-ic

Usage

• politic

  To be politic in a decision is to be socially wise and diplomatic.

• aesthetic

  The word aesthetic is used to talk about art, beauty, the study of beauty, and the appreciation of beautiful things.

• rubric

  A rubric is a set of instructions at the beginning of a document, such as an examination or term paper, that is usually printed in a different style so as to highlight its importance.

• canonical

  Something that is canonical is accepted as being accurate and authoritative--it possesses all the qualities that a thing of its kind should have.

• allegorical

  An allegorical poem or story employs allegory, that is, a literary device that uses literal events and characters to represent abstract ideas or deeper meanings.

• empirical

  Empirical evidence or study is based on real experience or scientific experiments rather than on unproven theories.

• bombastic

  When a person is speaking or writing in a bombastic fashion, they are very self-centered, extremely showy, and excessively proud.

• mimetic

  If you engage in mimetic behavior, you copy the movements or appearance of someone or something else.

• enigmatic

  Someone or something that is enigmatic is mysterious and difficult to understand.

• catatonic

  A catatonic person is in a state of suspended action; therefore, they are rigid, immobile, and unresponsive.

• lackadaisical

  If you do something in a lackadaisical way, you do it carelessly and without putting much effort into it—thereby showing that you are not really interested in what you're doing.

• laconic

  A person who is being laconic uses very few words to say something.

• acerbic

  If you take an acerbic tone with someone, you are criticizing them in a clever but critical and mean way.

• semantic

  The word semantic is used to describe that which pertains to meaning, especially the meaning of words and phrases.

• prophylactic

  A prophylactic is used as a preventative or protective agent to keep someone free from disease or infection.

• plastic

  A person who is plastic can be easily influenced and molded by others.

• panegyric

  A panegyric is a speech or article that praises someone or something a lot.

• myopic

  A myopic person is unable to visualize the long-term negative consequences of their current actions; rather, they are narrowly focused upon short-term results.

• intrinsic

  An intrinsic characteristic of something is the basic and essential feature that makes it what it is.

• topical

  The adjective topical describes something that is related to a topic or is of current interest.

• endemic

  Something that is endemic to a place, such as a disease or life form, is very frequently found in and restricted to that area or region.

• schematic

  A schematic diagram or picture shows the main parts of something in a simple drawing that helps people understand it.

• bucolic

  The adjective bucolic is used to describe things that are related to or characteristic of rural or country life.

• prosaic

  Something prosaic is dull, boring, and ordinary.

• nostalgic

  If you feel nostalgic about a happy time in the past, you are feeling sad when you think about it and wish that things had not changed or long for their return.

• chronic

  A chronic illness or pain is serious and lasts for a long time; a chronic problem is always happening or returning and is very difficult to solve.

• pyrrhic

  A Pyrrhic victory is one that comes at a high cost for the winners of the battle.

• skeptic

  A skeptic is a person who doubts popular claims or facts about things that other people believe to be true.

• eccentric

  If someone is eccentric, they behave in a strange and unusual way that is different from most people.

• dogmatic

  Someone is being dogmatic when they express opinions in an assertive and often overly self-important manner.

• autocratic

  An autocratic person rules with complete power; consequently, they make decisions and give orders to people without asking them for their opinion or advice.

• vitriolic

  Vitriolic words are bitter, unkind, and mean-spirited.

• somatic

  If you say that something is somatic, you mean that it relates to or affects the body and not the mind.

• meteoric

  If you describe someone's path through life as meteoric, it means that they have become very successful extremely quickly.

• phlegmatic

  Someone who is phlegmatic stays calm and unemotional even in dangerous or exciting situations.

• frenetic

  Frenetic activity is done quickly with lots of energy but is also uncontrolled and disorganized; someone who is in a huge hurry often displays this type of behavior.

• choleric

  A choleric person becomes angry very easily.

• sardonic

  Someone's sardonic smile, expression, or comment shows a lack of respect for what someone else has said or done; this occurs because the former thinks they are too important to consider or discuss such a supposedly trivial matter of the latter.

• thematic

  Something is thematic when it is related to a particular theme.

• sporadic

  Sporadic occurrences happen from time to time but not at constant or regular intervals.

• eclectic

  An eclectic assortment of things or people comes from many varied sources; additionally, it usually includes the best of those sources.

• pedantic

  If someone is pedantic, they give too much importance to unimportant details and formal rules.

• didactic

  Didactic speech or writing is intended to teach something, especially a moral lesson.

• prophetic

  Something or someone that is prophetic has the quality or ability to predict the future.

• peripatetic

  If someone leads a peripatetic life, they travel from place to place, living and working only for a short time in each place before moving on.

• caustic

  A caustic remark is unkind, critical, cruel, and mocking.

• dialectic

  Dialectic is a dialogue between two people who present logical arguments in order to persuade each other of the truth of their opinion; during this interchange, the debaters arrive at a truth, which often involves parts of each debater's opinion.

• idiosyncratic

  Idiosyncratic tendencies, behavior, or habits are unusual and strange.

• lethargic

  If you are lethargic, you are tired, lack energy, and are unwilling to exert effort.

