Unit 1 Flashcards
Benediction n.
is a special prayer that asks for God’s blessings, especially the prayer that marks the end of a worship service.
1.) After the church service, the pastor said a benediction, asking God to bless and protect everyone.
2.)When Grandma finished saying the benediction, we felt peaceful and happy inside.
3.) During the benediction, I closed my eyes and silently asked for blessings for my family and friends.
“In benediction, the bene root is joined by another Latin root, dictio, “speaking” (see DICT), so the word’s meaning becomes something like “well-wishing.” Perhaps the best-known benediction is the so-called Aaronic Benediction from the Bible, which begins, “May the Lord bless you and keep you.” An important section of the Catholic Mass was traditionally known as the Benedictus, after its first word (meaning “blessed”). It was St. Benedict who organized the first Christian monasteries; many Christians have been baptized Benedict in his honor, and 16 popes have taken it as their papal name.”
Benefactor n.
A benefactor is someone who helps another person or a group, especially by giving money.
1.) We were able to build a new playground in our school thanks to a generous benefactor who donated the money.
2.)The local library was able to purchase new books and computers because of a kind benefactor who contributed a large sum of money.
3.)The children’s home received a donation from a generous benefactor, allowing them to improve the facilities and provide better care for the kids.
“A benefactor may be involved in almost any field. One may endow a scholarship fund; another may give money to expand a library; still another may leave a generous sum to a hospital in her will. The famous benefactions of John D. Rockefeller included the gifts that established the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rockefeller University. Many benefactors have reported that giving away their money turned out to be the most rewarding thing they ever did.”
Beneficiary n.
A beneficiary is a person or organization that benefits or is expected to benefit from something, especially someone who receives money or property when someone else passes away.
1.) When her grandfather passed away, Jenny became the beneficiary of his savings, which helped her pay for college.
2.)The local animal shelter is the beneficiary of a generous donation, which will help them care for the animals and provide food and shelter.
3.)My little brother is the beneficiary of my old toys and clothes, as I pass them down to him when I outgrow them.
“Beneficiary is often used in connection with life insurance, but it shows up in many other contexts as well. A college may be the beneficiary of a private donation. Your uncle’s will may make a church his sole beneficiary, in which case all his money and property will go to it when he dies. A “third-party beneficiary” of a contract is a person (often a child) who the people signing the contract (which is usually an insurance policy or an employee-benefit plan) want to benefit from it. In a more general way, a small business may be a beneficiary of changes to the tax code, or a restaurant may be the beneficiary when the one across the street closes down and its whole lunch crowd starts coming in.”
Benevolence n.
means kindness and generosity towards others.
1.) Sarah’s act of benevolence was evident when she helped her elderly neighbor carry groceries up the stairs.
2.) The community center provides meals and warm clothing to homeless individuals out of pure benevolence and compassion.
3.)The teacher’s benevolence was displayed when she spent extra time with a struggling student, patiently helping them understand the lesson.
“Part of benevolence comes from the Latin root meaning “wish.” The novels of Charles Dickens often include a benevolent figure who rescues the main characters at some point—Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist, Abel Magwitch in David Copperfield, Mr. Jarndyce in Bleak House, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. To be benevolent, it helps to have money, but it’s not necessary; kind assistance of a nonfinancial sort may turn out to be lifesaving benevolence as well.”
Amicable adj.
means being friendly and peaceful in relationships or interactions with others.
1.)Even though they disagreed on some things, Sarah and Lily always maintained an amicable friendship and never let it affect their bond.
2.)The neighbors had an amicable discussion and reached a peaceful resolution regarding the property dispute.
3.)The soccer teams displayed great sportsmanship and had an amicable match, congratulating each other on their efforts.
“Amicable often describes relations between two groups, or especially two nations—for example, the United States and Canada, which are proud of sharing the longest unguarded border in the world. So we often speak of an amicable meeting or an amicable settlement. When amicable describes more personal relations, it may indicate a rather formal friendliness. But it’s always nice when two friends who’ve been quarreling manage to have an amicable conversation and to say amicable good-byes at the end.”
Enamored adj.
means being charmed, fascinated, or filled with love for someone or something.
1.) Emily was enamored with the new puppy her family adopted and spent hours playing with it.
2.) Jack became enamored with dinosaurs after watching a documentary and started collecting toy dinosaurs.
3.)Lily felt enamored when she saw the beautiful sunset at the beach, and it made her feel happy and peaceful.
“Computer hackers are always enamored of their new programs and games. Millions of readers have found themselves enamored with Jane Austen’s novels. And Romeo and Juliet were, of course, utterly enamored of each other. But we also often use the word in negative contexts: A friend at work may complain that she’s not enamored of the new boss, and when you start talking about how you’re not enamored with the neighbors it may be time to move. (Note that both of and with are commonly used after enamored.)”
Amorous adj.
means having or showing strong feelings of attraction or love towards someone.
1.)The prince in the fairy tale was amorous and fell in love with the princess at first sight.
2.)Sarah wrote a love letter to her crush, expressing her amorous feelings and admiration for him.
3.)The movie’s main characters shared an amorous kiss to show their deep affection for each other.
“A couple smooching on a park bench could be called amorous, or a young married couple who are always hugging and kissing. But the word is often used a bit sarcastically, as when a tabloid newspaper gets hold of some scandalous photos and calls the participants “the amorous pair.” In such cases, we may be encouraged to think the attraction is more physical than emotional.”
Paramour n.
is a lover, often kept secret, who is not allowed by law or custom.
1.) The princess had a secret paramour, a knight who she met in the enchanted forest.
2.)Jenny discovered that her father had a paramour when she found love letters hidden in his desk drawer.
