Vocabulary Words | Lessons 13-15

Question 1

autocratic

Answer 1

ruling with unlimited power or authority

Question 2

autonomy

Answer 2

independence; self-determination/governance

Question 3

caste

Answer 3

a social class separated from others by profession, wealth, or hereditary rank

Question 4

despot

Answer 4

a) a ruler with absolute power
b) a person who wields power oppressively; a tyrant

Question 5

feudal

Answer 5

relating to a system in which people (vassals) were given protection and the use of land in exchange for loyalty, payments, and services to a lord

Question 6

hegemony

Answer 6

dominance, especially that of a country, region, or group over others

Question 7

oligarchy

Answer 7

a) government by a few, especially by a small fraction of people or families
b) a state governed by a few people or families

Question 8

sovereign

Answer 8

a) self-governing; independent
b) having supreme rank or power
c) a noble person who serves as head of a state; a ruler/monarch

Question 9

totalitarian

Answer 9

relating to a form of government with absolute and centralized control over every aspect of people’s lives

Question 10

usurp

Answer 10

a) to take and hold power or rights by force and without legal authority
b) to take the place of or occupy without right

Question 11

dilligence

Answer 11

a) steady effort; persistent hard work
b) attentive care; carefulness

Question 12

fastidious

Answer 12

a) possessing or displaying careful attention to detail
b) picky; difficult to please

Question 13

finicky

Answer 13

difficult to please; insisting on getting exactly what one wants

Question 14

imprudent

Answer 14

unwise; doing things without careful thought or judgment

Question 15

judicious

Answer 15

having or exhibiting good, sound judgment

Question 16

meticulous

Answer 16

extremely careful or precise

Question 17

minutia

Answer 17

a small, minor, or trivial detail

Question 18

slovenly

Answer 18

a) untidy; sloppy in dress or appearance
b) marked by carelessness or negligence; shoddy

Question 19

trepidation

Answer 19

a) anxiety; a state of alarm, dread, or fear
b) involuntary trembling or quivering

Question 20

unmindful

Answer 20

failing to give due care or attention; inattentive

Question 21

condemn

Answer 21

a) to express strong disapproval of
b) to give a judgment against; to sentence
c) to declare to be unfit for use, often by official order

Question 22

culpable

Answer 22

deserving of blame or punishment for being wrong, evil, or harmful

Question 23

exonerate

Answer 23

a) to free from blame
b) to free from responsibility, obligation, or task

Question 24

extort

Answer 24

to obtain by force or threat

Question 25

incorrigible

Answer 25

a) incapable of being corrected or reformed
b) difficult or impossible to control

Question 26

malfeasance

Answer 26

wrongdoing or misconduct, especially by a public official

Question 27

misdemeanor

Answer 27

a minor offense; a misdeed

Question 28

purloin

Answer 28

to steal, often in a violation of trust, to commit theft

Question 29

ruffian

Answer 29

a) a gangster or thug
b) a tough or rowdy person; a troublemaker

Question 30

unscrupulous

Answer 30

lacking moral restraint; scornful of what is right or honorable