Definition: to exclude someone from a group (v) Sentence: In our HERO homebase, the girl’s peers ostracized when her peers left her out of their conversation.

Definition: a division into two opposite groups (n) Sentence: The novel created a dichotomy of opinions in the reading class.

Definition: belonging to the essential nature of a thing (adj) Sentence: Students must tap into their find intrinsic motivation in order to perform well academically.

Definition: the practice of giving money and time to help make life better for other people (n) Sentence: The student council’s philanthropy provides thousands of dollars of support to the community.

Definition: lacking something needed or desirable (adj) Sentence: After Hurricane Sandy, the destitute residents of Point Pleasant sought aid from the state.

Definition: causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed (adj) Sentence: The insidious work of the termites resulted in the destruction of the home’s floorboards.

Definition: an act that breaks a rule or law (n) Sentence: Plagiarism is a major infraction when crafting an essay.

Definition: not feeling or showing any concern about the problems or suffering of other people (adj) Sentence: A callous young man counted his money as he strolled past several homeless people on the streets of Philadelphia.

Definition: to prove that someone is not guilty of a crime or responsible for a problem or bad situation (v) Sentence: Thirty years after his conviction, the DNA evidence exonerated him from any fault.

Definition: Not harmful or injurious; harmless (adj) Sentence: Some seeming innocuous foods can be lethal for dogs.

Definition: The planning, implementation and coordination of the details of a business or other operation. (n) Sentence: The logistics and details for the safe transport of the panda are being finalized.

Definition: To beautify as if by ornamentation; adorn. (v) Sentence: The designer used sequins and beading to embellish his spring apparel.

Definition: Characterized by knowledge; learned or scholarly. (adj) Sentence: The professors were engaged in an erudite discussion.

Definition: Showing extreme care about minute details; precise (adj) Sentence: His meticulous organizational skills made his locker the envy of his peers.

Definition: A person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions. (n) Sentence: The cynic in her did not accept the sincerity of the teacher’s kind words.

Definition: A person who anticipated the worst or is disposed to be gloomy. (n) Sentence: When the student walked into the room with a negative attitude toward the test, the teacher responded with, “Don’t be such a pessimist!”

Definition: A person who is overly self-involved and often vain and selfish. (n) Sentence: Some narcissists take selfies while at the gym.

Definition: A feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; scorn. (n) Sentence: The parents’ disdain was apparent when they reviewed Pinnacle.

Definition: having a strong desire to do something (adj) Sentence: The detective was zealous in her pursuit of the kidnappers.

Definition: payment for a loss or damages (n) Sentence: The man had to make restitution of $1,000 for the damage that was created by the collision.

Definition: to set apart for a particular purpose (v) Sentence: Be sure to allocate enough time to finish all your homework.

Definition: formal communication in spoken or written form (n) Sentence: The newspaper editor published a thoughtful discourse on the current events.

Definition: make something new and whole out of different parts or elements (v) Sentence: The student learned to synthesize old and new ideas to form a theory.

Definition: very rushed, nervously excited (adj) Sentence: There was a frenetic rush to get every member of the cast in place before the curtain went up.

Definition: abnormally thin (adj) Sentence: The shelter nursed the emaciated dog back to health.

Definition: to warn or caution (v) Sentence: His mother admonished the young child for not looking before he crossed the street.

Definition: increasing again, or becoming popular again (adj) Sentence: After falling behind in the first half of the season standings, the team was resurgent and won the championship.

Definition: Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others (adj) Sentence: The altruistic child donated many of his toys to the salvation army.

Definition: The quality or property of being tenacious. Stubborn or persistent. (n) Sentence: The tenacity of the rock climber paid off when he reached the summit.

Definition: a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation (n) Sentence: The girl was trying to preserve a facade of a happy student after she was bullied at lunch.

Definition: to criticize sharply; reprimand (v) Sentence: The teacher did not hesitate to rebuke the misbehaving student.

Definition: obvious and noticeable (adj) Sentence: The tension between the two teams before the game was palpable.

Definition: a statement which indirectly suggests that someone has done something immoral, improper, etc. (n) Sentence: The company president refused to respond to the innuendo about fraud charges.

Definition: having complete or unlimited power (adj) Sentence: In a play, an omnipotent narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.

Definition: to take and keep (something, such as power) in a forceful or violent way and especially without the right to do so (v) Sentence: Napoleon usurped power in France in 1804 and was declared emperor.

Definition: to take something (such as a vehicle or building) by force especially for military purposes (v) Sentence: James Bond had to commandeer the hovercraft to escape the prison guards.