12Th Grade Vocabulary Lists / Definitions

12th Grade Vocabulary Lists / Definitions

Week One Dates:______

Absolution (ab-sub-loo-shun)– n. the act of absolving – forgiving sin or guilt

Acrimonious (ak-ruh-moh-nee-ush)– adj. to be bitter, ill-natured animosity, esp. in speech or behavior

Baroque (buh-rohk)– adj. type of artistic style w/ bold forms & elaborate ornamentation

Bemused – adj. confused; bewildered 2. to be engrossed in thought

Capricious (kuh-prish-uhs)– adj. characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive/unpredictable

Castigate (kas-ti-geyt)– v. to inflict severe punishment on 2. to criticize severely

Dynamic – adj. powerful 2. marked by productive activity or change; active 3. forceful (a personality)

Eerie – adj. frightening because of gloominess; notably strange or mysterious (baffling)

Egoist – n. a believer in egoism (doctrine that all elements of knowledge are in the ego (self) and its relations) 2. an egocentric or egotistic person

Innuendo (in-yoo-en-doh)– n. an insinuation, hint, esp. a reflection on character or reputation

Insipid – adj. tasteless 2. lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge; dull

Longevity – n. a long duration of an individual life; length of life

Lugubrious (loo-goo-bree-uhs)– adj. mournful esp. exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful

Macabre (muh-kah-bruh or muh-kahb)– adj. having death as a subject; comprising or including a personalized representation of death 2. dwelling on gruesome

Magnanimous – adj. showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit 2. nobility of feeling and generosity of mind

Prefixes:

ambi, amb, am – around, both (ambidextrous, ambiguous)

ante – earlier, in front of, before (antecedent, antebellum)

anti, ant, anth – opposite, against (antidote, Antarctic)

arch, archi – chief, highest, extreme, most important, earlier/primitive (archbishop, architect)

Week Two Dates:______

Cupidity – n. excessive desire, esp. for wealth

Cynicism – n. a belief that all people are motivated by selfishness; distrust of others

Debacle – n. a sudden disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat

Deduction – n. a conclusion reached by logical process

Egregious (i-gree-juhs)– adj. remarkably bad or offensive

Elusory (I-loo0suh-ree)– adj. tending to elude or deceive, evasive, deceptive

Fatuous (fach-oo-uhs)– adj. smugly and unconsciously foolish, silly

Fetid – adj. having an offensive odor

Histrionic (his-tree-on-ik)– adj. of or relating to actors or acting 2. excessively dramatic or emotional

Iconoclast – n. one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions – or one who destroys sacred images

Idealism – n. practice of envisioning things in an ideal/perfect form

Moot – adj. irrelevant 2. subject to debate, arguable v. to bring up as a subject for discussion or debate

Motif – n. a recurrent thematic element in musical, artistic, or literary work

Obsequious (uhb-see-kwee-uhs)– adj. full of or exhibiting servile/submissive compliance; obedient

Obsolescent (ob-sub-les-uh-nt)– adj. becoming outdated – no longer in use or effect

Suffixes:

able, ible – capable, worthy of an action, given to a specified state or action (breakable, audible)

ary – of or relating to, relates or connected with (voluntary, disciplinary)

an, ane – of or relating to, belonging to, resembling (American, humane)

esque – in the manner of, resembling (picturesque, statuesque)

Week Three Dates:______

Apathetic – adj. to show a lack of interest or concern – esp. in important matters

Aphorism (af-uh-riz-uhm)– n. a brief statement of principle

Aplomb (uh-plom)– n. self-confidence, poise

Bizarre – adj. strikingly unconventional in style or appearance, odd

Blasé (blah-zey)– adj. uninterested or bored 2. very sophisticated

Expunge – v. to erase or strike out

Extant (ek-stuh-nt or ik-stant)– adj. still in existence; not destroyed, lost or extinct

