1. Acupuncture: A Chinese system of needle cure developed around 2700 B.C. It specifies 365 spots in the human body and treatment is done by inserting needles in these spots.
2. Adult Franchise (Universal): The Principle of giving the right to vote to all adult citizens of a state irrespective of their caste, creed, colour, religion, sex etc.,
3. Aestheticism: A movement in art and literature which gives precedence to aesthetic values over moral and other values of life.
4. Afrocentrism: Movement of American Blacks Projecting racial superiority of the Blacks over the Whites.
5. Amish: A Christian group characterised by its rejection of modern and urban ways of life.
6. Amnesia: Loss of memory through shock or brain damage.
7. Anarchism: Anarchism is a political theory which denounces authority as harmful and government as an unnecessary evil; a state of lawlessness.
8. Anglicanism: A Christian denominational creed under the Church of England with Archbishop of Canterbury as its titular head.
9. Anorexia: Lack or loss of the desire to eat
10. Anthology: A collection of literary pieces.
11. Anthropomorphism: Envisaging non-human objects, especially God as having physical and mental characteristics like those of human beings.
12. Anti-hero: A literary character with dominanat negative qualities.
13. Apartheid: The policy of racial segregation practiced in South Africa till the 1990’s.
14. Armageddon: As per the Bible, the site of the final battle between the nations that will end the world.
15. Atavism: Theory according to which the characteristics of a remote ancestor can reappear in a person or plant after several intervening years.
16. Arbitration: Referring a dispute to a third, unbiased party for settlement.
17. Atheism: The belief that God as a separate entity does not exist.
18. Autarky: “Fortress policy” followed by states to achieve economic self sufficiency.
19. Autocracy: A form of govt. in which one person holds absolute power with uncontrolled and undisputed authority.
20. Avant Garde: Literally advance group or movement that is innovative and marks a departure from existing norms.
21. Balance of Payments: An account of a country’s debit and credit transactions with other countries.
22. Balance of Power: A foreign policy principle according to which alliances are formed to prevent one nation becoming overwhelmingly powerful in any one part of the world.
23. Ballet: A European theatrical dance form with its own characteristic techniques like leaps and pirouetting on toes.
24. Bankruptcy: A legal process by which the assets of an insolvent-debtor is taken away under a court order and divided fairly among the creditors.
25. Beatles: A music group comprising four British boys, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, that became a 20th century phenomenon by leading a pop revolution across the world.
26. Bench Marking: It is a management methodology based on the principle that an efficient practice in one industry should be applicable to other industries.
27. Bicameral System: The system in which legislature is divided into two houses.
28. Big Brother: Derisive term for the oppressor in a Communist state-phrase popularised by George Orwell.
29. Biomass: The total mass of living organisms present in a given area.
30. Black hole: Object in space whose gravity is so great that nothing can escape from it, not even light.
31. Bolshevism: Communist doctrine as adapted by Lenin for practical application in Russia.
32. Bonapartism: Political system of military dictatorship by an individual, ostensibly based on popular appeal, with frequent use of plebiscite.
33. Boxer Rebellion: A peasant uprising in China in the beginning of 20th c. against European encroachments and Christian missionaries.
34. Braille: A coded system of raised dots used by the blind to write and read.
35. Brainwashing: The technique of changing a person’s ideas, beliefs and attitudes by force, ranging from physical torture to psychological pressure.
36. Bretton Woods System: Arrangements to govern post-war monetary and financial relations among nations (1944).
37. Burlesque: A stage show or literary work that ridicules the serious or the trivial using exaggerated comic imitation.
38. Calvinism: Ethical code whose basic tenet is that all people are born sinful and only a few selected by God can hope to attain salvation.
39. Cannibalism: The practice of eating human flesh
40. Canonisation: Declaring a deceased person to be a saint.
41. Cantonment: Townships established by the British for the welfare of armed forces personnel and their families.
42. Capitalism: An economic system that promotes free enterprise or accumulation and investment of wealth by private individual/institutions for profit.
43. Capitation Fee: Money arbitrarily collected by professional colleges and self financing educational institutions for admitting students to their courses.
44. Cartel: A group of firms that agree to manipulate the production and sale of a product with a view to making undue profits for themselves.
45. Castroism: The ideas and policies of Fidel Castro along with Che Guevara in Cuba.
46. Catastrophism: The geological doctrine that repeated catastrophic revolutions account for the features of the earth and the many forms of life on it.
