This document contains 20 lists of vocabulary words with their meanings. The lists cover a wide range of topics and parts of speech. The document provides concise definitions to help the reader understand and learn the words.

1. Copyright © 2005 CHAPTER 16–
William Kritsonis VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT
All Rights Reserved / Forever PAGE 95
This book is protected under the Copyright Act of 1976. Uncited Sources,
Violators will be prosecuted. Courtesy, National FORUM Journals
CHAPTER 16
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT
List 1 – Meaning List 4 – Meaning
1. elucidate..............clarify 1. abdicate..............withdraw from
2. nuance.................shade of meaning 2. abhor..................detest, hate
3. critique................review carefully 3. addendum...........addition
4. mnemonics..........memory aids 4. adjunct................added to, attached
5. synonym..............word with same 5. concomitant........accompanying
meaning 6. condescending....patronizing
6. denote..................mean 7. delineate.............draw, clarify
7. connotation..........suggested meaning 8. derisive...............scornful
8. imply...................hint, suggest 9. ridiculous...........absurd, laughable
9. infer.....................deduce from facts 10. expiate..................make amends
11. atone....................reconcile
List 2 – Meaning 12. expletive...............meaningless
1. cognizance...........understanding expression, profanity
2. germane...............pertinent, related
3. succinct................concise List 5 – Meaning
4. extraneous...........unnecessary 1. induce.................lead to
5. cerebration...........thinking 2. inadvertently......unintentionally
6. prefix...................beginning of a word 3. precept...................principle, example
4. prodigious..........enormous
List 3 – Meaning 5. propinquity.........nearness
6. resurgence..........renewal
1. ab–.......................from, away
7. anomalous..........irregular
2. ad–.......................to, toward
8. apocryphal..........of dubious validity
3. com– or con–.......with, together,
thoroughly 9. portentous...........ominous
4. de–.......................from, down, away
5. ex–.......................out of, from, former List 6 – Meaning
6. in–.......................in, into, on 1. erudite................displaying know-
7. in– (another meaning)....not ledge, learned
8. pre–.....................before, earlier than 2. esoteric...............hidden, secret
9. pro–.....................in favor or, forward 3. enigma................puzzle
10. re–.........................again, back

2. SCHOOLING (2002)
PAGE 96
4. cacophony..........disharmony, harsh 6. status..................position, social
sounding standing
5. dissonance..........noise, lack of 7. stratum...............a layer
agreement 8. candelabra..........a branched
6. corroboration......confirmation, candlestick
support 9. agenda................plan, schedule
7. homogeneity.......similarity, 10. criterion................a standard for
uniformity basing judgment
8. acrimonious........bitter, harsh 11. phenomenon.........an observable fact
9. bellicose.............argumentative, or event
belligerent
10. nefarious..............flagrantly wicked List 9 – Meaning
11. accolade...............praise
1. circumference.....distance around a
12. paragon................perfect example, circle
model
2. circumlocution. . .talking around the
13. emulate.................imitate point
3. circumvent.........go around, avoid
List 7 – Meaning 4. circumnavigate...sail around, bypass
1. serendipity..........aptitude for finding 5. circumspect........prudent, wise
unexpected bonuses 6. contraindication..opposite or false
2. pedigree..............ancestral line indication
3. exigency.............urgency 7. contradict...........speak in opposition,
4. emergency..........unexpected refute
occurrence needing action 8. pseudoscience....false science
5. contingency........possibility 9. pseudopregnancy.false pregnancy
6. crisis...................turning point 10. pseudotuberculosis . not real
7. dire.....................desperate tuberculosis
8. strait...................tight place, narrow 11. subordinate...........inferior in rank
passage 12. subterranean.........underground
9. extricate..............untangle, free
List 10 – Meaning
List 8 – Meaning 1. abstention...........act of voluntarily
1. anesthetic...........gas or drug refraining from
producing anesthesia 2. consummate.......bring to completion
2. anesthesia...........loss of sensation, (verb)
feeling 3. consummate.......perfect, complete
3. anesthetist...........one who (adverb)
administers anesthetic 4. cosmopolitan......worldly, at home
4. anesthesiologist. .doctor who special- anywhere
izes in anesthesia 5. cosmopolite........rich and
5. data.....................information, facts sophisticated
6. cosmos...............relating to universe

