Interregnum:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – any period of time between the end of one
ruler’s reign and the beginning of the next; any period of
freedom from the usual authority.
Word Root – inter, between
reg, rule / guide
Sample Sentence – “The king’s unexpected death and lack
of heirs brought a prolonged interregnum to the usually
peaceful kingdom.”
Euphemism:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – The substitution of a mild or indirect phrase for
one that is usually considered harsh or blunt.
Word Root – eu, good
Sample Sentence – “You’re about to buy the farm!” my
father would euphemize as he was about to beat me at RBI
Baseball, again.
Animosity:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – a feeling of strong dislike, ill will, or enmity
that tends to display itself in action.
Word Root – anim, mind
ous, full of
Sample Sentence – “The friends that once had
loved each other now shared a common animosity.”
Belligerent:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – of warlike character; aggressively hostile
Word Root – bell, war
Sample Sentence –
“My sister always talks to my parents with a belligerent
tone.”
“I will not tolerate your belligerence any longer!”
Vacuous:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – 1. Lacking intelligence; stupid.
2. Devoid of matter; empty.
Word Root –vac, empty
ous, full of
Sample Sentence – “I tried explaining it to him, but his
expression remained vacuous and uncomprehending.”
Cosmopolitan:
Part of Speech – noun / adjective
Definition – belonging to all the world; not limited to just
one part of the world
Word Root – cosm, world
polis, city
Sample Sentence – “His mother was Russian and
his dad was Peruvian…he was a true
cosmopolitan.”
Perambulate:
Part of Speech – verb
Definition – To walk through, about, or over.
Word Root – peri, around
ambul, to walk
Sample Sentence – “As you take the test I will be
perambulating in case you have any questions.”
“He generally perambulated near her table once or twice
each day during lunch.”
Dormant:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Lying asleep; a state of inactivity.
Word Root – dorm, sleep
Sample Sentence – “The cold weather and darker days
usually make most teens rather dormant during much of
winter break.”
Equanimity:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – Mental or emotional stability or composure,
especially when under stress.
Word Root – equi, equal
anim, mind
Sample Sentence – “Those who are veteran performers
understand how to operate with equanimity during intense
situations (go dancers, musicians, and athletes!)”
Elucidate:
Part of Speech – verb
Definition – 1. To make clear; to explain
Word Root – luc, light
ate, to make
Sample Sentence – “Allow me to elucidate the reasons why
I’m breaking up with you on Valentine’s Day.”
Recapitulate:
Part of Speech – verb
Definition – 1. To repeat in concise form; to make a
summary (recap).
Word Root – re-, again
capit, head
ate, to make
Sample Sentence – “After the teacher gives her lecture,
she always asks a student to recapitulate.”
Verbose:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Characterized by the use of many or too many
words; wordy
Word Root – verb, word
Sample Sentence – “Your ideas are good, but your writing
is verbose.”
“I try to avoid the more verbose teachers in the hallway so
they don’t chat my ear off for too long.”
Laudable
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Deserving praise; praiseworthy; commendable
Word Root – laud, praise
Sample Sentence – “Conant’s efforts this football season
were quite laudable. Good luck next year!”
“He made a laudable attempt at making it known that he
wanted Shelly to ask him to Turnabout, but to no avail – she
asked Kyle.”
Verbatim:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Corresponding word for word with the original
source or text.
Word Root – verb, word
Sample Sentence – “Mr. Catapano quoted ‘The Raven’
verbatim last semester.”
“The secretary took down her boss’s words verbatim.”
Confluence:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – The flowing together of two or more streams; a
coming together of people or things.
Word Root – con, together
flu, flow
Sample Sentence – “A confluence of negative events
transpired that caused the downfall of Jack and Jill’s
relationship.”
Acumen:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – Keen insight
Word Root – acu, sharp
Sample Sentence – Hannibal Lecter: Why do you think he removes
their skins, Agent Starling? Enthrall me with your acumen.
Clarice Starling: It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies
from their victims.
Hannibal Lecter: I didn't.
Clarice Starling: No. No, you ate yours.
Acronym:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – A word formed from the initial letters of a group
of words.
Word Root – acro, high
nym, name
Sample Sentence – “OPEC, NAFTA, NAACP, NCAA, UN,
USA, and AWOL are all acronyms.”
Ambulatory:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – of, pertaining to, or capable of walking.
Word Root – ambul, walk
Sample Sentence – “He asked to go to the
bathroom, but really went on his daily ambulatory
exploration of the hallways until he got caught.”
