Vocabulary Chapter 4
(Groups 13-15)
13. in-, il-, im-, ir-: “not” or “un”
14.bene-: “good”, “well”
15. mal-, male-: “evil”, “ill”,
“bad”, “Badly”
illegible
Not legible; impossible or hard to
read; undecipherable
I could read most of the
signatures, but a few were
illegible.
Illiterate
Not literate; unable to read or
write; uneducated
The new nation undertook to
teach its illiterate citizens to read
and write.
illogical
Not logical; not observing the rules
of logic (correct reasoning);
irrational; fallacious
It is illogical to vote for a
candidate whom you have not faith
in. .
immaculate
Not spotted; absolutely clean;
stainless
Before dinner, the tablecloth was
immaculate.
immature
Not mature; not fully grown or
developed; young; childish
Seniors often consider
sophomores too immature.
impunity
State of being not punished;
freedom from punishment, harm,
loss, etc.; immunity
As a result of stricter
enforcement, speeders are no
longer able to break the law with
impunity.
inaccessible
Not accessible; unreachable; hard to
get to; unapproachable
For most of the year, the Inuit
settlements in northern Quebec
are inaccessible, except by air.
incessant
Not ceasing; continuing without
interruption; interminable;
ceaseless
It is almost impossible to cross the
street during the rush hour
because of the incessant flow of
traffic.
Inflexible
Not flexible; not easily bent; firm;
unyielding
No compromise is possible when
both sides remain inflexible
ingratitude
State of being not grateful;
ungratefulness; lack of gratitude
Valerie refuses to let me see her
notes, though I have always lent
her mine. What ingratitude!
inhospitable
Not hospitable; not showing
kindness to guests and strangers;
unfriendly
When the visitors come to our
school, we should make them feel
at home; otherwise they will think
we are inhospitable.
insoluble
1. not soluble; incapable of being solved;
unsolvable; irresolvable
 Scientists are finding solutions to many
problems that formerly seemed insoluble.
2. Not capable of being dissolved
 Salt dissolves in water, but sand is
insoluble.
irreconcilable
Not reconcilable; not able to be
brought into friendly accord or
compromise; incompatible
After Romeo and Juliet died, their
families, who had been
irreconcilable enemies, became
friends.
irrelevant
Not relevant; inapplicable; off the
topic; extraneous
Stick to the topic; don’t make
irrelevant remarks.
irrevocable
Not revocable; incapable of being
recalled or revoked; unalterable;
irreversible
As an umpire’s decision is
irrevocable, it is useless to argue
over a call.
benediction
(literally, “good saying”) blessing;
good wishes; approbation
Robinson Crusoe ran off to sea
against his parents’ wishes and
without their benediction.
Malediction
(literally, “evil saying”) curse
With her dying breath, Queen
Dido pronounced a malediction on
Aeneas and all his descendants.
benefactor
(literally, “one who does good”)
person who gives kindly aid, money,
or a similar benefit
The museum could not have been
built without the gift of ten
million dollars by a wealthy
benefactor.
malefactor
(literally, “one who does evil”)
offender; evildoer; criminal
Shortly after the crime, the
malefactor was apprehended and
brought to trial.
beneficial
Productive of good; helpful;
advantageous
Rest is usually beneficial to a
person suffering from a bad cold.
beneficiary
Person receiving some good;
advantage; or benefit
The sick and the needy will be the
beneficiaries of your gift to the
community fund.
benevolent
(literally, “wishing well”) disposed
to promote the welfare of others;
kind; charitable
Benevolent employers have a
sincere concern for the welfare of
their employees.
malevolent
(Literally, “wishing ill”) showing ill
will; spiteful; malicious; vicious
In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel,
Kidnapped, David Balfour visits
a malevolent uncle who tries to
kill him.
maladjusted
Badly adjusted; out of harmony with
one’s environment
Having grown up in a quiet small
town, Jesse was now a maladjusted
city dweller who complained
about noise and crowds.
malice
Ill will; intention or desire to harm
another; enmity; malevolence
My tire did not have a leak;
someone had deflated it out of
malice.
malnutrition
Bad or faulty nutrition; poor
nourishment
The lack of fresh fruit and
vegetables in a person’ diet may
cause malnutrition.
maltreat
Treat badly or roughly; mistreat;
abuse
Jen felt maltreated when the
teacher scolded her for something
that was not her fault.