Innovation

in - uh - vae - shun

noun: a word big companies use to sound like they are selling something new, when they are really trying to sell something that they've already made.

Apple is an epicenter of innovation.

See also: innovative, the adjective form of this word.

Indicative

In - dik - a - tive

adjective: indicating; a form of the word indicate

These symptoms are indicative of a larger problem.

This word is a very common pretentious word. It's really just the word indicate, but the accent is different so it sounds nothing like the word indicate. If you say it "in di kate ive" instead of the way it is normally pronounced, this will become clear.

Preceded

pre - seed - ed

verb: come before, happen before

Step 3 is preceded by Step 2.

When a pretentiously inclined person wants to say that x comes before y, but they also want to start the sentence with y, they use the following formula: y is preceded by x

Paradigm

pear - a - dime

noun:
1. an ideal, something to base everything else off of
2. a way of seeing the world

Our business will never be productive unless we undergo a paradigm shift.

"paradigm shift" is a common phrase that corporate people and motivational speakers use. It really works with either definition, but definition #2 was mostly created by Stephen Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, a motivational book. Paradigm is one of his pet words.

Illusory

ill - oo - sore - y

adjective: not real, is an illusion

According to Buddhists, All matter is illusory.

This word is weird because it is a form of the word illusion, which everyone knows, but the s is pronounced differently.

Embryonic

em - bree - on - ic

adjective: has potential to grow, like an embryo (unborn baby)

We can never stop learning. In that way, we are embryonic.

Procured

pro - cured

verb: obtain, get

He procured a promotion for himself.

Often used in the past tense.

Inundated

in - un - date - ed

verb: flooded; not a real water flood, but figurative

The businesswoman was inundated with requests for help.

Like many pretentious verbs, this word is almost always found in it's "ed" form.

Diction

dik - shun

noun: word choice

I despise misleading diction.

Pretentious

pre - ten - shuh - s

adjective: fancy, showy, showing off

That's pretentious!