“She preferred the wheel-chair’s comforts, but was
still somewhat ambulatory when she needed to be.”
Concentric:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Having a common center, usually in
circles or spheres.
Word Root – con, together
centric, center
Sample Sentence – “He threw the pebble into the
lake, watching as the peaceful concentric circles
drifted outwards.
Polyglot:
Part of Speech – adjective (or could be a noun)
Definition – containing or made up of several
languages.
Word Root – poly, many
glot, tongue
Sample Sentence – The Olympics is always a
polyglot festival of athletics and sportsmanship.
Egocentric:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Having little regard for anything other than
one’s own interests.
Word Root – ego, I / self
centric, center
Sample Sentence – “Nobody can stand Sharon and her
perpetually egocentric mentality. Get over yourself!”
Vivacious:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Lively or animated; full of energy
Word Root – viv, live/life
ous, full of
Sample Sentence – “Jack’s tribe performed the vivacious
pig hunting dance before they inadvertently killed Simon.”
Unequivocal:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Very clear; having only one possible
interpretation or meaning.
Word Root – un, not
equi, equal
voc, voice
Sample Sentence – “Then, with an unequivocal
shout, Tommy enthusiastically announced he and
Sandra just got engaged.”
Temporal:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – of or pertaining to time; especially the
present and passing moment.
Word Root – temp, time
Sample Sentence – “He’s old! But I don’t mean his
age in the temporal sense….he’s just mature for his
age.”
Veracity:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – accuracy; conformity to truth or fact.
Word Root – ver, truth
Sample Sentence – “I always do some research
after a politician’s speech to check the veracity of
the claims that they make.”
Incontrovertible:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – not open to question or dispute;
indisputable
Word Root – in, not
contra, against
vert, turn
Sample Sentence – “No call in football can be
overturned unless there is incontrovertible evidence
that the call was wrong.”
Loquacious:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – tending to talk much; talkative
Word Root – loqu, speak
ous, full of
Sample Sentence – “A new teacher might have
trouble dealing with a loquacious group of
students.”
Monochrome:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – One color; being made in shades of
the same color
Word Root – mono, one
chrome, color
Sample Sentence – “Picasso made be most
famous for his blue monochrome paintings.”
Autonomy:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – Independence or freedom, usually
regarding one’s actions.
Word Root – auto, self
Sample Sentence – “The boys on the island were
both blessed and cursed with complete autonomy.”
Orthography:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – The art of writing words with the proper
letters; correct spelling.
Word Root – ortho, straight
graph, write
Sample Sentence – “Most students focus on
orthography when they are young, but neglect the
practice when they are older.”
Retrospection:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – The action of looking back on the past.
Word Root – retro, back/behind
spect, look
Sample Sentence – “In retrospection, I probably
never should have made so much fun of my little
sister.”
Pseudonym:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – A false name, usually used by authors.
Word Root – pseudo, false
nym, name
Sample Sentence – Female authors often wrote
under male pseudonyms to get their works
published.
Immutable:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Unchangeable, changeless.
Word Root – in, not
mut, change
Sample Sentence – Caesar proudly claims
that he has an immutable nature – nothing
can change him.
Cognizance:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – Awareness, realization, or
knowledge.
Word Root – cogn, to know
Sample Sentence – I don’t remember
anything in my childhood that happened prior
to when I had cognizance.
Amorous:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – Showing or expressing love
Word Root – amor, love
ous, full of
Sample Sentence – He wrote her a very
amorous poem in hopes that she would read
it and say “yes” to his invitation to
Homecoming.
Ambivalent:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – uncertainty or fluctuation,
especially when one is drawn to do two
opposite things.
Word Root – ambi, both
Sample Sentence – Americans today sadly
have an ambivalent attitude toward divorce.
Penultimate:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – The second to last
Word Root – ultima, last
Sample Sentence – Go down the list of
directions, but skip the penultimate direction.
November is the penultimate month in the
year.
Malcontent:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – not satisfied or content with
current circumstances.
Word Root – mal, bad
Sample Sentence – Cassius and his allies
are malcontent with Caesar’s calling himself
“Dictator-for-Life.”
Ambiguous:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – can have several possible
meanings or interpretations; lacking
clearness.
Word Root – ambi, both
Sample Sentence – The omens in Julius
Caesar have very ambiguous meanings.
