Vocabulary Lesson 8
Omni - All
Ten - Hold
Cred - Believe
Temp – Division/Section
Omnipotent
having very great or unlimited
authority or power
Once we are older, we begin to realize
that our parents are not omnipotent.
That realization has good and bad
consequences.
Omnipresent
having the quality of being
everywhere.
People who are in great emotional pain
are becoming omnipresent in every
church in America.
Omniscient
All-knowing.
Complete awareness of
all things.
The teacher seemed to be omniscient.
She knew the I did not do my homework
and that when I went to get a drink of
water, I really went to see my girlfriend in
another class.
Tenacious
Holding fast.
Characterized by
keeping a firm hold.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys turned the
ball over, and despite tenacious defense
by DeMarcus Ware and company, the
Redskins scored.
tenet
A principle held as being
true, a belief
Freedom of Speech is a central
and sacred tenet of any
democracy.
tenure
The holding or
possessing of an office.
The former Illinois congressman
said that he is proud of his fiveyear tenure at the Pentagon.
untenable
Incapable of being
defended, as in an
argument.
Clarke’s position on the subject
became untenable. Afterwards, he
was fired.
credence
Something giving a claim
to, belief or confidence
The work was reputed to have
some credence with support given
by astronomers of the day.
credentials
Evidence of authority,
status, rights, usually in
written form.
He had to show his credentials as
an officer of the organization
before he was admitted to the
seminar.
credible
Capable of being
believed.
The man’s excuse about where he
was the night of the murder was
not credible, so the policeman
asked the witness to come down
to the station and make a written
statement.
credulous
Willing to believe or trust
too readily.
We liked to tease Susan as being
too credulous. We told her that if
she didn’t eat the eggs in the
refrigerator, they would hatch into
baby chicks. She believed us!
temporal
Lasting only for a time;
temporary, not eternal
The cold weather, thankfully, was
temporal, and we enjoyed the rest
of the vacation on the beach with
the temperature being about 90
degrees each day!
temporize
To be indecisive, can’t
make up your mind.
Delay acting.
They temporized while they
considered where they wanted to
go that night—the movies, a
restaurant or bowling.
impertinent
Disrespectful, rude,
interrupting
He was impertinent, insisting on
interrupting the speaker with
questions, even after being politely
told to wait until the lecture was
over.