Vocabulary from Classical Roots: Lessons 1-4

consecrate

(tr v) to make or declare something sacred.
2. to dedicate something to a goal

sacrament

(n) something considered to have sacred significance

sanctity

(n) godliness; holiness

sanctuary

(n) a sacred place; any place of refuge

hierarchy

(n) a group organized by rank

hieroglyphic

(adj) written with pictures to represent sounds or meanings of words.
2. hard to read

expiate

(tr v) to make amends for; to atone for

piety

(n) religious devotion; great respect toward something, especially parents

impious

(adj) sacrilegious; profane; lacking appropriate reverence or respect

pittance

(n) a meager portion of anything, especially an allowance or salary

execrate

(tr v) to denounce as vile or evil; to curse; to detest

sacrilege

(n) disrespect to something regarded as sacred

sacrosanct

(adj) sacred (often used ironically)

sanctimonious

(adj) pretending to be righteous

sanction

(n) approval; support; permission.
2. (usually pl) a penalty for breaking with law or custom.
(tr v) to approve; to encourage

sapient

(adj) wise; insightful (often used ironically)

sage

(n) a person, usually elderly, who is honored for wisdom and experience

cognition

(n) the act of perceiving or knowing

cognizant

(adj) aware; having knowledge of something

connoisseur

(n) an expert or very discriminating person, especially in matters of art and taste

notorious

(adj) widely and unfavorably known; infamous

compute

(tr v) to determine by mathematics

impute

(tr v) to attribute or ascribe a quality, especially a fault, to a person

repute

(tr v) to assign a reputation to (usually used with to be)

putative

(adj) supposed; reputed

presage

(n) a sign or feeling concerning some future event; omen; foreboding

sagacious

(adj) shrewd; having good judgment; perceptive

conscientious

(adj) guided by one's sense of right and wrong.
2. thorough; with careful attention

plebiscite

(n) a direct vote of all the people of a country or district on an important matter; a referendum

prescience

(n) knowledge of events before they occur; foresight; foreknowledge

dogma

(n) a system of doctrines put forward by an authority, especially a church, to be absolute truth.

dogmatic

(adj) pertaining to dogma.
2. expressed in an authoritative or arrogant manner

heterodox

(adj) not in agreement with accepted beliefs; holding unorthodox opinions

agnostic

(n) a person who believes nothing can be known about the existence of a god.
(adj) relating to the belief that the existence of a god is unknowable.

physiognomy

(n) the art of judging human character by facial features; facial features when regarded as revealing character.

prognosis

(n) a prediction of the outcome of a disease; any forecast or prediction

criterion

(n) a standard, rule or test on which a decision or judgment can be made

hypocrisy

(n) pretending to have feelings, beliefs, or virtues that one does not have

amnesty

(n) a general pardon for offenders, especially for political offenses

mnemonic

(adj) relating to or assisting the memory.
(n) a device used in remembering

frenetic

(adj) frantic; frenzied

schizophrenia

(n) a severe mental disorder in which a person becomes unable to act or reason in a rational way, often with delusions and withdrawal from relationship.
2. a situation of extreme conflict between choices, loyalties, or ways of life

arraign

(tr v) (legal) to call to court to answer charges.
2. to accuse; to charge with wrongdoing

rationale

(n) the reasons underlying something, often presented as a statement (used with for)

rationalize

(tr v) to provide a rational basis for something, often by false or self-serving reasoning

accredit

(tr v) to authorize; to certify; to believe

credence

(n) belief; acceptance as true

creditable

(adj) deserving praise

credulous

(adj) believing too easily; gullible

creed

(n) a statement of belief or principle

deify

(tr v) to make a god of

deity

(n) a god or goddess

divine

(tr v) to foretell by supernatural means.
2. to know by intuition or insight

divinity

(n) a god or goddess; a divine being.
2. the state of being divine.
3. the study of Christian theology

apotheosis

(n) making a god of something; deification.
2. a glorified ideal; an essence

theocracy

(n) government by divine power or priests

theology

(n) the study of religion

atheist

(n) a person who believe there is no god

pantheism

(n) identifying god with nature; belief in all gods

pantheon

(n) all the gods of a people or religion