Vocab. List 1: Prefixes
#1
1. antecedent- going before in time
– Prefix: ante (before)
2. antipathy- revulsion, any object of strong
dislike
– Prefix: anti (against)
3. Circumvent- to go around; to catch in a trap;
to gain superiority over; to prevent from
happening
– Prefix: circum/circ (around)
#2
4. consensus- agreement, especially in opinion
– Prefix: con (with, together)
5. controversy- a discussion of a question in
which opposing views clash
– Prefix: contr (against)
6. decimate- to destroy or kill a large portion of
something; to take or destroy a tenth part of
something
– Prefix: dec (ten)
#3
7. demote- to lower in grade or position
– Prefix: de (down, away from)
8. disinterested- not motivated by personal
interest or selfish motives
– Prefix: dis (not, opposite of)
9. euphemism- the use of a word or phrase that
is considered less distasteful or offensive than
another
– Prefix: eu (good, well)
#4
10. exorbitant- going beyond what is reasonable
and proper
– Prefix: ex (out of, away from)
11. illegible- not able to be read
– Prefix: il (not, opposite)
12. intermittent- stopping and starting again at
intervals
– Prefix: inter (between)
#5
13. malevolent- having an evil disposition
toward others
– Prefix: mal (bad)
14. precursor- a forerunner, one who or that
which comes before
– Prefix: pre (before)
15. prognosis- a forecast; especially in medicine
– Prefix: pro (before)
#6
16. retrospect- looking back on or thinking
about things past
– Prefix: retro (back, again)
17. subordinate- (1)inferior to or placed below
another in rank, power, or importance. (2) a
person or thing of lesser power or importance
than another. (3) to treat as inferior or less
important.
– Prefix: sub (under)
#7
18. synthesis- putting two or more things
together to form a whole
– Prefix: syn, sym (with or together)
19. transcend- to go beyond the limits of; to
overstep; to exceed
– Prefix: trans (across)
20. trivial- of little worth or importance
– Prefix: tri (three)
Vocab. List 2: Suffixes
#1
1. agrarian- having to do with agriculture or
farming
– Suffix: -ian (one who is or does)
2. antagonist- one that contends with or
opposes another
– Suffix: -ist (one who)
3. bigotry- unreasonable zeal in favor of a party,
sect, or opinion
– Suffix: -ry (state of)
#2
4. consummate- to complete, to carry to the
utmost degree
– Suffix: -ate (to make)
5. copious- abundant; plentiful; in great
quantities
– Suffix: -ious (having the quality of)
6. cryptic- hidden; secret; having a hidden or
ambiguous meaning
– Suffix: -ic (causing)
#3
7. deferment- the act of putting off or delaying;
postponement
– Suffix: -ment (quality of)
8. furtive- done in a stealthy manner; sly and
underhanded
– Suffix: -ive (having the nature of)
9. laudable- praiseworthy
– Suffix: -able (capable of)
#4
10. geology- the study of the history of the earth
and its life, especially as recorded in rocks
– Suffix: -ology (study of)
11. minimize- to play down; to keep to a
minimum
– Suffix: -ize (to subject to an action)
12. mutation- the act or process of changing
– Suffix: -tion (action of, state of)
#5
13. obsolescence- the state of being outdated
– Suffix: -escence (state of)
14. parity- the state or condition of being the
same in power, value or rank; equality
– Suffix: -ity (state of being)
15. pragmatism- faith in the practical approach
– Suffix: -ism (state or doctrine of)
#6
16. provocative- something that stirs up an
action
