VocabularyWeek 1

SAT Words

abbreviate -- (v) to shorten, abridge

Are you reading the complete Julius Caesar or has it been abbreviated?

abstinence -- (n) the act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or drinking

During Lent, people abstain from consuming certain foods and drink.

adulation -- (n) high praise

He received adulation for his brilliant new collection of poetry.

adversity -- (n) misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events

Those who have experienced adversity are often stronger adults.

aesthetic -- (adj) pertaining to beauty or the arts

The aesthetics of the building, such as the color and architectural style, are captivating.

Academic Vocabulary

alternate -- (n) a person who acts as a deputy or substitute; or (v) To pass back and forth from one state, action, or place to another

I alternate between states of sadness and joy when I binge eat chocolate.

alternative -- (n) the choice between two mutually exclusive possibilities

You must choose an alternative route to work, as your normal way has been blocked by fallen trees.

analysis -- (n) the separation of an intellectual or material whole into its constituent parts for individual study

Your analysis of the situation is correct; her behavior and his attitude combine to make an awful relationship.

analyze -- (v) to examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations

To analyze a poem, you must pull apart all of the pieces and see how they work together.

antonym -- (n) a word having a meaning opposite to that of another word

The antonym for happy is sad.

VocabularyWeek 2

SAT Words

amicable -- (adj) friendly, agreeable

Most people agree that Ms. Edwards is very amicable with those who are respectful.

anachronistic -- (adj) out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period

A clock chiming in the middle of Julius Caesar is anachronistic, as clocks did not exist in ancient Rome.

anecdote -- (n) short, usually funny account of an event

For homework, you will translate the entirety of Romeo and Juliet into an anecdote.

anonymous -- (adj) nameless, without a disclosed identity

Many people post comments online anonymously so that nobody knows it was them who spoke.

antagonist -- (n) foe, opponent, adversary

Voldemort is the antagonist in Harry Potter.

Academic Vocabulary

benefit -- (n) something that promotes or enhances well-being; an advantage

One benefit of exercise is increased happiness and health.

beneficial -- (adj) producing or promoting a favorable result; advantageous

Running is beneficial for your lung health.

bolster -- (v) to support or prop up 

Your evidence bolsters your argument.

brief -- (adj) short in time, duration, length, or extent

That five minute meeting was brief!

buttress -- (v) something that serves to support, prop, or reinforce

The dilapidated building needs something to buttress its walls or it will collapse in on itself.

VocabularyWeek 3

SAT Words

arid -- (adj) extremely dry or deathly boring

The Mojave Desert is arid, as it never rains there.

assiduous -- (adj) persistent, hard-working

You must be assiduous in your training if you want to become an Olympic athlete.

asylum -- (n) sanctuary, shelter, place of refuge

The United States sometimes offers asylum for political refugees from other countries.

benevolent -- (adj) friendly and helpful

Santa Claus is benevolent with the children of the world when he gives gifts to everybody for the holidays.

camaraderie -- (n) trust, sociability amongst friends

I hope that by the end of the semester, we will have built some camaraderie between us in the class.

Academic Vocabulary

categorize -- (v) to describe by labeling or giving a name to; characterize

You should categorize your kitchen items into groups of utensils, dinnerware, spices, and canned goods.

category -- (n) a class or group of things, people, etc., possessing some quality or qualities in common; a division in a system of classification

The categories for entry in the competition are cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and pies.

characterize -- (v) to describe the qualities or peculiarities of

In the final Harry Potter films, Ron is characterized by his increasing jealousy of Harry and shame for leaving.

cite -- (v) to mention or bring forward as support, illustration, or proof

Make sure you cite your sources of information when you write a research paper.

compare -- (v) to consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous; liken

Please make a list that compares the qualities of the puppy and its mother.

VocabularyWeek 4

SAT Words

censure -- (v) to criticize harshly

Paula Dean was censured for allegations of racist commentary and behaviors.

circuitous -- (adj) indirect, taking the longest route

I took a circuitous way to this career; first college, then travelling and a job in retail, and finally graduate school and a teaching career.

clairvoyant -- (adj) exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future

Professor Trelwaney is clairvoyant; she makes the prophesy that says Harry Potter is the chosen one.

collaborate -- (v) to cooperate, work together

Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z collaborated on this year’s summer tour.

compassion -- (n) sympathy, helpfulness or mercy

Have some compassion and feed that starving dog!

