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CP English II Vocabulary Roots & Words Master List
Directions for Vocabulary Words & Words Roots
Every Monday is “Vocabulary Day.” This means that on the first Monday of a vocabulary cycle,
you will receive two word roots and five vocabulary words. On the second Monday, you will
receive a new set of roots and words, and then a vocabulary class activity/assignment. The third
Monday ends the cycle with a quiz on all four word roots and all ten words. Then the vocabulary
cycle begins again! This vocabulary root word system is developed to help you improve your
vocabulary, break words down to their most essential parts, and score higher on standardized
tests.
Week 1: 9/13, Due: 9/18
Provide the definition and an example sentence for each vocabulary word below.
Soph – Wisdom
Familiar Examples: Philosopher, Sophisticated
1. Sophomoric – (adj.) immature; underdeveloped; exhibiting lack of judgment
Sentence: Due to Billy Madison’s sophomoric and juvenile
behavior,
Billy had to repeat grades one through twelve in order to get his
inheritance.
2. Sophistry - (noun) flawed argument; deceptive reasoning
Sentence: Pinnochio attempted to use sophistry in his argument
with Jiminy Cricket, but Jiminy understood that Pinnochio’s growing nose meant he was
lying.
Bene, Ben – Good, Well
Familiar Examples: Benefit, Benefactor
3. Benevolent- (adj.) suggestive of goodwill; disposed for doing good
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Sentence: Most community service volunteers view Mother Teresa as
the epitome benevolent work, as she dedicated her life to helping poor and sick people.
4. Benediction – (noun) short blessing; a prayer; expression of well wishes
Sentence: Americans, who have family and loved ones fighting in
Iraq and Afghanistan, often make donations in benediction to those fighting for our freedom.
5. Beneficial – (adj.) favorable; causing a good result
Sentence: The habit of taking vitamins is considered by many
medical professionals to be practical and beneficial.
Week 2: 9/19, Due: 9/21
*Quiz: Monday, 9/24!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Hap – by chance
Familiar Examples: Happen, Happy, Mishap
1. hapless - (adj.) unlucky; lacking in fortune
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Sentence: After Hurricane Irene, my family considered the water damage to
our basement hapless and random, as we had never experienced leaks beforehand.
2. haphazard – (adj.) not planned; random
Sentence: Taking haphazard aim, Robin Hood committed a
sophomoric error by shooting one of his Merry Men in the foot.
Super – over; above
Familiar Examples: Superb, Superior
3. supercilious – (adj.) proud and scornful; haughty; looking down on others
Sentence: While a dog is said to be “man’s best friend”
and serve their masters, cats remain supercilious in their behavior with human beings,
as cats prefer to be waited on.
4. superficial – (adj.) concerned with comprehending what is apparent or obvious; of or
near the surface; shallow
Sentence: The duel ended with both men sustaining superficial
wounds that were easily mended with band-aids. OR A superficial reading of Bookrags
will not be enough information to gain understanding of Montana 1948 for Ms. Kaser’s
quizzes.
5. superfluous – (adj.) excessive; beyond what is required or sufficient; extra
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Sentence: Kim’s remark about her neighbor’s obviously overweight
son was entirely superfluous and quite unnecessary.
Week 3: 9/24, Due: Thursday, 9/27
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Cap – head
Familiar Examples: Captain, Decapitate
1. capitulate – (verb) to surrender; to give up a position of power to another
Sentence: The King of England decided to capitulate to France’s
authority, as the English army suffered many casualties as a result of the constant
battles between the two countries.
2. capricious – (adjective) fickle; prone to easily changing one’s mind
Sentence: Maggie is capricious in her choice of ice cream flavors:
one day she likes chocolate and the next she likes strawberry.
Greg – gather, flock
Familiar Examples: Segregation, Congregation
3. gregarious – (adjective) social; fond of being around people
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Sentence: The common phrase, “Birds of a feather, flock
together,” represents gregarious behavior.
4. egregious – (adjective) conspicuously bad; standing out from a group as shockingly bad
Sentence: Tom’s fumble in the PHHS football game was
so egregious that he could not even look his coach in the eye after the team’s loss.
5. aggregate – (verb) to collect; to cluster; to form a group
Sentence: Yesterday during the group photograph, all of the
Pascack Hills students and staff aggregated on the football field to hold up their neon
shoelaces.
