unit 4 Flashcards
affiliated (adjective, participial)
associated, connected
Being affiliated with a well-known law firm is often an important first step on the way to a successful political career.
SYNONYMS: attached, related, joined
ANTONYMS: dissociated, unconnected
attainment (noun)
an accomplishment, the act of achieving
In addition to his abilities as a leader, Abraham Lincoln was a man of high literary attainment.
SYNONYMS: achievement, fulfillment
ANTONYMS: failure, defeat, frustration
bequeath (verb)
to give or pass on as an inheritance
Few people will make enough money in their lifetimes to be in a position to bequeath a fortune to their heirs.
SYNONYMS: transmit, bestow
disperse (verb)
to scatter, spread far and wide
When a scuffle broke out, the commissioner ordered the police to disperse the crowd.
SYNONYMS: break up, dispel
ANTONYMS: collect, congregate, assemble, muster
esteem (verb)
to regard highly
In many of the world’s cultures, young people are taught to esteem their ancestors.
SYNONYMS: respect, honor, revere
ANTONYMS: disdain, scorn
esteem (noun)
a highly favorable opinion or judgment
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court should be someone whom all parties hold in high esteem.
ANTONYM: contempt
invulnerable (adjective)
not able to be wounded or hurt; shielded against attack
Medieval lords did everything possible to make their castles invulneratble fortresses.
SYNONYMS: impregnable, impervious, immune
ANTONYMS: exposed, unprotected, defenseless
malevolent (adjective)
spiteful, showing ill will
While pretending to be a loyal friend, Iago told Othello malevolent lies.
SYNONYMS: malicious, wicked, sinister, malignant
ANTONYMS: kind, benevolent, compassionate
panacea (noun)
a remedy for all ills; cure-all; an answer to all problems
You are mistaken if you think that getting more money will be a panacea for all your troubles.
SYNONYM: universal cure
scrupulous (adjective)
exact, careful, attending thoroughly to details; having high moral standards, principled
Scientists are trained to record their observations with scrupulus accuracy.
SYNONYMS: painstaking, meticulous, conscientious
ANTONYMS: careless, negligent, remiss, dishonest
venial (adjective)
easily excused; pardonable
Someone whose offense is deemed by the judge to be
venial may be ordered to perform community service.
SYNONYMS: excusable, forgivable
ANTONYMS: inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable
ascertain (verb)
to find out
We need to ascertain what it will cost to remodel our kitchen.
SYNONYMS: discover, establish
cogent (adjective)
forceful, convincing; relevant, to the point
A group of legal scholars held a press conference to present a cogent plea for reform of the state’s prison system.
SYNONYMS: persuasive, compelling
ANTONYMS: weak, unconvincing, ineffective, irrelevant
converge (verb)
to move toward one point, approach nearer together
The television coverage resumed as soon as the delegates converge on the hall to hear the keynote speaker’s address.
SYNONYMS: meet, unite, intersect, merge
ANTONYMS: diverge, separate
expunge (verb)
to erase, obliterate, destroy
The judge ordered the remarks expunge from the court record.
SYNONYMS: efface, annihilate
ANTONYMS: insert, mark, imprint, impress
