Hello! Did you just happen to discover this blog from a random search or unintended click-through from another site? What a fortunate accident! In fact, you might even say it was serendipity that got you here. The noun serendipity means an unplanned occurrence, discovery, or experience that brings you good fortune or benefits you in some way. This word was coined by the British author and politician Horace Walpole in 1754, based on an ancient Persian fairy tale about the three lucky princes of Serendip, which is the old Arabic name for present-day Sri Lanka.

Serendipity is often used to describe a lucky discovery of one thing that you find while you’re looking for something else entirely. For example, a person might be walking along a mountain stream, fishing for trout, and suddenly look down to see a nugget of gold. In fact, that’s more or less how the California Gold Rush started in 1848 in California – a man was building a lumber mill on the bank of a river (which was to be powered by a water wheel) and happened to find several small gold nuggets near the building site.

Several modern inventions came about by serendipity, including the nonstick coating Teflon (the inventor was trying to develop a gas to be used in refrigeration), the sugar substitute aspartame (the scientist was experimenting with anti-ulcer drugs), and the microwave oven (invented by a scientist who found a melted candy bar in his pocket after a session of working with radar waves in the laboratory).

Example: If my friend Libby hadn’t decided to get to work early, she wouldn’t have been stuck in the elevator with Charles, who was there to pack up his desk and move to his new job across the city, and they might never have met. It was pure serendipity that they got to know each other, and now they’ve been married for fourteen years.

Related words include the adjective serendipitous and the adverb serendipitously. Happenstance is a synonym sometimes used for serendipity, and the phrase a stroke of luck is also common.

Now that you’ve found us, be sure to bookmark this page and check back soon for our next word-related post!

As your vocabulary improves and expands, you’ll be able to speak with authority on many different topics. People will be impressed by your knowledge and insight, and will consider you to be quite perspicacious when you’re able to pick exactly the right words for every situation. Perspicacious means keen-witted and mentally sharp, able to see to the heart of a matter and discern the truth. The word comes from the Latin perspicax, meaning “able to see through,” which contains the Latin root specere, meaning “to look at.” Other words derived from this root word include specimen, introspection, and perspective – all words that have the connotation of “sight.” The noun perspicacity refers to perception or shrewdness. Some synonyms for perspicacious are discerning and insightful.

Example: The witness tried to hide the truth, but the attorney’s perspicacious questions forced him to admit to his role in the bank robbery.

A related but less common word, perspicuous, means “obvious or apparent.” While perspicacious has the meaning of “seeing what is hidden,” perspicuous has the meaning “not hidden at all.” Even though somewhat reversed, the underlying sense from the root specere of “sight” is still evident.

Learning root words is very useful, because it helps you quickly get a sense of the probable definition of a new word. You can look at the word root(s), as well as any prefix or suffix, and piece together a translation for the word as a whole. Now that you know that the Latin root word specere means “sight,” how would you define these words?

• circumspect
• speculation
• conspicuous

Circumspect has two Latin roots, circum- (“around”) and specere (“to look”). Someone who is circumspect acts carefully after looking at, or considering, the situation.

The original meaning of speculation is “to look at or consider,” with the sense that a person is thinking about a topic seriously. The word is also used now to mean less than serious consideration; the phrase “idle speculation” refers to more random thought, or even guessing, about something.

Something that is conspicuous is very visible; the Latin prefix con- (or com-) means “together with” and is used in this case to show intensity or emphasis. A modern translation might be “visible squared.”

As you can see, being familiar with root words helps you get right down to the fundamental blocks making up a vocabulary word to quickly get a clear idea of what that word actually means. You might even say that learning word roots will help you be more perspicacious.

As you study your vocabulary list, looking up definitions for new words that you’ve come across in your daily reading or overheard in conversation and noted in your word journal, you’ll undoubtedly come across words that have two or more meanings, some of which will be related, and some of which will not. A simple example of the latter is the word bank, which has definitions that include “a place to store money,” “the edge of a river,” and “an alteration in direction,” none of which have anything to do with the others. You may have to decide which of the definitions you’ll focus on when learning the word, in order to avoid confusion. However, most high-level vocabulary words will have one main definition that is most commonly used; this definition is usually the first one listed in a dictionary entry.

You’ll also find that there are words which have two equally-common meanings, and it’s a good idea to be familiar with them both. For example, the word inexorable can mean either “unrelenting, unwilling to change” or “inevitable, impossible to prevent.” While both definitions have the underlying meaning of “something you can’t alter” the first one refers to something that you can’t move (metaphorically) and the second to something that you can’t stop from moving (physically or metaphorically).

Example 1: The judge was inexorable in his ruling that the defendant be given 500 hours of community service, in addition to his jail sentence and fine.

