Sunshine Vocab Day 1

Question 1

anthropology

ex: The amazon basin has long been a focus of anthropological research because of its many indigenous tribes

Answer 1

anthro(human) + -ology(study)
Def: [n] the study and comparison of human cultures
Root family: [anthro]

Question 2

construe
ex: Some opinion polls are unreliable because their biased phrasing encourages people to construe issues to conform to the ideology of the pollster

Answer 2

con-(together) + struere(to build)
Def: [v] to interpret in a particular way
Form: misconstrue = to interpret incorrectly
Root Family: [con-, co-, com-. col-] [stru, stroy, stry]

Question 3

disseminate

ex: The rumor was disseminated almost instantaneously over the Internet

Answer 3

dis-(widely) + semen(seed)
Def: [v] to cast(something, usually information) widely, as seed is scattered
Form: dissemination = the process or act of spreading information widely
Synonyms: promulgate, propagate, circulate
Root Family: [dis-] [semin]

Question 4

erudite

ex: Professor Jacoby could be engagingly erudite without seeming pompous

Answer 4

e-(not) + rudis(untrained, unwrought)
Def: [adj] having or showing great learning or knowledge
Form: Erudition = an expression of great learning or knowledge; the quality of having great learning or knowledge
Synonyms: scholarly, cerebral, learned
Root family: [rud]

Question 5

indoctrinate

ex: the parents were concerned that the guest speaker was going to indoctrinate their children

Answer 5

in(in) + docere(to teach)
Def: [v] to teach someone to accept a set of beliefs uncritically
Form: Doctrine = a set of beliefs held by a political, philosophical, or religious group
Synonyms: proselytize, inculcate, propagandize
Root Family: [in-] [doc, dox]

Question 6

insular

ex: the farming village was too insular for Madeleine, who wanted to experience the outside world

Answer 6

insula(island)
Def: [adj] isolated from cultural and intellectual influences outside one’s own experience
Form: Insularity = the quality of being culturally isolated
Root family: [insula]

Question 7

pedantic
ex: Jennifer's pedantic displays in class earned her the scorn of her classmates

Answer 7

pendante(schoolmaster) pais(child)
Def: [adj] inclined to show off one’s learning or knowledge; acting like a know-it-all
Forms: Pendant = a know-it-all; pedantry = the quality or practice of being a know-it-all
Root Family: [ped]

Question 8

perused

ex: pitifully few of the congressmen perused the bill before signing it

Answer 8

per-(thoroughly) + use(use)
Def: [v] to read thoroughly and carefully
Form: perusal = the act of reading thoroughly
Root Family: [per-]

Question 9

postulate

ex: Copernicus postulated that the simplest explanation for the planetary motion was probably the best explanation

Answer 9

Def: [v] assume the existence or truth of something as a basis for reasoning
Form: postulate(n) = an assumption made for the purpose of reasoning
Synonyms: posit, presume, hypothesize

Question 10

revelation

ex: the biography provided many interesting revelations

Answer 10

Def: [n] a fact revealed in a surprising way
Form revelatory = revealing something previously unknown
Synonym: epiphany