Each week, we scan the latest headlines to spot words in action. From major news stories to pop culture buzz, this list highlights language as it’s unfolding. Stories about the best pour-over coffee methods, new Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and an ominous letter from the Titanic all contributed words to this list of vocabulary from the week’s news.
admonish
verb: to reprove or scold
From the headlines: A 60 Minutes news anchor admonished the show’s parent company on air, claiming its new content supervision policy had hampered the program’s independence. Scott Pelley rebuked Paramount, accusing the company of stifling the show’s accurate reporting so the Trump administration would approve a potential merger. Bill Owens, executive producer of 60 Minutes, resigned last week over concerns that the new policy meant he could no longer practice “honest journalism.”
contravene
verb: to violate, infringe, or transgress
From the headlines: The European Union fined Meta and Apple hundreds of millions of euros after a watchdog group found they had contravened digital competition rules. The group said that Apple overstepped the European regulations by preventing users from selecting less expensive applications outside its own app store, while it said Meta broke the EU rules by forcing users to view ads or pay to avoid them.
efficacious
adjective: capable of having the desired result or effect; effective as a means, measure, remedy
From the headlines: Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania used fluid dynamics to determine which method is efficacious for brewing pour-over coffee. In experiments with silica gel beads and water poured from different heights, they observed how subtle changes in flow affected flavor. The most favorable technique? A high, slow pour — producing the richest, most extracted flavor.
extol
verb: to praise highly
From the headlines: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just revealed its 2025 class — and it’s a chart-topping mix of legends. Cyndi Lauper, Salt-N-Pepa, and Chubby Checker are among the performers being inducted. Hall chair John Sykes took a moment to extol their cultural impact, praising how each artist “created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of rock and roll forever.”
griot
noun: a member of a hereditary caste in western Africa who keeps an oral history of the tribe or village and entertains with stories, poems, songs, dances, etc.
From the headlines: The oral history passed down by West African griots has inspired the excavation of a lost kingdom. For three centuries, the empire of Kaabu controlled a region where Senegal and Guinea-Bissau are today. Though it vanished after the 19th century, the traditional storyteller-musicians have relayed the kingdom’s history ever since. Archaeologists began uncovering physical evidence of its legendary capital city, Kansala, partly based on details told by griots.
impute
verb: to attribute or ascribe
From the headlines: India has detained 1,500 people and demolished dozens of homes after a militant attack in Kashmir last week left 26 Hindus dead. The government imputes blame to Pakistan, accusing it of backing the rampage. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s prime minister has denied involvement. Tensions remain high between the two nations, both of which lay claim to Kashmir.
infrastructure
noun: the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools
From the headlines: A massive power outage plunged Spain and Portugal into chaos, disrupting major infrastructure and affecting millions. For 18 hours, trains, airports, traffic signals, cell service, and ATMs went dark. Schools and businesses shuttered, supermarket shelves were depleted in a rush for supplies, and people were stranded in elevators and subway cars. Hospitals relied on backup generators to sustain critical care. Authorities say the cause of the blackout remains unknown.
pellucid
adjective: clear in meaning, expression, or style
From the headlines: New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority released a new subway map designed to be clearer and easier to understand than the old version. New Yorkers are divided; some embrace the new pellucid diagram with its bright, bold lines and geometrical design, while others lament the end of the familiar squiggly, tangled map. The new version clarifies which trains are express or local and distinguishes separate routes.
prescient
adjective: having knowledge of things or events before they exist or happen; having foresight
From the headlines: A prescient letter written aboard the Titanic just five days before it sank has sold for nearly $400,000 at auction. The note, sent by survivor Archibald Gracie during a stop in Ireland, contains the eerie line: “It is a fine ship, but I shall await my journey’s end before I pass judgment on her.” The buyer paid a record-breaking price for this strangely prescient piece of history.
voracious
adjective: exceedingly eager or avid
From the headlines: When several bags of cash tumbled out of the back of a security truck in Chicago, 50 to 100 people grabbed approximately $300,000 worth of bills and ran. The voracious group of pedestrians and drivers pounced on the cash, seizing as much money as they could before the security employees realized what had happened.
