APLAC Midterm Vobaculary Level F Units 1-7

approbation

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval

assauge

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench

ameliorate

(v.) to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming

aplomb

(n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity

abominate

(v.) To have an intense dislike or hatred for.

acculturation

(n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend

adventitious

(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital

ascribe

(v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute

affable

(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to

aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater

amorphous

(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion

amorphous

(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion

archetype

(n.) an original model on which something was patterned or replicated; the ideal example of a particular type of person or thing

aura

(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality

amnesty

(n.) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution

autonomy

(n.) self-government, political control

axiomatic

(adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule

anomalous

(adj.) abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual

aspersion

(n.) a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming

austere

(adj.) severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor

bombastic

(adj.) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas

blazon

(v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely

bizarre

(adj.) extremely strange, unusual, atypical

brusque

(adj.) abrupt, blunt, with no formalities

beneficent

(adj.) performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good

coalition

(n.) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose

callow

(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers

circuitious

(adj.) roundabout, not direct

commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

contraband

(n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited

caveat

(n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior

cajole

(v.) to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises

castigate

(v.) to punish severely; to criticize severely

contrive

(v.) to plan with ingenuity, invent; to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan

cadaverous

(adj.) pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

concoct

(v.) to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish); to devise, invent, fabricate

crass

(adj.) coarse, unfeeling; stupid

decadence

(n.) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence

drivel

(n.) saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense; (v.) to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly

demagogue

(n.) a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power

disabuse

(v.) to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking

debase

(v.) to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate

desecrate

(v.) to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute

disconcert

(v.) to confuse; to disturb the composure of

elicit

(v.) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning

epitome

(n.) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality

exhort

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly

ex officio

(adj., adv.) by virtue of holding a certain office

enjoin

(v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit

expedite

(v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster

expiate

(v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert

erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

equitable

(adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice

extricate

(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort

ennui

(n.) weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom

ferment

(n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action

filch

(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts

flout

(v.) to mock, treat with contempt

fractious

(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable

fetter

(n.) a chain or shackle placed on the feet (often used in plural); anything that confines or restrains; (v.) to chain or shackle; to render helpless or impotent

gossamer

(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth

grandiose

(adj.) grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated

hackneyed

(adj) used so often as to lack freshness or originality

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)

heinous

(adj.) very wicked, offensive, hateful

innuendo

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)

intercede

(v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement

infringe

(v.) to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds

ingratiate

(v.) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)

interloper

(n.) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder

intrinsic

(adj.) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part

inveigh

(v.) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval

inadvertent

(adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental

inscrutable

(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically

insular

(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience

irrevocable

(adj.) incapable of being changed or called back

immutable

(adj.) not subject to change, constant

insurgent

(n.) one who rebels or rises against authority; (adj.) rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority; surging or rushing in or on

inconsequential

(adj.) trifling, unimportant

infraction

(n.) a breaking of a law or obligation

jaded

(adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint

lassitude

(n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy

meritorious

(adj.) worthy, deserving recognition and praise

millennium

(n.) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy

megalomania

(n.) a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc., far in excess of reality

mitigate

(v.) to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity

nominal

(adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously

noncommittal

(adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no

occult

(adj.) secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; mysterious, magical, uncanny; (v.) to hide, cover up; eclipse, (n.) matters involving the supernatural

petulant

(adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence

provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony

permeate

(v.) to spread through, penetrate, soak through

precipitate

(v.) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height, to give distinct form to; (adj.) characterized by excessive haste; (n.) moisture; the product of an action or process

peculate

(v.) to steal something that has been given into one's trust; to take improperly for one's own use

proclivity

(n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

propensity

(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward

precept

(n.) a rule of conduct or action