1. He spent years training to become certified to adjudicate for the National Orchid Society.

1. 1. He spent years training to become certified to adjudicate for the National Orchid Society. • Adjudicate – (verb) • Parts: ad(to); judicare (judge); ate (make, do) • Educated Guess: • Definition: to make a formal judgment or decision about a problem; to judge a competition, to pronounce or declare. • Synonyms: judge, adjudge • Antonyms: na • Variant forms: adjudication (n); adjudicative (adj) • Context Phrase:

2. 2. The relative who was going to inherit millions of dollars sobbed when the will was adjudicated to be apocryphal and therefore, invalid. • Apocryphal - adj • Parts: apo (away); crypt (hidden); al (related to) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Of questionable authorship or authenticity; Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated (an urban legend) • Synonyms: fake, counterfeit, false, spurious, bogus • Antonyms: real, genuine, true, authentic, veritable • Variant forms: apocrypha (n) • Context Phrase:

3. 3. A good sense of humor and bonhomie contribute to his charming personality. • Bonhomie- noun • Parts: bon (good); homeo ( man) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Cheerful friendliness; A pleasant and affable disposition • Synonyms: geniality, congeniality, amiability • Antonyms: rudeness, insolence, sulkiness, sulleness • Variant forms: bonhomous (adj) • Context Phrase:

4. 4. Unlike the other successful athletes who became complacent, he continued to practice daily. • Complacent – adj. • Parts: com (together); plac (please); ent (full of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Showing smug satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements; Contented to a fault • Synonyms: smug, conceited, proud, vain, arrogant • Antonyms: modest, humble, self-effacing • Variant forms: Complacence (n) complacently (adv) • Context Phrase:

5. 5. They were fortunate to find a witness who would corroborate their account of the accident. • corroborate - verb • Parts: cor (together, with) robor (strong) ate (make,do) • Educated Guess: • Definition: To confirm or give support to; to support or confirm with new evidence; to attest the truth or accuracy of • Synonyms: confirm, certify, endorse, support, assure • Antonyms: deny, reject, refute, disprove, contradict • Variant forms:corroboration (n) corroborative (adj) • Context Phrase:

6. 6. Her tendency to make derogatory remarks about everybody and everything offends me. • Derogatory - adj • Parts: de (down); rogat (ask) ory (pertaining to) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Showing a critical and disrespectful attitude; Detracting or disparaging • Synonyms:belittling, lessening, disparaging, detracting • Antonyms: praising, lauding, laudatory, commending • Variant forms:derogate(v)derogatorily(adv)derogation(n) • Context Phrase:

7. 7. “Until someone can show me the efficacy of this plan, I refuse to vote for it,” said the legislator. • Efficacy - noun • Parts:ef (out); fic (make, do); acy (state, quality) • Educated Guess: • Definition: The ability to produce a desired outcome; The power or capacity to produce a desired outcome. • Synonyms: effectiveness, usefulness • Antonyms: uselessness, futility, inadequacy • Variant forms: efficacious(adj) efficaciousness (n) • Context Phrase:

8. 8. Memorial garden is a euphemism for cemetery or graveyard. • Euphemism - n • Parts: eu (good); phem(name); ism (belief, doctrine) • Educated Guess: • Definition: A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. • Synonyms: na • Antonyms: na • Variant forms: euphemist (n) euphemize (v) • Context Phrase:

9. 9. Sometimes an attorney’s service will be gratuitous or pro bono if the client is unable to pay. • Gratuitous – (adj) • Parts: grat (please, thank, favor);ous (full of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: given or granted without return or recompense; Given or received without cost or obligation; Unnecessary • Synonyms: free, voluntary, unprovoked, unjustified • Antonyms: deserved, warranted, forced, earned • Variant forms: gratuitously (adv); gratuitousness (n) • Context Phrase:

10. 10. The humorous remarks seemed incongruous with the sadness of the occasion. • incongruous – adj. • Parts: in(not); congrus (agree, meet); ous (full of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Not corresponding with or in keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something; Not consistent with what is logical, customary, or correct. • Synonyms: absurd, inharmonious, inappropriate • Antonyms:compatible, consistent, agreeable, appropriate • Variant forms: incongruity (n); incongruously (adv) • Context Phrase:

