VOCABULARY PART III

1. abstemious (adj.) temperate When something is temperate you give it

balance
2. acerbic (adj.) harsh or severe
3. acumen (n.) sharpness of mind (adj.) acuminous means sharp opposite of
blunt
4. ad hoc (prep. phr.) for this case only Ad hoc is an adjectival prepositional
phrase
5. affable (adj.) approachable; pleasant (n.) affability
6. aggregate (adj. or n.) total The aggregate of his assets.
7. alacrity (n.) quick willingness (adj.) Alacritous
8. albeit (sub. conj.) although or even though/ although it be
9. anomalous (adj.) abnormal (n.)Anomaly
10. apotheosis (n.) deification (v.) apotheosize Theos-greek word for god
11. arrogate (v.) to attribute without reason; to take or claim for ones self
without right; usurp- authority thats not yours
12. audacious (adj.) recklessly bold (n.) audacity
13. avatar (n.) incarnation Avatar, Nirvana, and Karma are Hindu terms
14. bailiwick (n.) ones field of interest or authority
15. bane (n.) ruin; cause of harm or death
16. beleaguer (v.) to surround; to plague or harass
17. bucolic (adj.) of shepherds; pastoral; rural; rustic syn-idyllic Idyll-n(poetry
of pros describing a pastoral scene)
18. cabal (n.) a group joined in a secret scheme
19. camaraderie (n.) - comradeship
20. candor (n.) sincerity; transparency Adj-Candid
21. capitulate (v.) to give up (n.) capitulation
22. cardinal (adj.) principal; chief
23. carte blanche (n.) (lit. a blank card) ; freedom to do as one thinks best
Im not going to give you carte blanche. Im not going to give you freedom to do what
you want.
24. Cartesian (adj.) of or pertaining to Descartes
25. castigate (v.) to chastise or rebuke noun-castigation
26. causality (n.) the relation of cause and effect
27. chic (adj.) stylish; fashionable
28. chimera (n.) a foolish fancy
29. circuitous (adj.) roundabout; indirect; not being forthright
30. circumscribe (v.) to encircle; to limit or confine
31. cogent (adj.) compelling or convincing noun-cogency
32. conjecture (n.) the act of guessing adj. conjectural
33. contumely (n.) scornful, humiliating treatment
34. conundrum (n.) any puzzling question or problem
35. convivial (adj.) - sociable; festive noun- conviviality
36. copasetic (adj.) satisfactory; fine
37. credulity (n.) a tendency to believe too readily adj. credulous
38. crucible (n.) a severe test or trial
39. culpable (adj.) worthy of blame noun- culpability person (noun)-culprit
40. Damocles sword (n.) imminent danger (Damocles was an ancient Greek who
was forced to sit under a sword suspended by a single hair)
41. deja vu (n.) an impression of having experienced something before
42. desiderata (n.) those things considered necessary or highly desirable
43. desultory (adj.) jumping from one thing to another; random
44. dichotomy (n.) consisting of two parts
45. Dickensian (adj.) of or like the novels of Dickens, especially with regard to
poor socio-economic conditions
46. dilatory (adj.) characterized by causing delay
47. discomfit (v.) to defeat or overthrow; to frustrate ones plans or expectations
48. dissolute (adj.) - immoral
49. doctrinaire (n.) one who tries to apply impractical theories; (adj.) impractical;
visionary
50. draconian (adj.) harsh; severe (from Athenian politician Draco whose codified
laws were known for their severity)
51. edenic (adj.) characterized by a state of innocence or bliss
52. effrontery (n.) shameless audacity; cheeky
53. egalitarianism (n.) the process promoting the equality of mankind
54. endemic (adj.) prevalent in or restricted to a certain locality or group
55. epistemology (n.) the philosophical study of the nature of knowledge
56. eschew (v.) to shun
57. exculpatory (adj.) tending to clear from a charge of blame or guilt
58. exegesis (n.) analysis or interpretation of a word or literary passage
59. expiate (v.) to make amends for wrongdoing
60. extirpate (v.) to pull up by the roots; to destroy completely; to abolish
61. extrapolate (v.) to infer from unknown information; to estimate
62. fait accompli (n.) an accomplished fact; a deed already done
63. fatuous (adj.) complacently stupid; foolish
64. fecundity (n.) the quality of being fruitful or productive
65. felicity (n.) - happiness
66. flak (n.) criticism; hostile reaction
67. fraught (v.) to be filled, loaded, or permeated
68. funereal (adj.) sad; solemn
69. garish (adj.) too bright; gaudy; glaring
70. heteronym (n.) a word that is identical in spelling with that of another but has
a different pronunciation and meaning
71. histrionic (adj.) excessively dramatic or emotional
