President Obama's Speech at the United Nations

In the middle of several international crises involving Syria and Iran among others, President Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. Use our list of 67 words to help follow the wide-ranging speech which invokes the violence of world history while offering a vision for what international diplomacy could be. Drawn from Text of Obama’s Speech at the U.N. The New York Times September 24, 2013
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. delegate
    a person appointed or elected to represent others
    Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen: each year we come together to reaffirm the founding vision of this institution.
  2. aspiration
    a cherished desire
    For most of recorded history, individual aspirations were subject to the whims of tyrants and empires.
  3. whim
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
    For most of recorded history, individual aspirations were subject to the whims of tyrants and empires.
  4. tyrant
    a cruel and oppressive dictator
    For most of recorded history, individual aspirations were subject to the whims of tyrants and empires.
  5. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
    The idea that nations and peoples could come together in peace to solve their disputes and advance a common prosperity seemed unimaginable.
  6. carnage
    the savage and excessive killing of many people
    It took the awful carnage of two world wars to shift our thinking.
  7. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
    The leaders who built the United Nations were not naïve; they did not think this body could eradicate all wars.
  8. eradicate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
    The leaders who built the United Nations were not naïve; they did not think this body could eradicate all wars.
  9. annihilate
    kill in large numbers
    But in the wake of millions dead and continents in rubble; and with the development of nuclear weapons that could annihilate a planet; they understood that humanity could not survive the course it was on.
  10. profound
    of the greatest intensity; complete
    But like every generation of leaders, we face new and profound challenges, and this body continues to be tested.
  11. integrated
    formed or united into a whole
    For much of my time as President, some of our most urgent challenges have revolved around an increasingly integrated global economy, and our efforts to recover from the worst economic crisis of our lifetime.
  12. coalition
    the union of diverse things into one body or form or group
    Next year, an international coalition will end its war in Afghanistan, having achieved its mission of dismantling the core of al Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11.
  13. imminent
    close in time; about to occur
    Beyond bringing our troops home, we have limited the use of drones so they target only those who pose a continuing, imminent threat to the United States where capture is not feasible, and there is a near certainty of no civilian casualties.
  14. feasible
    capable of being done with means at hand
    Beyond bringing our troops home, we have limited the use of drones so they target only those who pose a continuing, imminent threat to the United States where capture is not feasible, and there is a near certainty of no civilian casualties.
  15. diligently
    in a hard-working manner
    We are transferring detainees to other countries and trying terrorists in courts of law, while working diligently to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
  16. deploy
    place troops or weapons in battle formation
    And just as we reviewed how we deploy our extraordinary military capabilities in a way that lives up to our ideals, we have begun to review the way that we gather intelligence, so as to properly balance the legitimate security concerns of our citizens and allies, with the privacy concerns that all people share.
  17. militia
    civilians trained as soldiers, not part of the regular army
    Meanwhile, al Qaeda has splintered into regional networks and militias, which has not carried out an attack like 9/11, but does pose serious threats to governments, diplomats, businesses and civilians across the globe.
  18. converge
    be adjacent or come together
    Nowhere have we seen these trends converge more powerfully than in Syria.
  19. authoritarian
    characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
    There, peaceful protests against an authoritarian regime were met with repression and slaughter.
  20. regime
    the governing authority of a political unit
    There, peaceful protests against an authoritarian regime were met with repression and slaughter.
  21. spiral
    something wound in a continuous series of loops
    In the face of carnage, many retreated to their sectarian identity – Alawite and Sunni; Christian and Kurd – and the situation spiraled into civil war.
  22. bolster
    support and strengthen
    America and others have worked to bolster the moderate opposition, but extremist groups have still taken root to exploit the crisis.
  23. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    America and others have worked to bolster the moderate opposition, but extremist groups have still taken root to exploit the crisis.
  24. sovereignty
    the authority of a state to govern another state
    Assad’s traditional allies have propped him up, citing principles of sovereignty to shield his regime.
