To truly internalize these words, it helps to see how they apply to the business and management world you are entering:

• Deleterious: "The sudden FPI outflow had a deleterious effect on the domestic stock market indices."

• Disparate: "The merger failed because the two companies had disparate corporate cultures that couldn't be reconciled."

• Debacle: "The 2001 Enron debacle remains a classic case study in corporate governance failure."

• Discern: "A good manager must be able to discern subtle shifts in consumer behavior before they become mainstream trends."