President Obama's Speech to the Nation about Terrorism

In the wake of the attacks in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California, President Obama delivered an evening address to the nation on December 6, 2015. In the speech he outlined what his administration has been doing and will continue to do to combat ISIL, the terrorist group whose members or sympathizers were responsible for both of these latest attacks. Here are 21 words from the President's remarks.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. multifaceted
    having many aspects
    As we've become better at preventing complex, multifaceted attacks like 9/11, terrorists turn to less complicated acts of violence like the mass shootings that are all too common in our society.
  2. terrorist
    a radical who advocates violence against civilians
    So far, we have no evidence that the killers were directed by a terrorist organization overseas or that they were part of a broader conspiracy here at home.
  3. ideology
    an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group
    We're working with Turkey to seal its border with Syria, and we are cooperating with Muslim majority countries, and with our Muslim communities here at home, to counter the vicious ideology that ISIL promotes online.
  4. insurgency
    an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a government
    ISIL fighters were part of the insurgency that we faced in Iraq.
  5. unequivocally
    in an unambiguous manner
    Muslim leaders here and around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and al-Qaida promote, to speak out against not just acts of violence, but also those interpretations of Islam that are incompatible with the values of religious tolerance, mutual respect and human dignity.
  6. waiver
    a formal written statement of relinquishment
    That's why I've ordered the departments of State and Homeland Security to review the visa waiver program under which the female terrorist in San Bernardino originally came to this country.
  7. visa
    an endorsement that allows the bearer to enter a country
    That's why I've ordered the departments of State and Homeland Security to review the visa waiver program under which the female terrorist in San Bernardino originally came to this country.
  8. decimate
    kill in large numbers
    Our military and counterterrorism professionals have relentlessly pursued terrorist networks overseas, disrupting safe havens in several different countries, killing Osama bin Laden and decimating al-Qaida's leadership.
  9. disrupt
    make a break in
    Intelligence and law enforcement agencies have disrupted countless plots here and overseas and worked around the clock to keep us safe.
  10. stockpile
    something kept back or saved for future use
    They had stockpiled assault weapons, ammunition and pipe bombs.
  11. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
    Instead, we will prevail by being strong and smart, resilient and relentless.
  12. infrastructure
    the basic features of a system or organization
    In the process, we've hardened our defenses, from airports, to financial centers, to other critical infrastructure.
  13. relentless
    never-ceasing
    Our military and counterterrorism professionals have relentlessly pursued terrorist networks overseas, disrupting safe havens in several different countries, killing Osama bin Laden and decimating al-Qaida's leadership.
  14. misguide
    lead someone in the wrong direction
    But just as it is the responsibility of Muslims around the world to root out misguided ideas that lead to radicalization, it is the responsibility of all Americans, of every faith, to reject discrimination.
  15. sustainable
    capable of being prolonged
    The strategy that we are using now — air strikes, special forces, and working with local forces who are fighting to regain control of their own country — that is how we'll achieve a more sustainable victory, and it won't require us sending a new generation of Americans overseas to fight and die for another decade on foreign soil.
  16. extremist
    a person who holds radical views
    That does not mean denying the fact that an extremist ideology has spread within some Muslim communities.
  17. haven
    a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
    Our military and counterterrorism professionals have relentlessly pursued terrorist networks overseas, disrupting safe havens in several different countries, killing Osama bin Laden and decimating al-Qaida's leadership.
  18. tolerance
    willingness to respect the beliefs or practices of others
    Muslim leaders here and around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and al-Qaida promote, to speak out against not just acts of violence, but also those interpretations of Islam that are incompatible with the values of religious tolerance, mutual respect and human dignity.
  19. incompatible
    not in harmonious or agreeable combination
    Muslim leaders here and around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and al-Qaida promote, to speak out against not just acts of violence, but also those interpretations of Islam that are incompatible with the values of religious tolerance, mutual respect and human dignity.
  20. deploy
    place troops or weapons in battle formation
    In both countries, we're deploying special operations forces who can accelerate that offensive.
  21. recruit
    cause to assemble or enlist in the military
    Third, we're working with friends and allies to stop ISIL's operations, to disrupt plots, cut off their financing and prevent them from recruiting more fighters.
Created on Wed Dec 09 09:58:15 EST 2015 (updated Wed Dec 09 10:17:04 EST 2015)

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