Academic Vocabulary

comparison -- (n) a statement or estimate of similarities and differences

Saying I am as bright as the sun is a brilliant comparison!

concept -- (n) something formed in the mind; a thought or notion

Which concept is confusing you: the idea that gravity affects all bodies or that gravitational force is different on other planets?

conceptualize -- (v) to form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way

I cannot conceptualize a completed unit for this novel; I simply cannot figure out which skills would be taught using it.

conclude -- (v) to bring to an end; close

Kennedy concluded his inaugural address with one of the most famous lines in American rhetoric.

conclusion -- (n) the close or last part; the end or finish

The conclusion of your paper must finalize your argument.

VocabularyWeek 5

SAT Words

compromise -- (v) to settle a dispute by terms agreeable to both sides

My brother and I compromised; I got the bigger bedroom, but he got full front seat rights in the car on vacations.

condescending -- (adj) possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing

Do not be condescending or look down on others; for all you know, they will be your future boss!

conditional -- (adj) depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract

You passing my class is conditional on you completing all class work and working hard.

conformist -- (n) person who complies with accepted rules and customs

People who follow trends blindly are conformists.

congregation -- (n) a crowd of people, an assembly

When you visit the Lincoln Memorial, you will see a congregation of many diverse people.

Academic Vocabulary

construct -- (v) to create

I want to construct a more effective engine, one that runs on water rather than gasoline.

contrast -- (v) to show differences when compared

In contrast to her twin’s blue dress, Amy wore a red dress.

convey -- (v) to communicate or make known; impart

I must convey my deepest sympathies for your loss.

decline -- (n) a downward movement; or (v) To express polite refusal; or (v) To cause to slope or bend downward

What is the major cause of recent economic decline?

I must decline your offer and accept somebody else’s.

describe -- (v) to give an account of in speech or writing

I will describe her face to you, feature by feature.

VocabularyWeek 6

SAT Words

convergence -- (n) the state of separate elements joining or coming together

Finding $100 and learning that my friend did not have to work was a convergence of events proving we needed to buy tickets to an upcoming music festival.

deleterious -- (adj) harmful, destructive, detrimental

Smoking is deleterious to your cardiac and pulmonary health.

demagogue -- (n) leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice

Julius Caesar was, for a time, viewed as a demagogue in ancient Rome.

digression -- (n) the act of turning aside, straying from the main point, esp. in a speech or argument

Most of my conversations are series of digressions as I cannot stay focused on one topic for too long!

diligent -- (adj) careful and hard-working

I am a diligent student because I am never late to class, my homework is always complete and in on time, and I study well in advance for tests.

Academic Vocabulary

description -- (n) a statement or an account characterizing and representing something

Your description included the criminal’s hair and eye color, but you left out his height and body size.

difference -- (n) the quality or condition of being unlike or dissimilar

The primary difference between my twin brother and me is that he has blue eyes and I have brown eyes.

differentiate -- (v) to perceive or show the difference in or between; discriminate

To differentiate between the triplets, teachers assigned them color-coded armbands.

dissimilar -- (adj) unlike; different

These two pies are dissimilar; one has fresh, sweet apples, while the other has sub-par, frozen fruit in it!

dominant -- (adj) exercising the most influence or control

In biology, the dominant gene is the one we see; for example, brown eyes is a dominant gene, and thus they are more common than the recessive blue eyes.

VocabularyWeek 7

SAT Words

discredit -- (v) to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace

Rumors are meant to discredit people’s reputations.

disdain -- (v) to regard with scorn or contempt

I look at people who do not read the news with disdain; how can one be an informed adult if he or she is unaware of what is happening in the news?

divergent -- (adj) separating, moving in different directions from a particular point

Our beliefs are divergent, as you believe that all dogs are ugly and I believe all dogs are adorable!

empathy -- (n) identification with the feelings of others

When she broke her pinky, I empathized with her because I had broken both of mine in middle school.

emulate -- (v) to imitate, follow an example

I try to emulate my role models because they have set such a good example for me.

