Word: Adherent Definition: follower, supporter - PowerPoint Presentation

Word: Adherent Definition: follower, supporterPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: Jen is a strong adherent of organizations that advocate for social justice.

Word: Adulterate Definition: to contaminate or make worse by adding a lesser materialPart of Speech: verbExample Sentence:The water supply had to be shut off when pesticide seeped into the reservoir and adulterated it. Hoping to make more money, the company adulterated the grade A meat with potato flour.

Word: Affectation Definition: unnatural/fake behavior (usually to impress)Part of Speech: nounExample Sentence:Whenever the boss walks by Terrence’s cubicle he takes on the affectation of working really hard while the rest of the time he slacks off. Maria was once popular until people realized her outgoing personality was really affectation.

Word: Animated Definition: livelyPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Quentin has a very animated personality; he’s always attentive and lively and interacts with his classmates in an engaging manner.

Word: Apprehensive Definition: worried, anxiousPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: All of the tests and assignments due at the end of the year make me apprehensive.

Word: Apocryphal Definition: fictitious, of doubtful authenticityPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: I didn’t believe Greg’s apocryphal excuse for not doing his homework; it did not seem plausible, and he has a history of making up stories.

Word: Arbiter Definition: one who decides, judgePart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: A quality arbiter weights the evidence of both sides before coming to a final decision.

Word: Belie Definition: to give a false impression; to contradictPart of Speech: verbExample Sentence:On the day of the big event she planned, Jenna tried to appear calm, but her anxious behavior belied her attempts to appear calm.

Word: Benevolent Definition: generousPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Carl is a very benevolent person; he always donates money to charity.

Word: Blithe Definition: carefree, indifferentPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: The interviewers told Carrie she did not get the job because her answers were blithe and did not seem serious enough. Taylor’s blithe attitude was very different from her sister’s serious demeanor.

Word: Circumspect Definition: cautiousPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: The circumspect mother did not let her children go near the swimming pool unless both she and a lifeguard were watching them.

Word: Cliché Definition: an overused saying/ideaPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: The football coach always uses the cliché “practice makes perfect” to motivate the team to practice more. However, we’ve all heard it so many times it’s no longer effective.

Word: Cogent Definition: powerfully convincingPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: The guest speaker made such a cogent argument about the importance of education reform that the whole audience had adopted her position at the end of the speech.

Definition: face Part of Speech: nounSentence:Based on her countenance, I knew Kelly was upset. Seeing pictures of Herman and Watson brings a smile to anyone’s countenance Countenance

Definition: to wish for something enviously Part of Speech: VerbSentences:Sam covets Julia’s ability to get good grades without trying. Covet

Definition: relating to cooking or the kitchen Part of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentences:Leslie decided to attend culinary school because she wants to be a chef. Word: Culinary

Word: Discriminate Definition: to distinguish between two or more things, to note the difference between Part of Speech: verbExample Sentence: It is difficult to discriminate between the two identical twins.

Word: Disdain Definition: scorn, disrespectPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: The teacher had a look of disdain on his face when he saw the student cheating.

Word: Disseminate Definition: to spread/make widely knownPart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: The principal uses the loud speaker to disseminate information relevant to the school.

Word: Enthrall Definition: to fascinatePart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: Learning about nature in science class enthralled the young child who spent hours trying to learn more.

Word: Exonerate Definition: to free from blamePart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: The court verdict that James was innocent exonerated him from the accusation that he stole.

Word: Explicit Definition: directly expressedPart of Speech: adjExample Sentence: The doctor gave me explicit orders not to eat any salty foods in order to lower my blood pressure.

Word: Exhaustive Definition: thorough, completePart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: After an exhaustive search, my sister and I finally found our lost guinea pigs in a picnic basket in the garage.

Word: Heresy Definition: a belief that goes against accepted waysPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: Galileo was tried for the heresy of suggesting that the sun did not revolve around the earth.

Word: Histrionic Definition: overly dramaticPart of Speech: adjExample Sentence: Kathy’s histrionic complaining every time there is a test is irritating. The baby cried histrionically in order to get his mother’s attention.

Word: Hypothetical Definition: uncertain, unprovenPart of Speech: adjExample Sentence: There are several hypothetical solutions as to where the diamond ring went, but nobody knew for sure.

Word: Infinitesimal Definition: very, very smallPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Grains of sand are infinitesimal.

Word: Insidious Definition: dangerous, harmful, sneakyPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Cancer is an insidious disease because it spreads quickly and harmfully.

Word: Instigate Definition: to provoke/stir upPart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: Jackie always instigates fights between her friends by bringing up problems and turning them against each other.

Word: Manifesto Definition: declaration of beliefsPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: Karl Marx’s ideas were used to put together the Communist Manifesto, which detailed the main principles of communism.

Word: Matriculate Definition: to enroll Part of Speech: verbExample Sentence: I matriculated at Boston College after high school.

