a flat line.
at arm's length Describing a transaction between parties acting independently in their own separate...
at odds with In disagreement or conflict with someone or something.
at risk Judged to be in danger of harm, deterioration or a particular adverse outcome.
at-will Describing employment that either side can end at any time without cause.
at your earliest convenience A polite, formal way of asking someone to do something as soon as they reasonably can.
ataxia A lack of muscle coordination that affects gait, balance and fine movements.
atelectasis Collapse or incomplete expansion of alveoli, a common consequence of general anaesthesia...
atelectrauma Lung injury caused by the repeated cyclical opening and collapse of alveoli during...
atherectomy The removal of atherosclerotic plaque from within an artery.
atherogenic Tending to promote the formation of fatty plaques within arteries.
atheroma A fatty plaque of degenerated material deposited in the intima of an artery.
atherosclerosis The progressive deposition of lipid-rich plaques within the walls of arteries.
athetosis A movement disorder featuring slow, writhing, continuous involuntary movements, usually...
atomistic Describing a market of so many small participants that none can affect the price.
atony A lack of normal muscle tone, as when the uterus fails to contract firmly after birth.
atrial fibrillation An irregular and often rapid heart rhythm arising from disorganised electrical activity...
atrioventricular Relating to both the atria and the ventricles of the heart.
atrophy Wasting away of muscle or tissue from disuse or disease.
attach rate The frequency with which an ancillary product is sold alongside a primary one.
attachment The legal seizure or freezing of a debtor's property to secure or satisfy a creditor's...
attachment of earnings An enforcement method by which sums are deducted directly from a judgment debtor's wages.
attachment point The loss level at which an excess or reinsurance layer begins to pay.
attainder The legislative imposition of punishment on a named person without a judicial trial.
attainment The degree to which a salesperson reaches an assigned target or quota.
attentive Paying close and considerate attention to someone.
attenuate To reduce the force, effect or value of something.
attenuation The reduction in intensity of a beam as it passes through and is absorbed by tissue.
attest To confirm formally that something is true or genuine.
attestant A person who witnesses and certifies a signature or document.
attestation A formal declaration confirming that something is true or has occurred.
attestor One who attests or bears witness to the execution of a document.
attorn To acknowledge and accept a new landlord or party as the one to whom obligations are now...
attornment A tenant's formal acknowledgment of a new landlord following a transfer of the reversion.
attributable Capable of being ascribed to a particular cause, such as the breach.
attribute to To regard something as being caused by or belonging to a particular source.
attribution The author's moral right to be identified as the creator of a work.
attrition The physiological wearing of tooth surfaces resulting from tooth-to-tooth contact.
attritional Describing losses that are frequent, small, and expected rather than catastrophic.
atypia Deviation of cells from their normal appearance, often signalling premalignant change.
audacious Boldly ambitious in a way that ignores conventional caution.
audi alteram partem The rule of natural justice that no one should be condemned unheard, giving each party...
audiometry The quantitative measurement of hearing thresholds across different frequencies.
audit An official inspection of a company's accounts.
audit trail A step-by-step record that traces a transaction from its source document through to the...
auditable Structured and documented so that an independent examiner can trace and test it.
auditor An independent professional appointed to examine and report on a company's accounts.
auditory hallucinations Hearing sounds or voices that have no external source, often experienced as coming from...
augmentation The use of interventions such as an oxytocin infusion to strengthen contractions when...
augmentative Describing communication methods that supplement or replace speech, such as symbols or...
augury A sign or omen taken to foretell the future.
august Inspiring reverence and admiration through dignity and grandeur.
aura A warning sensation, such as an unusual smell, light or feeling, that precedes a seizure...
aurora A natural light display in the polar sky.
auscultate To listen to the internal sounds of the body, especially the heart and lungs, usually...
auscultation Listening to internal body sounds with a stethoscope.
auscultatory Relating to or discovered by listening to body sounds during examination.
