Academic Discourse Vocabulary

verb to talk about (something) with another person or group in order to exchange ideas or reach a decision

• During the meeting, we will discuss the budget allocation for the upcoming project.
• Let's discuss what movie to watch this weekend.
• I need to discuss my crush with you, can we talk?
• The author's use of symbolism in the novel is something we can discuss further in class.

verb to consign or dismiss to an inferior rank or position

• The committee voted to relegate the proposal to the bottom of the agenda.
• I'm afraid they're going to relegate me to the night shift.
• I don't want to be relegated to the bench for the whole game.
• Don't relegate your dreams to the back burner, keep working towards them.

noun A word used to identify a person, place, thing, or idea. In this phrase, 'truth' and 'power' are nouns referring to concepts or entities.

verb A word used to describe an action or state of being. In this case, 'speak' is a verb indicating the act of communicating verbally.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. 'To' is a preposition indicating the direction or goal of the action of speaking.

• It is important to speak truth to power in order to hold those in authority accountable.
• Hey, don't be afraid to speak truth to power and tell them what you really think.
• Dude, you gotta have the guts to speak truth to power and not let them push you around.
• In a world where lies often prevail, it is brave to speak truth to power and stand up for what is right.

adverb in a sharp and bitter manner

• The business partners parted ways acrimoniously after failing to reach a compromise.
• They argued acrimoniously about who should do the dishes.
• The siblings fought acrimoniously over the last slice of pizza.
• The debate ended acrimoniously, leaving a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.