Academic Vocabulary

elaborate -- (v) to express at greater length or in greater detail

Would you elaborate on the basic idea you expressed and tell me more about the plan?

eliminate -- (v) to get rid of; remove

People eliminate health risks when they exercise regularly.

evaluate -- (v) to examine and judge carefully; appraise

The boss evaluates her employees regularly, checking for effectiveness and skill in the workplace.

explain -- (v) to define; expound

Please explain that idea further.

expose -- (v) to make visible

I want to expose corrupt politicians by telling the public all about what I know.

VocabularyWeek 8

SAT Words

enervating -- (adj) weakening, tiring

The humidity and heat of North Carolina summers is enervating; by 4 pm I am usually exhausted!

enhance -- (v) to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity

Reading frequently enhanced your vocabulary.

ephemeral -- (adj) momentary, transient, fleeting

Teenage romance is often ephemeral, as the politics of high school relationships and personal identity are hard to navigate.

evanescent -- (adj) quickly fading, short-lived, esp. an image

The ghost was an evanescent figure, its face appearing one moment and then fading away the next.

exasperation -- (n) irritation, frustration

I can feel my exasperation rising as I look out at my students who haven’t done their homework.

Academic Vocabulary

factor -- (n) one that actively contributes to an accomplishment, result, or process; or (v) To figure in One factor of my academic success was my consistent drive to study.

You must factor in wind resistance when calculating airplane arrival time.

formulate -- (v) to express in systematic terms or concepts I cannot formulate a complete thought today; it is all coming out a jumbled mess!

function -- (n) the action for which a person or thing is particularly fitted or employed; or (v) To have a duty or perform a specific action My function as a teacher is to educate and inform young people so that they can survive in the real world.

Teachers function as role models for students.

generate -- (v) to bring into being; give rise to The film generated a huge, positive response from critics.

highlight -- (v) to make prominent; emphasize I intend to highlight his shortcomings by explaining all of his poor choices.

VocabularyWeek 9

SAT Words

exemplary -- (adj) outstanding, an example to others

This paper is exemplary; in fact, I am going to hang it on the wall for others to read and emulate!

extenuating -- (adj) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors

When considering whether to try somebody for a crime or not, the police and district attorney consider any extenuating circumstances that might have lead to the crime itself.

florid -- (adj) red-colored, flushed; gaudy, ornate

The architecture and complex designs on the church wall are florid and over-the-top; they distract me!

fortuitous -- (adj) happening by luck, fortunate

Winning the lottery would be a fortuitous event, especially if you were in serious debt.

frugal -- (adj) thrifty, cheap

In order to save money, one must be frugal and question every purchase he or she makes.

Academic Vocabulary

hypothesis -- (n)  a tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem that can be tested by further investigation hypothesize

My hypothesis is that gravity affects all bodies in space.

hypothesize -- (v) to form a hypothesis

I hypothesize that gravity affects all bodies in space.

identify -- (v) to name or recognize

Can you identify this species?

illustrate -- (v)  to clarify, as by use of examples or comparisons

To illustrate my point about gravity, I will do an experiment in front of you.

incline -- (n) a slope; or (v) to be disposed to a certain preference, opinion, or course of action

This incline is a very steep hike!

I am inclined to agree with your statement, as I have made the same observations.

VocabularyWeek 10

SAT Words

hackneyed -- (adj) cliched, worn out by overuse

The proverb “slow and steady wins the race” is so hackneyed; everybody has heard it at some time or other.

haughty -- (adj) arrogant and condescending

The wealthy woman gave off a haughty air, and refused to speak to anybody who was not well-dressed.

hedonist -- (n) person who pursues pleasure as a goal

Certain ancient societies valued hedonism, and had whole community eating and drinking events.

hypothesis -- (n) assumption, theory requiring proof

My hypothesis is that dumping garbage into that river will ruin the ecosystem of the lake at its end.

impetuous -- (adj) rash, impulsive, acting without thinking

I purchased those concert tickets impetuously, as I did not think about my need to pay for my vacation too!

Academic Vocabulary

increase -- (v) to make greater or larger

I have increased the prize winnings from $10 to $100.

indicate -- (v) to state or express briefly; or (v) to signify or represent

The frequent use of stream-of-consciousness writing indicates the author’s rapid state of mind.

infer -- (v) to conclude from evidence or premises

When I see an empty box with crumbs, I can infer that you ate my cookies!

inference -- (n) the act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence

I made the inference that you ate my cookies when I saw you next to the empty box of crumbs.

interact -- (v) to act on or with others

You must learn how to interact successfully with peers by using proper manners and being kind to others.

