1. He spent years training to become certified to adjudicate for the National
Orchid Society.
• Adjudicate – (verb)
• Parts: ad(to); judicare (judge); ate (make, do)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: to make a formal judgment or decision about a problem; to judge a competition, to pronounce or declare.
• Synonyms: judge, adjudge
• Antonyms: na
• Variant forms: adjudication (n); adjudicative (adj)
• Context Phrase:

2. The relative who was going to inherit millions of dollars sobbed when the will was adjudicated to be apocryphal and therefore, invalid.
• Apocryphal - adj
• Parts: apo (away); crypt (hidden); al (related to)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Of questionable authorship or authenticity;
Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated (an urban legend)
• Synonyms: fake, counterfeit, false, spurious, bogus
• Antonyms: real, genuine, true, authentic, veritable
• Variant forms: apocrypha (n)
• Context Phrase:

3. A good sense of humor and bonhomie contribute to his charming personality.
• Bonhomie- noun
• Parts: bon (good); homeo ( man)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Cheerful friendliness; A pleasant and affable disposition
• Synonyms: geniality, congeniality, amiability
• Antonyms: rudeness, insolence, sulkiness, sulleness
• Variant forms: bonhomous (adj)
• Context Phrase:

4. Unlike the other successful athletes who became complacent , he continued to practice daily.
• Complacent – adj.
• Parts: com (together); plac (please); ent (full of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Showing smug satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements; Contented to a fault
• Synonyms: smug, conceited, proud, vain, arrogant
• Antonyms: modest, humble, self-effacing
• Variant forms: Complacence (n) complacently (adv)
• Context Phrase:

5. They were fortunate to find a witness who would corroborate their account of the accident.
• corroborate - verb
• Parts: cor (together, with) robor (strong) ate (make,do)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To confirm or give support to; to support or confirm with new evidence; to attest the truth or accuracy of
• Synonyms: confirm, certify, endorse, support, assure
• Antonyms: deny, reject, refute, disprove, contradict
• Variant forms:corroboration (n) corroborative (adj)
• Context Phrase:

6. Her tendency to make derogatory remarks about everybody and everything offends me.
• Derogatory - adj
• Parts: de (down); rogat (ask) ory (pertaining to)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Showing a critical and disrespectful attitude;
Detracting or disparaging
• Synonyms:belittling, lessening, disparaging, detracting
• Antonyms: praising, lauding, laudatory, commending
• Variant forms:derogate(v)derogatorily(adv)derogation(n)
• Context Phrase:

7. “Until someone can show me the efficacy of this plan, I refuse to vote for it,” said the legislator.
• Efficacy - noun
• Parts:ef (out); fic (make, do); acy (state, quality)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: The ability to produce a desired outcome;
The power or capacity to produce a desired outcome.
• Synonyms: effectiveness, usefulness
• Antonyms: uselessness, futility, inadequacy
• Variant forms: efficacious(adj) efficaciousness (n)
• Context Phrase:

8. Memorial garden is a euphemism for cemetery or graveyard.
• Euphemism - n
• Parts: eu (good); phem(name); ism (belief, doctrine)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
• Synonyms: na
• Antonyms: na
• Variant forms: euphemist (n) euphemize (v)
• Context Phrase:

9. Sometimes an attorney’s service will be gratuitous or pro bono if the client is unable to pay.
• Gratuitous – (adj)
• Parts: grat (please, thank, favor);ous (full of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: given or granted without return or recompense; Given or received without cost or obligation; Unnecessary
• Synonyms: free, voluntary, unprovoked, unjustified
• Antonyms: deserved, warranted, forced, earned
• Variant forms: gratuitously (adv); gratuitousness (n)
• Context Phrase:

10. The humorous remarks seemed incongruous with the sadness of the occasion.
• incongruous – adj.
• Parts: in(not); congrus (agree, meet); ous (full of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Not corresponding with or in keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something; Not consistent with what is logical, customary, or correct.
• Synonyms: absurd, inharmonious, inappropriate
• Antonyms:compatible, consistent, agreeable, appropriate
• Variant forms: incongruity (n); incongruously (adv)
• Context Phrase:

