Reduce or diminish

Her stress over spending so much money on a house abated when the real estate broker told her about the property's 15 year tax abatement.

Something that stands out or is abnormal. Outlier is similar.

The election of a liberal candidate in the conservative country was an aberration (or anomaly), made possible only by the sudden death of the conservative candidate two days before the election.

Accord is agreement, and discord is disagreement.

Our management is in accord with regulatory agencies about tightening standards.

Desire to acquire more, especially an excessive desire.

The firm did well in buying up its competitors as a means of growth, but its acquisitiveness ultimately resulted in problems related to growing too quickly.

Land measured in acres.

Our property is large, but much of the acreage is swampland not suitable for building.

To adhere to is to stick to (literally, such as with glue, or metaphorically, such as to a plan or belief). An adherent is a person who sticks to a belief or cause.

The adherents of the plan won't admit that, in logn term, such a policy would bankrupt our state.

Employees who do not adhere to the policy will be subject to disciplinary action.

1) Make something up on the spot, give an unprepared speech

2) Freely, as needed, according to desire.

We have ended our policy of rationing office supplies - pens may now be given to employees ad-lib.

Arrival.

Before the advent of the Internet, people often called reference librarians to look up information for them in the library's reference section.

Unfavorable, opposed.

A noisy environment is adverse to studying, and lack of sleep can have further adverse effects.

The ability to use power or influence.

Some global warming deniers acknowledge that the planet is heating up, but argue that human agency does not affect the climate.

Make worse.

Allowing your band to practice in our garage has greatly aggravated my headache.

Completely, overall. Altogether is an adverb, and is one word. It is not the same as all together, as in Let's sind all together.

It was an altogether stunning new design.

1) Uncertain, unable to decide

2) Waiting to do two contradictory things at once.

The head care plan has been met with ambivalence from lawmakers who would like to pass the bill but find supporting itto be policically impossible.

Gradually pay off a debt, or gradually write off an asset.

A mortgage is a common form of amortized debt - spreading the payments our over as long as 30 years is not uncommon.

Corresponding in a particular way, making a good analogy.

Our situation is analogous to one in a care study I read in business school. Maybe what worked for that company will work for us.

To add on, or something that has been added on.

An annex to a building is a part built later and added on, or a new building that allows an organization to expand.

Make void or null, cancel, abolish (usually of laws or other established rules). Most people associate this word with marriage - a marriage is annulled when a judge rules that it was invalide in the first place ( because of fraud, mental incompetence, ect.), so it is as if it never happend.

Can we appreciate the art of a murderer? For many, the value of these paintings is annulled by the artist's crimes.

The literal meaning is "rub or sprinkle oil on, especially as part of a ceremony that makes something sacred." The word is used metaphorically to refer to power or praise being given to someone who is thought very highly of.

For instance:

After Principal Smitters raized test scores over 60% at her school, it was a matter of time before she was anointed superintendant by a fawning school board. 

Totally opposed to; opposite.

The crimes of our chairman are totally antithetical to what the Society of Ethical Leadership stands for.