Words beginning with O

195 words

• oath — a solemn public promise, especially one taken on assuming a public office
• obdurate — stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion
• obedience — compliance with an order or a rule
• obeisance — exaggerated deference or submission shown to those in authority
• obfuscate — to make something deliberately unclear
• obiter — a judge’s remark made in passing, which is not binding as precedent
• obituary — a notice of a person’s death in a newspaper
• object — to state opposition or disapproval formally
• objection — a formally recorded statement of opposition or disapproval
• objectionable — causing disapproval or offence; not fit to be allowed
• objective — based on facts rather than feelings; an aim to be achieved
• objectivity — judgement based on facts and free from personal bias
• obligate — to bind by law or duty to do something
• obligation — a duty one is bound to perform
• obligatory — required by law or custom
• oblige — to compel by law or duty; to do a favour
• oblique — not expressed directly; slanting
• obliterate — to destroy something completely so that no trace remains
• oblivion — the state of being completely forgotten
• oblivious — unaware of what is happening around one
• obnoxious — extremely unpleasant or offensive
• obscure — not clearly known or understood; little known
• obsequious — excessively obedient or flattering
• observance — compliance with a rule or the keeping of a custom
• observant — quick to notice things
• observation — a remark or a recorded finding arrived at by watching closely
• observe — to watch and note carefully; also, to comply with a rule
• obsession — an idea that continually occupies the mind
• obsolescence — the process of becoming out of date and no longer useful
• obsolete — no longer in use, outdated
• obstacle — a thing that blocks progress
• obstinate — stubbornly refusing to change one’s course
• obstruct — to block or hinder something
• obstruction — something that blocks a way or a process
• obstructionism — the practice of deliberately blocking business or progress
• obstructive — tending to block or hinder a process
• obtain — to get or acquire, especially by following a prescribed process
• obtrusive — noticeable in an unwelcome and intrusive way
• obviate — to remove the need for something
• obvious — easily seen or understood
• occupancy — the act, fact or period of occupying premises or a post
• occupant — a person who lives in or is in possession of premises
• occupation — a person’s regular work; the act of taking possession
• occupational — relating to a person’s trade, job or profession
• occupier — the person in actual possession of premises, as the law defines that person
• occupy — to take up space, time or a position; to take possession of
• occur — to happen, or to be found in a particular place
• occurrence — an incident or event that happens
• octroi — a local duty formerly levied on goods entering a municipal area
• odious — extremely unpleasant and deserving hatred
• odium — widespread hatred and disgrace attaching to a person or body
• offence — an act that breaks the law; something that causes hurt feelings
• offend — to cause hurt or annoyance; to break a law
• offender — a person who commits an illegal act
• offensive — causing anger or hurt; used for attack
• offering — something put forward for acceptance, especially securities put up for sale
• office — a position of authority with its attached duties; the place where it is exercised
• official — a person holding public office; sanctioned by authority
• officialdom — officials taken collectively, seen as rigid and procedure-bound
• officiate — to discharge the duties of an office, usually on a temporary footing
• officious — interfering and asserting authority well beyond one’s role
• offload — to transfer a burden, cargo or shareholding to someone else
• offset — to counterbalance one effect with another
• offshoot — something that has developed out of a larger or earlier body
• offshore — situated or registered outside the country, especially for financial purposes
• offtake — the quantity of a commodity actually lifted or bought by users
• oligarchy — rule exercised by a small privileged group
• oligopoly — a market in which a few sellers control most of the supply
• ombudsman — an official appointed to inquire into complaints against public bodies
• ominous — suggesting that something bad is going to happen
• omission — the failure to include or do something
• omit — to leave out or fail to do something
• omnibus — covering many separate items or provisions at one time
• omnipotent — having unlimited power
• omnipresent — present in every place at the same time
• omniscient — knowing everything
• onerous — involving a heavy burden or obligation
• ongoing — still in progress and not yet complete
• onset — the beginning of something, usually unpleasant
• onslaught — a fierce and sustained attack
• onus — the responsibility or burden of proving something
• opacity — lack of transparency in dealings, accounts or decisions
• opaque — not able to be seen through; hard to understand
• operate — to run or control a system, service or machine
• operation — an organised course of action, or the working of a system
• operational — in working order; relating to day-to-day functioning
• operationalise — to put a policy or plan into actual working practice
• operative — in force and having legal effect
• opine — to express a considered opinion, especially in a formal setting
• opinion — a considered view; the formal view of a court or a law officer
• opponent — a person who competes against or opposes another
• opportune — happening at a suitable time
• opportunism — exploiting circumstances for personal gain without regard to principle
• opportunity — a favourable set of circumstances for doing something
• oppose — to disagree with and try to prevent something
• opposition — resistance to something; the parties out of power in a legislature