47. Catchment Area: Area from which water is collected by a river and its tributaries.
48. Catharsis: Emotional purging and purification brought about by the experience of pity and fear.
49. Chaos theory: Branch of mathematics which attempts to describe chaotic systems whose behaviour is difficult to predict.
50. Charisma: Marked personal charm or magnetism.
51. Chauvinism: Fanatical Nationalism. Male chauvinism is male bias against females as a class.
52. Chequebook Journalism: The practice of offering big money to dubious characters for the juicy stories they like to reveal of celebrities.
53. Christian Science: An American religious cult believing in the spiritual healing of the sick by changing and correcting the thoughts of the patients.
54. Christian Socialism: A doctrine that sought to counteract the evils of industrial capitalism through the means of Christian ethics.
55. Circumambulation: Ceremonial walking around an object as a religious rite or belief.
56. Coloning: Asexual reproduction of an organism genetically identical to the parent.
57. Cockroach Factor: A term used to denote high degree of environmental adaptability and survival.
58. Cold War: The intensely hostile but non shooting competition and rivalry between the US and USSR after WWII.
59. Collectivism: Direct participation by the state in a country’s economic activities for the common interest and good of all
60. Colonialism: Forceful subjugation of one country by another.
61. Comintern: Communist International, an organisation of communist parties set up by Lenin in 1919.
62. Communism: A social system in which property is owned by the people with everyone giving according to his ability and taking according to his needs.
63. Confucianism: Ethical system based on the teachings of Confucius (Kond-fu-zi) emphasising personal virtue, devotion to family and justice.
64. Conservatism: Conservatism gives importance and value to tradition and status quo over change.
65. Consumer Price Index: Index of the cost of goods and services, needed for an average standard of living.
66. Coup d’etat: Forcible takeover of the government of a country by elements from within that country.
67. Cruise Missile: A strategic missile capable of propelling itself and carrying warheads. They fly close to the ground evading radar detection.
68. Crusade: Religious war in Europe against non-Christians and heretics, sanctioned by the Pope. In particular it was a series of wars (1096-1291) by the European rules to recapture Palestine from the Muslims.
69. Cubism: Movement in modern art which grew out of artists desire to go beyond naturalism. Cubists dissected their subjects into geometric shapes and assembled them with a deliberate avoidance of perspective.
70. Cultural Revolution: A socio-political movement in China during Mao Zedong’s ruleaimed at overthrowing entrenched bureaucracy and rekindling revolutionary fervour and ideas.
71. Culture Shock: The psychological reaction following sudden exposure to an alien cultural environment.
72. Dadaism: Art movement after WWI. A protest against conventional art, it was basically nihilistic and had no formal style of its own.
73. Dalit: A generic term denoting the backward and oppressed classes coming in the official category of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Dalit Panthers, a militant organisation of “untouchables” formed in Bombay in 1970’s.
74. Dementia: Degenerative mental disorder affecting memory, intelligence and orientation.
75. Devaluation: The deliberate diminishing of the exchange value of a country’s currency
76. Dollar Diplomacy: The US policy of using its economic political and military strengths to promote its national interest at the expense of other countries.
77. Down’s Syndrome: A congenital condition that causes mental deficiency and physical malformations.
78. Dyslexia: A neurological disorder that adversely affect children’s ability to read, write and form words.
79. Econometrics: Mathematical and statistical analysis of economic issues.
80. Ecumenism: A movement for unity among Christian churches.
81. Ego: The Latin word of “I” meaning the self. It is one’s perception of oneself.
82. Electra Complex: The sexually coloured feelings of a daughter towards her father and jealousy towards her mother.
83. Elitism: The theory that ll political systems in effect are governed by a minority of influential and dominant people called the ‘elite’.
84. Ergonomics: The study of the application of biology and engineering to the relationship between workers and their environment (bio-technology).
85. ESP (Extra Sensory Perception): Awareness or knowledge obtained without the use of normal senses.
86. Esperanto: An artificial language developed by Russian physician Louis Zamenhof in 1887.
87. Epicureanism: Ethical philosophy developed in ancient Grece by Epicurus. The goal of life is happiness which can be attained only through please and avoiding pain.
88. Ethnic Cleansing: A policy of genocide adopted by Serbia to drive Croats and Muslims out of Bosnia-Herzegovina as Yugoslavia disintegrated in 1992.
89. Ethnicity: People’s own sense of cultural identity.
90. Ethnocentrism: A anthropological term to describe a group’s belief that its own way of life is superior to that of others.