3. CHAPTER 16–VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT
PAGE 97
7. cosmography......science of the order 1. activate...............set in motion, make
of nature active
8. malapropism.......misuse of words 2. activism..............action on
9. ubiquitous...........everywhere present controversial issue
10. compendium........summary, list 3. initiate................begin, start
11. ludicrous..............laughable, 4. enterprise............undertaking of
ridiculous some scope
12. obfuscate..............to confuse 5. entrepreneur.......organizer/manager
of business
6. ascertain.............make certain,
List 11 – Meaning determine
1. progeny..............descendants 7. minimize............lessen, reduce to
2. prodigy...............talented, bright smaller
child, omen 8. maximize............increase, make most
3. reprehend...........to criticize of
4. comprehend........understand
5. oracular..............authoritative List 14 – Meaning
6. vernacular...........common language 1. regardless...........in spite of
7. deranged.............disturbed 2. importune...........urge persistently,
8. epitaph................inscription on beg urgently
tombstone 3. opportune...........suitable, convenient
9. epithet................descriptive phrase, 4. rectitude.............correct judgment
profanity
5. righteous.............morally correct
10. censor...................delete
11. censure.................criticize
List 15 – Meaning
12. censer...................incense burner
13. sensor...................responsive cell 1. idiolect...............individual speech
pattern
14. equable.................uniform, steady
2. dialect.................regional speech
15. equitable...............fair, just patterns
16. entomology..........study of insects 3. colloquialism......conversational
17. etymology............study of words expression
4. jargon.................terminology of
List 12 – Meaning special group
1. –logy..................science or theory of 5. venue..................location, place
2. –ly......................like 6. beneficiary.........gift recipient
3. –ful.....................characteristic of 7. brief....................summary, concise,
to coach
4. –ship...................characteristic of
8. codicil................addition to will
5. –like...................characteristic of
9. catalyst...............agent of change
10. exacerbate............aggravate, make
worse
List 13 – Meaning

4. SCHOOLING (2002)
PAGE 98
11. excoriate...............remove skin, 13. specious...............false look of,
denounce invalidity
12. stellar...................outstanding, 14. plausible...............apparently valid
superior
13. arboreal................tree-like List 18 – Meaning
1. chic.....................stylish, elegant
List 16 – Meaning 2. clique..................group with common
1. interface.............interact, interest
communicate 3. croissant.............crescent-shaped roll
2. debug..................remove errors 4. caramel...............sugar sauce,
3. input...................opinion, comment confection
4. throughput..........productivity 5. abdomen.............mid-section of body
5. output.................something 6. adult...................mature, full grown
produced, result 7. apricot................small fruit related to
6. silicon.................non-metallic plum
element used in electronics 8. arctic..................characteristic of
7. silicone...............organic compound North Pole, frigid
used for lubricants 9. superfluous.........extra, unnecessary
8. ad lib..................as desired, freely
9. improvise...........make up on spot List 19 – Meaning
10. extemporaneous...without notes
1. anti–...................against, opposed to
11. scenario................plot outline
2. ante–...................before, earlier
12. protagonist...........leading character
3. inter–..................between
13. parody..................imitation of style
4. intra–..................within
5. retro–..................backward
List 17 – Meaning 6. –less...................without, lacking
1. parsimonious......extremely frugal 7. –ness, –hood, –dom state, quality,
2. niggardly............miserly, tightfisted condition of
3. prodigal..............extravagant, profuse 8. –ish.....................relating to,
4. altruistic.............devoted to others characteristic of
5. taciturn...............quiet, 9. –ward.................direction of
uncommunicative
6. loquacious..........talkative List 20 – Meaning
7. apathetic.............showing little 1. ecstatic...............overwhelmed by
interest emotion
8. lethargic.............sluggish, drowsy 2. enraptured..........extremely delighted
9. militate...............work against 3. flamboyant.........showy, colorful
10. mitigate................reduce severity 4. vivacious............lively, animated
11. ingenious..............clever, inventive 5. felicitous.............pleasant,
12. ingenuous.............innocent, appropriate
unsophisticated 6. restive.................balky, contrary

5. CHAPTER 16–VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT
PAGE 99
7. depraved.............evil, corrupt List 23 – Meaning
8. lugubrious..........overly mournful 1. corpulent............of large bulk
9. querulous............peevish, nagging 2. obese..................fat, perhaps from
10. bilious..................ill-natured, overeating
upsetting 3. flaccid................flabby, weakened
4. maimed..............disabled, deprived
List 21 – Meaning of use of limb
1. obsequious.........submissive, 5. bovine................slow, sluggish,
obedient cow-like
2. decorous.............with good taste, 6. pulchritude.........beauty
proper 7. virility................vigor, energy
3. garrulous............pointlessly talkative 8. sagacious............wise
4. loquacious..........discursively 9. acumen...............practical judgment,
talkative insight
5. verbose...............wordily talkative 10. prudence...............wise caution
6. glib.....................fluent, possibly 11. judicious...............judging wisely
insincere 12. omniscient............having all
7. sententious.........moralizing knowledge
8. adamant..............inflexible,
immovable List 24 – Meaning
9. reticent...............restrained, reluctant
1. proximity............nearness
10. laconic..................concise, brief
2. estrangement......emotional
11. bombastic.............inflated, padded separation
12. vociferous............loud 3. affinity................attraction, similarity
13. vacillate................waver, sway 4. enmity................hatred–often mutual
5. antipathy.............dislike of, aversion
List 22 – Meaning to, avoidance
1. dour....................stern, sullen, 6. hostility..............actively negative
gloomy feeling, aggression
2. blasé...................too worldly, bored 7. tentative..............temporary
3. odious.................offensive, deserving 8. flaunt..................show off
hatred 9. flout....................treat with contempt,
4. pragmatic...........concerned with scoff
practical matters 10. gourmet................specialist in fine
5. recalcitrant.........obstinate, defiant food
6. irascible..............irritable, easily 11. gourmand.............one who enjoys
angered eating fine food
7. malevolent..........being or doing evil
8. benevolent..........doing good
9. misanthrope........cynic, trusting no
one
10. gregarious............enjoying people