Commiserate:Part of Speech – verb

Definition – To feel or express sorrow or

sympathy for; empathize with; pity

Word Root – com, together

Sample Sentence –

“A true friend is one who can commiserate with those he cares for.”

Voracious:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – exceedingly eager or avid.

Word Root – vor, eater ous, full of

Sample Sentence – “Stan was always a voracious reader of science fiction.” “I used to voraciously collect antique chess boards.”

Circumlocution:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – 1. The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.

2. Evasiveness in speech or writing.

3. A roundabout expression.

Word Root –circum, around

loqui-, to speak

Sample Sentence – “The politician evaded talking about the issue through circumlocution.”

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

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.”

Euphony:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – agreeableness of sound; pleasing effect on the ear

Word Root – eu, good

phon, sound

Sample Sentence – “Good poetry always seems to have a euphonious succession of words.”

Patriarchy:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – a social organization in which the father is the supreme authority (in tribes or families, not necessarily in government)

Word Root – pater, father archy, government

Sample Sentence – “Capable women have for centuries sought to escape the oppression of traditional patriarchies.”

Symbiotic:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – an interdependent, mutually beneficial relationship between two organisms.

Word Root – sym, together

bio, life

Sample Sentence – “The two hugged each other in a momentary symbiotic exchange of encouragement.”

Soliloquy:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – The act of talking while or as if alone.

Word Root – sol, alone

loqui, to speak

Sample Sentence – “Hamlet’s famous soliloquy begins with the words ‘To be or not to be.’”

Fiduciary:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – 1. A person who holds property or power in trust for another.

Word Root –fid, trust

Sample Sentence – “The teacher was fiduciary for John’s flowers, promising to hold them until he could give it to Nikki in 6th period.”

“The government is responsible for all fiduciary distribution.”

Intransigent:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – refusing to agree or compromise

Word Root – in, not trans, across

Sample Sentence – “My father’s intransigent character forced me to date my first girlfriend secretly.

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!)”

Verisimilitude:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – The appearance or semblance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true.

Word Root – ver, truth

Sample Sentence – “Good playwrights attempt to depict their characters with verisimilitude.”

“Teachers’ statements always have the luster of verisimilitude, but believe only half of what you hear.”

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.”

LaudablePart of Speech – adjective

Definition – Deserving praise; praiseworthy; commendable

Word Root – laud, praise

Sample Sentence – “Laudando’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.”

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.”

Neologism:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – A new word, usage, or phrase

Word Root – neo, new

logos, word

Sample Sentence – “Gerschlunk!” said Nicole as she dropped her books….she relied on neologisms instead of actual curse words.

Jessie might say “This cake tastes very….ummm….scrum-diddly-umptious!” because no real word contains the enthusiasm she expresses with her neologism.

Vociferous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – crying out noisily; clamorous;

Word Root – voc, voice

ous, full of

Sample Sentence – “Ralph gave vociferous objections to the boys ignoring the fire.”

Amorphous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – lacking definite form; having no specific shape

Word Root – a, not/without morph, shapeous, full of

Sample Sentence – “He puffed an amorphous cloud of smoke in her face before she could even confront him.”

“His personality was as unpredictable and amorphous as the wind.”

Corporeal:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – Of the nature of the physical body; bodily.

Word Root – corp, body

Sample Sentence – “Comfort food might meet her corporeal needs, but what could heal her spirit?”

“The angel took on a corporeal form to finally appear to the man whom he had always looked after.”

Posthumous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – arising, occurring, or continuing after ones death.

Word Root – post, after

Sample Sentence – “Tupac is the only person I know who still magically seems to be publishing new albums posthumously.”

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.

Contravene:Part of Speech – verb

Definition – To come or be in conflict with; to infringe or trangress.

Word Root – contra, against

Sample Sentence – “If you morally disagree with a law, is it still okay to contravene it?”

“The good-for-nothing husband contravened every sentence of his wife’s with an excuse.”

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.”

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.”

Autocracy:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – Government in which one person has uncontrolled/unlimited authority over others.

Word Root – auto, self

cracy, rule/govern

Sample Sentence – “America fears nothing more than becoming an autocracy.”

Monogamous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – Marriage with only one other person at a time.

Word Root – mono, one

gamy, marriage

ous, full of

Sample Sentence – “Hopefully you have been faithful in each of your relationships….this will easily lead to a monogamous mindset when you’re with your future spouse.”

Mortify:Part of Speech – verb

Definition – To humiliate or shame, as by injuring a person’s pride and self-respect.

Word Root – mort, death

Sample Sentence – “The ambitious mother mortified her daughter when she called the teacher herself!”