Week 4: 10/1, Due: 10/4
*Quiz on Lists 3 & 4 (10 words): Monday, October 8!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Corp – body
1. Corpulent – (adj.) excessively fat; obese
Familiar Examples: Corpse, Corporation
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Sentence: In the movie “Stand By Me”, the boy who enters
the pie-eating contest is quite corpulent, and he uses the contest as revenge on the
crowd for making fun of his weight.
2. Corporal – (adj.) of, relating to, or affecting the body
Sentence: Studies in educational research have found that corporal
punishment, such as the use of a ruler, is not an encouraging learning strategy.
Ver – true, turn
Familiar Examples: Verify, Verdict, Reverse
3. Veracity – (noun) truthfulness; accuracy; conformity to facts
Sentence: The principal doubted the veracity of the student’s
story, so he asked another witness of the incident to confirm the student’s information.
4. Versatile – (adj.) embracing a variety of subjects, skills, and uses; turning with ease from
one thing to another
Sentence: Some clothing today is meant to be versatile;
for instance, a jacket may have denim on the outside and patterned cloth on the inside.
OR Sentence: James is a versatile student, and he can excel in many subject with ease.
5. Averse – (adj.) having a strong dislike or opposition to something Note: Usage – “averse
to”
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Sentence: Hilary is averse to giving up her Saturdays for SAT preparation;
however, she is agreeing to devote one weekday afternoon a week to practicing for the
test.
Week 5: 10/8, Due: 10/10
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Luc – light
Familiar Example(s): Translucent
1. Lucid – (adj.) clear (especially of mind); easy to understand
Sentence: Tammy is at her most lucid in the mornings because she finds
that she is able to think things through with greater ease.
2. Elucidate – (verb) explain in detail; make clear through understanding
Sentence: The teacher elucidated on the use of the vocabulary
words to help the students grasp the proper usage.
Trem, Trep – Shake
Familiar Example(s): Tremble, Tremor
3. Tremulous – (adj.) shaking; nervous; timid
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Sentence: The Chihuahua puppy appeared tremulous in his cage
because there were many people standing around staring at him.
4. Trepidation – (noun) fear; bad feeling about a future event
Sentence: Nancy had trepidation over her piano recital’s date
because she was afraid her playing would disappoint the audience.
5. Intrepid – (adj.) fearless; bold; adventurous
Sentence: There are many extreme sports in which an individual
needs to be intrepid, such as sky diving, cliff rappelling, and hang gliding.
Week 6 10/15, Due: 10/17
Quiz: Monday, October 22, 2012!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Lib, Liber – Free
Familiar Example(s): Liberty, Liberate
1. Liberal – (adj.) given or provided in a generous way; not literal or strict; loose Note: We
are not using the NOUN. Incorrect Example for Our Purposes: He is a liberal, not a
republican.
Sentence: Josie used a liberal amount of syrup on her pancakes, and her
mother would scold her for wasting so much of the bottle.
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2. Libertine – (noun) a person, especially a male, who lacks morals; licentious
Sentence: Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and other
corrupt sailors fall into the category of libertines, as they seldom are monogamous to
one woman.
Pen – Punishment
Familiar Example(s): Repent
3. Penitentiary – (noun) a state or federal prison for those convicted of serious crimes
Sentence: In the most restrictive penitentiaries, which are called
“Supermax Penitentiaries,” criminals are locked in their individual cells for twenty-three
hours out of a twenty-four hour day.
4. Repent – (verb) to feel sadness or regret for a past action, fault, or sin
Sentence: Tommy repented smashing his sister’s Halloween
pumpkin after the fact because his mother refused to take him to get a costume, which
he had been looking forward to the entire day.
5. Penance – (noun) feeling of regret for one’s wrongdoings; an act of hardship or penalty
to compensate for an offense
Sentence: For egging the cars, the three boys were to wash all faculty cars
as a penance, and then the principal would consider allowing them to walk at graduation.
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Week 7 10/22, Due: 10/24
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Sequ, Secu – Follow
Familiar Example(s): Sequel, Consequence
1. obsequious – (adj.) obedient; submissive; compliant
Sentence: Carly, Ralph, and Leo proved to be obsequious in following all
classroom rules and procedures.
