Political Discourse Terminology

noun a building for sports or spectacles

• The new sports arena is expected to attract thousands of fans.
• Let's meet at the arena before the concert starts.
• The arena is gonna be lit tonight!
• Politics can be a battleground, with the arena being the debate stage.

noun a violent confrontation or struggle

verb to come into violent conflict

• The clash between the two political parties resulted in heated debates during the parliamentary session.
• There was a clash between the fans of the rival football teams at the stadium last night.
• The clash between those two classmates was so intense, it was like watching a reality TV show.
• The clash of ideas in the boardroom led to a creative breakthrough for the company.

verb to publicly denounce or criticize something

• Many experts decry the government's lack of action on climate change.
• I heard some people decry the new policy at work.
• She's always decrying everything, it's so annoying.
• The artist's work subtly decry societal norms and expectations.

noun a feeling or expression of disapproval; censure or condemnation

• The committee expressed their disapproval of the new policy proposal.
• My parents showed their disapproval when they saw my messy room.
• I could tell by the look on her face that she was throwing some major shade of disapproval.
• The dark clouds looming overhead seemed to cast a shadow of disapproval over the town.

noun a formal discussion of a topic in speech or writing

verb to engage in conversation or discussion

• The discourse on climate change has been a topic of debate for many years.
• Let's have a discourse on what movie to watch tonight.
• I'm not in the mood for your political discourse right now.
• The discourse between the two countries was tense, but ultimately productive.

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.

noun The act of telling lies or falsehoods

verb Present participle form of the verb 'lie', which means to intentionally give false information

• The suspect was caught lying about his whereabouts during the time of the crime.
• I can't believe she's still lying about what happened last night.
• Stop lying to me, I know the truth.
• The clouds were lying low in the sky, as if reluctant to move.

noun a sum of money that a government owes to others

• The government is working on a plan to reduce the national debt.
• Our country's national debt is getting out of hand.
• We're drowning in national debt.
• The national debt is like a weight dragging down our economy.

adjective causing disapproval or objection; offensive

• The company received numerous complaints about the objectionable content in their advertisement.
• I find that movie to be quite objectionable, I couldn't even finish watching it.
• I can't believe she said that, it was so objectionable!
• His behavior was so objectionable, it was like nails on a chalkboard.

verb to express an opinion

• It is important to opine on matters of public policy in order to contribute to informed decision-making.
• Feel free to opine on which movie you think is the best.
• I'm not sure why everyone feels the need to opine on everything these days.
• As the sun set, the old man would often opine about the days of his youth.

adjective excessively passionate or fervent

• The perfervid speech by the politician stirred up strong emotions in the audience.
• She's always been a perfervid fan of that band, following them to every concert.
• I can't believe how perfervid he gets about his favorite sports team.
• Her perfervid dedication to her cause was like a flame that couldn't be extinguished.

verb to cause annoyance or resentment

• The criticism from her colleagues continued to rankle her.
• It really rankles me when people don't clean up after themselves.
• That comment really rankled me, dude.
• The memory of his betrayal still rankles in her heart.

noun a lengthy, impassioned speech or piece of writing that strongly criticizes or denounces someone or something

verb to speak or write at length in a critical or angry manner

• During the meeting, the CEO went on a lengthy rant about the importance of company values.
• My friend always goes on a rant about his favorite sports team whenever they lose a game.
• I can't stand when people start ranting about things they don't understand.
• Her mind was like a never-ending rant, filled with thoughts and opinions that she couldn't keep to herself.

noun a reworking or restatement of already known information

verb to rework or repeat old material

• The academic journal decided to rehash the previous research findings in their latest publication.
• I don't want to rehash our argument from yesterday, let's just move on.
• Stop rehashing the same old drama, it's getting annoying.
• The politician tried to rehash his old promises in a new speech, but nobody was convinced.

noun the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with

adjective tolerant

• Tolerance is an important value that promotes harmony and understanding among diverse groups.
• We all need to have a little more tolerance for each other's differences.
• Dude, you gotta have some tolerance for my bad jokes!
• The machine has a tolerance of +/- 0.5mm for accurate measurements.

noun a situation in which a number of people join together to criticize or attack someone

verb to join together with others in criticizing or attacking someone

• The team's strategy involved a coordinated pile-on of critiques against their opponent.
• Everyone started to pile-on with jokes about the embarrassing moment.
• The internet trolls decided to pile-on and attack the celebrity for their controversial statement.
• The stress of work and family responsibilities felt like a never-ending pile-on.

adjective describing the position of being detached or uninvolved in a situation of conflict or competition

preposition indicating a position higher than or overhead in relation to something else

• The politician maintained his composure and stayed above the fray during the heated debate.
• She always manages to stay above the fray when her friends start arguing.
• I try to stay above the fray when drama starts in my friend group.
• By focusing on my goals and not getting involved in petty arguments, I am able to stay above the fray.