Vocabulary Words with Definitions from Today's Class

corroborate verb

confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
"the witness had corroborated the boy's account of the attack" 

synonyms:

confirm, verify, authenticate, validate

disparate adjective  (usually)
essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
"they inhabit disparate worlds of thought" 

synonyms:

contrasting, different, poles apart

 Also can be used as a noun

(archaic) things so unlike that there is no basis for comparison.

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extrapolate  verb
extend the application of (a method or conclusion, especially one based on statistics) to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue or similar methods will be applicable.
"the results cannot be extrapolated to other patient groups"

synonyms:

deduce, hypothesize, assume, anticipate, conclude, theorize

laconic adjective

(of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.

"his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic" 

synonyms:

brief, concise, terse, succinct, short

pedantic adjective

This word pertains to someone who is too concerned with literal accuracy or formality. It is a negative term that implies someone who is showing off book learning or trivia, especially in a tiresone way.

1. "many of the essays are long, dense, and too pedantic to hold great appeal"

   synonyms:

   overscrupulous, scrupulous, exact, perfectionist, meticulous, fastidious

   
   

pragmatic  adjective

dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.

"a pragmatic approach to politics" or "she remains pragmatic in emotional circumstances" 

synonyms:

practical, matter-of-fact, sensible, down-to-earth, no-nonsense

quintessential adjective
representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
"he was the quintessential tough guy—strong, silent, and self-contained" 

synonyms:

archetypal, classic, model, standard, representative

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salient adjective

most noticeable or important.

"it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case"

synonyms: important, main, principal, major, chief, primary

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spurious adjective

not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

"separating authentic and spurious claims" 

synonyms:

bogus, false, fraudulent, sham, imitation, deceptive, misleading

 (of a line of reasoning) apparently but not actually valid.
"this spurious reasoning results in nonsense"

syntax noun
the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language. 

"The syntax of English"