#56 machination ~ matriculate Flashcards
machination
/ˌmækəˈneɪʃən/
n. scheming activity for an evil purpose
This word is almost always used in the plural - machinations - in which form it means the same thing.
- The ruthless machinations of the mobsters left a trail of blood and bodies.
- The machinations of the conspirators were aimed at nothing less than the overthrow of the government.
magnanimous
/mægˈnænəməs/
adj. forgiving; unresentful; noble in spirit; generous
- The boxer was magnanimous in defeat, telling the sports reporters that his opponent had simply been too talented for him to beat.
- Mrs. Jones magnanimously offered the little boy a cookie when he came over to confess hat he had accidentally broken her window while playing baseball.
To be magnanimous is to have magnanimity (/ˌmægnəˈnɪmɪti/).
- The magnanimity of the conquering general was much appreciated by the defeated soldiers.
magnate
/ˈmægneɪt, -nɪt/
n. a rich, powerful, or very successful businessperson
- John D. Rockefeller was a magnate who was never too cheap to give a shoeshine boy a dime for his troubles.
malaise
/mæˈleɪz, -mə-; French maˈlɛz/
n. a feeling of depression, uneasiness, or queasiness
- Malaise descended on the calculus class when th teacher announced a quiz.
malfeasance
/mælˈfizəns/
n. a n illegal act, esp. by a public official
- President Ford officially pardoned former president Nixon before the latter could be convicted of any malfeasance.
malignant
/məˈlɪgnənt/
adj. causing harm
- Lina has had recurring tumors since the operation; we’re just glad that none of them have proved malignant.
malinger
/məˈlɪŋgər/
v. to pretend to be sick to avoid doing work
- Indolent Leon always malingered when it was his turn to clean up the house.
- Arthur is artful, and he always manages to malinger before a big exam.
malleable
/ˈmæliəbəl/
adj. easy to shape or bend
- Modeling clay is very malleable. So is Stuart. We can make him do whatever we want him to do.
mandate
/ˈmændeɪt/
n. a command or authorization to do sth.; the will of the voters as expressed by the results of an election
- Our mandate from the executive committee was to find the answer to the problem as quickly as possible.
- The newly elected president felt that the landslide vote had given him a mandate to do whatever he wanted to do.
Mandate can also be a verb. To mandate sth. is to command or require it.
mandatory
/ˈmændəˌtɔri, -ˌtoʊri/
adj. required or obligatory
manifest (n.)
/ˈmænəˌfɛst/
adj. visible; evident
- Daryl’s anger at us was manifest: You could see it in his expression and hear it in his voice.
- There is a manifest danger in riding a pogo stick along the edge of a cliff.
manifest (v.)
/ˈmænəˌfɛst/
v. to show; to make visible; to make evident
- Lee has been sick for a very long time, but it was only recently that he began to manifest symptoms.
- Rebecca manifested alarm wen we told her that the end of her ponytail was dipped into the bucket of paint.
manifestation
/ˌmænəfəˈsteɪʃən, -fɛ-/
n. a visible sign
- A lack of comfort and luxury is the most obvious manifestation of poverty.
manifesto
/ˌmænəˈfɛstoʊ/
n. a public declaration of beliefs or principles, usually political ones
The Communist Manifesto was a document that spelled out Karl Marx’s vision of a Communist world.
- Jim’s article about the election was less a piece of reporting than a manifesto of his political views.
marshal
/ˈmɑrʃəl/
v. to arrange in order; to gather together for the purpose of doing sth.
- The statistician marshaled his facts numerous times before making his presentation.
- The general marshaled his troops in anticipation of making an attack on the enemy fortress.
- We marshaled half a dozen local groups in opposition to they city council’s plan to bulldoze our neighborhood.