– Suffix: -ive (having the nature of)
17. puerile- childish, silly, immature
– Suffix: -ile (pertaining to)
18. rectify- to make right; to correct
– Suffix: -ify (to make)
#7
19. relentless- harsh; unmoved by pity;
unstoppable
– Suffix: -less (without)
20. venerate- to look upon with deep respect
and reverence
– Suffix: -ate (to make)
Vocab. List #3: Learning Roots
#1
1. agonize- to suffer intense pain, to struggle
over something
– Root: agon (struggle, contest)
2. audible- able to be heard
– Root: aud (hear)
3. belligerent- warlike, hostile
– Root: bell (war)
#2
4. chronic- constant, habitual
– Root: chron (time)
5. demographic- statistical characteristics of
human population, such as age or income
– Root: dem (people)
6. fidelity- faithfulness
– Root: fid (faith)
#3
7. fluctuate- to move up and down, constantly
changing
– Root: flux, flu (to flow)
8. genocide- the deliberate extermination of an
entire group of people
– Root: gen (race or kind)
9. incognito- disguised, unrecognizable
– Root: cog, gno (to know)
#4
10. inducement- motive, leading to an action,
incentive
– Root: duc (lead)
11. interrogate- to question
– Root: rog (to ask)
12. loquacious- talkative
– Root: loq (speak)
#5
13. nominal- in name only, a small amount
– Root: nom (name)
14. pathos- suffering; feeling of sympathy or pity
– Root: path (feelings)
15. protracted- drawn out in time, prolonged
– Root: tract (draw; pull)
#6
16. rejected- sent back, refused, discarded
– Root: ject (to throw or send)
17. sophisticated- knowledgeable; refined,
experienced, and aware
– Root: soph (wisdom)
18. tenacious- unwilling to let go, stubborn
– Root: ten (hold)
#7
19. verify- to establish as truth, confirm
– Root: ver (truth)
20. vivacious- lively in manner
– Root: viv (life)
Vocab. List #4: More Roots
#1
1. agoraphobic- fear of open or public spaces
– Root: phobe (fear)
2. assimilate- to fit in
– Root: simul (copy)
3. attribute- a special quality
– Root: trib (to give)
#2
4. benevolent- kind, having goodwill
– Root: ben (good)
5. biodegradable- able to be broken down by
living things
– Root: bio (life)
6. conspicuous- highly visible
– Root: spic, spec (see)
#3
7. contradiction- the act or state of disagreeing
– Root: contra (against)
– Root: dict (say)
8. credence- belief, believability
– Root: cred (believe)
9. evident- obvious
– Root: vid (see)
#4
10. gregarious- sociable
– Root: greg (crowd)
11. impediment- a barrier or hindrance
– Root: ped, pod (foot)
– Root: ped (child)
12. incisive- penetrating, clear cut
– Root: cis, cid (to cut)
#5
13. inference- guess or surmise
– Root: fer (bear or carry)
14. mediocre- of medium quality, neither good
nor bad, average
– Root: med (middle)
15. philanthropy- giving generously to worthy
causes
– Root: phil (love)
#6
16. precedent- a prior ruling or experience
– Root: ced (go)
17. recapitulate- to review in detail
– Root: cap (head)
18. remittance- payment, transmittal or money
– Root: mit, mis (to send)
#7
19. tangential- touching slightly, relating to
– Root: tang, tac, tig (touch)
20. urbane- polished, sophisticated
– Root: urb (city)
Vocab. List 5: Foreign Language
Terms Used in English
#1
1. aficionado- a person who likes, knows about
and is devoted to a particular activity or thing
2. avant-garde- (1)a group of people who
develop innovative and experimental
concepts, especially in the arts. (2) relating to
a group of people who develop innovative
and experimental concepts, especially in the
arts.
