1. Word: Abdicate
Definition: to step down from a position of power Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: After details of the political scandal were revealed, public pressure caused the mayor to abdicate his position.

2. Word: Adverse
Definition: unfavorable, disadvantageous Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The team prevailed to win the game despite the adverse conditions of ice and snow.

3. Word: Assiduous
Definition: hardworking, diligent Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Allen’s assiduous nature and attention to detail led him to never miss a homework assignment.

4. Word: Brawn
Definition: physical strength Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Many body builders pride themselves on their weight lifting abilities and sheer brawn.

5. Word: Collusion
Definition: conspiracy, secret cooperation Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The three high level executives were accused of collusion; they were caught stealing from the company in an elaborate scheme.

6. Credulous Definition: eager to believe, gullible
Part of Speech: adjective
Example Sentence:
The credulous girl easily believed her friend when he said that pigs really could fly.

7. Word: Desultory
Definition: lacking a plan, purpose or enthusiasm Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Karen’s teacher tried to have a talk with her about her desultory attitude toward life after high school graduation.

8. Word: Eminent
Definition: well-known and respected Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Chris Martin of Coldplay is an eminent musician who has won several Grammy awards.

9. Word: Facile
Definition: skillful, easy Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Bill is a facile reader. He can pick up pretty much any book and read it without difficulty.

10. Word: Gregarious
Definition: sociable Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: Gregarious people enjoy socializing with others.

11. Word: Indigent
Definition: poor Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The stock market crash left many families indigent and struggling to make ends meet.

12. Word: Litigate
Definition: to go to court Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The couple getting divorced tried not to litigate, but they could not figure out their differences on their own.

13. Word: Myriad
Definition: a large number Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Due to his good grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities in high school, Doug had myriad college acceptances from which to choose.

14. Word: Paucity
Definition: scarcity Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: McCandless’s death was caused in part by a paucity of food. He didn’t have enough and died of starvation.

15. Word: PRISTINE
Definition: unspoiled, pure Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: The natural lake and surrounding trees created a pristine view.

16. Word: RECANT
Definition: to publicly take back Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: After making racist comments, the politician had to recant his statements due to public pressure.

17. Word: Rustic
Definition: simple, rural Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: The cabin in the woods, which lacked cable and internet, had a rustic feel.

18. Word: Stratum
Definition: level Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Gatsby moved from a lower stratum of society to a higher one when he made all his money and moved to West Egg. Layers of sedimentary rock makeup various strata at the Earth’s core.

19. Word: Temperate
Definition: moderate Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The temperate weather on the island was perfect. It was neither too hot nor too cold.

20. Word: Urbane
Definition: poised, sophisticated Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The company’s CEO led a very urbane life, traveling around the world and owning the latest technological toys.

21. Word: Abnegate
Definition: to deny oneself, to reject Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: She abnegated the ice cream in order to keep her preparations for the Olympic swim team on track.

22. Word: Affinity
Definition: attraction, natural liking/sympathy Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Certain breeds of dogs have an affinity for hunting; it’s almost as if it’s in their blood.

23. Word: Atrophy
Definition: to waste away Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: After being in a cast for six months, the muscles in my leg atrophied due to a lack of use.

24. Word: Bucolic
Definition: country-like, charmingly rural Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The sprawling landscape of farmland and trees painted a bucolic picture of nature at it’s best.

25. Word: Complacent
Definition: overly self-satisfied Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Lisa is very complacent and often stops working when she finishes her work without really checking it over and pushing herself to improve it to the best it can be.

26. Culminate
Definition: to reach the high point or the most important part
Part of Speech: verb
Example Sentence:
Our To Kill a Mockingbird unit culminates in a writing assignment on the book.

27. Word: Didactic
Definition: intended to teach, morally instructive Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Olivia speaks in a very didactic manner, which annoys everyone because she thinks she always knows what’s right and what other people should do.

28. Word: Endemic
Definition: native, particular to a certain region Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The plant is endemic to the Northeastern region.

29. Word: FRENETIC
Definition: frantic Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: There was a lot of frenetic activity on the office, but nothing ever seemed to get accomplished.

30. Word: Harbinger
Definition: a signal Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Warm weather is a harbinger of spring.

31. Word: Inevitable
Definition: certain to happen, unavoidable Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The coming of winter in Boston is inevitable. Finals are an inevitable part of the end of the year.

