AP Seminar Flashcards Vocab

Obfuscate - Verb

Obfuscate means "to make difficult to understand" or "to be evasive, unclear, or confusing."  

// The coach obfuscated his response as to whether he would retire at the end of the season.

Truncate - Verb

Truncate means "to shorten by or as if by cutting off."

 // Many statements in the court document were truncated before publication.

Amity - Noun

Amity means "friendship" or "friendly relations between nations."

// Amity between the nations was restored with the treaty.

Muse - Verb

To muse about something is to think about it carefully and thoroughly. The word can also mean "to become absorbed in thought," or "to think or say something in a thoughtful way."                                                                                                   

// The conversation meandered, as the cousins mused about what had changed and what had remained the same since the last family reunion.

Plausible - Adjective

Plausible means, “seemingly fair, reasonable or valuable, but often not so.” .or “appearing worthy of belief”.

//One problem with the horror movie is that the plot is barely plausible–there was no good reason for the kids to enter the abandoned mansion to begin with.

Importune - Verb

 To importune someone is to annoy or pester them with repeated questions or requests.

// Several students importuned the professor to extend the deadline of the lengthy essay assignment until she finally relented

Chivalry - Noun

Chivalry refers to the qualities of the ideal knight, such as honor, generosity, and courtesy—in other words, an honorable and polite way of behaving toward others. It is used especially to refer to such behavior as expressed by men toward women.

// Some believe that holding doors open for others is an act of chivalry, but doing so only for women is considered patronizing by many.

Eponymous - Adjective

Eponymous is used to describe something named for a person or group (as in “Merriam-Webster, an eponymous publishing company named for George and Charles Merriam and Noah Webster”), or a person or group whose name is used for something (as in “the company's eponymous founders”).

// The band's eponymous debut album received critical acclaim.

Satiate - Verb

Satiate is a formal word that means “to satisfy (something, such as a need or desire) fully.”

// My curiosity about Nicole’s Spring Fling costume, which she promised would be “corny,” was finally satiated when she arrived at the party dressed as an incredibly lifelike cob of corn, complete with tassels.

Fulcrum - Noun 

 In technical use, fulcrum refers to the support on which a lever moves when it is used to lift something. In figurative use, fulcrum refers to a person or thing that makes it possible for something to function or develop, or in other words, one who plays an essential role in something.

// Although the lead actor was phenomenal, critics believe that the supporting cast was the real fulcrum of the show.