Foushee
Test Date: ___________________________
AP February Vocabulary
Root Word: Deus = “god’
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
1. Deify
tr. v. To make a god of.
Many people worry that the younger generation is deifying technology.
2. Deity
n. A god or goddess.
Narcissus, the son of a minor deity, was so self-absorbed that he drowned trying
to see his reflection in the water.
Root Word: Divino, Dininare, Divinavi, Divinatum & Divinus = “to fortell” & “to divine”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
3. Divine
tr. v. To foretell by supernatural means.
Taoists would use marks in turtle shells to divine the future for
emperors.
4. Divinity
n. A god or goddess; a divine being.
They all questioned his divinity when the sword drew blood.
Root Word: Theos = “god”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
5. Apotheosis
n. Making a god of something; deification.
Star athletes like LeBron James seem to receive an
apotheosis by ESPN and sports writers.
6. Theocracy
n. Government by divine power or priests.
The separation of church and state was the
Founding Fathers’ attempt to prevent a theocracy
from developing in the United States.
7. Theology
n. The study of religion.
The serious study of theology often requires a
person to learn multiple languages.
8. Atheist
n. A person who believes there is no god.
The atheist found it ironic when asked why she
hated god.
9. Pantheism
n. Identifying god with nature; belief in all gods.
Shintoism is among the most prevalent pantheistic
religions seeking to give credence to spirits in
nature.
10. Pantheon
n. All the gods or a people or religion.
Students are expected to learn Greek and Roman
figures, but Norse mythology has an equally
fascinating pantheon.
Root Word: Hieros = “holy, sacred, and/or supernatural”
Word
11. Hierarchy
Definition
n. A group organized by rank.
Use in a Sentence
The hierarchy in the household was clear to everyone.
Root Word: Pio, Piare, Piavi, Piatum = “to appease or to purify (with sacred rites)”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
12. Piety
n. Religious devotion; great respect toward
something, especially parents.
Despite having an unconventional hierarchy at home, the
kids all showed great piety for their parents.
13. Impious
adj. Sacrilegious; profane; lacking
appropriate reverence or respect.
Waiting so long to construct a national WWII memorial
was considered impious by many.
14. Pittance
n. A meager portion of anything; especially
an allowance or salary.
After all the hard work the pittance from the summer job
seemed insulting.
Root Word: Dokein /Doxa = “to appear, to seem, or to think” / “opinion or judgment”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
15. Dogma
n. A system of doctrines put forward by an
authority, especially a church, to be absolute truth.
The sentiment of the church was refreshing, but
she struggled with the dogma surrounding it.
16. Dogmatic
n. Pertaining to dogma.
Dogmatic rules made him feel a sudden urge to
disobey every order.
17. Heterodox
adj. Not in agreement with accepted beliefs; holding Nietzsche’s ideas were so radical and varied that
unorthodox opinions.
he often seemed to be in a state of heterodox
even with himself.
Root Word: Gignoskein = “to know”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
18. Agnostic
n. A person who believes nothing can be known about
the existence of a god.
While the atheist didn’t accept the idea of
god, the agnostic accepted the possibility.
19. Prognosis
n. A prediction of the outcome of a disease; any forecast
or prediction.
As they awaited the prognosis, the entire
family was nervous.
Root Word: Krinen = “To separate” & “to decide” & “to judge”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
20. Criterion
n. A standard, rule, or test on which a decision or
judgment can be made.
The Criterion Collection features the films judged
to the greatest in history.
21. Hypocrisy
n. Pretending to have feelings, beliefs, or virtues
that one does not have.
Hypocrisy made everyone refuse to follow the
instructions.
Root Word: Mnemonikos = “Mindful”
Word
22. Amnesty
Definition
n. A general pardon for offenders, especially for
political offenses.
Use in a Sentence
After almost 20 years on death row, the West
Memphis Three were given amnesty.
Root Word: Phren, Phrenos = “Heart” “mind” “midriff”
Word
Definition
23. Frenetic
Use in a Sentence
adj. Frantic; Frenzied.
When the students heard about new vocab they were frenetic with joy.
Root Word: Ratio / Reor, Reori, Ratum = “To calculate” & “To think”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
24. Rationale
n. The reasons underlying something, often
presented as a statement.
The rationale for cutting the list in half was to let
the students focus on fewer words.
25. Rationalize
tr. v. To provide a rational basis for something,
often by a false or self-serving reasoning.
The students tried to rationalize twelve words by
claiming even greater focus.
Root Word: Sapere = “To taste” & “to perceive” & “to be sensible or wise”
Word
26. Sapient
Definition
adj. Wise; insightful (frequently used ironically).
Use in a Sentence
When the teacher mispronounced the word a bold
student remarked how sapient they were.
Root Word: Nosco, Noscere, Novi, Notum = “To get to know” & “to get acquainted with”
Word
Definition
Use in a Sentence
27. Cognition
n. The act of perceiving or knowing.
Considering your own cognition can
help accelerate your learning process.
28. Cognizant
adj. Aware; having knowledge something.
He was cognizant that the joke went
poorly, very poorly.
29. Connoisseur
n. An expert or very discriminating person, especially in
matters of art and taste.
The clothing connoisseur gave me a
dirty look when I arrived with black
pants and brown shoes.
30. Notorious
adj. Widely and unfavorably known; infamous.
Poe’s The Bells is notorious among the
students.