history vocab

Abundance

A massive or very large amount of something.

Adept

Being highly skilled or an expert at something.

Ambivalence

Having mixed, conflicting, or undecided feelings.

Agitate

To stir things up, protest, or emotionally disturb.

Abysmal

Extremely bad, terrible, or appalling.

Abdicate

To formally step down or give up a position of power (like a king).

Abolition

Formally putting an end to a system or practice (like slavery).

Attack

To take aggressive actions against or criticize fiercely.

Apprehension

Fear, anxiety, or worry about something bad happening.

Ascent

The act of climbing upward or rising to a higher status.

Bias

A strong prejudice for or against something.

Bolster

To support, strengthen, or prop up.

Contention

A heated disagreement, dispute, or main point in an argument.

Contend

To struggle against a difficulty, assert a point, or compete.

Consequence

The result or effect of an action.

Constituency

The group of voters or people represented by a politician.

Concede

To finally admit that something is true, or surrender.

Consented

Agreed to do something or gave permission.

Commerce

The buying, selling, or trading of goods and services.

Culmination

The highest point or final climax of an event or effort.

Conciliating

Peacemaking, pacifying, or placating to stop anger.

Daunting

Seeming difficult to deal with, intimidating, or scary.

Dissent

Holding opinions that go against previous official views; disagreeing.

Descent

Action of moving downward, dropping, or declining.

Dire

Extremely serious, urgent, or terrible.

Disparage

To regard or represent something as being of little worth; mock.

Disillusionment

A feeling of disappointment when discovering something isn't as good as believed.

Enumerate

To mention or list a number of things one by one.

Egalitarian

Believing in the principle that all people are equal.

Enfranchisement

Giving someone the right to vote or full citizenship.

Facilitate

To make an action or a process easier.

Impartial

Unbiased, neutral, and completely fair.

Incite

To encourage, stir up, or provoke violent or unlawful behavior.

Institution

An established organization, custom, or law (like a university or marriage).

Lucrative

Producing a great deal of profit or making a lot of money.

Legitimacy

Conformity to the law or rules; being valid and authentic.

Laissez faire

A policy of letting things take their own course without government interference.

Malicious

Intending or desiring to do harm; mean-spirited.

Nullify

To legally declare void, invalidate, or cancel out.

Postulate

To suggest or assume the existence of a fact as a basis for reasoning.

Qualitative

Related to the quality or traits of something rather than numerical data.

Quantitative

Related to measuring, quantities, or numerical data.

Repudiate

To refuse to accept, reject, or deny the validity of something.

Rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive speaking and writing.

Rescind

To officially revoke, cancel, or take back a law or agreement.

Satirical

Using humor, irony, or exaggeration to mock or expose human vice.

Squalid

Extremely dirty, unpleasant, or wretched (usually due to poverty).

Sovereignty

Supreme power, authority, or a state's right to govern itself.

Surplus

An amount left over when requirements have been met; extra.

Suffrage

The legal right to vote in political elections.

Tact

Skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or difficult issues.

Temperance

Abstinence from alcoholic drink; practicing self-restraint.

Unilateral

An action performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country.

Undermine

To weaken or sabotage someone or something secretly or gradually.

Veracity

Conformity to facts; absolute truthfulness and accuracy.

Warrant

To justify, necessitate, or officially authorize a certain course of action.