Unit 11A Vocabulary Words

Allude(uh-lude)(verb): to refer to casually or indirectly, to hint at

In his speech, the candidate alluded to his opponent’s lack of military experience.

Clairvoyant(clair-voy-int)(adj): having psychic powers (noun) someone who possesses or claims to possess psychic powers.

The police sometimes use clairvoyants to help them solve difficult missing-persons cases.

Conclusive(cun-clue-siv)(adj): having a conclusion; serving to prove or settle an issue; final

We have conclusive evidence to prove his innocence.

Disreputable(diss-rep-you-tuh-bull)(adj): not respectable, not esteemed; having a poor reputation

Supermarket tabloids frequently publish stories about the disreputable behavior of celebrities.

Endemic(in-dem-ick)(adj): regularly found among particular people or in a certain area; typical

Scientists have yet to identify many plant and aminal species endemic to the rain forests.

Exemplary(ex-emp-luh-ree)(adj): worthy of imitation, commendable; serving as a prime model

The Medal of Freedom is awarded to U.S. civilians for exemplary achievements.

Fathom(fa-thum)(verb): to understand, get to the bottom of

It is sometimes difficult to fathom the motives behind another person’s actions.

Guile(guy-uhl)(noun): insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity.

It takes guile to be able to do some of the terrible things that criminals do.

Integrity(in-teg-rit-ee)(noun): honesty, high moral standards

It often takes integrity to do the right thing.

Itinerary(eye-tin-er-air-ee)(noun): a detailed plan for a journey; a guidebook

Tour companies provide potential customers with detailed itineraries of trips they offer.

Misconstrue(verb): to interpret wrongly, to misunderstand the meaning of something

Young children sometimes misconstrue their parents’ motives.

Obnoxious(adj): highly offensive, annoying, extremely unpleasant

The entire class was disrupted by his obnoxious behavior.

Placate (play-cate)(verb): to make someone less angry and hostile; to soothe, pacify

We amended some of the game’s rules in order to placate those who didn’t agree with them.

Placid(adj): calm, peaceful

There was no wind to disturb the placid surface of the lake.

Plagiarism(noun): passing off or using someone else’s writing as one’s own

Stealing an author’s ideas is far more difficult to prove in court than word-for-word plagiarism.

Potent(adj): powerful; highly affective

Our military is a potent force against enemy insurgents.

Pretext(noun): a false reason, deceptive excuses

I sought some pretext for excusing myself from the weekly staff meeting that I did not want to

attend.

Protrude(verb): to stick out

Dentists use braces to correct the alignment of teeth that are crooked or that protrude from the

gums.

Stark(adj): harsh, extreme, desolate, incredibly difficult

Many young idealists find it difficult to accept the stark realities of life.

Superficial(adj): on or near the surface; shallow

A superficial analysis of a complex problem is not likely to produce a viable or long-lasting

solution.