Egotistical:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – given to talking about oneself; vain; boastful; opinionated; indifferent to the well-being of others.

Word Root – ego, I

Sample Sentence – “Laura was always an egotistical teen, so self-absorbed, telling and retelling that stupid story about her and the raft.”

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.”

Jurisdiction:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – The right, power, or authority to administer justice.

Word Root – jur, rule/law

dict, speak

Sample Sentence – “Who has jurisdiction to enforce the laws in Hoffman Estates?”

Centrifugal:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – moving or directed outward from the center

Word Root – centri, center

(fug, flee)

Sample Sentence – “A finely-tuned combination of gravity and centrifugal force keep Earth in orbit around the sun.”

Invocation:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – Any petition or supplication for help or aid, usually to a deity.

Word Root – voc, voice in, in

Sample Sentence – “He muttered a petty invocation before stepping foot onto the battlefield.”

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.

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.”

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.”

Benediction:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – An utterance of good wishes, usually spoken at the end of a religious service.

Word Root – bene, good

dict, speak, say

Sample Sentence – “On the last day of the school, the teacher couldn’t help but conclude the year by giving a warm benediction and plenty of candy to his class.”

Homogeneous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – Composed of elements that are all of the same kind.

Word Root – homo, same

gen, kind

ous, full of

Sample Sentence – “We are all high school sophomores from the Schaumburg area…our class is pretty homogeneous.

Extrovert:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – An outgoing, gregarious person.

Word Root – extra, beyond, outside of vert, turned

Sample Sentence – “I was quite the introvert as a freshman, but quite an extrovert by the time I graduated.”

Eccentric:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – Deviating from the customary practice; irregular; peculiary

Word Root – ex, outside of centric, center

Sample Sentence – “Old Man Wiley is known for his particularly eccentric views on environmentalism…he thinks trees are trying to kill us!”

Pachyderm:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – A thick-skinned, hoofed mammal (usually an elephant, rhino, hippo, or triceratops)

Word Root – pachy, thick derm, skin

Sample Sentence – “My sister likes the lions and tigers, but I like seeing the pachyderms the most at the zoo.”

Periphery:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – The external boundary of any area; usually the unimportant, minor elements of a given subject.

Word Root – peri, around / enclosing

Sample Sentence – “I’d talk about Shakespeare’s motivations for writing Julius Caesar, but that’s more on the periphery of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Subterranean:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – existing or operating below the surface of the earth; out of sight.

Word Root – sub, under

terra, land

Sample Sentence – “My explorations led me to discover a massive subterranean cavern that I’m certain no one had ever seen before.”

Automaton:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – a person or animal that acts in a monotonous, routine manner, without active intelligence.

Word Root – auto, self

Sample Sentence – “I’m tired of being some automaton shoved in the corner of an office doing mindless and meaningless work all day.”

Magnanimous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – generous in forgiving insults; noble or high-minded; not petty.

Word Root – magn, great anim, mind

ous, full of

Sample Sentence – “Our kind and forgiving king is a just and magnanimous ruler.”

Nascent:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – beginning to develop or exist.

Word Root – nasc, birth

Sample Sentence – “The dictator’s hunger for power threatened the nascent republic’s very existence.”

Potentate:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – A person who possesses great power, as a sovereign, monarch, or ruler.

Word Root – potent, power ate, to make

Sample Sentence – “All the potentates of the world conferred together to solve the global hunger crisis that abounded.”

Extemporaneous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – Speaking or performing with little or no advanced preparation.

Word Root – ex, outside of temp, time ous, full of

Sample Sentence – “Because Eugene had such a busy schedule, his speech in English the following day was performed rather extemporaneously.

Gregarious:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – fond of the company of others; sociable

Word Root – greg, herd ous, full of

Sample Sentence – “Jack was too gregarious of a person pass up an exciting Friday night for staying home and studying.”

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.”

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.”

Interminable:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – Monotonously or annoyingly unending.

Word Root – in, not

term, end

Sample Sentence – The anxious seniors commented that their final year of high school seemed interminable.

Retrospection:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – The action or process of looking back on things past.

Word Root – retro, back / behind

spect, look

Sample Sentence – In retrospection, Mr. Braintwizzler realized that he probably should not have kicked his cat into the fireplace this morning.

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.

Prerogative:Part of Speech – noun

Definition – An exclusive right or privilege exercised by one in authority.

Word Root – pre, before rogat, ask

Sample Sentence – It was the teacher’s prerogative to stop the class discussion before it went to far.

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.

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.

Amorous:Part of Speech – adjective

Definition – Showing or expressing love

Word Root – amor, love

Sample Sentence – He wrote her a very amorous poem in hopes that she would read it and say “yes” to his invitation to Homecoming.