91. Ethnology: Study of contemporary peoples focussing on their geography and culture.
92. Ethology: Comparative study of animal behaviour in its natural setting .
93. Thymology: Study of the origin and history of words.
94. Egenics: The science of improving the hereditary qualities through controlled reproduction.
95. Eurocentrism: The assumption that human scientific progress is an exclusively European achievement and so western civilization is the only model for other societies to follow.
96. Existentialism: A concept according to which human being’s existence with his own will and consciousness, is independent of anything else.
97. Expressionism: A school of painting that exphasises the inner meaning of the subjects painted.
98. Extradition: Surrender, by one country to another, of a person accused of criminal offence in the country to which that person is extradited.
99. Fascism: A political ideology based on extreme right wing ideas under one party and one unquestionable leader.
100. Fascism: A political ideology based on extreme right wing ideas under one party and one unquestionable leader.
101. Fatalism: The belief that lives and events are determined by powers beyond human control.
102. Fatwa: An inviolable order issued by an islamic religious head.
103. Federalism: Governmental system in which power is constitutionally shared by central and regional authorities.
104. Feminism: Women's movement for gaining equal rights with men in social, political and economic fields.
105. Fetishism: A tribal tradition that considers people or objects as possessors of spirit and therefore worthy of worship.
106. Feudalism: A system in which landlords having vast estates or fiefdoms exercise absolute power over tenants and others living in their jurisdictions.
107. Fifth Column: Persons working secretly to subvert a government or a party or an organisation from within.
108. Final Solution: Phrase coined by Nazi Germany for the annihilation of Jews in Europe and thereby solving "the Jewish problem".
109. Folklore: The oral tradations and culture of a people, expressed in legends, riddles, songs, and proverbs.
110. Fourteen Point: US President Woodrow Wilson's proposals for peace after the WWI: free navigation in the seas, equality in trade conditions, reduction of armaments, etc.
111. Fourth Estate: The press (journalism and journalists)
112. Functionalism: How the function of an organism or structure determines its features.
113. Fundamentalism: Blind faith in the infallibility of a doctrine, usually religious, accompanied by a readiness to act in its defence and promotion
114. Futurism: An art movement which rejected the past in a sensationalist style by advocating such steps as the destruction of museums. In art futurism stressed dynamism in contrast to cubism's still life.
115. Futurology: A 20th Century discipline that seeks to interpret future trends on the basis of present happenings.
116. Gang of Four: Derisive term applied to a powerful quarter of leaders who wielded great influence in Chine during the last phase of Mao Zedong's rule. It comprised Mao's wife Chiang Ching and her three favourite proteges Wang Hungwen, Chang Chungchaiao and Yao Wenyuan.
117. Gaullism: The French nationalist philosophy as propounded by Charles de Gaulle.
118. Genetic Engineering: The science of manipulating the DNA to produce desired characteristics in progeny.
119. Genocide: The policy of systematically exterminating an ethnic group.
120. Geochemistry: The study of the substances of the earth, including the seas and the atmosphere.
121.Geopolitics: The study of the relation of politics with the realities of geography.
122. Gerontology: The scientific study of the process of ageing.
123. Gerrymandering: The rearranging of constituency boundaries to give an unfair advantage usually to the ruling party.
124. Ghazal: A short graceful lyric poem of love rendered by singers.
125. GNP: Gross National Product the total market value of goods and services produced by the economy of a country during a year.
126. Golden Handshake: A policy of voluntary retirement with attractive compensation packages devised for private and public sector companies to exclude excess or inconvenient staff.
127. Gothic: A style of architecture and art in 12th-16th c. Europe
128-Graphology: Analysing a person's psychology using his handwriting.
129-Green House Effect: The phenomenon by which solar radiation, trapped and re-emitted by the earth is prevented from espcaping by various gases in the air like Carbon Dioxide and CFC's
130-Group Theraphy: Psycho-medical treatment to a group of patients who share common ailments.
131-Guernica: A term symbolising the brutality and meaninglessness of war.
132-Gyroscope: A device that provides directional reference to vehicles and other moving objects like missiles.
133-Habeas Corpus: A legal writ issued by a court directing the production before it of the body of a detained person, usually to inquire into the legality of the detention.
134-Hacker: Slang for a computer whiz-kid who uses his skills to break unauthorisedly into computer networks.
135-Hara-kiri: Ritual belly-cutting practised by the Samurai (military) class of feudal Japan as the honourable method of suicide.
136-Hard Currency : The currency of economically strong and dominant countries that enjoy preferential demand in the foreign exchange market.