• oppress — to treat a group harshly and unjustly over time
• oppression — prolonged unjust treatment or control
• oppressive — harsh and burdensome; uncomfortably heavy
• oppressor — one who uses power cruelly and unjustly over others
• opt — to make a choice from a set of possibilities
• optimal — best or most favourable in the circumstances
• optimise — to make the best possible use of a resource or process
• optimism — hopefulness about the future
• optimum — the most favourable level or condition attainable
• option — a course of action that is available to be chosen
• optional — available as a choice and not compulsory
• opulence — great wealth accompanied by lavish display
• opulent — displaying great wealth
• oral — spoken rather than written
• orator — a skilled and eloquent public speaker
• ordain — to lay down authoritatively as a rule or duty
• ordeal — a very unpleasant and prolonged experience
• order — an authoritative direction issued by a competent authority; methodical arrangement
• orderly — well arranged, disciplined and free of disturbance
• ordinance — a law promulgated by the executive when the legislature is not in session
• ordinary — usual and without any special status or power
• ordnance — military weapons, ammunition and allied equipment
• organic — grown without synthetic chemicals; developing naturally rather than by design
• organisation — an organised body of people; the act of arranging something systematically
• organise — to arrange systematically, or to form people into a body
• orient — to align or adjust something towards a particular purpose
• orientation — introductory training; the direction of one’s interest
• origin — the point or source at which something begins
• original — existing from the outset; genuine and not a copy
• originate — to begin or come into existence
• ornate — elaborately decorated; excessively elaborate in style
• orthodox — following traditional and accepted beliefs
• orthodoxy — the established and generally accepted body of belief or practice
• oscillate — to move or vary repeatedly between two positions
• oscillation — repeated movement or variation between two states or levels
• ossify — to become rigid and incapable of change
• ostensible — stated as true but not necessarily so
• ostentatious — designed to impress others by a showy display
• ostracise — to exclude someone from a group or community
• ostracism — exclusion of a person or family from a group or from society
• oust — to drive someone out of a position or property
• ouster — removal of a person from office or from possession
• outage — a period during which a service, especially electricity, is unavailable
• outbreak — a sudden occurrence of disease or violence
• outburst — a sudden and violent release of feeling or activity
• outcome — the result of an action or process
• outcry — a strong public expression of anger
• outdated — no longer useful or current
• outflow — the movement of money, people or water out of a place
• outlaw — to forbid something by law
• outlay — an amount of money spent on something
• outlet — a point at which something is released or sold
• outlier — a case or value lying far outside the usual range
• outline — a brief general description; the outer shape of something
• outlook — a person’s point of view; the likely future prospect
• outmoded — no longer fashionable or useful
• outpace — to advance or grow faster than something else
• outperform — to do measurably better than others
• output — the quantity produced by a process, unit or economy
• outrage — a strong feeling of shock and anger
• outrageous — shockingly bad or excessive
• outreach — the effort of an organisation to take its services to people
• outright — complete and without reservation
• outset — the very beginning of something
• outskirts — the outer parts of a town or city
• outsource — to hand work over to an outside agency under contract
• outspoken — frank and direct in stating one’s opinions
• outstanding — exceptionally good; still unpaid or unsettled
• outstrip — to grow faster than or surpass something
• outturn — the quantity actually produced or the figure finally realised
• outweigh — to be greater in importance than something else
• overarching — covering or governing everything else
• overbearing — domineering and unpleasantly assertive towards subordinates
• overburden — to load with more work or liability than can be borne
• overcome — to succeed in dealing with a difficulty or obstacle
• overdraft — the amount by which withdrawals exceed the balance available
• overdue — not paid or performed within the time allowed
• overestimate — to judge something to be greater than it actually is
• overhang — an accumulated burden carried forward that weighs on the future
• overhaul — a thorough examination and repair of a system
• overhead — the continuing running cost of an organisation as distinct from direct cost
• overlap — to cover part of the same ground as something else
• overlook — to fail to notice; to disregard deliberately
• overreach — to go beyond one’s proper authority or capacity
• override — to set aside or prevail over another provision or decision
• overrule — to reject a decision or objection by higher authority
• overrun — an excess beyond the sanctioned cost or the scheduled time
• oversee — to supervise the working of something
• oversight — an unintentional failure to notice; also supervision
• overstate — to describe something as greater or more important than it truly is
• oversubscribe — to apply for more of an issue than is actually on offer
• overt — done openly and not concealed
• overtake — to catch up with and pass ahead of
• overthrow — to remove a government or ruler by force
• overture — an opening move towards a negotiation
• overturn — to reverse a decision or verdict
• overwhelm — to affect or defeat completely by sheer weight of numbers
• ownership — the state of holding lawful title to and possession of property
• ozone — a gas that forms a protective layer high in the atmosphere but pollutes at ground level