11. 11. A gallon of water could not quench his insatiable thirst after being in the desert so long. • Insatiable – ( adj.) • Parts: in (not); satis (enough); able (capable of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Incapable of being satisfied (usually food or desire) • Synonyms: greedy, voracious, gluttonous, piggish • Antonyms: quenchable, satisfiable • Variant forms: insatiability (n), insatiableness (n) • Context Phrase:

12. 12. A moment or two of levity would have made the long lecture more tolerable for the students. • levity – n. • Parts: lev (light) ity (state or quality) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Humor or frivolity, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect, the state of being light • Synonyms: lightheartedness, flippancy, foolishness • Antonyms: gravity, sobriety, seriousness, solemnity • Variant forms: na • Context Phrase:

13. 13. Transformed into a shrine to Elvis, the basement displayed over 10,000 memorabilia and other evidence of monomania. • Monomania - noun • Parts: mono (one); mania (obsession, craze) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Pathological obsession with one thing or idea • Intent concentration on or enthusiasm for a subject or idea • Synonyms: obsession, fixation, passion, preoccupation • Antonyms: reasonableness, common sense, normalcy • Variant forms: monomaniac (n); monomaniacal (adj.) • Context Phrase:

14. 14. An unethical attorney might choose to pervert the law for his own personal benefit. • Pervert - verb • Parts: per (through, thoroughly); vert (turn) • Educated Guess: • Definition: To alter something from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended;one whose sexual behavior is abnormal (n) • Synonyms: corrupt, debase, distort, subvert, adulterate • Antonyms: edify, elevate, respect, exalt • Variant forms: perversion (n) perverted (adj) • Context Phrase:

15. 15. The king tried to placate the rebellious peasants by offering each a small tract of land. • placate - verb • Parts: plac (please); ate (make, do, cause) • Educated Guess: • Definition: To make someone less angry or hostile, usually by yielding concessions • Synonyms: calm, appease, allay, pacify, assuage, mollify • Antonyms: irritate, provoke, agitate, aggravate, incite • Variant forms: placation (n); placatory (adj); placater (n) • Context Phrase:

16. 16. Poor academic performance will likely preclude your enrollment in many colleges and universities. • preclude - (v) • Parts: pre (before); clud (close, shut) • Educated Guess: • Definition: To make impossible by previous action, to prevent from happening. • Synonyms: prevent, exclude, prohibit, obviate, forstall • Antonyms: allow permit, include • Variant forms: preclusion (n); preclusive (adj.) • Context Phrase:

17. 17. The beauty and quietude of the beach at sunrise inspired him to write this poem. • Quietude - n. • Parts: quietus (quiet); tude (state of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: A state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in a person or place. • Synonyms: tranquility, peacefulness, serenity • Antonyms: tumult, commotion, disturbance, uproar • Variant forms: na • Context Phrase:

18. 18. Impressed by the defendant’s confession and sincere apology, the judge reduced his retribution to community service and probation. • retribution - noun. • Parts: re (back,again); trib (give, assign); tion (act of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Punishment that is considered morally right and fully deserved; Something given or demanded in payment; requital, usually for evil • Synonyms: punishment, vengeance, revenge, reprisal • Antonyms: reward, recompense • Variant forms: retributive (adj.) retributory (adj.) • Context Phrase:

19. 19. Although all people should be treated equally in the courts, some verdicts seem more subjective than others. • Subjective – (adj.) • Parts: sub (under); ject (throw); ive (capable, able to) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes or opinions; Dependent on the mind or on an individual’s perception for existence • Synonyms: prejudiced, biased, partial, illusory • Antonyms: objective, impartial, factual, fair, real • Variant forms: subjectively (adv); subjectivity (n) • Context Phrase:

20. 20. The ubiquitous jeans and t-shirts appear at many social events, even at weddings and funerals. • ubiquitous - adjective • Parts: ubique (everywhere); ous (full of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: Present, appearing, or found everywhere; Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time • Synonyms: omnipresent, prevalent, universal • Antonyms: rare, infrequent, unusual, scarce • Variant forms: ubiquity (n); ubiquitously (adv) • Context Phrase: