The 4000 words essential for an educated vocabulary part 12

112 Vocabulary 4000
Exercise:
Analyze and define the following words. Answers begin on page 113.
Example: RETROGRADE
Analysis: retro (backward); grade (step)
Meaning: to step backward, to regress
1. CIRCUMNAVIGATE
Analysis:
Meaning:
2. MISANTHROPE
Analysis:
Meaning:
3. ANARCHY
Analysis:
Meaning:
4. AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Analysis:
Meaning:
5. INCREDULOUS
Analysis:
Meaning:
6. EGOCENTRIC
Analysis:
Meaning:
7. INFALLIBLE
Analysis:
Meaning:
8. AMORAL
Analysis:
Meaning:
9. INFIDEL

Analysis:
Meaning:
10. NONENTITY
Analysis:
Meaning:
11. CORPULENT
Analysis:
Meaning:
12. IRREPARABLE
Analysis:
Meaning:
Word Analysis 113
13. INTROSPECTIVE
Analysis:
Meaning:
14. IMMORTALITY
Analysis:
Meaning:
15. BENEFACTOR
Analysis:
Meaning:
16. DEGRADATION
Analysis:
Meaning:
17. DISPASSIONATE
Analysis:
Meaning:
18. APATHETIC
Analysis:
Meaning:

Solutions to Exercise
1. CIRCUMNAVIGATE
Analysis: CIRCUM (around); NAV (to sail); ATE (verb suffix)
Meaning: To sail around the world.
2. MISANTHROPE
Analysis: MIS (bad, hate); ANTHROP (man)
Meaning: One who hates all mankind.
3. ANARCHY
Analysis: AN (without); ARCH (ruler); Y (noun suffix)
Meaning: Without rule, chaos.
4. AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Analysis: AUTO (self); BIO (life); GRAPH (to write); Y (noun suffix)
Meaning: One’s written life story.
5. INCREDULOUS
Analysis: IN (not); CRED (belief); OUS (adjective suffix)
Meaning: Doubtful, unbelieving.
6. EGOCENTRIC
Analysis: EGO (self); CENTR (center); IC (adjective suffix)
Meaning: Self-centered.
114 Vocabulary 4000
7. INFALLIBLE
Analysis: IN (not); FALL (false); IBLE (adjective suffix)
Meaning: Certain, cannot fail.
8. AMORAL
Analysis: A (without); MORAL (ethical)
Meaning: Without morals.
Note: AMORAL does not mean immoral; rather it means neither
right nor wrong. Consider the following example: Little Susie,
who does not realize that it is wrong to hit other people, hits little
Bobby. She has committed an AMORAL act. However, if her

mother explains to Susie that it is wrong to hit other people and she
understands it but still hits Bobby, then she has committed an
immoral act.
9. INFIDEL
Analysis: IN (not); FID (belief)
Meaning: One who does not believe (of religion).
10. NONENTITY
Analysis: NON (not); ENTITY (thing)
Meaning: A person of no significance.
11. CORPULENT
Analysis: CORP (body); LENT (adjective suffix)
Meaning: Obese.
12. IRREPARABLE
Analysis: IR (not); REPAR (to repair); ABLE (can do)
Meaning: Something that cannot be repaired; a wrong so egregious
it cannot be righted.
13. INTROSPECTIVE
Analysis: INTRO (within); SPECT (to look); IVE (adjective suffix)
Meaning: To look inward, to analyze oneself.
14. IMMORTALITY
Analysis: IM (not); MORTAL (subject to death); ITY (noun ending)
Meaning: Cannot die, will live forever.
15. BENEFACTOR
Analysis: BENE (good); FACT (to do); OR (noun suffix [one who])
Meaning: One who does a good deed, a patron.
Word Analysis 115
16. DEGRADATION
Analysis: DE (down—negative); GRADE (step); TION (noun suffix)
Meaning: The act of lowering someone socially or humiliating them.
17. DISPASSIONATE

Analysis: DIS (away—negative); PASS (to feel)
Meaning: Devoid of personal feeling, impartial.
18. APATHETIC
Analysis: A (without); PATH (to feel); IC (adjective ending)
Meaning: Without feeling; to be uninterested. (The apathetic voters.)