Word StudyWord StudyCrossroads Middle SchoolCrossroads Middle School

Year TwoYear TwoTrimester TwoTrimester Two

fidfidLatinDefinition: faith, trustVocabulary

◦confidential◦fidelity◦infidel

confidentialconfidential Part of speech: adjectiveDefinition: private, secretiveSentences:

◦“I have something to tell you,” John whispered in a confidential tone.

◦This information is confidential and should not be shared with anyone else.

fidelityfidelityPart of speech: nounDefinition: the quality of being

loyal or faithfulSentences:

◦ Patriots are unwavering in their fidelity to the cause of freedom.

◦ This speaker system produces high-fidelity sound quality.

infidelPart of speech: nounDefinition: one without faith or beliefSentences: oThe leader of the revolution proudly declared himself an infidel.oReligious leaders attempted to persuade the infidel to accept their faith.

memormemor LatinDefinition: recall, rememberVocabulary

◦commemorate◦memorial◦memorize

commemoratecommemorate Part of speech: verb Definition: to honor the memory of

someone or something by observance or ceremony

Sentences:◦ The annual festival commemorates the town’s founding

date.◦ A plaque will commemorate the

battle that took place here 200 years ago.

memorialmemorialPart of speech: nounDefinition: an object or ceremony honoring the memory of a person or event

Sentences:◦The Viet Nam Memorial is a tribute to the thousands who died in the war.

◦Thousands of flowers were left as memorials at Princess Diana’s burial site.

memorizePart of speech: verbDefinition: to commit to memory; learn by heartSentences:oUsing a mnemonic device can help you memorize the colors of the rainbow.oSong lyrics are easy to memorize when you hear them repeatedly.

pseudo / falspseudo / falsGreek (pseudo); Latin (fals)Definition: false, fraudulent; pretending to be something it is not

Vocabulary:◦pseudonym◦falsification◦fallacy

pseudonympseudonym

Mark Twain is the pseudonym of the American writer Samuel L. Clemens.

The most notorious serial killer of the 19th century remains known only by the

pseudonym of Jack the Ripper.

Part of speech: noun Definition: a fictitious (made up) nameSentences:

falsificationfalsificationPart of speech: nounDefinition: the act of making false;

misrepresenting or concealing the truthSentences:The immigrant was arrested for falsification of his birth certificate.

Falsification of the results of the scientific study resulted in unreliable findings.

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fallacyfallacyPart of speech: nounDefinition: a false or mistaken ideaSentences:The fallacy of their ideas about good medical treatment soon became apparent as the patient’s condition worsened.

Studies have disproven the once-common fallacy that girls aren't as good at math as boys.

cogncognLatinDefinition: know, understandVocabulary

◦cognition◦incognito◦recognize

cognitioncognition Part of speech: noun Definition: the act or process of

knowing or understanding Sentences: The students displayed poor cognition of current events. Parents can increase babies’ cognition

by playing games to improve memory and attention.

incognitoincognito Part of speech: adverb Definition: when someone’s identity is concealed (hidden) Sentences: Brad Pitt sometimes travels

incognito in order to avoid being noticed in public.

A Halloween costume allowed me to go to the party incognito.

recognizerecognize Part of speech: verb Definition: to identify using

previous knowledge Sentences: I met Eli only once, so I’m not sure

I would recognize him today. Please recognize that police officers are here to help us.

script / scribscript / scribLatinDefinition: to write, to recordVocabulary:prescribeinscriptionpostscript

prescribeprescribe Part of speech: verb Definition: to provide a clear guide,

direction, or rule of action Sentences: The law prescribes a prison sentence

of at least five years for the crime. The regulations prescribe that all

employees must pass a physical examination.

inscriptioninscription Part of speech: noun Definition: important information

impressed, painted, engraved, or written on stone or other hard surface

Sentences: The painting had an inscription that

read, “To my loving wife.” The inscription on the stone

monument memorialized the area’s first explorers.

postscriptpostscript Part of speech: noun Definition: a note or series of notes

added to a signed letter Sentences: In a postscript to her letter, she

promised to write again soon. An interesting postscript to the

story is that the two people involved later got married.

mar / nav mar / nav LatinDefinition: mar = sea; nav = shipVocabulary

◦marina◦mariner◦navigate

marinamarina Part of speech: noun Definition: a docking area for

small boats Sentences: The marina provided a safe haven

for our boat during the hurricane. The boats anchored at the marina

bobbed cheerfully in the water.

maritimemaritime Part of speech: adjective Definition: of or relating to the sea;

of shipping via the sea Sentences: The country's maritime industry is

an important part of its economy. Susan is an expert in maritime law,

mostly because of the shipping industry in the area.

navigatenavigate Part of speech: verb Definition: to make one's way over or

through; to steer or manage, to operate or control the course of Sentences: Only flat-bottomed boats can safely

navigate the canal. The downtown area is easily

navigated on foot.

aster / astro aster / astro GreekDefinition: star; star-shapedVocabulary

◦astrology◦asterisk◦astronomical

astrologyastrology Part of speech: noun Definition: the study of how the positions

and aspects of stars and planets influence human and world events

Sentences: The newspaper publishes the astrology

chart daily for people who believe their lives are impacted by the stars.

Astrology is considered today to be opposed to the findings of modern science.

asteriskasterisk Part of speech: noun Definition: a star-shaped symbol used in

writing to indicate a footnote or to draw attention to text

Sentences: The asterisk at the end of the sentence

directed me to an explanation of an unfamiliarword in the sentence.Please put an asterisk next to each Word Study word you use in your essay.

astronomicalastronomical Part of speech: adjective Definition: enormously large or

great; relating to astronomy (the study of space)

Sentences: The cost of the office building was

astronomical because of its height. We got an astronomical telephone bill

this month after calling our family in Italy.

gengenGreekDefinition: race; kindVocabularygenesisgenealogygeneration

genesis

Part of speech: nounDefinition: the origin or beginning of

somethingSentences:The author wrote a book about the genesis of the Civil Rights movement.

John was present at the meeting which was later considered the genesis of the new political movement.

genealogyPart of speech: nounDefinition: : an account of a person’s or

family’s ancestrySentences:My sister has been researching our family genealogy.

Hakim has a distinguished genealogy that traces back to William the Conqueror.

generationPart of speech: nounDefinition: average time between the

birth of parent and their offspring (about 30 years); the act or process of creating something

Sentences:• The company claims to be

developing the next generation of portable computers.

• That family has lived in the same house for four generations.

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