Gauche (gohsh)– adj. lacking social polish, tactless

Gird – v. to encircle or fasten w/ a belt or band 2. to surround

Intransigent (in-tran-si-juhnt)– adj. refusing to compromise a position, esp. in an extreme one

Intrinsic – adj. relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent

Linguistic – adj. The nature and structure of human speech

Loathe – v. to dislike greatly

Paragon – n. a model of excellence or perfection

Pariah (puh-rahy-uh)– n. a social outcast

Roots:

ag, act, ig – carry on, do, drive, conduct (reaction, pedagogue, agency)

ali, allo, alle – other (alibi, alias, alienate)

ambul – walk (ambulance, preamble, amble)

am, amo, ama – love (enamoured, amicable)

Week Four Dates:______

Desultory (des-uhl-tohr-ee)– adj. without purpose or intent; aimless

Diatribe – n. a bitter, abusive denunciation – lecture

Empirical – adj. based on observation or experiment; based on practical experience, not theory

Enhance – v. to make greater in value, reputation, or usefulness

Ephemeral (i-fem-er-uhl)– adj. lasting for a brief time, fleeting, evanescent (fading)

Impute – v. to charge with the fault or responsibility for; to attribute, credit

Inadvertence – n. the state of not being attentive at the right time 2. unintentional

Kismet (kiz-met)– n. fate, fortune

Largess (lahr-jes or lahr-jis)– n. liberality in giving 2. money or gifts bestowed

Pertinacious – adj. holding firmly to a purpose, opinion, or course of action 2. stubbornly persistent

Phlegmatic (fleg-mat-ik)– adj. having or suggesting a calm temperament; unemotional

Repute (ri-pyoot)– v. consider; suppose n. reputation; esteem

Retrench – v. to cut down; reduce

Seethe – v. to churn and form as if boiling 2. to be violently agitated

Sententious (sen-ten-shuhs)– adj. terse and energetic in expression; precise and meaningful 2. given to pompous moralizing; self-righteous

Prefixes:

com, col, cor, con – with, together, jointly (combine, compress)

hetero – another, different (heterogeneous, heterosexual)

hyper – over, above, excessive (hyperbole, hypertension)

hypo – under, beneath, below (hypodermic, hypothermia)

Week Five Dates:______

Apostasy (uh-pos-tuh-see)– n. abandonment of one’s religious faith, political party, or cause

Apothegm (ap-uh-them)– n. a proverb (short saying in wide spread use that expresses a basic truth); maxim- short, sometimes witty

Bombastic – adj. pompous or pretentious speech or writing

Bourgeois (boor-zhurah)– n. one belonging to the middle class

Condign (kuhn-dahyn)– adj. deserved; adequate; well-deserved

Condone – v. to overlook, forgive, or disregard offense w/out protest

Inviolate – adj. not violated- to break, disregard law or assault; undisturbed, untouched

Irascible (i-ras-uh-buhl)– adj. prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered

Nullify – v. to make null (invalid, no consequence)

Nurture – n. upbringing; rearing v. to feed, educate, care for

Obloquy (ob-lub-kwee)– n. abusively detractive language 2. disgrace; ill repute

Quixotic (kwik-sot-ik)– adj. Idealistic or romantic w/out regard to practicality; impulsive

Raillery (rey-luh-ree)– n. good-natured teasing or ridicule; banter

Symbolism – n. the representation of things by means of symbols

Synchronism – n. occurring or causing to occur at the same time

Suffixes:

ferous – bearing, producing, giving (coniferous, pestiferous)

fold – times multiplied by (trifold, tenfold)

ful – characterized by, full (careful, dreadful, meaningful)

ial – of, or pertaining to (editorial, tutorial, celestial)

Week Six Dates:______

Oligarchy (ol-i-gahr-kee)– n. government by a few 2. those who make up that government

Opaque (oh-peyk)– adj. impenetrable by light 2. not reflecting light, dull

Phoenix – n. a bird in Egyptian mythology that consumed itself by fire and rose and renewed from its ashes 2. a thing or person w/ unsurpassed excellence and beauty

