acquiesce vb. (AK wee ESS) to yield; to give in. The opponents of the bill were in the majority, so we decided to acquiesce without a fight.
acquit vb. (uh KWIT) to free or clear one from legal charges. The jury voted to acquit the defendant.
acrid adj. (AK rid) sharp or bitter in flavor or odor. The toddler spit out the acrid-tasting vinegar.
activism n. (AK tiv iz um) involvement in a cause; work for political or social change. His activism in the environmental movement has raised awareness of air pollution.
acumen n. (AK yuh mun) sharp or intelligent judgment. She had exceptional business acumen and would soon rise to the corporation's top echelon.
adage n. (AD ij) a saying or proverb; a universal truth. "Honesty is the best policy" is a popular adage.
adamant adj. (AD uh munt) unyielding; refusing to give in. My brother refused to give me another slice of pizza; no matter how much I begged, he remained adamant.
adept adj. (uh DEPT) highly capable; skilled. With all forms of carpentry, she was impressively adept.
adherent n. (ad HEER unt) a supporter, of a cause or a person. She was an adherent of the Democratic Party.
ad hoc adj. (AD hok) assembled for a specific purpose. They formed an ad hoc committee to look into the matter.
ad infinitum adv. (ad in fi NITE um) infinitely; on and on forever. Alarmists are concerned that the human population will continue to grow ad infinitum.
adjudicate vb. (uh JOO di kayt) to judge and settle a legal case. It requires great patience and intelligence to adjudicate a dispute fairly.
ad lib vb. (AD LIB) to improvise or perform without preparation. Caught off guard, the congresswoman was forced to ad lib a speech.
admonish vb. (Ad MON ish) to criticize or warn in order to correct errant behavior. The boys were admonished for playing on the train tracks.
ad nauseam adv. (AD NAWZ ee um) to a sickening degree. He listed all his awards and accomplishments ad nauseam.
adroit adj. (uh DROYT) highly skilled with one's hands; also mentally agile. He was particularly adroit at playing scales on the piano.
adulterate vb. (uh DULT uh RAYT) to pollute or make impure. The protesters warned that the discharge from the planned paper mill would adulterate the nearby river.
adversary n. (AD vur ser ee) opponent; enemy. The champion boxer pummeled his adversary and won the match by a knockout.
adverse adj. (ad VURS) unfavorable or antagonistic. The show is cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
adversity n. (ad VUR sit ee) hardship or highly trying conditions. In losing several players to injuries, our team has suffered great adversity.
advocate n. (AD vuh kut) 1. a supporter of a cause or person. He is an advocate of racial equality. —vb. 2. to support a cause. (AD vuh kayt) Our congressman, unfortunately, tends to advocate higher taxes.
aesthetic adj. (es THET ik) concerning that which is beautiful or pleasing to the eye. The artist had an exceptional aesthetic sense, as his work always drew admiration.
affectation n. (AF ek TAY shun) a phony put-on; an act or pretense; a behavior that is unnatural. Her English accent was an obvious affectation, as she had spent her entire life in New York.
affidavit n. (AF uh DAY vit) a written statement made under oath. We were required by law to provide an affidavit, which was witnessed by an official of the court.
affinity n. (uh FIN i tee) an attraction or positive feeling toward someone or something, often due to some kinship or sense of similarity. It's natural to experience an affinity toward one's cousins.
affluent adj. (AFF loo unt) wealthy; rich. We drove through the affluent side of town and marveled at the beautiful mansions.
affront n. (uh FRUNT) an insult; an offensive remark or action. Refusing to attend the wedding would be an affront to the bride and groom.
agenda n. (uh JEN duh) a list of things to be done. I
have an extremely busy agenda today.
agile adj. (AJ ul) nimble, alert, and quick. A World leader must have an especially agile mind.
agnostic n. (ag NOS tik) one who believes that the existence of God cannot be known or proven. An agnostic doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of a God, as an atheist does; rather, he requires more evidence for believing either way.
alarmist n. (uh LARM ist) one who panics, often unnecessarily, and overreacts to every threat. It is easy to convince an alarmist that the world will end.
albatross (around one's neck) a metaphor used to symbolize a burden of guilt or disgrace, derived from the albatross that was shot and hung around the neck of the Mariner in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." The president's scandalous love affairs will remain forever as an albatross around his neck.
alchemy n. (AL kem ee) any apparent magical process, as that of turning base metal into gold, or concocting a formula into a medical cure-all. Although some people would like to believe in magic, alchemy is clearly a pseudo-science and has no place in the world of modern technology.
alienate vb. (AYL ee un ayt) to estrange; to cause to be emotionally distant. It's easy to alienate people— just insult them.
allege vb. (uh LEJ) to accuse or assert without proof. We allege that Ralph stole the last doughnut; however, we don't have sufficient proof to convict him.
allusion n. (uh LOO zshun) an indirect reference. By saying that someone has "an albatross around his neck," you're making an allusion to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," the original source of the albatross metaphor.