3.)In the fairy tale, the evil queen had a paramour who helped her carry out her wicked plans.
“Paramour came to English from French (a language based on Latin), though the modern French don’t use the word. Since par amour meant “through love,” it implies a relationship based solely on love, often physical love, rather than on social custom or ceremony. So today it tends to refer to the lover of a married man or woman, but may be used for any lover who isn’t obeying the social rules.”
Antebellum adj.
means something that existed before a war, especially before the American Civil War (1861–1865).
1.) In the old photographs, you can see how people dressed and lived during the antebellum period in America.
2.) The antebellum era in the United States was characterized by different social norms and customs compared to the post-war period.
3.) Grandma used to tell stories about her great-grandparents who lived in an antebellum plantation before the Civil War.
“Since bellicose describes an attitude that hopes for actual war, the word is generally applied to nations and their leaders. In the 20th century, it was commonly used to describe such figures as Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm, Italy’s Benito Mussolini, and Japan’s General Tojo, leaders who believed their countries had everything to gain by starting wars. The international relations of a nation with a bellicose foreign policy tend to be stormy and difficult, and bellicosity usually makes the rest of the world very uneasy.”
Bellicose adj.
means being aggressive or always wanting to fight or argue.
1.)The bullies in the schoolyard were bellicose because they would often start fights and be mean to others.
2.)The wrestler had a bellicose attitude, always looking for a chance to show off his strength and win matches.
3.)The character in the story was bellicose, constantly picking arguments and causing trouble for others.
“Since bellicose describes an attitude that hopes for actual war, the word is generally applied to nations and their leaders. In the 20th century, it was commonly used to describe such figures as Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm, Italy’s Benito Mussolini, and Japan’s General Tojo, leaders who believed their countries had everything to gain by starting wars. The international relations of a nation with a bellicose foreign policy tend to be stormy and difficult, and bellicosity usually makes the rest of the world very uneasy.”
Belligerence n.
means being really aggressive or always wanting to fight with others.
1.)The boy’s belligerence showed when he would often start arguments and try to fight with his classmates.
2.)The teacher spoke to the students about the importance of kindness and asked them to avoid belligerence and solve problems peacefully.
3.)The superhero used his powers to stop the villain’s belligerence and protect the city from harm.
“Unlike bellicose and bellicosity, the word belligerence can be used at every level from the personal to the global. The belligerence of Marlon Brando’s performances as the violent Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire electrified the country in the 1940s and ’50s. At the same time, belligerent speeches by leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States throughout the Cold War were keeping the world on edge. Belligerent is even a noun; the terrible war in the Congo in recent years, for example, has involved seven nations as belligerents.”
Rebellion n.
means openly defying and opposing a person or thing in authority, sometimes with a group of people.
1.)The students’ rebellion in the classroom involved refusing to follow the substitute teacher’s instructions and caused her to leave upset.
2.)Sometimes, children may show rebellion by not listening to their parents or doing the opposite of what they are asked.
3.)The story’s hero led a rebellion against the evil king to fight for freedom and justice for everyone.
“Plenty of teenagers rebel against their parents in all kinds of ways. But a rebellion usually involves a group. Armed rebellions are usually put down by a country’s armed forces, or at least kept from expanding beyond a small area. The American War of Independence was first viewed by the British as a minor rebellion that would soon run its course, but this particular rebellion led to a full-fledged revolution—that is, the overthrow of a government. Rebellion, armed or otherwise, has often alerted those in power that those they control are very unhappy.”
Pacify v.
A.) means to calm down someone who is angry or upset.
B.) also means to subdue or bring under control through the use of force.
1.)The teacher tried to pacify the upset student by talking to them and understanding their concerns.
2.)Parents often use a pacifier to pacify a crying baby and help them feel calm.
3.)The soldiers worked to pacify the area by driving out the enemy and then helping the local people with schools and services.
“Someone stirred up by a strong emotion can usually be pacified by some kind words and the removal of its causes. Unhappy babies are often given a rubber pacifier for sucking to make them stop crying. During the Vietnam War, pacification of an area meant using armed force to drive out the enemy, which might be followed by bringing the local people over to our side by building schools and providing social services. But an army can often bring “peace” by pure force, without soothing anyone’s emotions.”
Pacifist n.
is a person who is against war or violence. They refuse to use weapons or fight, usually because of their moral or religious beliefs.
1.) Grandma is a pacifist because she believes that fighting and hurting others is never the right solution.
2.)Some people choose to be pacifists and work towards peaceful solutions through understanding and communication.
3.)Martin Luther King Jr. was a famous pacifist who used nonviolent protests to fight for equality and justice.
“The Quakers and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are pacifist religious groups, and Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King are probably the most famous American pacifists. Like these groups and individuals, pacifists haven’t always met with sympathy or understanding. Refusing to fight ever, for any reason, calls for strong faith in one’s own moral or religious convictions, since pacifism during wartime has often gotten people persecuted and even thrown in prison.”
Pact n.
an agreement between two or more people or groups. It can also be a formal agreement between nations to solve a problem or settle a disagreement.
1.)The best friends made a pact to always support and be there for each other no matter what.
2.)The leaders of two countries signed a pact to work together and resolve their differences peacefully.
3.)In the fairy tale, the princess and the magical creature made a pact to help each other in their quests.
“Pact has “peace” at its root because a pact often ends a period of unfriendly relations. The word is generally used in the field of international relations, where diplomats may speak of an “arms pact,” a “trade pact,” or a “fishing-rights pact.” But it may also be used for any solemn agreement or promise between two people; after all, whenever two parties shake hands on a deal, they’re not about to go to war with each other.”