#2
3. blasé- apathetic to pleasure or excitement as
a result of excessive indulgence in something
4. bourgeois- having the attributes and beliefs of
the middle class, marked by materialistic
concerns
5. cliché- a phrase or saying which has been
overused and as a result has little significance
or meaning
#3
6. debut- a first appearance
7. élan- spirit, enthusiasm, or excitement
8. entrepreneur- a person who takes on the
challenge and risk of starting his or her own
business
#4
9. epitome- an exact example of something;
someone or something that embodies the
essence of a concept or type
10. fait accompli- something that is complete
and seemingly irreversible
11. gauche- lacking social graces or
sophistication
#5
12. imbroglio- a complicated or embarrassing
situation due to a misunderstanding
13. ingénue- a young girl or woman, an actress
playing such a role
14. laissez-faire- a doctrine opposing
government control of economic matters
except in a case of maintaining peace and the
concept of property
#6
15. malaise- the vague feeling of illness
16. naïve- innocent, simple, lacking knowledge
of the world
17. non sequitur- a statement that has no
connection to the previous statement or idea
#7
18. rendezvous- a meeting place
19. vendetta- a grudge or feud characterized by
acts of retaliation
20. vignette- a short descriptive written piece
Vocab. List #6: Business Terms
#1
1. arbitrage- the buying of “paper”—stocks,
bonds, and securities—to resell for a quick
profit
2. arbitration- the process by which disputes
are settled by a third party
3. beneficiary- one who will benefit from
something
#2
4. capital- accumulated wealth, used to gain
more wealth
5. collusion- a secret agreement for a deceitful
or fraudulent purpose, conspiracy
6. consortium- a joining of two or more
businesses for a specific purpose
#3
7. deduction- the subtraction of a cost from
income
8. discrimination- the act of making distinctions,
the act of distinguishing between one group
of people and another and treating people
differently as a result, prejudiced actions or
treatment
#4
9. entitlement- special privilege or benefit
allowed to a group of people
10. equity- fairness or evenness of treatment, or
the value of property after all claims have
been made against it
11. exempt- excused from some rule or job
#5
12. fiscal- pertaining to money or finance
13. franchise- a business that is owned by a
parent company but run by independent
operators under rules set out by the parent
company
14. harassment- the act of harassing someone,
annoy or irritate persistently
#6
15. jargon- the specialized vocabulary of an
industry or interest group
16. nepotism- the employment or promotion of
friends and family members
17. perquisite- a privilege or bonus given in
addition to regular salary
#7
18. prospectus- a published report of a business
and its plans for a program or offering
19. subsidy- a grant of money for a particular
purpose
20. tenure- the state or period of holding a
particular position, or a guarantee of
employment to teachers who have met
particular standards
Vocab. List 7: Technology Terms
#1
1. application- a software program that lets you
complete a task on your computer, such as
word processing, listening to music, or
viewing a Web page
2. bandwidth- the amount of information that
one can send through a connection, usually
measured in bits per second
#2
3. bitmap- the representation in rows and
columns of dots of an image in computer
memory
4. cache- a high-speed storage mechanism that
allows a computer to store frequently
accessed information locally
#3
5. cookie- a message given to a Web browser by
a Web server that is stored in the browser and
sent back to the server every time the
browser contacts the server for a Web page
6. cursor- a symbol, usually a blinking line that
shows where the next letter will be typed on a
computer screen
#4
7. database- information stored and organized
so that a computer can quickly retrieve
selected pieces of information
8. download- the process of copying a document
or file from an online source to your own
computer
9. encryption- the translation of information
into a secret code
#5
10. Ethernet- a common method of enabling
computers in the same Local Area Network to
communicate with each other
11. firewall- a system that prevents
unauthorized access to and from a private
network
12. information technology (IT)- the broad
subject of anything concerning processing or
managing information, especially in a large
company
#6
13. keyword- a word that specifies a particular
record, file; in programming a specific
command
14. motherboard- the main circuit board of a
computer
15. network- a group of two or more computers
linked together
#7
16. plug-in: a piece of hardware or software that
adds a specific feature to a larger, already
existing system
17. search engine- a program that searches
documents, websites, and databases for a
keyword and then provides a list of those
documents
#8
18. server- a computer on a network that
manages network resources
19. upload- the opposite of download; to
transmit documents from your computer to
an online source
20. workstation- a type of computer that has
enough power to run applications used in
work environments
Vocab. List 8: Legal Terms
#1
1. abrogate- to abolish by authoritative action
2. adjudicate- to act as a judge, to settle
judicially
3. appellate- having the power to review
judgment of another court
4. affidavit- a sworn statement in writing made
