credence – noun belief as to the truth of something I give great credence to the idea of karma. What we give to others comes back to us in many positive ways. Unfortunately, so does the negative.

credible – adjective believable A credible story rarely begins with “When the aliens abducted me…”

credulous – adjective willing to believe Anyone who believes water can be turned into gold is a credulous fool.

aesthetic – noun principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement The painting’s clean lines, bare surfaces, and sense of space reflect the machine -age aesthetic.

eclectic – adjective selecting from various sources Lady Gaga has eclectic taste in her personal fashion.

rhetoric – noun the art of writing or speaking Many people prefer not to hear the empty rhetoric of politicians.

vacate – verb to empty of occupants After failing to pay the rent for three months, the tenants were served with orders to vacate the apartment within twenty-four hours.

vacuous – adjective without contents of value; a lack of ideas or intelligence The beauty contestant’s vacuous answer made her family cringe with embarrassment from her ridiculous answer.

vacuum – noun space empty of matter “Nature abhors (hates) a vacuum.” This idiom means that empty or unfilled spaces are unnatural because they go against the laws of nature and physics.

terrace – noun a raised level of earth Terrace farming uses "steps" that are built into the side of a hill. On each level, various crops are planted. When it rains, instead of washing away all of the nutrients in the soil, the nutrients are carried down to the next level.

terrestrial – adjective related to Earth Terrestrial animals come in many shapes and sizes, but all call Earth home.

territorial – adjective related to area under the control of a state or ruler The territorial leader in the novel the Hunger Games is known for his cruel nature, as he forces selected children to fight for their own survival and that of their districts.

ascribe – verb to credit or assign I do not always ascribe failure to laziness, but I do see a clear connection between the two.

scribe – noun one skilled in writing Until literacy became common, people would hire a scribe to write letters, historical records, and other important documents.

conscription – noun forced military service The U.S. conscription during the Vietnam War was protested by the burning of draft cards.