  25. embroil
    force into some kind of situation or course of action
    How do we address the choice of standing callously by while children are subjected to nerve gas, or embroiling ourselves in someone else’s civil war?
  26. brazen
    not held back by conventional ideas of behavior
    When I stated my willingness to order a limited strike against the Assad regime in response to the brazen use of chemical weapons, I did not do so lightly.
  27. legitimacy
    lawfulness by virtue of being authorized
    It is an insult to human reason – and to the legitimacy of this institution – to suggest that anyone other than the regime carried out this attack.
  28. mandate
    a formal statement of a command to do something
    I know that in the immediate aftermath of the attack, there were those who questioned the legitimacy of even a limited strike in the absence of a clear mandate from the Security Council.
  29. credible
    capable of being believed
    But without a credible military threat, the Security Council had demonstrated no inclination to act at all.
  30. inclination
    a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition
    But without a credible military threat, the Security Council had demonstrated no inclination to act at all.
  31. stockpile
    something kept back or saved for future use
    The Syrian government took a first step by giving an accounting of its stockpiles.
  32. verify
    confirm the truth of
    Now, there must be a strong Security Council Resolution to verify that the Assad regime is keeping its commitments, and there must be consequences if they fail to do so.
  33. fracture
    breaking of hard tissue such as bone
    Nevertheless, a leader who slaughtered his citizens and gassed children to death cannot regain the legitimacy to lead a badly fractured country.
  34. humanitarian
    marked by devotion to popular welfare
    And as we move the Geneva process forward, I urge all nations here to step up to meet humanitarian needs in Syria and surrounding countries.
  35. depose
    force to leave an office
    I know there are those who have been frustrated by our unwillingness to use our military might to depose Assad, and believe that a failure to do so indicates a weakening of America’s resolve in the region.
  36. deter
    turn away from as by fear or persuasion
    Others have suggested that my willingness to direct even limited military strikes to deter the further use of chemical weapons shows that we have learned nothing from Iraq, and that America continues to seek control over the Middle East for our own purposes.
  37. persist
    refuse to stop
    In this way, the situation in Syria mirrors a contradiction that has persisted in the region for decades: the United States is chastised for meddling in the region, and accused of having a hand in all manner of conspiracy; at the same time, the United States is blamed for failing to do enough to solve the region’s problems, and for showing indifference toward suffering Muslim populations.
  38. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    In this way, the situation in Syria mirrors a contradiction that has persisted in the region for decades: the United States is chastised for meddling in the region, and accused of having a hand in all manner of conspiracy; at the same time, the United States is blamed for failing to do enough to solve the region’s problems, and for showing indifference toward suffering Muslim populations.
  39. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    I realize some of this is inevitable, given America’s role in the world.
  40. disruption
    an act or event that causes a delay or break in an ongoing activity
    Although America is steadily reducing our own dependence on imported oil, the world still depends upon the region’s energy supply, and a severe disruption could destabilize the entire global economy.
  41. dismantle
    take apart into its constituent pieces
    We will dismantle terrorist networks that threaten our people.
  42. proliferation
    a rapid increase in number
    Just as we consider the use of chemical weapons in Syria to be a threat to our own national security, we reject the development of nuclear weapons that could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region, and undermine the global non-proliferation regime.
  43. unilateral
    involving only one part or side
    But I also believe that we can rarely achieve these objectives through unilateral American action – particularly with military action.
  44. proxy
    a person authorized to act for another
    On the other hand, Americans see an Iranian government that has declared the United States an enemy, and directly – or through proxies – taken Americans hostage, killed U.S. troops and civilians, and threatened our ally Israel with destruction.
  45. reiterate
    say, state, or perform again
    Meanwhile, the Supreme Leader has issued a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons, and President Rouhani has just recently reiterated that the Islamic Republic will never develop a nuclear weapon.
  46. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
    To succeed, conciliatory words will have to be matched by actions that are transparent and verifiable.