• generic

  A generic description or attribute is not specific to any one thing but applies to all members of an entire class or group.

• esoteric

  Something esoteric is known about or understood by very few people.

• diabolical

  If you say something is diabolical, you are emphasizing that it is evil, cruel, or very bad.

• archaic

  Something that is archaic is out of date or not currently used anymore because it is no longer considered useful or efficient.

• quixotic

  Quixotic plans or ideas are not very practical or realistic; they are often based on unreasonable hopes for improving the world.

• polemic

  A polemic is a strong written or spoken statement that usually attacks or less often defends a particular idea, opinion, or belief.

• rhetoric

  Rhetoric is the skill or art of using language to persuade or influence people, especially language that sounds impressive but may not be sincere or honest.

• synoptic

  When you are presented with a synoptic view of a written work or subject, you receive a summary or general overview of the entirety of its contents.

• whimsical

  A whimsical idea or person is slightly strange, unusual, and amusing rather than serious and practical.

• histrionic

  If you describe someone's behavior as histrionic, you disapprove of it because it is overly loud, dramatic, emotional, and insincere.

• stoic

  A stoic person does not show their emotions and does not complain when bad things happen to them.

• anthropomorphic

  Something anthropomorphic is not human, but is shaped like a human or has human characteristics, such as behavior.

• chronological

  A chronological history is one that arranges events in the correct order in which they happened.

• concentric

  Concentric circles, gradually increasing in size, radiate from a common central point.

• cynical

  A cynical person thinks that people in general are motivated primarily by selfish concerns and so not only doubts them but is also highly sarcastic and skeptical about them.

• demographic

  A demographic study describes the characteristics of part of a population that is usually used for purposes of marketing.

• ecstatic

  When you are ecstatic about something, you are overjoyed or extremely happy about it.

• egotistical

  Someone who is egotistical thinks about or is concerned with no one else other than themselves.

• emphatic

  When you make an emphatic declaration, you are insistent and absolute about it.

• erratic

  Anything that is erratic in the way it behaves is irregular, inconsistent, and not predictable.

• fanaticism

  Fanaticism is the condition of being overly enthusiastic about a cause to the point of being extreme and unreasonable about it.

• ironic

  An ironic statement means something the opposite of that which is expressed, sometimes giving humor or a grim twist to the situation at hand.

• kinetic

  Something kinetic is moving, dynamic, and energetic.

• melodramatic

  When you are acting in a melodramatic way, you are overreacting to something in an overly dramatic and exaggerated way.

• monastic

  A monastic lifestyle is very simple—it is not given to excess in any way; rather, it is a lifestyle of self-denial.

• neurotic

  A neurotic person is too anxious or worried about events in everyday life.

• panoramic

  A panoramic view of a landscape is a sweeping or wide-ranging view of it.

• parenthetical

  A parenthetical remark further explains or qualifies information.

• pathological

  If you have a pathological condition, you are extreme or unreasonable in something that you do.

• chaotic

  A chaotic state of affairs is in a state of confusion and complete disorder.

• pragmatic

  If you handle something in a pragmatic way, you deal with it in a realistic and practical manner rather than just following unproven theories or ideas.

• dynamic

  A dynamic person is highly energetic, enthusiastic, and very active.

• authentic

  An authentic object or person is actual or real as opposed to fake or not the real thing.

• methodical

  If you are methodical in doing something, you move along in a very logical, orderly, and systematic way until it is accomplished.

• epidemic

  An epidemic problem, such as a disease or unpleasant development of some kind, spreads quickly over a widespread area.

• exotic

  If something is exotic, it is viewed as unusual, very different, mysterious, or from a foreign culture that is unfamiliar.

• polyphonic

  The adjective polyphonic refers to something that consists of many sounds or voices.

• rhapsodic

  If you are rhapsodic about something, you are very happy, ecstatic, passionate, or highly enthusiastic about it.

• democratic

  A democratic government is based on the idea that all people are equal and therefore should all have a say about not only how to rule a country but also what their country's laws should be.

• technique

  A technique is a special way of or skill in doing something.

• gigantic

  Something that is gigantic is huge or very big.

• economic

  An economic decision is based on the supply of money or wealth that is involved.

• academic

  Those things which are academic are learned in classes at school, such as math, English, and history.

• basic

  Basic skills are those key or main things you learn how to do which are the very simplest, such as learning how to add 1 + 1 or how to dress yourself.

• automatic

  That which is automatic works by itself without a human having to do it.

• criticism

  Criticism is the finding of fault with what people have done or are doing because their actions are considered wrong or bad in some way.

• dramatic

  Something which is dramatic is exciting, filled with energy, and can sometimes be surprisingly sudden and highly noticeable; these things often occur in plays, making them most interesting.

• tropical

  A tropical climate tends to be hot and wet most of the time.

• topic

  A topic is a subject that a book or a teacher can talk about; for example, it could be a science class all about rabbits.

• publication

  A publication is a piece of writing that is available for the public to read, such as a magazine, newspaper, or book.

• typical

  An occurrence that is typical is what you would normally expect—it is something that happens regularly.