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 rising price of chocolate, signs of life on a distant planet, and a group sing-along in D.C. all contributed words to this list of vocabulary from the week’s news.
ameliorate
verb: to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve
From the headlines: Every week in D.C. — often called the loneliest city in America — locals gather to sing their hearts out. Armed with songbooks, kazoos, and a shared sense of fun, the D.C. Sing-Along hopes to ameliorate isolation by bringing people together. Group singing, scientists say, lifts spirits — and a little kazoo doesn’t hurt either.
bilateral
adjective: pertaining to, involving, or affecting two or both sides, factions, or parties
From the headlines: Vice President JD Vance traveled to New Delhi to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with the Indian government. Vance met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his residence, where the two leaders discussed a trade deal that would benefit both countries. Any final agreement will include concessions on each side, as well as a reduction in tariffs imposed by both India and the U.S.
communicable
adjective: capable of being easily communicated or transmitted
From the headlines: Epidemiologists worry that measles outbreaks in Canada and Mexico near the U.S. border will make the virus harder to contain. Measles cases are surging in both countries, according to experts on communicable illness, with at least 360 reported in Mexico and more than 730 in Canada. As U.S. vaccination rates decline, Americans are becoming more vulnerable to measles.
confection
noun: a sweet preparation of fruit or the like, as a preserve or candy
From the headlines: Unusually small cocoa harvests in West Africa have driven up the price of Easter chocolate and other chocolate confections. Rising costs are affecting businesses’ profits and have forced them to charge more for bonbons, Easter bunnies, and other sweet treats.
Fun fact: First defined as “anything prepared by mixing ingredients,” confection came to have more sugary connotations by the 16th century.
exigent
adjective: requiring immediate action or aid; urgent; pressing
From the headlines: Lawmakers traveled from the United States to El Salvador to demand the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported in March. The four House Representatives said the case is exigent because Abrego Garcia is likely to be persecuted in his home country. The White House has said his deportation was based on an “administrative error,” and on April 10 the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal. Advocates for Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. say it’s urgent to assure his safety and grant him due process.
extraterrestrial
adjective: outside, or originating outside, the limits of the earth
From the headlines: Astronomers may have just found a clue to extraterrestrial life — 120 light years away. While studying the atmosphere of the distant planet K2-18b, they detected dimethyl sulfide. On Earth, this molecule only comes from algae, a living organism. Scientists think K2-18b might even have oceans teeming with life. If confirmed, it would be the first real evidence we’re not alone.
fresco
noun: artwork produced from the technique of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture
From the headlines: While inspecting Villa Farnesina in Rome, an electrician stumbled upon hidden Baroque frescoes above a trap door. Painted in the 1600s by Carlo Maratta, they show blue skies, clouds, and cherubs — classic celestial vibes. The villa was already famous for Raphael’s work, and now it’s got even more to show off.
papacy
noun: Roman Catholic Church. the office, dignity, or jurisdiction of the pope
From the headlines: Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, passed away on April 21 at 88. His papacy focused on making the Roman Catholic Church more inclusive, with a special emphasis on helping the poor. Rejecting the usual papal extravagance, he lived in a Vatican guest house instead of the Apostolic Palace. He also advocated for women, allowing them to take on higher roles within the Church.
proclivity
noun: natural or habitual inclination or tendency; propensity; predisposition
From the headlines: For the first time ever, a squid with a proclivity for remaining hidden in the deepest, coldest ocean water has been filmed in its preferred habitat. The colossal squid, the world’s heaviest invertebrate, is elusive because of this tendency to stay in the deep sea. A few previous sightings had occurred close to the surface, but this time researchers captured images of the squid at nearly 2,000 feet deep.
quinoa
noun: a tall crop plant, Chenopodium quinoa, of the amaranth family, cultivated mainly in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile for its small, ivory-colored seed, which is used as a food staple
From the headlines: Cañahua, a lesser-known cousin of quinoa, is offering new hope to residents of Bolivia’s Altiplano. With extreme weather disrupting traditional farming, familiar crops are struggling. But cañahua, a hardy flowering plant, produces a starchy grain like quinoa — only it’s more resistant to drought, frost, and grows faster.
