Vocabulary 7 English 3

perjury - noun The act of swearing under oath to the truth of something that one knows to be untrue A defendant in a murder trial commits perjury when he swears he never met the murder victim before, even though he had a two-year relationship with her.

contemplation - noun The act of thinking about something long and seriously Visitors to the Holocaust Museum speak in hushed tones, and reflection and contemplation are encouraged.

unperturbed - adjective Undisturbed; calm The swimming pool glistened in the Mediterranean sun, unperturbed by swimmers.

conciliatory - adjective Trying to gain the good will of another by friendly acts If you're in a fight with a friend and you want to end it, you should make a conciliatory gesture, such as inviting her to a party you're having.

reprieve - noun Official postponement of the carrying out of a sentence For some, a night at the opera is a night of punishing boredom during which the only reprieve is the intermission.

retaliation - noun The act of repaying an injury or a wrong by committing the same or a similar act The umpires did not start the teams with warnings about hitting batters in retaliation.

adamant - adjective Completely firm and unyielding Teachers were adamant that students learn the three Rs, as well as cooking, canning, sewing and carpentry in preparation for a productive adult life.

indictment - noun A formal legal accusation, charging the commission or omission of an act, which is punishable by law To obtain an indictment, prosecutors must convince grand jurors that it's likely someone has committed a crime.

penitence - noun remorse for your past conduct Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone feels bad about it afterward, and if you’re someone who has regretted something you did, that sorrowful feeling was penitence.

purge - verb make pure or free from sin or guilt; rid of impurities The Puritans sought to purge evil from the community by getting rid of those they believed to be witches.

prevail - verb continue to exist; to win In a sloppy, ugly game, the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed because they made fewer mistakes.

excommunication - noun the act of banishing a member of a church from the communion of believers and the privileges of the church; cutting a person off from a religious society In Salem those accused of witchcraft faced excommunication.