Example 2: The children’s sand castles were washed away by the inexorable advance of the incoming tide.

Inexorable is a good example of a word that you’ll find on SAT or GRE examinations, in that it is descriptive, precise, and has more than one common definition. If you’re studying for one of these tests, you may need to devote some time to learning more than one way to use the advanced vocabulary words on your list.

Don’t let the prospect of additional work deter you from continuing your daily vocabulary study! Once you’ve started expanding your vocabulary, your progress and success will be impossible to stop.

One of the types of vocabulary test question that frequently appears on examinations such as the SAT or GRE is the analogy question. This exercise is designed to test whether you know the meanings of words, and also whether or not you can understand the relationships between those meanings, and apply them to other word pairs.

Here’s an example of an analogy question you might find on a test:

DENIGRATE is to PRAISE as ___________ is to _____________:

(a) VAUNT, OBEY
(b) INTEGRATE, COMBINE
(c) DESTINATION, PILGRIMAGE
(d) EAGER, RELUCTANT
(e) DOG, CANINE

Which pair of words correctly completes the phrase? Keep in mind that you need to first determine the relationship between the initial word pair in order to discover the correct answer. In this example, denigrate and praise are both verbs; denigrate means to belittle or criticize, which is the opposite of praise. You’ll need to find the word pair where the two words are antonyms. If you look at the word pairs for answers (b), (c), and (e), you should notice that these pairs are all similar in some way:

• Integrate and combine have nearly the same meaning.
• Destination and pilgrimage are both nouns related to travel, and though one is the end point and the other the path, they are not antonyms, just describing different things.
• A dog is a member of the canine family of animals.

What about the pair in (a)? Vaunt is a verb that means “to praise or boast about.” Obviously, this word has no relationship to the word obey. That leaves us with (d). Eager and reluctant are antonyms, and have the same relationship as denigrate and praise.

Learning how to identify the relationship between the example pair on each question will help you quickly eliminate the incorrect answers. Here are some of the possible word relationships you’ll find on the examinations:

Synonyms (examples: reluctant/unwilling, confident/assured)

Antonyms (examples: valiant/fearful, affluent/indigent)

Components Included (examples: bunch/grape, pride/lion)

Components Missing (examples: desert/water, atheist/belief)

What Things Are Used For (examples: pencil/write, telephone/talk)

What Things Are Made Of (examples: ice/water, tablecloth/linen)

Look for sample tests in books and on line – the more you practice these analogies, the easier they’ll be.

Learning one word doesn’t just increase your vocabulary by one, but usually by two or more, because you’ll also learn related words as part of your vocabulary study. Adjectives have associated adverbs, nouns can be turned into adjectives, some words are related through their word roots, and most words have synonyms and/or antonyms that you can – and should – memorize as part of the study process for a particular word. In yesterday’s post, we looked at the words dubious, mitigate, ambient, chronic, and utopia. When you create your flash cards for vocabulary review, you can add these words as well:

dubiously (adverb meaning “with doubt or suspicion”)
ambiance (noun meaning “surroundings, atmosphere”)
aggravate (an antonym of mitigate meaning “to make worse”)
habitual (a synonym of chronic meaning “recurring”)
utopian (adjective meaning “idyllic, perfect”)

When you’re studying today’s five words for success, keep in mind all of the related words that go along with them, and you’ll find that your efforts will bring you even more results.

incessant (in-SESS-ant) adjective
Definition: Unending, continuing without a break.
Example: I can’t concentrate on my reading because of my roommate’s incessant chatter on her cell phone.

proliferate (pro-LIFF-er-ate) verb
Definition: To increase in number.
Example: The wildflowers she planted when she was a child continue to proliferate, and now the whole meadow is covered in colorful blossoms each spring.

vindicate (VIN-dih-kate) verb
Definition: To prove the rightness of something, to justify.
Example: Alan had evidence that the shopkeeper had cheated him, but the judge said that did not vindicate his actions, and fined him for damages to pay for the door that he had kicked in.

admonish (ad-MON-ish) verb
Definition: To reprimand, to chastise.
Example: Ellen’s dog learned quickly – she only had to admonish him once after he chewed up the newspaper, and he never did it again.

truculent (TRUCK-you-lent) adjective
Definition: Fierce, combative, angry.
Example: The police were out in force to control the truculent crowds who came to protest the new city taxes on gasoline and cigarettes.

