The document presents vocabulary words from a Level G workshop, providing definitions, parts of speech, and contextual examples for each word. Key terms include 'acquisitive,' 'arrogate,' 'banal,' and 'belabor,' among others, highlighting their meanings and usage in sentences. The vocabulary aims to enhance understanding and application of these words in various contexts.

1. Vocabulary Workshop
Level G
Unit 1
Presentation

2. Acquisitive (adj)
• Able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned
with acquiring wealth or property
• Comes from Latin meaning to accumulate
• Preoccupied with possessing material things
• Famous people are known for their acquisitive
lifestyles; they purchase frivolous items just to have
more.
• Don’t mistake for inquisitive (good connotation)=
which means inquiring or curious

3. Arrogate (v)
• To claim or take without right
• The take over usually happens by force – think of ISIS
taking over many cities
• “Yet in this case, Congress arrogated that power to
itself.” Washington Post Apr 20, 2016
• Do you have a lunch table where all your friends
sit? Imagine if a group of students took it over one
day…They would arrogate your table

4. Banal (adj)
• Hackneyed, trite, commonplace
• Think of a cliché
• Where might you see banal humor?
• Have you ever watched a banal sporting event?
• “Slyly turning natural verbal rhythms into eccentric
choral numbers, Mr. Cork creates a serial-killer opera
whose genius is to transform the banal into something
exceptional.” New York Times Sep 8, 2016

5. Belabor (v)
• To work on excessively; to thrash soundly (to beat up
thoroughly)
• When you say, "Don't belabor or agonize over the decision,"
it means, "Move on.”
• You can belabor a point by using excessive detail, or you
could belabor the obvious by stating over and over what
everyone already knows.
• Belaboring can be a physical attack as well. A person can
belabor or beat the living daylights out of you with a club.
• “At the risk of belaboring it, let me just tell some small
parts again.” The Verge Aug 22, 2016

6. Carping (adj) (n)
• (adj)Tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty,
or hairsplitting way; (n) petty, nagging criticism
• To carp is to complain and gripe repeatedly, especially
about little things. Don’t carp about the rain if you
live in the rain forest.
Adj N
used as an adjective, to describe
someone who is overly critical and
impossible to please — like that
carping food critic who ruined the
debut of your new restaurant.
People who find fault with you at
every turn, who appreciate nothing
and complain, complain, complain,
are carping!
“Between complaining players,
argumentative coaches, heckling fans
and carping media, refs fully earn
their six-figure salaries, first-class
travel and luxurious
accommodations.”
Washington Times May 4, 2016
“Neither man was a supporter of Mr.
Trump’s at the beginning of the
campaign, but both said they have
had it with the carping.”
Washington Times Aug 4, 2016

7. Coherent (adj)
• Comprehensible, meaningful, clear & logical; holding or sticking together
Examples:
- a lawyer’s coherent argument in court will help to win a case
“In the video , in which Peres encourages the public to buy locally made products, he
appears weary but is otherwise alert and coherent.” Washington Post Sep 13, 2016
“Palestinians believe the settlements, scattered all over the West Bank, prevent a
geographically coherent state.” Los Angeles Times Sep 9, 2016
“The saga certainly points to the emptiness of art in our time, its complete lack of
coherent critical values.”
The Guardian Sep 5, 2016

8. Congeal (v)
[cuhn-jeel]
• To change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible
or rigid
• comes to us from the Old French word congeler, which
means "to freeze.
• Think of Jell-O! or my milk cups found under the couch –
gross!
Example:
“And our plans will become congealed laws whose errors
will only appear over time.” The New Yorker Sep 3, 2016
“Indeed, you can see the narrative congealing already.”
Salon Feb 17, 2016

9. Emulate (v)
• To imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the
model
• When someone is impressive because of their great
skills, brains, strength, or accomplishments, other will
emulate.
• After Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, player
after player tried to emulate Jordan's game and
success. It's hard to be as good as someone like
that, but having a hero to emulate can be helpful
in many areas of life.
• Example:
“Starbucks Corp. says it wants to emulate the quality of The
Washington Post and The New York Times with its stories.”
Seattle Times Sep 7, 2016

10. Encomium (n) [en-CO-mium]
• A formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
• a fancy word for a formal speech or piece of writing
that warmly praises someone or something.
• Encomium comes from the Greek word enkomion
which is to honor someone or something at a party in a
poetic speech.
• A eulogy will typically be considered an encomium
• Example
“Whether he fully deserved the encomiums showered on
him is another matter.” Washington Post Jan 23, 2015

11. Eschew (v) [es-
choo]
• To avoid, shun, keep away from
• If you live the bohemian life in the city, like Salinger did,
then most likely you eschew the suburbs.
• to eschew something isn’t simply to avoid it, the way you
would avoid walking in a puddle––it's stronger than that.
You eschew things that you find morally or aesthetically
wrong, or that you have chosen to find wrong.
Example:
“After graduation, he quit football, eschewed the
investment banking route favored by his friends and
headed for California to train to become an Olympic
athlete.” The Guardian Sep 1, 2016