  47. evade
    avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
    This isn’t simply an issue between America and Iran – the world has seen Iran evade its responsibilities in the past, and has an abiding interest in making sure that Iran meets its obligations in the future.
  48. abiding
    unceasing
    This isn’t simply an issue between America and Iran – the world has seen Iran evade its responsibilities in the past, and has an abiding interest in making sure that Iran meets its obligations in the future.
  49. unequivocally
    in an unambiguous manner
    But the children of Israel have the right to live in a world where the nations assembled in this body fully recognize their country, and unequivocally reject those who fire rockets at their homes or incite others to hate them.
  50. sovereign
    not controlled by outside forces
    Likewise, the United States remains committed to the belief that the Palestinian people have a right to live with security and dignity in their own sovereign state.
  51. cynical
    believing the worst of human nature and motives
    They are understandably cynical that real progress will ever be made, and frustrated by their families enduring the daily indignity of occupation.
  52. enduring
    unceasing
    They are understandably cynical that real progress will ever be made, and frustrated by their families enduring the daily indignity of occupation.
  53. indignity
    an affront to one's self-esteem
    They are understandably cynical that real progress will ever be made, and frustrated by their families enduring the daily indignity of occupation.
  54. embolden
    give encouragement to
    All of us must recognize that peace will be a powerful tool to defeat extremists, and embolden those who are prepared to build a better future.
  55. interim
    the time between one event, process, or period and another
    The interim government that replaced him responded to the desires of millions of Egyptians who believed the revolution had taken a wrong turn, but it too has made decisions inconsistent with inclusive democracy – through an emergency law, and restrictions on the press, civil society, and opposition parties.
  56. suppress
    put down by force or authority
    But we will not stop asserting principles that are consistent with our ideals, whether that means opposing the use of violence as a means of suppressing dissent, or supporting the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  57. dissent
    a difference of opinion
    But we will not stop asserting principles that are consistent with our ideals, whether that means opposing the use of violence as a means of suppressing dissent, or supporting the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  58. humility
    a lack of arrogance or false pride
    In sum, the United States has a hard-earned humility when it comes to our ability to determine events inside other countries.
  59. propaganda
    information that is spread to promote some cause
    The notion of American empire may be useful propaganda, but it isn’t borne out by America’s current policy or public opinion.
  60. immerse
    thrust or throw into
    Indeed, as the recent debate within the United States over Syria clearly showed, the danger for the world is not an America that is eager to immerse itself in the affairs of other countries, or take on every problem in the region as its own.
  61. disengage
    release from something that holds fast or entangles
    The danger for the world is that the United States, after a decade of war; rightly concerned about issues back home; and aware of the hostility that our engagement in the region has engendered throughout the Muslim World, may disengage, creating a vacuum of leadership that no other nation is ready to fill.
  62. persevere
    be persistent, refuse to stop
    Because from Europe to Asia; from Africa to the Americas, nations that persevered on a democratic path have emerged more prosperous, more peaceful, and more invested in upholding our common security and our common humanity.
  63. horrendous
    causing fear or dread or terror
    And these challenges will grow more pronounced as we are confronted with states that are fragile or failing – places where horrendous violence can put innocent men, women and children at risk, with no hope of protection from national institutions.
  64. dogged
    stubbornly unyielding
    Through dogged diplomacy that resolves the root causes of conflict, and not merely its aftermath.
  65. marginalize
    relegate to a lower or outer edge, as of groups of people
    Through development assistance that brings hope to the marginalized.
  66. covet
    wish, long, or crave for
    Ultimately, this is the international community that America seeks – one where nations do not covet the land or resources of other nations, but one in which we carry out the founding purpose of this institution.
  67. repressed
    characterized by the suppression of impulses or emotions
    That’s the future that the people of the Middle East and North Africa deserve – one where they can focus on opportunity, instead of whether they’ll be killed or repressed because of who they are or what they believe.
Created on Tue Sep 24 21:12:46 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Sep 25 14:23:32 EDT 2013)

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