32. Word: Machination
Definition: activity schemed for an evil purpose Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The machinations of the troublemaking students were supposed to cause chaos in the school before one of the teachers caught them before they could do anything.

33. Word: Neologism
Definition: study of new words Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The whole point of vocabulary tests and quizzes is to expose students to neologism, but most students argue that they know enough words.

34. Word: Pejorative
Definition: negative, disparaging Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The teacher’s mean comments were pejorative and uncalled for.

35. Word: Profane
Definition: irreverent, disrespectful Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The student got in trouble for writing on the bathroom walls and using profane language.

36. Word: Recondite
Definition: hard to understand, over one’s head Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: The joke he cracked was recondite. Nobody laughed because it went over their heads.

37. Word: Saccharine
Definition: excessively sweet Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: The student’s saccharine comments came off as insincere. It was clear she was trying to use flattery to get an A. I do not like the saccharine taste of frosting.

38. Word: Stringent
Definition: strict Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The stringent classroom rules prevented students from misbehaving.

39. Word: Tenacious
Definition: persistent Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The athlete’s tenacious attitude led him to never give up and always keep trying.

40. Word: Vacillate
Definition: to be indecisive, to waver Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: George vacillated between taking a year off to travel after high school or going straight to college.

41. Word: Absolve
Definition: to free/forgive from blame Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Layla’s sincere apology to her family absolved her from her wrongdoings.

42. Word: Agnostic
Definition: one who believes the existence of a god can be neither proven nor disproven Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Sally discussed her agnostic views about the existence of a god with her friends who wanted to know whether or not she believed in one.

43. Word: Attrition
Definition: a gradual reduction Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The college has a high attrition rate from freshmen to senior year because many people are unsatisfied with the school and transfer over the four years.

44. Word: Cacophony
Definition: a harsh mixture of sounds Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The class could not hear the teacher over the cacophony of sounds coming from the unpracticed band in the room next door.

45. Word: Comprise
Definition: to consist of Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The school is comprised of students from Norfolk, Wrentham, and Plainville.

46. Cynic Definition: a person who deeply distrusts humans and humanity
Part of Speech: noun
Example Sentence:
After Alex Rodriquez made a large donation, cynics claimed it was to improve his reputation.

47. Word: Discreet
Definition: cautious, careful Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Harry is a good person to tell a secret to because he is discreet about what he says regarding other people.

48. Word: Enigma
Definition: mystery, something that is hard to figure out Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Joan is an enigma. It is hard to figure out what she thinks and feels about things going on around her.

49. Word: FATALIST
Definition: someone who believes that humans have no power over what happens Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Kayla is a fatalist. She believes that she can do nothing to change what will happen to her.

50. Word: Heed
Definition: to pay attention to Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The family wanted to go swimming but heeded the warning that the tide was dangerous and decided to go another day.

51. Word: Infamous
Definition: disgraceful, known for a bad reputation Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Whitey Bulger is an infamous member of organized crime in Boston.

52. Word: Malfeasance
Definition: an illegal act (usually by a public official) Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Rumors that the senator engaged in bribery with the government’s money spread like wildfire. His alleged malfeasance caused an uproar in the state.

53. Word: Nostalgia
Definition: sentimental longing Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Going back to BC football games gives me a sense of nostalgia for my college days.

54. Word: PEREMPTORY
Definition: final, dictatorial Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: Final exam grades are peremptory; they cannot be changed.

55. Word: Profound
Definition: deep Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Kevin’s profound and thoughtful comments during class discussion showed his understanding of the book.

56. Word: Refute
Definition: to disprove/prove to be false Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Nobody can refute that Johnny Gaudreau of the BC Eagles was one of the best college hockey players. He won the Hobey Baker award and went on to play for the Calgary Flames.

57. Word: Salient
Definition: notable, important, main Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: Writing and reading are two salient skills with which school should equip students.

58. Word: Subordinate
Definition: lower in rank Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The army general gives orders to his lower ranking, subordinate soldiers.

59. Word: Tenet
Definition: shared principle or belief Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Vegetarians promote the tenet that one should not eat meat. Ms. Nerlino’s students profess the tenet that Trippy is the best dog.

60. Word: Venerate
Definition: to honor/respect Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The awards banquet venerated athletes who also did well in school.