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.”

LaudablePart 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, loveous, 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.