Grade 10 College Vocabulary, Week 22

Definition: A statement or proposition regarded as self-evidently true.

From the reading: "It is this which fills the plays of Shakespeare with practical axioms and domestick wisdom." (the lesson)

Synonyms:

maxim

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek axioma, that which is thought worthy, from axios, worthy: a principle thought worthy of acceptance.

Definition: Relating to marriage or the relationship of husband and wife.

From the reading: "But no such happy marriage could now teach the admiring multitude what connubial felicity really was." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

conjugal

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin connubialis, from connubium marriage; con- + nubere to veil, to marry. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Agreement of results or opinions; acting together, as agents or circumstances or events.

From the reading: "Seriously, however, she felt tolerably persuaded that all this must have taken place with that gentleman’s concurrence." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

concurrency

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French, competition, equality of rights, from Late Latin concurrentia competition. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Reading carefully with intent to remember.

From the reading: "Elizabeth noticed every sentence conveying the idea of uneasiness, with an attention which it had hardly received on the first perusal." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

perusing, studying

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:From Peruse. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To smile in an affectedly coy or silly way.

From the reading: "He simpers, and smirks, and makes love to us all." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

smirk, smile coyly

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:perhaps from Norwegian dialect semper, smart or affected (origin uncertain): to smile in a silly, affected way.

Definition: Uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing.

From the reading: "But here, by carrying with me one ceaseless source of regret in my sister’s absence, I may reasonably hope to have all my expectations of pleasure realized." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

constant, incessant, never-ending

Antonyms:

discontinuous

Root:cease (Latin cessare, to stop, from cedere, to yield) + -less, without: without stopping.

Definition: The right to enter; the act of admitting someone to enter.

From the reading: "Into one house in this neighbourhood they shall never have admittance." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

entree, access, accession

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin admittere, to let in (ad-, to + mittere, to send) + -ance: the act of letting in.

Definition: Able or tending to communicate; of or relating to communication.

From the reading: "There was nothing of presumption or folly in Bingley that could provoke his ridicule, or disgust him into silence; and he was more communicative, and less eccentric, than the other had ever seen him." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

communicatory, outspoken, vocal

Antonyms:

uncommunicative

Root:Cf. French Communicatif, Late Latin communicativus. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: An onerous or difficult concern; a charge against property (as a lien or mortgage).

From the reading: "Here was knowledge in which no one could partake; and she was sensible that nothing less than a perfect understanding between the parties could justify her in throwing off this last encumbrance of mystery." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

burden, load, incumbrance

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Cf. Old French encombrance. Cf. Incumbrance. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Slightly unwell; unwilling.

From the reading: "She could not yet recover from the surprise of what had happened: it was impossible to think of anything else; and, totally indisposed for employment, she resolved soon after breakfast to indulge herself in air and exercise." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

ailing, unwell; reluctant

Antonyms:

well; willing

Root:in-, not + Latin disponere, to arrange (dis-, apart + ponere, to place): not in good order; unwell or unwilling.

Definition: The condition of being improper; an improper demeanor.

From the reading: "She was now struck with the impropriety of such communications to a stranger, and wondered it had escaped her before." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

improperness, indecency

Antonyms:

propriety, properness

Root:Latin improprietas; compare French impropriété. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: An agreeable or amusing remark.

From the reading: "He, who had always inspired in herself a respect which almost overcame her affection, she now saw the object of open pleasantry." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

jest, joke

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French plaisanterie. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A statement asserting the existence or the truth of something.

From the reading: "This he considered sufficient encouragement, and the avowal of all that he felt and had long felt for her immediately followed." (Pride and Prejudice)

Synonyms:

avouchment, affirmation

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old French avouer, to acknowledge, from Latin advocare, to call upon (ad-, to + vocare, to call): an open declaration.

Definition: Uncalled for; lacking good reason; given or done free of charge.

From the reading: "As for Lord Antony and Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, their very hearts seemed to stand still with horror at this gratuitous insult." (The Scarlet Pimpernel)

Synonyms:

unmerited, complimentary, costless

Antonyms:

merited, paid, necessary

Root:Latin gratuitus, from gratus pleasing. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Impossible to deny or disprove.

From the reading: "I will tell you the tale of my wanderings and of the “Herculean” labours, as I may call them, which I endured only to find at last the oracle irrefutable." (The Last Days of Socrates: Apology)

Synonyms:

incontrovertible, positive, undeniable

Antonyms:

deniable

Root:Latin irrefutabilis: compare French irréfutable. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Functioning in a supporting capacity; added to complete or make up a deficiency.

From the reading: "An elderly woman, whom I had seen before as one of the servants who lived in the supplementary house across the back courtyard, opened the gate." (Great Expectations)

Synonyms:

auxiliary, subsidiary, supplemental

Antonyms:

primary, subtractive

Root:Latin supplementum, from supplere, to fill up (sub-, up + plere, to fill): filling up what is lacking.

Definition: Disapproval or dislike.

From the reading: ""Do you mean you prayed?" he inquired, with a slight touch of disfavor." (The Lost Prince)

Synonyms:

disapproval, dislike, displeasure

Antonyms:

favor, approval

Root:Pref. dis- + favor: compare Old French disfaveur, French défaveur. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit; having material or physical form or substance.

From the reading: "It was mournful, indeed, to witness the subjugation of that vigorous spirit to a corporeal infirmity." (Jane Eyre)

Synonyms:

material, bodied, corporal

Antonyms:

incorporeal, mental

Root:Latin corporeus, from corpus body. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Not relating to or responsive to individual persons; having no personal preference.

From the reading: "All the rest stared at him, but he remained sitting in the same old dejected attitude, with a wrinkle in his round forehead and an appearance of impersonal shame and sorrow; his voice was colourless and sad." (The Innocence of Father Brown)

Synonyms:

nonpersonal, neutral, objective

Antonyms:

personal, subjective

Root:Latin impersonalis; pref. im- not + personalis personal: compare French impersonnel. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Fix firmly or securely; impinge or infringe upon.

From the reading: "And Clerval—could aught ill entrench on the noble spirit of Clerval?" (Frankenstein)

Synonyms:

intrench, impinge, encroach

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:en-, in + trench (Old French trenche, a cut, from trenchier, to cut): to dig in, to fix firmly.