VocabularyWeek 11

SAT Words

impute -- (v) to attribute an action to particular person or group

Ditzyness is often imputed to teenage girls, but I have definitely had some ditzy male students!

incompatible -- (adj) opposed in nature, not able to live or work together

Oil and water are incompatible and do not mix with each other.

inconsequential -- (adj) unimportant, trivial

The fact that you stole 50 pencils rather than all of them is inconsequential; what matters is that you stole at all.

inevitable -- (adj) certain, unavoidable

Death is inevitable.

integrity -- (n) decency, honesty, wholeness

One must maintain his or her integrity by being kind, truthful, and altruistic.

Academic Vocabulary

interpret -- (v) to explain the meaning of

I interpret the poem not as a literal description of a lemon, but a metaphor for childbirth.

interpretation -- (n) an explanation or perception

My interpretation of the Constitution is that I have a legal right to start a revolution if the government abuses its powers.

investigate -- (v) to examine in great detail

Sam Spade investigates crimes by seeking out every detail that could possibly be connected to the case.

judge -- (v) to form an opinion about

I judged you as silly when I saw you walking around with a toilet seat around your neck.

judgment -- (n) the formation of an opinion

I formed my judgment that you are stubborn when you refused to see a movie fifteen minutes later than planed.

VocabularyWeek 12

SAT Words

intrepid -- (adj) fearless, adventurous

One must be intrepid to visit Spain with no knowledge of the language and no friends to act as guides.

intuitive -- (adj) instinctive, untaught

The way he was able to calm the terrified dog is an intuitive gift; despite no formal veterinary training, all animals are immediately relaxed in his presence.

jubilation -- (n) joy, celebration, exultation

When I received my college acceptance letter, I leapt and cheered with jubilation.

lobbyist -- (n) person who seeks to influence political events

Lobbyists for different interest groups schmooze with major political figures in order to gain favor for those whom they represent.

longevity -- (n) long life

I wish for longevity, so I may meet my great-grandchildren.

Academic Vocabulary

label -- (n) a descriptive term or group name; or (v) to identify and classify

Please affix a label with your name and student ID number on the outside of the folder.

Please label your test booklet with your name and student ID number.

locate -- (v) to find

The EOC will ask you to locate the author’s argument in his or her writing.

maintain -- (v) to argue; or (v) to keep up or preserve

Katniss maintained all along that the government of Panem was corrupt; that is why she eventually rebels.

mechanism -- (n) a system of physical or philosophical parts that act like a machine

The mechanism of communication involves language, speech, writing, and performance.

method -- (n) a system of steps taken to achieve a goal

What method will you use to remove the polish: acetone remover or simply chip it away?

VocabularyWeek 13

SAT Words

mundane -- (adj) ordinary, commonplace

Going to the same place and doing the same thing on vacation every year is, in my opinion, rather mundane.

nonchalant -- (adj) calm, casual, seeming unexcited

Even though I saw my idol, I was very nonchalant about the experience and remained cool in his presence.

novice -- (n) apprentice, beginner

A beginner snowboarder is a novice.

opulent -- (adj) wealthy

Beverly Hills, CA is an opulent neighborhood, as many residents are multimillionaires.

orator -- (n) lecturer, speaker

To be a good orator, one must learn to speak clearly, loudly, and concisely.

Academic Vocabulary

modify -- (v) to make changes to something

Coaches modify training routines for athletes who are injured.

modification -- (n) a change

One modification to my training plan is that instead of lifting weights, I will have to do light stretching instead.

objective -- (n) goal or purpose; or (adj) impartial or unbiased

My objective in this lesson is that you will be able to define and use important vocabulary.

A judge is supposed to be objective, ignoring his or her personal feelings and considering the law instead.

obtain -- (v) to acquire or achieve

How might I obtain the proper documents to travel to France?

paraphrase -- (v) to shorten and reword another’s idea

Even though his novel was 600 pages long, the author was able to paraphrase the main idea into a few short sentences.

