Page 271 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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Essential Vocabulary
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contemplative (kuhn TEM pli tiv) adj. 1. inclined to look at intently; inclined
to gaze at; 2. tending to study closely 3. being involved in a meditative religious
order
• Paul was very contemplative of the faces of the men in the lineup, seeking
to pick out the killer.
• Olga was contemplative of her geometry facts as she prepared for her final
exam.
• After joining a contemplative order of monks, Tom became known as
Brother Jerome.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. pensive]
contentious (kuhn TEN shis) adj. 1. always ready for an argument; quarrel-
some; 2. likely to provoke a disagreement; provoking controversy
• Defense attorneys tend to be contentious, which is what their clients are
paying them for.
• As election day approaches, politicians’ behavior grows more and more
contentious.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. belligerent]
contradiction (KAHN truh DIK shin) n. 1. in opposition to another position; a
denial; 2. a condition in which things are contrary to each other; 3. having ele-
ments that appear opposed to one another
• According to Tom, Jerry’s account of the accident was a contradiction of the
facts.
• The history of Germany in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries is a
series of contradictions.
• Racism is a contradiction to the principles expressed in the U.S.
Constitution.
[Syn. denial]
conventional (kuhn VEN shuh nil) adj. 1. growing out of custom or normal
usage; customary; 2. conforming to accepted standards, rather than natural;
3. non-nuclear
• Saying please and thank you is just part of conventional, polite manners.
• It is conventional to peel a banana before eating it.
• Conventional weapons have become so dangerous that the use of nuclear
weapons is overkill.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. customary]
convivial (kuhn VIV ee uhl) adj. 1. festive; 2. jovial; fond of having a good
time; fond of eating, drinking, and good company
• Most religions have some convivial holiday where celebrating is the rule.
• A birthday is usually an occasion for a convivial time.
[-ity n.] [Syn. jovial]