Vocabulary:

conformist noun someone who conforms --opposite NONCONFORMIST
• a political nonconformist
conformist adjective thinking and behaving like everyone else, because you do not want to be different:
• Lagrange's outspoken views have left him well outside the conformist political mainstream
conform verb [I]
1 to behave in the way that most other people in your group or society behave:
• Getting everyone on the team to conform has taken a long time.
At our school, you were required to conform, and there was no place for originality
2 to obey or follow an established rule, pattern etc. [+ to]:
• Most local buildings conform to an eight-story limit. [+ with]:
• Zach refuses to conform with school rules
conformer noun [C]
conformance noun [U]
conformity noun [U]
It's depressing how much conformity there is in such young children.
• Greg continued to resist conformity, later becoming a vegetarian.
Reprimand verb [T]
to tell (someone), esp. officially, that their behavior is wrong and not acceptable ; to tell someone officially that something they have done is very wrong: [+ for + doing sth]
• Breslin was sharply reprimanded for insulting an Asian-American reporter.
She was reprimanded by her teacher for biting another girl.
Watts has already been reprimanded for disclosing confidential information
The committee reprimanded and censured him for his uncooperative attitude.
reprimand noun [C]
His boss gave him a severe reprimand for being late again.
sordid adjective unpleasant, dirty, or immoral or dishonest behavior:
• a sordid crime
• The details of their affair were sordid and ugly.
• the sordid slums of modern cities
a sordid affair
There are lots of really sordid apartments in the city's poorer areas.
He told me he'd had an affair but he spared me the sordid details.
In the movie, Bickle tries to rescue a child prostitute from her sordid profession.
The sordid condition of many of the city school buildings was shocking.
sordidness noun [U]

sordidly adverb

abolish verb [T]
to put an end to (something, such as an organization or custom); to end an activity or custom officially: to officially end something, especially a law or system; to officially end a law, system etc., especially one that has existed for a long time:
• Welfare programs cannot be abolished that quickly.
National Service was abolished in Britain in 1962.
Massachusetts voters abolished rent control.
I think bullfighting should be abolished.

abolition noun [U] the official end of a law, system etc., especially one that has existed for a long time [+ of]:
William Wilberforce campaigned for the abolition of slavery.
the abolition of slavery
• As a judge, Marshall worked for the abolition of the death penalty.
abolitionist noun [C]
a person who supports the abolition of something

memorandum (DOCUMENT) (MESSAGE) noun [C] plural memoranda or memorandums
1 SPECIALIZED a short written report prepared specially for a person or group of people which contains information about a particular matter: FORMAL a MEMO
Michael Davis has prepared a memorandum outlining our need for an additional warehouse.
Ann will send a memorandum to the staff outlining the new procedures.
2 LEGAL an informal legal agreement:
The three countries have signed a memorandum pledging to work together.

memo (plural memos) noun [C] (FORMAL memorandum)
a message or other information in writing sent by one person or department to another in the same business organization: a short official note to another person in the same company or organization:
• A memo went around the office, reminding staff of the new dress code.
Did you get my memo about the meeting?
Itinerary noun [C] a detailed plan or route of a trip; a list of places that you plan to visit on a journey ;
We planned our itinerary several weeks before the trip.
The tour operator will arrange transport and plan your itinerary
The President's itinerary includes visits to Boston and New York
crude (SIMPLE) (RUDE) adjective
1 WITHOUT SKILL made or done in a simple way and without much skill ; not developed to a high standard, or made with little skill: simple and not skillfully done or made:
• a crude homemade bomb
• a crude map of the area
a crude device/weapon
He made a crude table out of an old crate.
a crude device/weapon

2 RUDE rude and offensive especially in a sexual way
a crude comment/remark
• crude pornographic pictures
• Rudy was loud-mouthed and crude.
Most of his jokes were crude and sexist
3 done without attention to detail, but generally correct and useful:
• The number of help-wanted advertisements can be used as a crude measure of the strength of the job market.
4 in a natural or raw condition, before it is made more pure:
• crude rubber
crudely adverb
a crudely made bomb
Crudely painted signs threatened trespassers.
I hope I'm not speaking too crudely when I say you're very attractive.
• crudely built

crudeness noun [U] (ALSO crudity)

crude oil (ALSO crude) noun [U]
oil in its natural state before it has been treated
Crude (oil) is oil that has not yet been treated. oil that is in its natural condition, as it comes out of an OIL WELL, and before it is made more pure or separated to be used for different products:
• About 700,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into Galveston Bay.
cryptic adjective
mysterious and difficult to understand:
I received a cryptic message through the post.
• Indovina's lyrics are mostly cryptic and obscure.
a cryptic message/remark
cryptically adverb

cryptic crossword noun [C]
a type of crossword (= word game) which has difficult clues that are not obvious in their meaning

gratify verb [T]
1to satisfy a desire, need etc.; to satisfy a wish or need
• Too many men believe that women exist mainly to gratify their needs.
We were gratified by the response to our appeal.
I was gratified by their decision.
a gratifying result
2[usually passive] to make someone feel pleased and satisfied [+ by]:
• She is gratified by all the public support. [be gratified (that)]:
• We are gratified that the court has agreed to hear our case. [be gratified to do sth]:
• I was gratified to hear that they like my work.
[+ to infinitive] He was gratified to see how well his students had done.
gratification noun [U]
sexual gratification
Some people expect instant gratification (= to get what they want immediately).
gratifying adjective
pleasing and satisfying
[+ to infinitive] It must be very gratifying to see all your children grown up and happy.
• It's gratifying to know that my work has helped so many people.
It was a big game for us, and a very gratifying win
gratifyingly adverb
The success rate in the exam was gratifyingly high.