VocabularyWeek 14

SAT Words

ostentatious -- (adj) showy, displaying wealth

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are ostentatious in that they wear easily identifiable labels and throw money around on many luxuries normal people cannot afford.

parched -- (adj) dried up, shriveled

Please give me some water; I am parched!

perfidious -- (adj) faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy

Severus Snape came across as perfidious, when in fact, he was the most loyal and devoted friend to Lily Potter of them all.

precocious -- (adj) unusually advanced or talented at an early age

It was clear she was precocious when she made a reference to Romeo and Juliet in the fifth grade.

pretentious -- (adj) pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured

She has been acting so pretentious ever since that teacher told her that her essay was good enough to be published.

Academic Vocabulary

passage -- (n) a selection of reading material

Please read the passage and answer the questions about the selection.

perspective-- (n) a particular view or response to one’s personal experiences

As an immigrant from an oppressive, she has a unique perspective on what it means to be free.

positive -- (adj) good or successful

I need positive feedback on my project or I will cry.

predict -- (v) to suggest an event will occur before it occurs

Based on the radar, I predict the rain will be here within the hour.

primary -- (adj) first or most important

My primary goal is to teach you and everything else comes after that.

VocabularyWeek 15

SAT Words

procrastinate -- (v) to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off

Do not procrastinate over the next two weeks; this project can’t be completed the night before it is due!

prosaic -- (adj) relating to prose; dull, commonplace

Twilight is prosaic and has no unique or exciting quality of its own.

prosperity -- (n) wealth or success

Her argumentative skills and legal knowledge have afforded her great prosperity as the top lawyer in Manhattan.

provocative -- (adj) tending to provoke a response, e.g., anger or disagreement

Wearing only underwear in public is provocative and will definitely get you responses from passersby.

prudent -- (adj) careful, cautious

Be prudent when sipping that tea; it’s extra hot!

Academic Vocabulary

process -- (n) a method of dealing with a series of events (v) to count, understand, and analyze information or objects

What is the process in getting a passport; what steps should I take?

I cannot process all of this information, so please, one person at a time!

prohibit -- (v) to forbid

I prohibit you from cheating and if you do, there will be major consequences.

purpose -- (n) goal

Melville’s purpose in writing “Bartleby” is to teach us that civil disobedience is an honorable method of protest.

react -- (v) to respond to stimuli

Why do you react so violently to people patting your back?

reason -- (n) an explanation for previous action; or (n) logic; or (v) to consider or discuss an idea logically

What reasons or motivations do you have for punching her?

He refuses to listen to logic and it is impossible to reason with him about this matter!

VocabularyWeek 16

SAT Words

querulous -- (adj) complaining, irritable

When I do not get enough sleep and I haven’t had my coffee in the morning, I am querulous, so do not irk me!

rancorous -- (adj) bitter, hateful

Her review of the film was especially rancorous, as she herself had been dropped from its cast and she was jealous.

reclusive -- (adj) preferring to live in isolation

J.D. Salinger was notably reclusive; he hadn’t been spotted in public for years before he died.

reconciliation -- (n) the act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a dispute

A reconciliation will be impossible if both opposite sides refuse to hear the other one’s grievances.

renovation -- (n) repair, making something new again

The kitchen renovation has been a nightmare because replacing the sink was much more expensive and difficult than expected and the cabinets arrived in the wrong color and size!

Academic Vocabulary

release -- (v) to let go of

When the Patriots released Aaron Hernandez, nobody else picked him up in light of his murder charge.

remove -- (v) to take away

I need to remove this eyeliner because it is burning my eyes.

resource -- (n) something that can be used as support or help

Do not ignore important resources like books and experts when doing research for your paper.

respond -- (v) to answer or react to

I felt sad when you did not respond to my text message last night.

secondary -- (adj) second; not first

Playing games is secondary to learning here at Hough!

VocabularyWeek 17

SAT Words

resilient -- (adj) quick to recover, bounce back

People say children are resilient because even when they fall and hurt themselves, they always seem to get back up and keep playing almost immediately.

restrained -- (adj) controlled, repressed, restricted

I have to restrain myself around chocolate, otherwise I will eat all of it in sight.

reverence -- (n) worship, profound respect

You should treat your teachers with reverence, as we have nothing but respect for you as well.

sagacity -- (n) wisdom

The sagacity of his statement was called into question when we realized that “just go for it” isn’t the most prudent advice.

scrutinize -- (v) to observe carefully

I scrutinize every detail of my writing to make sure it is perfect.