under oath
#2
5. bequest- the act of bequeathing, the act of
leaving someone/something in a will,
something that is bequeathed
6. contraband- illegal or prohibited exporting or
importing of goods
7. deposition- testimony under oath, taken
down in writing
#3
8. exhume- to remove from a grave; to bring
back from neglect or obscurity
9. extradite- to surrender an alleged criminal to
the state or country in which he or she can be
tried
10. intestate- one who dies without a will
#4
11. ipso facto- by the very fact or act, an
inevitable act
12. larceny- the unlawful taking of someone
else’s property with the intention of not giving
it back
13. lien- a charge against real or personal
property for the satisfaction of a debt or duty
originally arising from the law
#5
14. litigious- contentious situation, prone to
litigation
15. jurisprudence- a system of laws, the science
of philosophy of the law
16. malfeasance- wrongdoing or misconduct
especially by a public official
17. perjury- lying or intentionally omitting
information under oath
#6
18. plagiarism- the act of passing of someone
else’s work as your own
19. sanction- authoritative permission or
approval that makes a course of action valid, a
law or decree
20. tort- wrongdoing for which damages can be
claimed; an unintentional violation of
someone’s rights, which can result in civil
action but not criminal proceedings
Vocab. List 9: Terms Relating to
Language and Literature
#1
1. anecdote- a short account of an interesting
or humorous incident
2. anthropomorphism- attribution of human
motivation, characteristics, or behavior to
inanimate objects, animals, or natural
phenomena
3. archetype- an original model or type after
which other similar things are patterned; an
ideal example of a type
#2
4. aphorism- a brief statement of a truth or
opinion; a saying or an adage
5. construe- to explain the meaning of;
interpret; to analyze the grammatical
structure of a sentence
6. deduce- to reach a conclusion of reasoning; to
infer from a general principle; to trace the
origin of
#3
7. epigram- a short, witty poem expressing a
single thought or observation; a concise,
clever, often paradoxical statement or saying
8. etymology- the origin and historical
development of a word’s forms, meanings and
usages
9. infer- to conclude or reason from evidence,
premises, or circumstance; to hint or imply
#4
10. irony- the use of words to express something
different from, and often opposite to, their
literal meaning; a literary style employing such
contrasts for witty effect; incongruity between
what might be expected and what actally
occurs
11. onomatopoeia- the formation or use of
words such that imitate the sounds associated
with the objects or actions to which they refer
#5
12. personification- a person or thing typifying a
certain quality or idea; an embodiment or
exemplification; a figure of speech in which
inanimate objects or abstractions are
endowed with human qualities or are
represented as possessing human form
#6
13. perspective- a mental view or outlook; a
point of view; the ability to perceive things in
their actual interrelations or comparative
importance
14. protagonist- the main character in a drama
or other literary work
15. prose- ordinary speech or writing, without
metrical structure (as in poetry)
#7
16. pun- play on words
17. rhetoric- the art or study of using language
effectively and persuasively
18. satire- a literary work in which human vice
or folly is attacked through irony and wit
#8
19. soliloquy- a dramatic or literary form of
discourse in which a character talks to himself
or herself or reveals his or her thoughts
without addressing a listener
20. trite- lacking power to evoke interest
through overuse or repetition
Vocab. List 10: Short Words That
Mean A Lot
#1
1. acme- the highest point, as of achievement
or development
2. awry- in a position that is turned or twisted
toward one side or away from the correct
course; askew
3. bane- fatal injury or ruin; a cause of harm,
ruin, or death; a source of persistent
annoyance or exasperation
#2
4. cite- to quote as an authority or example
5. crux- the basic or central point or feature; a
puzzling or apparently insoluble problem
6. dire- warning of, or having dreadful or terrible
consequences; urgent; desperate
7. dupe- an easily deceived person
#3
8. eke- to supplement or get with great effort; to
make last by practicing strict economy
9. elite- a group or class of persons or a member
of such a group or class, enjoying superior
intellectual, social, or economic status; the
best or most skilled members of a group
10. gibe- to make taunting, heckling, or jeering
remarks
#4
11. maim- to disable or disfigure; to make
imperfect or defective; impair
12. mete- to distribute by or as if by measure;
allot
13. moot- a hypothetical case argued as an
exercise; a case no longer of actual
significance
#5
14. oust- to eject from a position or place; force
out
15. purge- to free from impurities; purify; to rid
of sin, guilt, or defilement; to clear a person of
a charge; to get rid of people considered
undesirable
#6
16. roil- to make a liquid muddy or cloudy by
stirring up sediment; to displease or disturb;
vex
17. sham- something false or empty that is said
to be genuine; one who assumes a false
character; an impostor
18. staid- characterized by sedate dignity and
propriety; sober, fixed; permanent
#7
19. veer- to turn aside from a course, direction,
or purpose; swerve
20. vie- to strive for superiority; compete, rival