Vocab Words #41-60!

Question 1

Multifarious (adj)

Answer 1

Having many kinds of parts or elements; of great variety; diverse; manifold

Her multifarious activities included banking, horse racing, painting and politics.

Question 2

Tertiary (adj)

Answer 2

Third in point of order or time.

The University’s improvement plan is in its tertiary phase.

Question 3

Illicit (adj)

Answer 3

Illegal

Illicitly parked cars will be towed.

Question 4

Entrepreneur (n)

Answer 4

an individual who organizes their own new business to make a product for a profit.

Bill Gates is one of the United States’ most famous entrepreneurs.

Question 5

Banal (adj)

Answer 5

Lacking originality or freshness; trite, common

No one would describe Lady Gaga’s wardrobe as banal.

Question 6

Adroit (adj)

Answer 6

skillful and competent in doing something

Hey, you students who are adroit readers, the library gives prizes to the top readers at the end of the year…so keep passing those red dot tests!

Question 7

Decorum (n)

Answer 7

formal, proper or suitable behavior

Perfect decorum is required at a wedding or funeral.

Question 8

Indoctrinate (v)

Answer 8

to strongly influence or instruct in doctrine or ideas

Commercials indoctrinate viewers to become part of our consumer society.

Question 9

Exclusion (n)

Answer 9

the act of shutting out

Drug users are subject to exclusion from the military.

Question 10

Scapegoat (n)

Answer 10

a person or group blamed for a mistake or crime of others

Hitler used the Jews as scapegoats for Germany’s troubles after World War I.

Question 11

Esoteric (adj)

Answer 11

Meant for or understood by only a selected few.

Some clubs have esoteric handshakes. Only the members know how to perform them.

Question 12

Secular (adj)

Answer 12

not sacred or holy, pertaining to the world

Although public schools focus on secular studies, students and teachers talk about religion in the context of history and literature.

Question 13

Theocracy (n)

Answer 13

a government controlled by church leaders or headed by a leader thought of as a god

Iran is an example of a theocracy.

Question 14

Debilitate (v)

Answer 14

To make weak

Don’t let a poor vocabulary debilitate your chances of getting a good job.

Question 15

quid pro quo (n)

Answer 15

something given or received for something else

If I help you with your homework, I will expect some quid pro quo.

Question 16

Pundit (n)

Answer 16

one who gives opinions in an authoritative manner

The pundits all believed that gas prices would double, but they tripled instead.

Question 17

Pontificate (v)

Answer 17

to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way

Pundits pontificate on cable news everyday.

Question 18

Nepotism (n)

Answer 18

showing favoritism to a relative, especially giving them a job

When the boss hired his brother, his nephew and his best friend, we were pretty sure he was practicing nepotism.

Question 19

Usurp (n)

Answer 19

to seize and hold something by force or without right

When Ms. Allison left the room, the students usurped her desk—but the take-over was short-lived once she returned.

Question 20

Eclectic (adj)

Answer 20

Selected from various sources

Mr. Stein has an eclectic collection of music which he has accumulated over the years.