Hon. American Lit. Final Exam Vocab

Aesthetic

(adj) having to do with beauty or order

Anesthetic

(n) a substance that causes loss of feeling

Advocate

(v) to argue in favor of (n) someone who argues for

Annotate

(v) to explain or discuss through a note

Apolitical

(adj) having no interest in politics; not political

Arrogant

(adj) excessively proud; haughty

Cautious

(adj) careful not to get into danger

Cautionary

(adj) intended to serve as a warning

Civic

(adj) having to do with the business of a town or community

Civility

(n) politeness; courteousness

Civilize

(v) to make more cultured or refined

Convene

(v) to call together; to assemble

Covenant

(n) a mutual or legal agreement

Cosmopolitan

(adj) worldly or sophisticated

Crucial

(adj) necessary; essential

Degrade

(v) to lower in dignity or esteem; to insult

Demographic

(adj) having certain characteristics in common, such as age, race, or gender

Dictate

(v) (1) to speak aloud in order that one’s words may be copied or recorded (2) to give an order; to make necessary.

Dispute

(v) to disagree with (n) a disagreement or argument

Empathy

(n) the sharing of another’s emotions

Erroneous

(adj) wrong or inaccurate

Exacerbate

(v) to make worse or more severe

Excruciating

(adj) extremely painful; agonizing

Evocative

(adj) calling forth a vivid image or impression

Exclamatory

(adj) having a forceful, excited, or emotional tone

Fervor

(n) emotional excitement; heated enthusiasm

Interrogate

(v) to formally question

Irrational

(adj) not based on reason or logic

Pandemic

(adj) having an effect on a large area or region

Politicize

(v) to give a political character to something

Precaution

(n) an action taken against danger ahead of time

Rationale

(n) a reason for doing something; an explanation

Rationalize

(v) to justify; to give reason for

Sentiment

(n) a feeling about something

Tangible

(adj) able to be grasped or perceived

Virtue

(n) the right action; moral goodness