Bicentennial:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – referring to a period of 200
years
Word Root – bi, two
cent, 100
enni, year
Sample Sentence – American celebrated its
bicentennial anniversary in 1976.
Meritocracy:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – a system of merit based on skill
and talent.
Word Root – cracy, rule/govern
Sample Sentence – Many thinkers today
suggest that politics should be a meritocracy
rather than a shouting match.
Pacify:
Part of Speech – verb
Definition – to bring or restore to a state of
peace.
Word Root – pac, peace
Sample Sentence – The coach tried to
pacify parent complaints, but was largely
unsuccessful.
Tragic Hero:
An individual who has a virtue
carried to excess. Too much of
a good thing. This virtue, their
TRAGIC FLAW, brings them to
their doom.
Circumspect:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – watchful and discreet; cautious;
prudent.
Word Root – circum, around
spect, look
Sample Sentence – “Fearing potential danger, he
entered the dark alley with very circumspect
behavior.”
Antipathy:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – a feeling of natural aversion
toward something.
Word Root – anti, against
pathy, feeling
Sample Sentence – Cassius has an innate
antipathy for anyone who might rule over
him.
Ingrate:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – an unthankful person
Word Root – in, not
grat, pleasing
Sample Sentence – Cassius was a lousy
ingrate who didn’t appreciate what Caesar
did for him.
Cacophony:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – a discordant and meaningless
mixture of sounds.
Word Root – phon, sound
Sample Sentence – David’s dad tried to
enjoy his son’s class’s recorder concert, but
all the children’s sounds were just
cacophony.
Antebellum:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – referring to before a war
Word Root – bell, war
Sample Sentence – The American
Antebellum period contained an affluent but
tense atmosphere.
Eugenics:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – the improving of the human
species through selective breeding practices.
Word Root – eu, good
gen, kind
Sample Sentence – The Nazis infamously
sponsored eugenics by encouraging Aryan
reproduction and inhibiting Jewish
reproduction.
Convivial:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – friendly or agreeable; festive
Word Root – con, together
viv, live
Sample Sentence – The music, food, and
laughter made Jensen feel more comfortable
in the convivial atmosphere.
Agnostic:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – a person who denies or doubts
the possibility of ultimate knowledge.
Word Root – a, not
gno, know
Sample Sentence – Drummond and
Hornbeck are Inherit the Wind’s two staunch
agnostics.
“False face must hide what
the false heart doth know.”
– Macbeth, I.vii
Paternal:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – characteristically pertaining to a
father; fatherly
Word Root – pater, father
Sample Sentence – He spoke to the sobbing
child with a kind, paternal tone.
Coterminous:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – having the same border,
covering the same area; equal extent or
duration
Word Root – con, together
term, end
Sample Sentence – The contracts were
scheduled to be coterminous.
It cannot be emphasized too strenuously that there is nothing – not
a scrap, not a mote – that gives any certain insight into
Shakespeare’s feelings or beliefs as a private person. We can know
only what came out of his work, never what went into it.
Faced with a wealth of text but a poverty of context, scholars have
focused obsessively on what they can know. They have counted
every word he wrote, logged every dib and jot. They can tell us
(and have done so) that Shakespeare’s works contain 138,198
commas, 26,794 colons, and 15,785 question marks’ that ears are
spoken of 401 times in his plays; that dunghill is used 10 times and
dullard twice; that his characters refer to love 2,259 times but to
hate just 183 times; that he used damned 105 times and bloody 226
times, but bloody-minded only twice; that he wrote hath 2,069 times
but has just 409 times; that all together he left us 884,647 words,
made up of 31,959 speeches, spread over 118, 406 lines.
Magnate:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – A person of great influence,
importance in a particular field.
Word Root – magn, great
Sample Sentence – Andrew Carnegie is
known as America’s preeminent steel
magnate.
Primeval:
Part of Speech – adjective
Definition – pertaining to the first age or
ages (of the world, usually)
Word Root – prim, first
Sample Sentence – The campers were
astounded by the large, primeval caverns
they discovered during their hike through the
mountains.
Superimpose:
Part of Speech – verb
Definition – to impose or set over something
else; to print one image over another
Word Root – super, over
Sample Sentence – The movie credits were
superimposed over outtakes from the film.
Demagogue:
Part of Speech – noun
Definition – A leader who gains power by
arousing the passions/emotions.
Word Root – demo, people
Sample Sentence – Caesar can easily be
perceived as a demagogue of ancient Rome.