Modern World History
Vocabulary List 1st Semester
1. Secular: of or relating to the worldly
2. Individualism : a doctrine that the interests of the individual are or ought to be ethically paramount
; also : conduct guided by such a doctrine
3. Humanism : a doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values ; especially :
a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual's dignity and worth
and capacity for self-realization through reason
4. Sonnet : a fixed verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines that are typically 5-foot iambics
rhyming according to a prescribed scheme ; also : a poem in this pattern
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Renaissance : a movement or period of vigorous artistic and intellectual activity
Lavish : expended or produced in abundance
Chateaux : a feudal castle or fortress in France
Piety : the quality or state of being pious. Pious: : marked by or showing reverence for deity and
devotion to divine worship
9. Justification: : the act, process, or state of being justified by God. Justify: : to prove or show to be
just, right, or reasonable
10.Reformation : a 16th century religious movement marked ultimately by rejection or modification
of some Roman Catholic doctrine and practice and establishment of the Protestant churches
11.Indulgences : remission of part or all of the temporal and especially purgatorial punishment that
according to Roman Catholicism is due for sins whose eternal punishment has been remitted and
whose guilt has been pardoned (as through the sacrament of reconciliation)
12.Vocation : the work in which a person is employed
13.Theocracy : government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded
as divinely guided
14.Predestination : the doctrine that God in consequence of his foreknowledge of all events infallibly
guides those who are destined for salvation
15.Initiated : to induct into membership by or as if by special rites
16.Seminary : an institution of secondary or higher education
17.Baroque : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of artistic expression prevalent
especially in the 17th century that is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold
ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama,
movement, and tension
18.Relevant : having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand
19.Bigotry : the state of mind of a bigot : a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or
her own opinions and prejudices ; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group
(as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance
20.Cartography : the science or art of making maps
21.Circumnavigate : to go completely around (as the earth) especially by water ; also : to go around
instead of through
22.Oppression : unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power
23.Entrepreneur : one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise
24.Absolution : the act of absolving (: to set free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt);
specifically : a remission of sins pronounced by a priest (as in the sacrament of reconciliation)
25.Armada : a fleet of warships
26.Inflation : a continuing rise in the general price level usually attributed to an increase in the
volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services
27.Hypothesis : a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical
consequences
28.Pacifism : opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes ; specifically : refusal to
bear arms on moral or religious grounds
29.Enlightened : freed from ignorance and misinformation
30.Despot : a ruler with absolute power and authority