Vocabulary List with Definitions and Examples

magnanimous

forgiving; unresentful; noble in spirit; generous

adulation

wild or excessive admiration; flattery

expedient

providing an immediate advantage; serving immediate self-interests; practical

aberration

something not typical; deviation from the standard

virtuoso

a masterful musician; a masterful practitioner in some other field

penitent

sorry; repentant; contrite

ostensible

apparent (but misleading); professed

contrived

artificial; labored

renounce

to give up formally or resign; to disown; to have nothing to do with anymore

sordid

vile; filthy; squalid

juxtapose

to place side by side

evanescent

fleeting; vanishing; happening for only the briefest period

venerate

to revere; to treat as something holy, especially because of great age

attrition

gradual wearing away, weakening, or loss; a natural or expected decrease in numbers or size

infinitesimal

very, very, very small; infinitely small

congenial

agreeably suitable; pleasant

microcosm

the world in miniature

assimilate

to take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly

aloof

uninvolved; standing off; keeping one's distance

proximity

nearness

volition

will; conscious choice

sagacious

discerning; shrewd; keen in judgment; wise

circumvent

to frustrate as though by surrounding; or, to avoid by going around, using artfulness or deception

address

to speak to; to direct one's attention to

premise

an assumption; the basis for a conclusion

partisan

one who supports a particular person, cause, or idea

maudlin

silly and overly sentimental

visionary

a dreamer; someone with impractical goals or ideas about the future

disinterested

not taking sides; unbiased

antecedent

someone or something that went before; something that provides a model for something that came after it

ubiquitous

being everywhere at the same time

transgress

to violate (a law)

agrarian

relating to land; relating to the management or farming of land

facile

fluent; skillful in a superficial way; easy

idiosyncrasy

a peculiarity; an eccentricity

didactic

intended to teach; morally instructive; pedantic

pernicious

deadly; extremely evil

placate

to pacify; to appease; to soothe

alleviate

to relieve, usually temporarily or incompletely; to make bearable; to lessen

mendicant

a beggar

digress

to stray from the main subject

circumscribe

to draw a line around; to set the limits; to define; to restrict

blight

a disease in plants; anything that injures or destroys

querulous

complaining; grumbling; whining

deprecate

to express disapproval of

theology

the study of God or religion

censure

to condemn severely for doing something bad

extraneous

unnecessary; irrelevant; extra

ethereal

heavenly; as light and insubstantial as a gas or ether

aphorism

a brief, often witty saying; a proverb