Pinnacle – n. the highest point 2. a tall pointed formation

Rebuff – v. to reject bluntly, snub – to repel

Recalcitrant (ri-cal-ci-trant)– adj. stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or guidance

Sully – v. to mar the cleanness of 2. to defile; taint

Supplant – v. to take the place of; supercede

Turgid (tur-jid)– adj. excessively ornate or complex

Tyro (tahy-roh)– n. a beginner

Untoward – adj. not favorable 2. hard to control, unruly

Utilitarian (yoo-til-I-tair-ee-uhn)– adj. of or in the interests of utility (usefulness/public services) n. person who believes greatest actions should be done for the whole, not individual

Votary – n. one bound by religious vows 2. one who is very devoted to a leader, activity or ideal

Writhe (rayth or rahyth)– v. to twist or squirm, as in pain

Zenith – n. the upper region of the sky 2. the point of culmination

Roots:

alter – another, the other (alternate, alteration)

cad, cas, cid – fall (cadence, causality, accident)

ced, ceed, cess – yield, go, proceed (excessive, proceed, successful, procedure)

cap, capt – head (captain, decapitate)

Week Seven Dates:______

Actuated – v. to have put in motion or action

Adamant – adj. unyielding; impervious (incapable of being affected) to pleas or reason

Bacchanal (bak-uh-nahl)– n. a drunken or riotous celebration

Caprice (kuh-prees)– n. an impulsive change of mind; frequently done

Deleterious (del-i-teer-ee-uhs)– adj. harmful; injurious

Demur (de-mir)– v. to voice opposition; object

Epitome (i-pit-uh-mee) – n. a perfect example of its kind

Equanimity (ee-kwuh-nim-i-tee)– n. calmness, composure

Fetish – n. an obsessive attachment 2. an object of excessive attention or reverence

Fiat (fee-aht or fahy-uht)– n. an arbitrary order of decree

Intuition – n. sharp insight; impression; to know w/ instinct

Inveigle (in-vey-guhl)– v. to win over or lead astray by deception; obtain by deception or flattery

Unctuous (uhngk-choo-uhs)– adj. marked by affected; exaggerated, or insincere earnestness 2. greasy, oily

Unison – n. speaking or acting at the same time 2. in agreement

Vantage – n. an advantage in competition or conflict 2. a strategic position that provides superiority

Prefixes:

inter – between among, mutually (interact, intercourse, international)

intra – within, inside (intramural, intrastate)

intro – within, inward (introduction, introduce, introspect)

mal, male – bad, ill, evil (malcontent, malicious)

Week Eight Dates:______

Attenuate (uh-ten-yoo-eyt)– v. to make or become thin or small 2. to weaken

Autonomous – adj. not controlled by others; independent 2. self-governing

Disdainful – adj. showing scorn; distain; thinking one is beneath thyself

Dispassionate – adj. not influenced by emotion or bias

Obsolete – adj. no longer in use or in effect; outdated

Obviate (ob-vee-eyt)– v. to anticipate and prevent or eliminate by effective measures

Primeval (prahy-mee-vuhl)– adj. belonging to the first or earliest of ages; original

Primordial – adj. being or happening first in sequence of time; original

Ribald (rib-uhld)– adj. marked by vulgar, lewd humor n. a person w/ that humor

Rococo (ruh-koh-koh)– adj. overly elaborate or complicated n. art type, esp. architecture & decorative w/ fancy ornamentation

Sanctify – v. to set apart for sacred use; consecrate 2. to make holy; purify

Tenure – n. the holding of something as in office or real estate 2. status of holding a position on a permanent basis

Titanic – adj. of enormous size or strength; colossal

Vent – n. a means to escape or release; outlet v. to give expression to; to release through an opening

Versatile – adj. capable of doing many things competently 2. having varied uses or functions

