(adj) Fitting the occasion; suitable or apt.
The governor?s red, white, and blue blouse seemed quite apropos for her post-election celebration.
(n) Controlling influence; domination.
The ascendancy of the United States as a world power coincided with the decline of the British Empire.
(v) To analyze and determine the nature, value, or importance of.
After she assessed the difficulties we faced in repairing the storm damage, she proposed a plan.
assessment (n)
My assessment of the contents of the refrigerator showed that we were in dire need of going to the grocery store.
(v) To declare positively; to state as the truth.
The lawyer averred that her client was innocent.
(v) 1. To admit to be true, often reluctantly.
Bungee jumpers concede that the sport can be dangerous.
(adj) Lacking.
A diet deficient in fruits and vegetables won?t provide enough vitamins for good nutrition.
deficiency (n)
Teachers argued that students experienced a serious deficiency when schools could not provide music and art education.
(n) An unproven principle or belief held to be true.
The danger is that what starts out as a vague theory can soon harden into dogma.
dogmatic (adj) Overly positive and assertive about opinions, as if they were facts.
My coach is not dogmatic about her favored method of teaching dance, because she knows there is no one right way to teach it.
(v) 1. To put an idea into a form that can be seen.
The painting embodies the love of a parent for a child.
2. To make part of a system; incorporate.
The Bill of Rights embodies the basic freedoms of all Americans.
(v) 1. To make known; disclose.
He imparted his views in such a humorous manner that we were unsure whether to take them seriously.
2. To bestow.
The capers impart just the right amount of piquancy to the fish sauce.
(n) The art of public speaking.
Miriam?s inspired oratory earned her the highest grade in the public-speaking class.
orator (n) A public speaker.
Patrick Henry, a contemporary of George Washington, was a brilliant orator.
oratorical (adj)
Practicing your speech in the mirror can help sharpen your oratorical skills.
(v) 1. To reproduce.
The scientists were puzzled when the frogs that propagated in the fall had unusually few offspring.
2. To cause to reproduce.
Begonias are easy plants to propagate.
3. To foster the spread of.
The professor wrote several articles to propagate his theory explaining the causes of sudden climate change.
propagation (n)
The propagation of information has been facilitated by the use of computers.
(n) Someone who proposes or supports an idea; an advocate.
The bill passed easily because its proponents were in the majority.
(adj) 1. Not yet fully developed; basic.
The rudimentary train system of the United States developed rapidly during the second half of the nineteenth century.
2. Elementary.
Juan speaks four languages perfectly and has a rudimentary knowledge of several others.
(n) A visit or temporary stay.
Our summer sojourn with our cousins ended after six wonderful weeks in Puerto Rico.
(v) To stay for a while.
We usually sojourn for a week or so at our grandparents? cabin as we make our way north.
(adj) Making one?s feelings known in a loud way.
The community?s vociferous opposition to a stadium in the neighborhood led the governor to abandon the plan.