11. A gallon of water could not quench his insatiable thirst after being in the desert so long.
• Insatiable – ( adj.)
• Parts: in (not); satis (enough); able (capable of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Incapable of being satisfied (usually food or desire)
• Synonyms: greedy, voracious, gluttonous, piggish
• Antonyms: quenchable, satisfiable
• Variant forms: insatiability (n), insatiableness (n)
• Context Phrase:

12. A moment or two of levity would have made the long lecture more tolerable for the students.
• levity – n.
• Parts: lev (light) ity (state or quality)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Humor or frivolity, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect, the state of being light
• Synonyms: lightheartedness, flippancy, foolishness
• Antonyms: gravity, sobriety, seriousness, solemnity
• Variant forms: na
• Context Phrase:

13. Transformed into a shrine to Elvis, the basement displayed over 10,000 memorabilia and other evidence of monomania .
• Monomania - noun
• Parts: mono (one); mania (obsession, craze)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Pathological obsession with one thing or idea
• Intent concentration on or enthusiasm for a subject or idea
• Synonyms: obsession, fixation, passion, preoccupation
• Antonyms: reasonableness, common sense, normalcy
• Variant forms: monomaniac (n); monomaniacal (adj.)
• Context Phrase:

14. An unethical attorney might choose to pervert the law for his own personal benefit.
• Pervert - verb
• Parts: per (through, thoroughly); vert (turn)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To alter something from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended;one whose sexual behavior is abnormal (n)
• Synonyms: corrupt, debase, distort, subvert, adulterate
• Antonyms: edify, elevate, respect, exalt
• Variant forms: perversion (n) perverted (adj)
• Context Phrase:

15. The king tried to placate the rebellious peasants by offering each a small tract of land.
• placate - verb
• Parts: plac (please); ate (make, do, cause)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To make someone less angry or hostile, usually by yielding concessions
• Synonyms: calm, appease, allay, pacify, assuage, mollify
• Antonyms: irritate, provoke, agitate, aggravate, incite
• Variant forms: placation (n); placatory (adj); placater (n)
• Context Phrase:

16. Poor academic performance will likely preclude your enrollment in many colleges and universities.
• preclude - (v)
• Parts: pre (before); clud (close, shut)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To make impossible by previous action, to prevent from happening.
• Synonyms: prevent, exclude, prohibit, obviate, forstall
• Antonyms: allow permit, include
• Variant forms: preclusion (n); preclusive (adj.)
• Context Phrase:

17. The beauty and quietude of the beach at sunrise inspired him to write this poem.
• Quietude - n.
• Parts: quietus (quiet); tude (state of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: A state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in a person or place.
• Synonyms: tranquility, peacefulness, serenity
• Antonyms: tumult, commotion, disturbance, uproar
• Variant forms: na
• Context Phrase:

18. Impressed by the defendant’s confession and sincere apology, the judge reduced his retribution to community service and probation.
• retribution - noun.
• Parts: re (back,again); trib (give, assign); tion (act of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Punishment that is considered morally right and fully deserved; Something given or demanded in payment; requital, usually for evil
• Synonyms: punishment, vengeance, revenge, reprisal
• Antonyms: reward, recompense
• Variant forms: retributive (adj.) retributory (adj.)
• Context Phrase:

19. Although all people should be treated equally in the courts, some verdicts seem more subjective than others.
• Subjective – (adj.)
• Parts: sub (under); ject (throw); ive (capable, able to)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes or opinions; Dependent on the mind or on an individual’s perception for existence
• Synonyms: prejudiced, biased, partial, illusory
• Antonyms: objective, impartial, factual, fair, real
• Variant forms: subjectively (adv); subjectivity (n)
• Context Phrase:

20. The ubiquitous jeans and t-shirts appear at many social events, even at weddings and funerals.
• ubiquitous - adjective
• Parts: ubique (everywhere); ous (full of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Present, appearing, or found everywhere;
Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time
• Synonyms: omnipresent, prevalent, universal
• Antonyms: rare, infrequent, unusual, scarce
• Variant forms: ubiquity (n); ubiquitously (adv)
• Context Phrase: