100 Words that Every High School Graduate Should Know
List #4
acumen (noun): known for sharp insight
If you have acumen, you are very sharp at what you do. You hope your accountant and your
surgeon are both known for their acumen.
The noun acumen comes from the Latin word acumen, meaning “a point,” or “sting.” If you are able
to make pointed decisions, if you have a sharp intellect, if you make good strategic moves, if you are
successful in your field, or if your business instincts are spot-on, you have acumen. Even if you
inherit an entire wholesale furniture dynasty from your grandfather, you could end up with nothing
if you don’t have his business acumen.
antebellum (adj.): before the American Civil War
Word parts: ante – before
bellu - war
Use the adjective antebellum to describe something that happened before the American Civil War.
You could talk about touring a historic antebellum plantation house in Georgia, for example.
circumlocution (noun): an indirect way of expressing something, talking that is not direct
Circumlocution is a long, complicated word which means a long, complicated way of expressing
something. To cut to the chase, circumlocution means to beat around the bush.
Circumlocution comes from the Latin words circum, "circle," and loqui, "to speak." So circumlocution
is speaking in circles, going round and round in a wordy way without ever getting to the heart of the
matter. It's an evasive style of argument, best employed when you really don't want to say what's on
your mind.
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circumnavigate (verb) : to travel around in a big circle
When you circumnavigate the world, will you do it in a boat or a hot air balloon?
Circumnavigate breaks down to circum-, "around," andnavigare, "to navigate." We also
use circumnavigate to describe going around something that's too hard to go through, like when you
circumnavigate the massive crowds in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
equinox (noun): one of the two times in a year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's
equator, and day and night are of equal length
There are two equinoxes every year, one in the spring (the vernal equinox) and one in the fall (the
autumnal equinox), each usually on the first day of spring and the first day of fall. These days are
often celebrated and even worshipped in some traditions, although an equinox is actually a point in
time — not an entire day.
fiduciary (noun or adj.): A fiduciary is a person who holds assets (stuff or money) in trust
for someone else. That person has a fiduciary duty to take care of the money.
Fiduciary comes from the Latin word fidere, "to trust." That's because a fiduciary is the person you
trust to hold and watch over your assets until it's time for them to go to another designated person.
For example, when a child's parents die, someone is chosen to look after the money left in the will
until the child is old enough to manage it himself. Fiduciary can either be a noun to refer to the
caretaker or an adjective to describe the trust.
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filibuster (noun): the act of obstructing legislation through speech
As a verb, filibuster means "to obstruct legislation by talking at great length." As a noun, it can refer
to that oppositional speech. "The Senator prevented a vote on the bill by reading the dictionary
from aardvark to zyzzyva."
hubris (noun): excessive pride, arrogance
Hubris is an excess of confidence: a boxer who shouts "I'm the greatest!" even though he's
about to get pummeled by a much stronger opponent is displaying a lot of hubris.
Hubris is from Greek, where it meant "excessive pride, violating the bounds set for humans"
and was always punished by the gods. We no longer have the Greek gods, so in English it
just refers to over-the-top self-confidence. If you call yourself the best in something, you
better have the goods to back it up, since too much hubris can lead to embarrassment and
humiliation. It's an age-old human failing: pride goeth before the fall.
hypotenuse (noun): the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle
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inculcate (verb): to teach through frequent instruction
To inculcate is to teach through frequent instruction. If you repeatedly tell your brother
how important it is to be responsible, then you’re trying to inculcate in him a sense of
responsibility.
infrastructure (noun): the basic foundation or underlying framework of an
organization or system. In your house, the infrastructure is the system of beams,
weight-bearing walls and the foundation that keeps it standing.
Infrastructure often refers to the equipment and structures required by the military or by a
country or region. Roads, bridges, and school buildings are part of our nation's
infrastructure, and are necessary for the continued growth of our communities. This word
was formed as a compound in English, using the prefix infra- "below, underneath."
interpolate (verb): to insert words into texts, often falsifying the text
lugubrious (adj.): excessively mournful
Funerals are lugubrious. So are rainy days and Mondays. Anything that makes you
sad, gloomy, or mournful can be called lugubrious.
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Lugubrious comes from the Latin verb lūgēre, "to mourn." You can also listen to the sound
of the word: lugubrious sounds slow, heavy, and sad. Sometimes, just the "feel" of a word is
enough to clue you in to its meaning, and lugubrious is one of those words.
nonsectarian (adj.): not restricted to one group or party
You can describe something as nonsectarian if it's not connected or affiliated with any
particular religious or political belief.
A college is nonsectarian if it isn't associated with a religion or church, and a Sunday
school class that teaches all religions is also nonsectarian.
orthography (noun): a method of representing the sounds of a language by written or
printed symbols
If you speak, an orthography or writing system of "A, B, C, D..." makes sense. The Serbian
language uses a different orthography: "A B C Č Ć D Dž Đ..." From
Greek orthographia, meaning "correct writing," an orthography is a way to represent words
by having set ways to spell and write them.
pecuniary (adj.): of or relating to money
If it has to do with money, it's pecuniary . . .
suffragist (noun): an advocate of the extension of voting rights (especially to women)
Before 1920, women did not have the right to vote in the U.S. The suffragist movement
fought for these rights, and the people who were part of that movement were suffragists.
The word suffrage means the right to vote in elections. It does not have to do with suffering.
In America, the individual states determine who may vote. However, the U.S. Constitution
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states in the 19th Amendment that women shall not be denied the vote based upon their
sex. Suffragists fought hard to bring this constitutional amendment about. Back then,
female suffragists were known as suffragettes.
tempestuous (adj.): stormy or volatile
A tempest is a storm, so you can use the adjective tempestuous to describe anything —
from a tempestuoushurricane to a tempestuous romance.The adjective tempestuous can
describe violent weather, but it can also figuratively describe something that just has the
characteristics of such blustery and turbulent weather. A person could be described
as tempestuous if she’s prone to violent mood swings and fits of passion.
yeoman (noun): 1) an assistant or other subordinate 2) a diligent, dependable worker
A yeoman was a farmer who owned and worked his own land — not to be confused with "yo,
man!"
Although experts aren't entirely sure of the origin of yeoman, they speculate that it is a shortened
version of young man.Yeoman is now just a historic term and it is unlikely to be used to describe a
landowning farmer today. There are modern uses for the word, however, including in the U.S. Navy,
the Royal Navy, aYeoman of the Guard, and similar military terms.
ziggurat (noun): a rectangular temple or terraced mound built by ancient Assyrians and
Babylonians
Ziggurat comes from the Assyrian ziqquratu meaning "height, pinnacle." Some people believe the top
of each ziggurat was used as a shrine. Others believe it was a high place where priests could seek
refuge during floods. Today, this tiered rectangular shape still inspires certain architecture,
particularly hotels or massive buildings.
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