The noun spunk refers to one’s spirit or pluck and suggests a lively determination. This term has a fiery background, literally, entering English referring first to a spark and then to ignitable wood or tinder. The far less combustible noun gumption refers to courage and guts. It might take gumption, for instance, to quit a high-paying job. It’s not a stretch to say that gumption is more grounded than spunk, since gumption also implies a resourcefulness and even shrewd common sense in solving problems or getting things done.

The nouns fairness and equity both deal with what is fair and just, but equity is more often used in discussions of complex, systemic disparities—and how to solve them. Equity is broadly defined as “the quality of being fair or impartial,” and it is related to the word equal. But be careful not to conflate equity and equality: while the concepts are certainly intertwined, the key idea that sets equity apart is that people's needs and circumstances are different, and therefore solutions must differ appropriately.

The adjective aimless is commonly used to talk about meandering movements, such as aimless wandering, or activities that lack purpose, such as aimless conversation. Haphazard goes a slapdash step beyond to emphasize disorder, unpredictability, and a lack of foresight or attention. This disheveled adjective is used of things that one might expect to be orderly, well planned out, or at least regular and predictable, but are instead muddled, seemingly random, and maybe even a little chaotic. A haphazard process, for instance, is one that was thrown together at the last minute or that is anything but systematic.