2. consecutive – (adj.) in logical sequence; following continuously
Sentence: Jake has prepared for the next SAT testing date for seven
consecutive weeks, and his friends have begun to feel neglected.
Fal, Fals – Deceive
Familiar Example(s): False
3. Fallacy – (noun) a mistaken belief; a failure in reasoning
Sentence: “I believe your statement contains some fallacies and
sophistry,” the lawyer argued.
4. Infallible – (adj.) never failing, always effective
Sentence: The infallible cure for a cold is vitamins and plenty of rest.
5. Falter – (verb) speak or move in an unsteady manner
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Sentence: Peggy’s smile faltered when the woman provided a superficial
compliment on her new dress.
Week 8 11/05, Due: THURSDAY, 11/08/12
*Vocab Quiz on Monday, 11/12!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Ora- speak, plead
Familiar Example(s): Oral, Orator
1. oracle – (noun) a person who gives wise advise or prophecy; a fortuneteller
Sentence: In the play Oedipus Rex, the characters visit with an oracle
to find out the future of their kingdom.
2. inexorable – (adj.) not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped; relentless
Sentence: The bargain hunter found the advertisements and
commercials for Black Friday shopping specials to be inexorable in their airing.
Strict, String – bind, draw tight
Familiar Example(s): Strict, Restrict
3. constrict – (verb) become narrower
Sentence: When Christa realized that she forgot to study for her math
quiz, she felt her throat constrict and her heart started pounding into her ears.
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4. stricture – (noun) a rule or law; a critical remark or instruction
Sentence: The bully’s strictures on the young girl’s appearance
wounded her deeply, and she carried the comments about her weight into adulthood.
5. stringent – (adj.) marked by strict adherence to a standard or rule; syn. tight; constrict
Sentence: In many areas of his life David is laid back; however, he is
stringent in the care for cleaning and organizing his room.
Week 9 11/12, Due: 11/14
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Camp – plain
Familiar Example(s): Campus, Camp, Campaign
1. encamp – (verb) to place or establish in a camp
Sentence: The British forces encamped on the shores of the
beach in order to ensure a quick getaway.
2. decamp – (verb) to suddenly depart; to break up a camp
Sentence: The student decided to decamp from the senior activity and
go out with her friend for lunch.
Sav – to taste; to be wise
Familiar Example(s): Savior
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3. savvy – (adj.) astute; shrewd; showing perception in practical matters
Sentence: The teacher found the content of the student’s writing
to be savvy and insightful.
4. savant – (noun) a scholar; a person with specialized learning
Sentence: The mechanical engineer presented himself as a savant of
mathematics and physics.
5. savory – (adj.) pleasing to the sense of taste
Sentence: The Thanksgiving Day meal my mother cooked was
savory and all our guests raved as to how good the food tasted.
Week 10 11/19, Due: 11/21
Quiz: Monday, November 26, 2012
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Sent, sens – feel, think
Familiar Example(s): Sense, Sensible, Sensation
1. sentimental – (adj.) resulting from feeling rather than thought or reasoning; invested in
emotion
Sentence: Joey became sentimental when he visited his old high
school, and he considered going to his twenty-fifth reunion.
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2. dissent – (verb) to differ in opinion; to hold beliefs that are separate from the majority
Sentence: The School Board decided to encourage anyone
who dissented from the majority vote to speak up and voice their viewpoints.
Omni – all
Familiar Example(s): Omnivorous
3. omniscient – (adj.) possessed of universal or complete knowledge; having infinite
awareness
Sentence: While reading the book, the student did not favor the
omniscient narrator because the characters did not seem to reveal their inner thoughts.
4. omnipotent – (adj.) having unlimited authority; almighty
Sentence: Attila the Hun was omnipotent in his ruling over the
Hunnic Empire; his leadership in the campaigns situated Attila as an all-powerful king.
5. omnipresent – (adj.) present in all places at all times
Sentence: Where ever you travel, the advice of your
mother is omnipresent in the decisions you make; it’s as though she is your conscience.
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Week 11 11/26, Due: 11/29
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Lev—raise, lighten
Levitate
Familiar Example(s): Elevator, Lever, Level,
1. Levity – (noun) humor or frivolity; inappropriate lack of seriousness
Sentence: George’s laughter was a moment of levity in a very grave situation.
