MCAT CARS Vocabulary

canny

adj. careful, cautious adj. knowing, clever/sharp

humility

n. state of being humble

secularist

n. system of political or social philosophy that all rejects all religions

archetype

n. the original pattern or model that is the basis

indispensible

adj. absolutely necessary

imperative

adj. absolutely necessary or required

affluent

adj. abundant

equivocal

adj. ambiguous

indigneous

adj. anger at something unjust; righteous anger

approbation (Author's tone)

adj. approval

gratuitous

adj. being without apparent reason

measured (Author's tone)

adj. cautious, regulated

derisive

adj. characterizing ridicule; mocking

laudatory (Author's tone)

adj. containing or expressing praise

fallacious

adj. deceptive, misleading

pejorative

adj. derogatory

slanderous

adj. disparaging/derogatory

apprehensive

adj. fearful about something that might happen adj. quick to learn or understand

radical

adj. fundamental adj. extreme; forming drastic changes

cursory

adj. going quickly over something without paying attention to details; superficial

innocuous

adj. harmless

scrupulous

adj. having moral standards; principled

apathetic

adj. having or showing no emotion

celestial

adj. heavenly

untenable

adj. indefensible adj. not fit to be occupied

punitive

adj. inflicting punishment

insidious

adj. intended to entrap or beguile (beguile: mislead) adj. stealthily deceitful

lugubrious

adj. mournful, dismal, or gloomy

remiss

adj. negligent, careless, slow

secular

adj. not pertaining to religion

absolute

adj. perfect; no error

antecedent

adj. preceding n. a preceding event or circumstance

pragmatic

adj. relating to a practical point of view

loath

adj. reluctant, unwilling

bipartisan

adj. representing members of two parties

ostentatious

adj. seeking to attract notice or impress others

marginal

adj. situated on border or edge; minimal for requirements

pervasive

adj. spread throughout

transcendental

adj. superior, surpassing

paramount

adj. supreme; above others in rank

mellifluent/mellifluous

adj. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding (Author's tone)

disparaging

adj. tending to belittle or depreciate

anachronistic

adj. time-wise, unfitting E.g. sword is anachronistic in modern warfare

pristine

adj. uncorrupted or primitive state

genial

adj. warmly, pleasantly cheerful

wary

adj. watchful; being on guard against danger

Confederacy

n. 11 southern slave states that formed the Confederate states of America; they opposed the Union during the American Civil War The Confederate flag symbolizes slavery Confederacy vs. Union map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_%28American_Civil_War%29

Union

n. Referred to the national government and 20 other free states and 5 border states; fought against the Confederate states during the Civil War

ramification

n. a branch

reverence

n. a feeling of deep respect

canon

n. a fundamental principle

caucus

n. a meeting of party leaders to select candidates, elect convention delegates, etc.

paradigm

n. a pattern or a model

premise

n. a proposition that supports a conclusion

repercussion

n. an effect or result of some event or action

ovation

n. an enthusiastic public reception of a person

epigram

n. any witty remark concisely expressed

sanction

n. authorization or approval

tradition

n. beliefs, values, customs, legends, etc. that are passed down from generation to generation

status quo

n. current state of social or political affairs

slander slanderous

n. defamation n. a false, defamatory statement

defection

n. desertion from/abandonment of allegiance

oppression

n. exercise of authority in a cruel, unjust manner

Republican

n. historical rival of Democrats founded by anti-slavery activists; Abraham Lincoln and George Bush; "American Conservatives" supporting free market capitalism, limited government, strong national defense, opposing regulation and labour unions, and supporting socially conservative policies more conservative; right-winged

Democrats

n. historical rival of Republicans; Barack Obama; "Amercan Liberals" supporting mixed economy (government intervention) and social justice; advocates for social and economic equity more liberal; left-winged

allegiance

n. loyalty of a citizen to his/her government

sustenance

n. means of sustaining life; nourishment

detachment (Author's tone)

n. neutrality

obscurantist

n. opposition to the spread of knowledge

renunciation

n. rejection

secession

n. the withdrawal from the Union of 11 Southern states that brought on the Civil War

barring

prep. excepting; except for

warrant

v. to authorize

accord

v. to be in agreement

patronize

v. to behave offensively towards

reinstate

v. to bring back into existence

obfuscation

v. to confuse v. to make obscure

censure (Primary purpose)

v. to criticize harshly

castigate

v. to criticize severely v. to punish in order to correct

foreclose

v. to deprive of the right v. to shut out or exclude

disdain

v. to despise v. to think unworthy of notice

abash

v. to destroy self-confidence; to be ashamed

impassion

v. to fill with passion; to inflame; to excite

forge

v. to form or make v. to imitate fraudulently

disabuse

v. to free a person from deception or error

reinvigorate

v. to give energy to

revitalize

v. to give new life to

attest

v. to give proof or evidence v. to bear witness to; to declare to be correct

regress

v. to go back

hearken

v. to hear / to give attention to

subsume

v. to include as a part of a more comprehensible one v. to bring under a rule

depreciate

v. to lessen the value of

contemplate

v. to look at with continued attention; observe or study carefully

antiquate

v. to make old-fashioned or out-of-date

qualify (Purpose question)

v. to modify

thwart

v. to oppose successfully

commend

v. to praise

usurp

v. to seize and hold by force or without legal right v. to use without authority or right

pilfer

v. to steal, especially in large quantities

dally

v. to waste time, loiter