Auspitz sign The appearance of pinpoint bleeding when scale is scraped off a psoriatic plaque, caused...
austere Severe or plain in appearance or manner; without comfort or luxury.
austerity A policy of sharply reducing government spending, often to bring down a budget deficit or...
autarky National economic self-sufficiency and independence from trade.
auteur A film director whose personal creative vision so shapes a work that they are regarded as...
authenticate To establish that an item of evidence is genuinely what its proponent claims it to be.
authenticity The quality of being genuine and of undisputed origin.
authorisation Formal approval that a transaction may proceed, granted by someone with the requisite...
authoritarian Enforcing strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal autonomy.
authoritative Commanding respect and confidence through evident competence and assurance.
authorship The status of being the creator of a work, from which first ownership of copyright...
auto-enrolment A scheme that automatically signs eligible workers into a pension unless they actively...
auto-PEEP Unintended residual positive pressure caused by incomplete exhalation and gas trapping,...
autocallable A structured product that redeems early with a coupon if the underlying reaches a set...
autochthonous Native to and originating from the place where it is found; indigenous.
autocorrelation The correlation of a time series with a time-lagged copy of itself.
autocracy A system of government in which one person holds unlimited power.
autocratic Ruling with absolute, unchecked power.
autograft A tissue graft taken from and transplanted to the same individual, avoiding immune...
autolysis The self-destruction of cells or tissue by their own enzymes after death or delay in...
automated decision-making A decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces...
automatic stabiliser A fiscal mechanism that dampens the business cycle without new legislation.
automaticity The intrinsic ability of specialised cardiac cells to depolarise and initiate an impulse...
automatism An involuntary, purposeless action carried out without conscious awareness, often during...
autonomous Able to operate and make decisions independently of central control.
autonomy A patient's right to make their own decisions about their care, free from control by...
autrefois acquit A plea barring retrial on the ground that the accused has already been acquitted of the...
autrefois convict The plea barring a second prosecution for an offence of which the accused has already...
availability heuristic Estimating the likelihood of an event by how easily examples of it come to mind.
availability period The window during which the borrower is permitted to draw down a facility, after which...
available-to-promise The uncommitted portion of inventory and planned production a seller can pledge against...
aval A guarantee of payment on a bill of exchange or promissory note added by a third party.
avant-garde Radically new or experimental, especially ahead of prevailing taste.
avarice Extreme greed for wealth.
avaricious Excessively greedy for wealth or material gain.
aver To assert or allege something formally as a fact in pleadings.
average adjuster A specialist who investigates a general average or insurance loss and prepares the...
average bond An undertaking given by cargo interests to pay their due general average contribution,...
averment A positive statement or allegation of fact set out in a pleading.
avidity Keen eagerness or greedy desire for something.
avitaminosis A condition caused by a serious deficiency of one or more vitamins.
avoidable Capable of being prevented, so that any resulting loss is not recoverable.
avoidance The setting aside of a transaction entered into before insolvency, such as a preference...
avolition A marked reduction in the motivation to initiate and sustain purposeful, goal-directed...
avow To declare or admit openly and without shame.
avowal An open and frank admission or declaration.
avulsion The forcible tearing away of a fragment of bone at the site where a tendon or ligament...
avuncular Kind, friendly and tolerant in the manner of a benevolent uncle towards younger people.
awaiting Waiting for something, such as results or an appointment, that is still to come at the...
award The final, binding decision rendered by an arbitral tribunal on the merits of a dispute.
award damages For a court to order one party to pay money to another as compensation.
awareness The unintended return of consciousness during general anaesthesia, sometimes with...
axe A dealer's strong directional interest or position bias in a particular security.
axiology The philosophical study of value, encompassing both ethics and aesthetics.
axiom A self-evident proposition taken as a starting point from which others are derived.
axiomatic Self-evident or unquestionable; taken as an established principle.
axonotmesis A nerve injury in which the axons are disrupted but the surrounding connective sheath...
azotaemia An excess of nitrogenous waste products such as urea in the blood, reflecting impaired...

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