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Essential Words A
Essential Words for the GRE. Words beginning with "a."
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| abate | to decrease; reduce |
| abdicate | to give up a position, right, or power |
| aberrant | deviating from what is normal |
| deviant | a person whose behavior differs from the accepted standards of society |
| abeyance | temporary suppression or suspension |
| abjure | to reject; abandon formally |
| abscission | the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf of other part of a plant |
| hypothesized | form a hypothesis, that is a proposition put forward as a starting point for further investigation |
| adaptive | relating to adaption, an alteration in structure or habits by which a species improves |
| herbivorous | feeding mainly on plants |
| abscond | to depart secretly |
| abstemious | moderate in appetite |
| abstinence | the giving up of certain pleasures |
| abysmal | very bad |
| free market (economy) | an economic market in which the demand and supply is either not regulated or slightly regulated |
| planned economy (economy) | an economic system in which production, allocation, and consumption of goods is planned in advance; command economy |
| capitalism | an economic/political system in which industry and trade are controlled by private owners rather than government |
| accretion | growth in size or increase in amount |
| geophysicist | one who specializes in physics of the earth and its environment |
| igneous (geology) | relating to the formation of rocks by solidification from a molten state |
| accrue | to accumulate; grow by additions |
| monopolistic | having exclusive control over a commercial activity |
| adamant | uncompromising; unyielding |
| adjunt | something added, attached, or joined |
| admonish | to caution or reprimand |
| adulterate | to corrupt or make impure |
| aesthetic | relating to beauty or art |
| gothic | a style of architecture in Middle Ages characterized by arches, spaces, light; in literature, a genre of fiction in 18th & 19th centuries having an atmosphere of gloom, mystery |
| affected | pretentious, phony |
| affinity | fondness, liking, similarity |
| aggrandize | to make larger or greater |
| aggregate | amounting to a whole; total |
| alacrity | cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed |
| alchemy | medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal to gold; magical power of transmutation |
| allay | to lessen; ease; soothe |
| alleviate | to relieve; improve partially |
| bourgeoisie | the social order dominated by the property-owning class |
| alloy | a combination; a mixture of two or more metals |
| allure | the power to entice by charm |
| lobby | a group whose members share certain goals; to defeat of laws that affect these goals |
| amalgamated | to combine into a unified whole |
| ambiguous | unclear or doubtful in meaning |
| ambivalence | the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes |
| ambrosia | something delicious; the food of the gods |
| ameliorate | to improve |
| amenable | agreeable, cooperative, suited |
| amenity | something that increases comfort |
| amulet | ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits |
| anachronism | something out of the proper time |
| analgesic | medication that reduces or elimantes pain |
| analogous | comparable |
| Social Darwinism | a theory that individuals/groups achieve advantage through genetic/biological superiority |
| Protestant work ethic | encourages hard work and a rational view of the world to achieve success |
| Confucian | a system or ethics based on a Chinese sage; value put on family relationships |
| anarchy | absence of government; state of disorder |
| anodyne | something that calms or soothes pain |
| anomalous | irregular; deviating from the norm |
| antecedent | something that comes before |
| Reformation | 16th century movement aimed at reforming the Roman Catholic Church |
| antediluvian | prehistoric |
| antipathy | dislike; hostility |
| apathy | indifference |
| welfare state | the provision of welfare services by the state |
| apex | the highest point |
| classicism | an aesthetic tradition that values simplicity, elegance, order |
| Augustans | a period of English literature (1700 - 1789) of satire; Swift and Pope |
| apogee | the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point |
| apothegm | a terse, witty saying |
| appease | to calm, pacify, placate |
| appellation | name |
| apposite | strikingly appropriate and relevant |
| apprise | to inform |
| approbation | praise; approval |
| appropriate | to take possession for one's own use; confiscate |
| apropos | relevant |
| arabesque | ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body |
| archeology | the study of material evidence of past human life |
| ardor | great emotion or passion |
| arduous | extremely difficult; laborious |
| argot | a specialized vocabulary used by a group |
| arrest | to stop; to sieze |
| artifact | item made by human craft |
| artless | guileless; natural |
| ascetic | one who practices self-denial |
| asperity | severity; harshness; irritability |
| aspersion | slander; false rumor |
| assiduous | diligent; hard-working |
| assuage | to make less severe |
| astringent | harsh; severe |
| asylum | place of refuge or shelter |
| atavism | (biology) the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after generations of absence |
| attenuate | to weaken |
| audacious | bold; daring |
| austere | stern; unadorned |
| autonomous | self-governing; independent |
| avarice | greed |
| aver | to affirm; declare to be true |
| avocation | secondary occupation |
| avuncular | like an uncle, benevolent, tolerant |
| axiomatic | taken for granted |
Created by:
JNWorley
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