Amnesty (n.) a general pardon for an offense against a gov’t; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution. Synonyms: pardon, excuse The president pardoned the man after breaking the law.

Autonomy (n.) self-governed; political control Synonyms: home rule Antonyms: Subjection, dependency The Soviet government refused to grant its territories autonomy.

Axiomatic (adj.) self-evident; expressing a universally accepted principle rule Synonyms: Taken for granted Antonyms: questionable, dubious, controversial The idea and act of paying taxes is axiomatic.

Blazon (v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or claim widely Synonyms: Broadcast, trumpet Antonyms: hide, conceal, cover up, bury The television network will blazon the game- winning hit on every channel it owns.

Caveat (n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior Synonyms: admonition, word to the wise If it wasn’t for my teacher’s caveat about material that would be on the test, I would have failed miserably.

Equitable (adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice Synonyms: right, reasonable, even- headed Antonyms: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate Although most teachers should be equitable, some students think that there are few that are unfair, and always out go “get” them.

Extricate (v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort. Synonyms: disentangle, extract, disengage Antonyms: enmesh, entangle, involve Regardless of how hard a fish may try to extricate itself from a fisher’s net, they stand no chance.

Filch (v.) to steal, especially in a sneak way and in petty amounts Synonyms: pilfer, purloin, swipe The deceiving girl often filched from her friends, losing their trust.

Flout (v.) to mock, treat with contempt Synonyms: scoff at, sneer at, snicker at, scorn Antonyms: obey, honor, revere, uphold Even though some people think it’s harmless to jokingly flout their friends for a silly remark, others may take offense to it.

Fractious (adj.) tending to be troublesome, unruly, quarrelsome; unpredictable Synonyms: Refractory, peevish Antonyms: Docile, cooperative The little boy became somewhat fractious after he had a cup of coffee.

Precept (n.) a rule of conduct or action Synonyms: principle, maxim It is a long-standing precept that The Golden Rule is a precept among people in the workplace and at school.

Salutary (adj.) beneficial, helpful, healthful, wholesome Synonyms: salubrious, curative Antonyms: detrimental, deleterious, pernicious Drinking the vegetable juice had a salutary effect on my health.

Scathing (adj.) bitterly severe, withering, causing great harm Synonyms: searing, harsh, ferocious, savage Antonyms: bland, mild Eating McDonald’s every day had a nasty, scathing effect on his health.

Scourge (v.) to whip, punish severely (n.) a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism Synonyms: v. flog, beat n. bane, plague, pestilence Antonyms: n. godsend, boon, blessing v. If you don’t do your homework, teachers will scourge you when it’s due. n. Our scourge of a coach was furious when we lost the ten- point lead.

Sepulchral (adj.) funeral, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal. Synonyms: doleful, lugubrious, mortuary Antonyms: happy, joyous After the boy got home from school, his mother told him in a very sepulchral voice that his dog ran away.

Soporific (adj.) tending to cause sleep; relating to sleepiness or lethargy (n.) something that induces sleep Synonyms: n. narcotic, anesthetic Antonyms: adj. stimulating n. stimulant, stimulus adj. Even though I was watching an action movie, it was soporific and I fell asleep halfway through. n. When I was little, watching cartoons served as a soporific; it always helped me fall asleep.

Straitlaced (adj.) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical Synonyms: highly conventional, overly strict, stuffy Antonyms: lax, loose, indulgent, permissive, dissolute Because of their straitlaced beliefs, the puritan community shunned Hester for her sins.

Transient (adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting (n.) one who stays only a short time Synonyms: adj. impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent Antonyms: adj. permanent, imperishable, immortal adj. My uncle was transient, as he could only stay for two nights. n. My friend, often a transient, only came over for an hour.

Unwieldy (adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity Synonyms: cumbersome, bulky, clumsy, impractical Antonyms: easy to handle, manageable The movers took the unwieldy couch up the stairs and into the apartment.

Vapid (adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force Synonyms: insipid, lifeless, colorless Antonyms: zesty, spicy, savory, colorful, lively The movie was so vapid and bland that I left the theater within the first thirty minutes.