72. hoodwink (v.) to deceive
73. imbibe (v.) to drink; to absorb into the mind
74. imbroglio (n.) a confusing situation
75. impecunious (adj.) having no money; poor
76. imperious (adj.) overbearing; arrogant
77. impervious (adj.) not affected or influenced
78. implacable (adj.) cannot be appeased or pacified
79. impugn (v.) to attack by argument or criticism
80. incendiary (adj.) characterizing words or people who willingly stir up strife
81. indolent (adj.) - lazy
82. indubitable (adj.) cannot be doubted; unquestionable
83. insatiable (adj.) cannot be satisfied
84. inscrutable (adj.) - enigmatic
85. insidious (adj.) alluring but harmful
86. internecine (adj.) deadly or destructive
87. invective (n.) a violent verbal attack
88. inveterate (adj.) firmly established; deep-rooted; habitual
89. inviolable (adj.) cannot be violated; sacred
90. leonine (adj.) characteristic of a lion
91. Lilliputian (adj.) tiny; dwarfed
92. mendacious (adj.) lying; untruthful
93. mendicant (n.) - beggar
94. monolithic (adj.) - uniform
95. nihilism (n.) in philosophy, the denial of the existence of any basis for
knowledge
96. notwithstanding (prep.) in spite of
97. odious (adj.) hateful; disgusting; offensive
98. opaque (adj.) not transparent; hard to understand; obtuse
99. opprobrious (adj.) abusive; scornful
100. ostentation (n.) showiness; boastful exhibition
101. pandemic (adj.) epidemic over a large region; widespread; universal
102. parabolic (adj.) like a parable; allegorical
103. paradigm (n.) - pattern
104. pedantic (adj.) overly concerned with details
105. pejorative (n.) a disparaging or belittling comment
106. peremptory (adj.) dogmatic; final; barring further debate
107. perfunctory (adj.) done routinely with little interest; acting with indifference
or apathy
108. periphrasis (n.) a roundabout way of saying something
109. pernicious (adj.) deadly; destructive
110. perspicuity (n.) clarity; lucidity; transparency
111. polemic (n.) a controversial argument
112. pontificate (v.) to speak in a pompous, dogmatic manner
113. poseur (n.) one who pretends to be something he is not in order to impress
114. potpourri (n.) a miscellaneous collection
115. presentiment (n.) foreboding; a feeling that something bad is about to
happen
116. probity (n.) - integrity
117. promulgate (v.) to publish or make known; to make widespread
118. puissant (adj.) powerful; strong
119. pusillanimous (adj.) - cowardly
120. Pyrrhic victory (n.) one that comes at too great a cost
121. quintessential (adj.) representing the perfect example of something
122. raison detre (n.) reason for being; justification for existence
123. ramification (n.) consequence; implication; result
124. rectitude (n.) honesty; uprightness of character
125. recumbent (adj.) lying down; reclining; inactive
126. redoubtable (adj.) formidable; deserving of respect
127. ribald (adj.) characterized by coarse joking; irreverent; offensive
128. rue (v.) to feel remorse; to regret
129. sacrosanct (adj.) sacred; holy; inviolable
130. salubrious (adj.) healthful; wholesome
131. sardonic (adj.) bitterly sneering; sarcastic
132. saturnine (adj.) reserved; grave
133. savoir-faire (n.) tactfulness
134. specificity (n.) the quality or state of being specific
135. synchronize (v.) to cause to agree
136. tantamount (adj.) equivalent to something
137. tendentious (adj.) promoting a particular point of view; biased
138. terra incognita (n.) - unknown land; unexplored field of knowledge
139. treachery (n.) betrayal of trust
140. trenchant (adj.) incisive; forceful; effective
141. truculent (adj.) fierce; savage; cruel
142. truncated (v.) to cut short
143. turpitude (n.) vileness; depravity
144. umbrage (n.) offense; resentment
145. unabashed (adj.) not self conscious or embarrassed
146. unabated (adj.) not diminished; not lessened in intensity
147. university (n.) the state in which unity is found in diversity
148. utilitarianism (n.) the belief that utility determines value; the theory that all
action should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the
greatest number of people
149. vacuous (adj.) empty; senseless; lacking purpose
150. vagary (n.) eccentric conduct; caprice
151. verbiage (n.) - wordiness
152. verboten (adj.) - forbidden
153. verdant (adj.) green; inexperienced; immature
154. vestige (n.) a trace
155. vicissitude (n.) change; alteration
156. vitiate (v. ) to weaken morally
157. vouchsafe (v.) to condescend to grant
158. wane (v.) to diminish or decline
159. waterloo (n.) any disastrous or decisive defeat
160. wreak (v.) to inflict