12. Germane (adj)
[jer-meyn]
• Relevant, appropriate, fitting
• If you are giving a speech on dog training, stick to the
germane, canine stuff. Topics that would not be
germane? Catnip toys, hamster wheels, and the use of a
saddle.
• You might want to bring up all sorts of complaints during
an argument with your best friend, but she says the two
of you should only discuss issues that are germane to
the current fight.
“She and other school advocates say teachers typically balk
at getting political, thinking it’s not germane to teaching.”
Washington Times Aug 15, 2016

13. Insatiable (adj) [in-sey-shuh-buhl]
• So great or demanding as not to be satisfied
• After being lost in the woods eating only berries for a few days,
you'll find your hunger is insatiable once you finally get to the
table.
• Insatiable comes from the combination of the negative prefix,
in- and the Latin verb satiare, for fill.
• It can be used for spiritual as well as physical desires. Swift's
traveling Gulliver talks about his "insatiable desire of seeing
foreign countries.“
• Perhaps you have an insatiable desire to learn all the words in
the English language.
• “China’s own economy was growing so fast its demand for
aluminum was nearly insatiable.” Seattle Times Sep 13, 2016

14. Intransigent (adj) [in-tran-si-juhnt]
• Refusing to compromise
• An intransigent three-year-old will never back down from the
position that he wants the lollipop NOW.
• Trans has to do with movement — think transportation, or a
package in transit, i.e. "on the way." The in- of intransigent
means "not," so something or someone who is intransigent is
not moving.
• If one political party wants to raise funds to improve schools but
the other is intransigent on the subject of higher taxes, the
debate will get nowhere.
• “The opponent in this case, my Republican colleagues, appear
just as intransigent as our opponents in the days of
segregation.” Seattle Times Jun 24, 2016

15. Invidious (adj) [in-vid-
ee-uh s]
• Offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
• The adjective invidious is used to describe an act, thought,
opinion or critique that is full of ill will or prejudice.
• It comes from a Latin word that means "hostile” or “envious”
• “Anti-immigration sentiment has proved invidious for parties
caught between the embrace of diversity and the protectionist
instincts of many workers.” Economist Jul 30, 2015

16. Largesse (n) [lahr-jes]
• Generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
• Think of “Large in giving”
• In response to a massive methane leak in California:
“Those who did not relocate immediately struggled to
find available short-term rental properties, but others
took advantage of the gas company’s largess.” New
York Times Mar 31, 2016

17. Reconnaissance (n)
• A survey made for military purposes; any kind of
preliminary inspection or examination
• The word comes from the French reconnaître, which
means “recognize.”
• Often it’s used as a military term, but you could also do
reconnaissance on a new employee before you hire
her, or a resort before you take a vacation.
• Target tracking is done through a variety of means,
including aerial reconnaissance by surveillance drones
and communications intercepts. Washington Post Sep
17, 2016

18. Substantiate (v)
• To establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
• We’d really like to believe in the Tooth Fairy; however, more evidence is
needed to substantiate her existence (besides that quarter in your
pocket).
• Substantiate is related to the word substantial, which means "solid."
So, to substantiate a claim is to make it solid or believable. If the
evidence given in support of an argument is weak and unconvincing,
that evidence can be described as insubstantial.
• “Most cases have not been substantiated, but accounts of costumed
characters trying to tempt children with candy or cash rattled residents
and prompted increased patrols”. Reuters Sep 15, 2016

19. Taciturn (adj) [tas-i-turn]
• Habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
• A taciturn person might be snobby, naturally quiet, or
just shy.
• Having its origin in the Latin tacitus, "silent," taciturn
came to be used in mid-18th-century English in the
sense "habitually silent." Taciturnity is often considered
a negative trait, as it suggests someone
uncommunicative and too quiet.
• When Andy Murray won Wimbledon “The pent up
emotions burst out of him which is unusual for this
very taciturn man.” New York Times Jul 10, 2016

20. Temporize (v)
• To stall or act evasively in order to gain time,
avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision;
to compromise
• Your class might temporize so your teacher
won't have time to give the pop quiz you all
think she's going to give.
• Tempor- means "time; "Temporize comes from
the Middle French word temporiser, meaning
"to pass one's time, wait one's time.“
• “I think that your husband’s temporizing may
be a better strategy than outright refusal.” Slate
Oct 13, 2015

21. Tenable (adj)
• Capable of being held or defended
• Tenable comes from the Latin root tenir
which means "to hold," as in "hold
together."
• To be tenable is to be evidence-based and
well-founded.
• “If there is a strike, commuters would
have few good choices, she said, and
telecommuting is not tenable for most
New Jersey residents.” New York Times
Mar 2, 2016