Academic Vocabulary

section -- (n) a smaller group of some larger whole

I am seated in section 203 of the whole stadium.

select -- (v) to choose and pick based on certain criteria

Why does he select student ambassadors based on GPA?

selection -- (n) a chosen group; or (n) a reading passage

My selection of who will be the student ambassador is based on GPA and extracurricular activities.

Please read the selection and answer the questions on the passage.

sequence -- (n) items in a particular order

The sequence of profits from the last four days is: $400, $302, $700, $28.

significance -- (n) importance

June 7th has significance to me because it is the day my grandfather died.

VocabularyWeek 18

SAT Words

spontaneity -- (n) impulsive action, unplanned events

Spontaneity is important in life because when everything is always planned and expected, life gets boring!

spurious -- (adj) lacking authenticity, false

That was a spurious remark you just made; I actually am the smartest person you will ever meet.

submissive -- (adj) tending to meekness, to submit to the will of others

My dog is not submissive; she does whatever she wants and never listens to what her humans say!

substantiate -- (v) to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence

Before I can punish him, I will need to substantiate your claims with evidence and support.

subtle -- (adj) hard to detect or describe; perceptive

The subtle hints of lavender were not easily detected; only faint wisps of the smell came through the breeze.

Academic Vocabulary

signify -- (v) to represent or evoke the feeling of something else

To Christians, the cross signifies the crucifixion of Christ and the inception of their faith.

similar -- (adj) alike

Our beliefs are similar in that we both agree that everybody should have health insurance.

similarity -- (n) shared characteristics

One similarity between us is that we both have long, dark, curly hair.

source -- (n) origin, often of information

My sources of the quotes in my article are former athletes and coaches.

specific -- (n) one particular item; or (adj) a particular item chosen for a particular reason

I need to know the specifics of the operation before I can choose to go through with it.

What specific types of flowers do you like?

VocabularyWeek 19

SAT Words

superficial -- (adj) shallow, lacking in depth

If you only care about a person’s appearance, you must be superficial, because you ignore the deeper part of a person’s identity.

superfluous -- (adj) extra, more than enough, redundant

Any further explanation is superfluous and I have heard it all before.

suppress -- (v) to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of information

Literacy tests were ways to suppress African-American voting in the Jim Crow era South.

surreptitious -- (adj) secret, stealthy

Hiding laws inside bills for other laws is surreptitious and a sneaky way to get legislation you want enacted into law.

tactful -- (adj) considerate, skillful in acting to avoid offense to others

Please be tactful when discussing cancer around her because her father recently died of pancreatic cancer.

Academic Vocabulary

summarize -- (v) to describe briefly

Rather than giving me every detail of the book, please summarize the plot.

summary -- (n) a brief description

My summary explains the events of the Bible in one page.

synonym -- (n) a word with similar or same meaning

A synonym for happy is glad.

technique -- (n) a way or style of completing a task

What technique will you use in painting: quick blots of paint or long and smooth brushstrokes?

tertiary -- (adj) third

The tertiary goal of education is making friends.

VocabularyWeek 20

SAT Words

tenacious -- (adj) determined, keeping a firm grip on

She was tenacious in her attempt to make it to the front; from the second to last row, she pushed and squeezed through people until she made it to the stage.

transient -- (adj) temporary, short-lived, fleeting

Harry’s relationship with Cho was transient, as his feelings for Ginny proved much more stable and long-lasting.

venerable -- (adj) respected because of age

Albus Dumbledore was a venerable figure, well-respected for his wisdom and experience.

vindicate -- (v) to clear from blame or suspicion

When the Chamber of Secrets was reopened and he saved the day, Harry was vindicated to some of his classmates who had earlier accused him of being the heir of Slytherin.

wary -- (adj) careful, cautious

Be wary of all people who send you emails saying that you’ve won a large sum of money; it is a scam!

Academic Vocabulary

theorize-- (adj) To propose a theory about

I do not want to listen to you theorize; I want you to take action!

theory -- (n) Statements meant to explain a specific group of facts or phenomena

I have a theory that if we all backed out of our plans with her, she would finally change her mean behavior.

thesis -- (n) statement of belief; argument

The thesis of my paper is that literacy is important, no matter how it has been devalued publicly.

trace -- (v) to outline

Please trace the author’s argument, reasoning, and conclusion in the selection.

visualize -- (v) to see in one’s mind

To succeed, you should visualize yourself completing the task and doing it well.