Word: Meager Definition: lacking, inadequatePart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence:The meager amount rain led many plants to die of dehydration. Janice was shocked by the meager dinner portion she was given while on her diet.

Word: Mediate Definition: to help settle differencesPart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: Brian tried to mediate the fight between his two friends to help them get over their differences.

Word: Officious Definition: annoyingly eager to helpPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Many times my neighbor’s officious advice is unsolicited.

Word: Orthodox Definition: conventional (by the book), traditional, adhering to established principlesPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Kayla has very orthodox beliefs. There is nothing shocking about any of them. Sometimes it is important to go against the orthodox way and make your own path.

Word: Painstaking Definition: extremely carefulPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence:Sara took painstaking efforts to complete her homework because she wanted to do it right. Doug’s painstaking work on the model took months but paid off when he won first place in the contest.

Word: Philanthropy Definition: generous donation of money/time to good causesPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: Philanthropy is something that colleges look for in those applying to their institutions; make sure that you give your time and money to those less fortunate.

Word: Placate Definition: to appease/soothePart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: The only way to placate the crying baby was to give her the pacifier.

Word: Plethora Definition: excessPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: We ate a plethora of candy on Halloween and had no room for dinner.

Word: Protract Definition: to prolongPart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: The commencement speaker promised not to protract his remarks, but then he spoke for two solid hours. The professor gave such a long, drawn-out, protracted explanation of the book that people started to fall asleep.

Word: Provencial Definition: narrow in thought (small-town/backwoods)Part of Speech: adjExample Sentence: The people on the isolated island have a very provincial view. They only think about issues that matter to their island.

Word: Provisional Definition: temporaryPart of Speech: adjExample Sentence:After the hurricane, officials made the provisional plan to house everyone in a shelter. First time drivers receive a provisional license for a year at which point they receive a regular license.

Word: Renounce Definition: to give up/resign/disownPart of Speech: verbExample Sentence:The father renounced his child when he told him he dropped out of school.The mayor would not renounce his title even when a scandal regarding him unfolded. The mouse will never renounce his dream of getting the cheese.

Word: Replete Definition: completely filled, well-supplied Part of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: The yacht was replete with a gourmet meal and plenty of beverages.

Word: Respite Definition: period of rest or reliefPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence:After all of the papers and tests due last week, Jack needed a respite from schoolwork. I like to visit the Caribbean as a respite from the winter cold.

Word: Sordid Definition: sleazy/dishonorable;involving dishonorable actions Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence:Some politicians, such as Eliot Spitzer and John Edwards, have sordid pasts that involve cheating scandals. She hoped her sordid secrets would not be told before she married the prince.

Word: Spurious Definition: fake, falsePart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: The student’s spurious excuse that she didn’t do her homework because aliens abducted did not work.

Word: Static Definition: unchangedPart of Speech: adjective Example Sentence:Static characters are ones that do not change. Although Lenore wanted to get married soon, her relationship with Henry remained static; because of this, she thought about finding a new man who was also interested in settling down.

Word: Surreptitious Definition: secretivePart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence:My brother and I used to be surreptitious and spy on our older sisters when they had people over.The private detective went on a surreptitious stake out that took all night.

Word: Tacit Definition: understood/implied without being statedPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: It is a tacit fact that I have the cutest dogs; there is not need to say it.

Word: Tantamount Definition: equivalent to, much the same asPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Wearing a Boston Red Sox shirt on the New York Subway would be tantamount to wearing a shirt saying, “please punch me in the face.”

Word: Terse Definition: short, using no unnecessary wordsPart of Speech: adjExample Sentence: I knew she was mad at me by her terse, one-word responses to me.

Word: Transient Definition: not staying for very long, temporaryPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: The airport is a transient place because people come and go without staying for very long.

Word: Unconscionable Definition: immoral, unprincipled, unforgivablePart of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Karen committed the unconscionable act of stabbing her best friend in the back and talking about her to other people.

Word: Vestige Definition: remaining part of something; remnant; tracePart of Speech: nounExample Sentence:After the building was knocked down, only vestiges of the old structure remained.Even after my grandfather’s passing, we constantly found vestiges of him that made us smile in remembrance.

Word: Vex Definition: to annoy, to confusePart of Speech: verbExample Sentence: James’s job constantly vexes him and his continuous aggravation puts him in a bad mood.

Word: Vicissitude Definition: change, upheavalPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: The vicissitude of the stock market prevents some people from investing because they cannot take the uncertainty and pressure of watching stocks rise and fall.

Word: Vilify Definition: to say negative Things; turn into a villian Part of Speech: verbExample Sentence: The media vilifies many celebrities by spreading bad rumors about them.

Word: Virtuoso Definition: expert in music or other art formPart of Speech: nounExample Sentence: Francisco Goya was a Spanish virtuoso. His art collection culminated in his masterpiece The Third of May.

Word: Vitriolic Definition: full of bitternessPart of Speech: adjectiveExample Sentence: Jack made a vitriolic toast at his sister’s wedding because he did not like the groom.