Key terms & definitions

The quantity after the percentage increase or decrease has been applied.

An image of a modern, independent woman associated with paid work, new fashions and greater freedom in the 1920s.

The name Europeans used for the Americas after recognising that these lands were separate from Asia. The Americas were already inhabited.

A non-governmental organisation: an organisation independent of government that works towards particular social or environmental aims.

The National Health Service, launched in 1948 to make healthcare available to everyone, largely free at the point of use.

The National Health Service: publicly funded healthcare services across the UK, generally free at the point of use.

Liberation from craving and suffering, also called nirvana.

A group of four binary digits, which can be represented by one hexadecimal digit.

A statement of Christian belief that affirms the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and is recited in worship by many Christian denominations.

A relatively specialised audience with a particular shared interest.

Work serving a particular market or requiring particular skills, rather than competing directly across the wider labour market.

A small, specialised section of a larger market serving customers with particular needs.

A Mahayana Buddhist tradition in which chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is the central practice for bringing forth Buddhahood.

An addictive substance found in tobacco.

A dark compound used to fill engraved lines in metalwork, producing contrasting outlines and details.

The night when Muhammad received the first revelation of the Qur’an.

The purge of 30 June–2 July 1934 in which the Nazis murdered SA leaders and other political rivals, strengthening Hitler’s position and his alliance with the army.

An organisation of watchmen who patrolled a town during the night.

A group responsible for guarding the streets at night and maintaining public order.

A member of a distinctive Sikh warrior order associated with blue clothing, weapons and the preservation of Khalsa traditions.

The belief that life has no meaning or purpose.

An Islamic marriage, through which a couple make a recognised commitment to married life.

A temporary marriage accepted by some Twelver Shi’a Muslims, whose contract specifies an agreed duration and a required mahr.

The Greek goddess or personification of victory.

The demands approved by Parliament in June 1642 for greater control over government, military forces and religious reform, which Charles I rejected.

The constitutional amendment ratified in 1920 that prohibited denying voting rights on grounds of sex in the United States. Other barriers to voting remained.

A veil worn over the face. Some Muslim women wear it as an expression of modesty.

God’s nature beyond form and human comprehension.

Without qualities or attributes; a description of Brahman as beyond the characteristics and forms that humans can describe.

Brahman understood without limiting qualities or a particular form, beyond time and space.