2. Alleviate – (verb) make less severe (in terms of pain or a problem)
Sentence: The dentist alleviated the patient’s tooth pain by
administering a shot of Novocain.
Mal- bad
Familiar Example(s): Malaria, Dismal, Malicious
3. Malapropism – (noun) a humorous misuse of words; confusion in word choice
Sentence: Mrs. Malaprop, a famous character in literature, is most famous
for her malapropisms, such as the statement “He is the pineapple of success!” [instead
of pinnacle].
4. Maladroit – (adj.) clumsy; awkward; inept
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Sentence: Toddlers can be maladroit in their movements at times, as they
are still growing and adapting to their environments.
5. Malady – (noun) sickness; disease
Sentence: It was clear by observation that the man suffered from some
sort of malady, as he was emaciated and sallow.
Week 12 12/3, Due: 12/5
*Quiz on Lists 11 & 12 (10 words): Monday, December 10!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Dilat – to enlarge; expand
Familiar word(s): N/A
1. Dilate – (verb) make or become larger, or more open
Sentence: “The thought was so embarrassing that she turned red in the
face and her eyes dilated and her feet jumped up, upsetting her valise in the corner”
(O’Connor).
2. Dilatory – (adj.) slow to act; intended to cause delay
Sentence: I found the waitress dilatory in fulfilling my order at the
restaurant, and the wait made me late for my appointment.
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Ambul – walk; move
Familiar word(s): Ambulance; Rambunctious
3. amble – (verb) to walk around slowly or in a leisurely manner
Sentence: “Bobby Lee and Hiram came ambling back from the woods”
(O’Connor).
4. perambulator – (noun) 1. a person who travels by foot; 2. a baby carriage
Sentence: In town parks, there are many groups of perambulators who
find the location perfect for light exercise.
5. ambulant – (adj.) moving about; able to walk around
Sentence: Although prisoners are ambulant during exercise
time, they are still sequestered from the public in the prison yard.
Week 13 [Return from Shakespeare Unit] 3/11, Due: 3/13
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example sentence for
each vocabulary word below.
Sed, sid, sess – to sit , settle
Familiar Example(s): Session, Residence, Sedan
1. sedentary – (adj.) settled; not physically active
Sentence: Some Americans lead a very sedentary lifestyle in
which watching television and being a coach potato is their main priority.
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2. reside – (verb) having one’s home in a particular place; situated
Sentence: After the couple’s marriage, they decided to reside in San
Francisco, California, where the bride’s family lives.
3. preside – (verb) to exercise guidance, direction, or control
Sentence: The charges against the president must be tried in
the senate with the chief justice of the supreme court presiding over proceedings.
Tact, tag, tang – touch
Familiar Example(s): Contagious, Tactile
4. Intangible – (adj.) unable to be touched or grasped
Sentence: During thunderstorms, there is something in the air,
something intangible, a feeling of anticipation for something about to happen.
5. Tactful – (adj.) showing sensitivity in dealing with difficult issues
Sentence: Dan is never aggressive, but he's not exactly tactful in making his
opinion known either, sometimes he offends a few people with his strong viewpoints.
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Week 14 3/18, Due: THURSDAY, 3/21
*Quiz on Lists 13 & 14 (10 words): Monday, March 25!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example
sentence for each vocabulary word below.
Pos, posit – put, sit, able
Positive, Opposition
Familiar Example(s): Position,
1. repose – (verb) to lie down in rest or to temporary rest from activity, excitement, or
exertion
Sentence: “That car reposed, calm and gleaming, a FOR SALE
sign in its left window” (36).
2. posit – (verb) to propose as an explanation; to suggest
Sentence: Jane posited that the friends go on a friendly picnic, since
the weather has been so warm this spring.
Nom, nym – name
Anonymous, Nominate
Familiar Example(s): Acronym,
3. nominal – (adj.) existing or being something in name or form only
Sentence: I am the nominal leader of the Girl Scout troop;
however, Kelly really does all of the actual work
in the position.
4. metonymy – (noun) a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing
for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated (as “crown”
in “lands belonging to the crown”)
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Sentence: Wayne used a metonymy when he said, “The Pen is
mightier than the sword!”
5. nomenclature – (noun) name or designation; the system of naming
Sentence: The student could not think of the correct scientific
nomenclature for the specific
type of honey bee, so he asked his classmate for help with the title.
