p15-1

Question 1

posit

Answer 1

Presume, suggest, put forward (an idea)

The researchers also posit that a similar process could have been active on Mars in the past, too.

Question 2

posthumous

Answer 2

Happening or continuing after death

Shortly after his death, Chadwick Boseman picked up a posthumous nomination at the Academy.

Question 3

potentate

Answer 3

Ruler, person of great power

As with the region’s other long-serving potentates, stability has been a cornerstone of Mr. Rohman’s political image.

Question 4

prattle

Answer 4

Talk in an idle, simple-minded, meaningless, or foolish way; chatter, babble

Lots of people can prattle on about football on TV, but the extreme upper echelon — the polished storytellers entrusted by the networks to call those premier national games — is wafer thin.

Question 5

pre-empt

Answer 5

Prevent; take the place of, supplant; take before someone else can

Cybersecurity investments must keep pace to protect and preempt the increasingly sophisticated threats in both the public and private sectors.

Question 6

preamble

Answer 6

preface, an introductory statement, especially : the introductory part of a constitution or statute that usually states the reasons for and intent of the law

Lawyers and allied legal professionals should refresh their recollections of professional purpose by reviewing the preamble to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct.

Question 7

precarious

Answer 7

Unstable, insecure, dangerous

… forced to earn a precarious living as a door-to-door salesman.
Reedus’ already precarious position was certainly exacerbated by his rough and tumble medical history.

Question 8

precipitate

Answer 8

Cause to happen suddenly or prematurely; to throw violently

The budget problem was precipitated by many unexpected costs.

Question 9

précis

Answer 9

a concise summary

a précis of the bill that the legislature is currently considering

Question 10

predilection

Answer 10

Preference, tendency or favorability towards

The predilection of certain upper-class Englishmen toward eccentricity and playacting lent itself well to this endeavor.

Question 11

predispose

Answer 11

make someone liable or inclined to a specified attitude, action, or condition

lack of exercise may predispose an individual to high blood pressure.
Past experiences have predisposed her to distrust people.

Question 12

prescient

Answer 12

Having foreknowledge or foresight, seeing the future

Those who read it now for the first time will no doubt marvel at the author’s prescience and his seeming foreknowledge of global events surrounding Russia and Ukraine

Question 13

presumptive

Answer 13

Based on inference or assumption; providing reasonable grounds for belief

The map below tracks presumptive positive and confirmed cases of the new coronavirus
As the best players on the league’s top teams, the two are presumptive early favorites for MVP

Question 14

presumptuous

Answer 14

Too bold or forward; going beyond that which is proper

Moving to Washington, the Clarks lived in a Hotel as they felt buying a new home might appear presumptuous
it’s a little presumptuous of you to assume that I’m your new best friend just because I invited you along

Question 15

preternatural

Answer 15

Supernatural, exceptional; exceeding what is natural or regular

Born into a musical family, his preternatural gifts earned him a following as a teenager.

Question 16

prevaricate

Answer 16

Stray from the truth, mislead, lie

When an administration prevaricates on climate change, the effects won’t be felt for years, and even then will be hard to parse.
Until disclosures are made mandatory, companies are likely to prevaricate.

Question 17

primacy

Answer 17

The state of being first or most important

Civil law took primacy over religious law.
And the desire to project U.S. military primacy at all costs led to arms races, militarism, and questionable commitments abroad.

Question 18

pristine

Answer 18

In an original, pure state; uncorrupted

Travelers will immediately be blown away by its pristine waters and stone walls left behind from old fishermen’s cottages.

Question 19

probity

Answer 19

Honesty, integrity

a person of indisputable probity must head the disciplinary panel
The building under construction is controversial because of environmental impact and questions over financial probity

Question 20

proclivity

Answer 20

Inclination, natural tendency

The new act should focus on mental health care – working with the individual, their family, and their educators to overcome any proclivity for violence.
There is no natural proclivity by either gender to lie.

Question 21

prodigal

Answer 21

Wasteful, extravagant; giving abundantly, lavish

The prodigal oligarch Roman Abramovich has tried his hand–in an opaque context–to work diplomatic magic, to ostensibly push for an end to the war.

Question 22

prodigious

Answer 22

Extraordinarily large, impressive, etc.

Dunn’s operations made prodigious returns, selling seven oil fields to different energy companies

Question 23

profligate

Answer 23

Completely and shamelessly immoral, or extremely wasteful

After years of profligate spending, the city had dwindling tax revenues and huge budget deficits

Question 24

profound

Answer 24

Very insightful, penetrating deeply into a subject; pervasive, intense, “down to the very bottom”; at the very bottom

Question 25

profuse

Answer 25

Abundant, extravagant, giving or given freely

The flowers were so profuse they could be seen from space.
Common symptoms include unexplained rapid weight loss, profuse coughing, night sweats and fever.

Question 26

proliferate

Answer 26

Increase or spread rapidly or excessively

Question 27

prolix

Answer 27

Excessively long and wordy (of a person, piece of writing, etc.)

The speech was unnecessarily prolix.
a person known for habitually transforming brief anecdotes into prolix sagas that exhaust their listeners

Question 28

propagate

Answer 28

Reproduce, spread, increase

Billions of signals independently and simultaneously propagate through the entire brain across the massive network of 85 billion neurons.
The presentations have enjoyed robust media coverage, and the spread over multiple weeks has allowed the revelations and stories to propagate and sink in.

Question 29

propensity

Answer 29

Natural inclination or tendency

Other researches are exploring how the adolescent propensity for uninhibited risk-taking propels teens to experiment with drugs and alcohol.
Racial or ethnic groups do sometimes have a greater propensity for certain health problems.

Question 30

propitiate

Answer 30

Attempt to reconcile with, satisfy, or reduce the animosity of (a person who is angry, offended, etc.)

the temple was once the site of sacrifices—both to honor the gods in times of plenty and to propitiate them in times of trouble