DISCUSSION

hype /haɪp/ (n):

#1. [uncountable] (informal, disapproving) ​advertisements and discussion in the media telling the public about a product and about how good or important it is.

marketing/media hype

Don't believe all the hype—the book isn't that good.

compromise /ˈkɑːmprəmaɪz/ (n):

​# [countable] an agreement made between two people or groups in which each side gives up some of the things they want so that both sides are happy at the end.

After lengthy talks the two sides finally reached a compromise.

In any relationship, you have to make compromises.

a compromise solution/agreement/candidate.

# [countable] compromise (between A and B) a solution to a problem in which two or more things cannot exist together as they are, in which each thing is reduced or changed slightly so that they can exist together.

This model represents the best compromise between price and quality.

It was a fair compromise between the two sides.

a posteriori /ˌeɪ pɒˌsteriˈɔːraɪ/ (adj, adv):

(from Latin, formal)

# ​analysing something by starting from known facts and then thinking about the possible causes of the facts, for example saying "Look, the streets are wet so it must have been raining."

a priori /ˌeɪ praɪˈɔːraɪ/ (adj, adv):

(from Latin, formal)

# ​using facts or principles that are known to be true in order to decide what the likely effects or results of something will be, for example saying "They haven’t eaten anything all day so they must be hungry".

an a priori assumption

COMPARE a posteriori;

paradox /ˈpærədɒks/ (n):

# ​[countable] a person, thing or situation that has two opposite features and therefore seems strange.

He was a paradox - a loner who loved to chat to strangers.

It is a curious paradox that professional comedians often have unhappy personal lives.

# [countable, uncountable] a statement containing two opposite ideas that make it seem impossible or unlikely, although it is probably true; the use of this in writing.

‘More haste, less speed’ is a well-known paradox.

It's a work full of paradox and ambiguity.

antinomy /ænˈtɪnəmi/ (n):

# a situation in which two statements or beliefs that are both reasonable seem to contradict (= disagree with or be opposite to) each other, or a statement or pair of statements like this.

the antinomy between freedom and necessity.

We prefer to talk about the value of tolerance in the abstract rather than about its practical limits and antinomies.