Week 15, April 1 – Due: Wed., April 3!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example
sentence for each vocabulary word below.
Cub, cumb – lean back, lie down
Succumb
Familiar Example(s): Incubator,
1. encumber – (verb) to burden; to weigh down; to hinder
Sentence: Katniss’s confidence in the Hunger Games is encumbered
by the added
responsibilities of protecting her family and keeping up the romantic façade with
Peeta to please President Snow.
2. recumbent – (adj.) suggestive of repose; leaning; lying down
Sentence: Human beings usually sleep in a recumbent position, but if
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they are exhausted,
some people can even sleep standing up.
3. incubus – (noun) nightmare
Sentence: Just when Lily thought the day could not get any worse,
the incubus of all bad days
occurred, and she missed her ride home from school.
Ex, E- - out, out of
Extrinsic
Familiar Example(s): Exit, Evict,
4. exorbitant – (adj.) excessive; unreasonably high
Sentence: The boy wanted the Nike high tops, but his mother found the
price of the sneakers
to be exorbitant, so she told him to save up his weekly allowance if he really wanted
them.
5. exacerbate – (verb) make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse
Sentence: Brandon exacerbated the fight with his two girlfriends
when he accidentally mentioned that he had asked one to the prom and not the other.
Week 16 4/15, Due: THURSDAY, 4/18
*Quiz on Lists 15 & 16 (10 words): Monday, April 22!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example
sentence for each vocabulary
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word below.
Sacr, Sanct – holy, sacred
Sacred, Sacrifice, Sanctity
Familiar Example(s):
1. consecrate – (verb) to make or declare something worthy of respect or honor
Sentence: Many Whitney Houston fans consecrated the site
of her burial in Newark, NJ and covered the area with pictures and gifts.
2. sanctimonious – (adj.) pretending to be righteous; making a show of being
superior Near Synonyms: Supercilious
Sentence: The girl found it difficult to forgive her friend
for the sanctimonious attitude
she had adopted during their quarrel; her friend had acted like the Queen of
Persia!
3. sanctuary – (noun) a sacred place; any place of refuge
Sentence: Often, artists regard their studios as both
places of work and sanctuaries
from the daily stresses of life.
Top – place
Utopia, Dystopia
Familiar Example(s):
4. topical – (adj) 1. belonging to a location (local), 2. pertaining to the surface of
the body
Sentence:
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1. Mr. Gundersen always keeps to topical issues during the
PVRHSD board of education
meetings, so that only the school’s issues are raised.
2. Cindy used the topical ointment on her cut to soothe the
sting.
5. topography – (noun) features of an area, such as rivers, mountains, and roads
Sentence: Treasure maps are examples of topography,
with major landmarks and an “X” to mark the buried treasure.
Week 17 4/22, Due: WEDNESDAY, 4/25
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example
sentence for each vocabulary
1. Fervid – (adj.) full of intense passion or zeal
Sentence: The governor’s campaign speech inspired fervid
support from the community;
in fact, many supporters were screaming with zeal.
2. Effervescent – (adj.) very excited; bubbling over with high spirits
Sentence: Effervescent groups cheered in 1989 when
they saw the Berlin Wall begin to
crumble after separating East and West Germany for twenty-eight years.
Unda – wave
Familiar Example(s): Abundant
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3. Undulate – (verb) to have or to cause to have a wavy motion
Sentence: “The ripe corn under the undulating air
undulates like an ocean.”
–Percy Bysshe Shelley
4. Redundant – (adj.) superfluous; exceeding what is needed; needlessly
repetitive
Sentence: The invention of electricity made the kerosene
lamp redundant as a household
necessity.
5. Inundate – (verb) to overwhelm
Sentence: A crunch of school, job, and family
responsibilities can sometimes inundate
even the best-organized student.
Week 18 4/29, Due: 5/1
*Quiz on Lists 17 & 18 on Monday, May 6!
Directions: Provide the definition (with part of speech), a picture, and an example
sentence for each vocabulary
word below.
Ego – self
1. egocentrism –
2. egoism –
Familiar Example(s): Ego, Egotistical
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3. egomania –
Demo, dem – people
4. endemic5.
6.
demographic -
Familiar Example(s): Democracy, Demote, Mademoiselle