Vocabulary Section 2

Incredulous (adjective) (of a person or their manner) unwilling or unable to believe something. The lottery winner was incredulous and could not believe his good fortune. The bank teller gave Chris an incredulous look when he deposited a real check for $20 million.

Credence (noun) belief in or acceptance of something as true. Due to the severity of the crime, nobody in the courtroom gave any credence to the criminal’s testimony.

Culprit (noun) a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed. The police looked high and low to find the culprit responsible for the bank robbery.

Culpability (noun) responsibility for a fault or wrong; blame The criminal admitted his culpability at the trial.

Diatribe (noun) a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something. Because Shelly was unhappy with the administration, she launched a lengthy diatribe against the board during lunch. Upset about his demotion, Ed made an angry diatribe about his employer.

Contradict (verb) deny the truth of (a statement), especially by asserting the opposite. Because the professor is arrogant, he is not willing to listen to any argument that might contradict his opinions.

Confer (verb) have discussions; exchange opinions. Since the doctors are unfamiliar with her symptoms, they will confer on a diagnosis. The principal closed her office door so she could confer in private with the troubled teen.

Confide (verb) to tell someone about a secret or private matter while trusting them not to repeat it to others. I often confide my secrets to my best friend because I know she will not tell them to anyone. During his visit to the church, George decided to confide in the priest in the confessional booth.

Erroneous (adjective) wrong; incorrect. After he had spent every waking moment of the past few days researching the subject, he was understandably frustrated when he discovered that several of his sources contained erroneous information.

Facilitate (verb) make (an action or process) easy or easier. The translator will facilitate the conversation between the immigrant and the attorney.

Fallacious (adjective) based on a mistaken belief (Fallacy-noun)

Fallible (adjective) capable of making mistakes or being erroneous Even though we are all fallible to some degree, the most successful people have learned how to rise above their weaknesses. If you want to get the jury’s sympathy, you’ll need to appear at least a little fallible and not like you believe you’re above the law.

Fidelity(noun) Faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support. The company provides excellent customer service to ensure the fidelity of everyone who has ever done business with them.

Indicate (verb) point out; show. Her symptoms indicate that she, in fact, has the flu.

Indomitable (adjective) impossible to subdue (reduce) or defeat. Even when the man was stricken with cancer, he remained an indomitable force who never stopped fighting to live a normal life. Jason’s indomitable spirit gave him the strength to battle back from the crippling disease that made him bedridden.