Suffixes:

ic, ical – pertaining to, belonging to, of (magical, angelic, theoretical)

ious – full of (ambitious, religious)

ish – characteristic of (foolish, girlish, Irish)

ive – having the nature of, tending to (abusive, active, creative)

Week Nine Dates:______

Assuage (uh-sweyj)– v. to make less severe; ease 2. to satisfy

Atavistic (at-uh-vis-tik)– adj. return of a trait/behavior after a period of absence

Causal (kaw-zuhl)– adj. of, constituting, or implying a cause

Celibate - adj. abstaining from sexual intercourse, esp. by reason of religious vows 2. unmarried

Dormant – adj. In a state resembling sleep 2. temporarily inactive

Duality (doo-al-i-tee)– n. having two parts; double 2. having a double character or purpose

Equivocal (ih-kwiv-uh-kuh)– adj. ambiguous (open to more than one interpretation) 2. questionable or inconclusive

Gross – adj. The total 2. glaringly obvious (gross injustice) 3. disgusting

Halcyon (hal-see-uhn)– adj. calm and peaceful 2. prosperous; golden (halcyon years)

Hedonist (heed-n-ist)– n. one who is in pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, believes that only what is pleasant is intrinsically good

Intelligentsia (in-tel-I-jent-see-uh)– n. the intellectual elite of a society

Introspective – adj. To contemplate one’s own thought and feelings; self-examine

Opportunist – n. one who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve and end, often w/ no regard for principles or consequences

Ostracize – v. to banish or exclude from a group

Paean (pee-uhn)– n. a song of joyful praise of exultation (great rejoice/triump)

Roots:

corp, corps, corpor – body (corporation, corpse, incorporate)

cred, creed – believe (credit, incredible, creed)

crux, cruc – a cross (crucify, crucible, crucial)

dem, demo – people (democratic, epidemic)

Week Ten Dates:______

Hiatus (hahy-ey-tuhs)– n. a gap or an interruption in apace, time, continuity; break

Hierarchy – n. a body of persons having authority 2. an arrangement in rank or ability

Imagery – n. mental images 2. the use of vivid language to represent objects, actions, or ideas

Nimbus – n. a radiant light usu. in the form of a halo in a representation as a deity of saint

Nomadic – adj. people who have no fixed home and move from place to place

Palliative (pal-ee-uh-tiv)– adj. relieve/soothe symptoms of a disease w/out affecting a cure 2. to make an offense or crime seem less serious

Plagiarize – v. to use and pass of as one’s own (ideas/writings) of another

Platitude (plat-i-tood)– n. a trite (overused/commonplace) remark or idea

Plenitude – n. an abundance; fullness

Temerity (tuh-mer-i-tee)– n. audacity; nerve

Tenable – adj. defensible (a tenable theory)

Ultimate – adj. greatest, extreme 2. eventual 3. fundamental

Umbrage – n. offense; resentment (took umbrage at their rudeness) 2. shadow or shade

Volatile – adj. varying often; inconstant, fickle 2. tending to violence; explosive

Voluble – adj. marked by a ready flow of speech; fluent

Prefixes:

para – beyond, beside, contrary to (parody, parable)

per – through, thoroughly (perceive, perception)

poly – many (polygon, polygamy)

post – after, behind (postnatal, postscript, post-bellum)

Week Eleven Dates:______

Insouciance (in-soo-see-uhns)– n. being carefree, light-hearted, unconcerned

Integrate – v. to make whole; unify 2.open to people of all different races, groups, w/out restriction

Miscellany – n. a collection of various items or ingredients

Motivate – v. to provide w/ an incentive; move to action

Nadir (ney-der)– n. a point opposite the zenith (upper region of the sky) 2. the lowest point

Nemesis – n. a source of downfall or ruin 2. an unbeatable foe; an avenger

Pungent – adj. having a sharp, unpleasant taste or smell

Pusillanimous (pyoo-suh-lan-uh-muhs)– adj. lacking courage; cowardly