How do people perceive you? What sort of impression do you make on the people you meet? Whether it’s friends or strangers, co-workers or managers, you’re judged every day – sometimes more kindly than others! – by what you wear, what your attitude is, and what you say. Just as you pick your outfit according to the event you’re attending, and alter your mood to match your companions and your circumstances, you’ll need to select the right words for each occasion. The more words you know, the easier this will be. Here are ten useful words to learn and practice to help you adapt to any situation:

chronic (KRON-ick) adjective
Definition: Persistent or present over a long period of time, either continually or recurring.
Example: Stuart was unable to save enough money for a new car due to his chronic betting (and losing) at the racetrack.

ambient (AM-bee-ent) adjective
Definition: Enveloping, surrounding, present everywhere.
Example: It’s difficult to make a good-quality recording of a live outdoor performance in a city park because the ambient noise level is so high.

mitigate (MIH-tih-gate) verb
Definition: To make less, to decrease, to make better
Example: That naturopath suggests taking a double dose of vitamin B6 or chewing on fresh ginger to mitigate the motion sickness many people feel on long sea voyages.

utopia (you-TOH-pee-ah) noun
Definition: A perfect situation or state of affairs.
Example: We all dream of a utopia where everyone has everything they need to live a good life, but not all of us are willing to sacrifice what we have to help others.

dubious (DOO-bee-us) adjective
Definition: Doubtful, open to question, uncertain.
Example: The ambient temperature at the poles during the winter is so high, scientists are dubious as to whether or not we will be able to do anything to mitigate the speed at which the ice caps are melting.

Come back tomorrow for five more words that you’ll find useful in any future scenario, whether utopian or post-apocalyptic!

The newest editions of some of the best study guides for 2010 have been published, and if you’re studying for the GRE (or just want to learn some excellent vocabulary words and skills) then we recommend you check out these books and other learning tools:

Cracking the GRE (2011 Edition)

The Princeton Review is known for quality work and current information. This book comes with a DVD and on-line access to several practice examinations. For those of you who find it easier to listen to a presentation than to read it, the DVD provides video tutorials, as well as interactive tutorials on line to give you more practice at the questions you’ll be faced with on the actual test. The practical advice on how to work with the reading comprehension section of the test is more than worth the price of the package, as many people have the most trouble with this section. This book (and DVD) cover all of the aspects of the GRE, including the math sections. If you’re planning on taking the GRE next year, this may be your best resource.

Barron’s Essential Words for the GRE

If you’d rather focus on just the vocabulary words and test strategies, this book will give you both excellent instructions and a list of 800 words to learn, many of which appear frequently on the exam. Practice tests, including sentence-completion exercises which will help you learn how to use and identify words in context, are part of the package.

Guerrilla Tactics for the GRE

Subtitled “Secrets and Strategies the Test Writer’s Don’t Want You To Know,” this book is designed to help you deal with the “trick” questions built in to the GRE – the ones where the test writers are deliberately trying to confuse you so that you’ll pick what looks like the correct answer, but actually isn’t. Knowing what to look for will help you avoid making that mistake, and getting a look “behind the scenes” of the test itself will make you more confident about taking it.

GRE Vocabulary Flashcard Book (REA)

Vocabulary study – there’s an app for that! When you purchase this book of flashcard exercises (for 900 words frequently found on the GRE) you also get access to a vocabulary test preparation application for your iPhone or iPod. The book’s portable – the application even more so. This set truly gives you on-the-go vocabulary review.

Out of all of the words in the English language, which ones should you learn first? Sometimes you have the luxury of studying words as you come across them in books or magazines as you read for pleasure, but other times you’ll have to put in some intense effort to learn vocabulary for a specific purpose, such as taking (and passing!) the GRE or the SAT. In yesterday’s post, we looked at five words that are often found on these examinations; today, we’ve got five more for you to work on. Don’t forget to keep all of your senses engaged in this learning process, to help you retain and remember: read the word, say it out loud (or find an audio link to give you the pronunciation), and write it down several times, preferably in example sentences.

awry (uh-RYE) adjective
Definition: Off course, twisted, leaning to one side, gone wrong.
Synonyms: askew, bent
Antonyms: straight, direct
Example: The thieves’ well-thought-out plan went awry when they discovered that the bank had changed the verification system on the security cameras.

variegated (VAIR-ee-uh-gay-ted) adjective
Definition: Having a variety of colors; often used to describe leaves and flowers.
Synonyms: mottled, multicolored
Antonyms: uniform, monochrome
Example: Gardeners often choose to plant hostas in shady areas, where their variegated leaves bring a bit of interest to an otherwise dull landscape.

moribund (MORE-ih-bund) adjective
Definition: Not growing, moving or changing; also, near death or almost obsolete.
Synonyms: stagnant, dying
Antonyms: lively, active
Example: The increasingly moribund print newspaper industry may never recover unless a younger audience can be convinced to move away from on-line news sources.

inchoate (in-KOH-it) adjective
Definition: Newly-formed and not yet organized or finished.
Synonyms: amorphous, rudimentary
Antonyms: mature, developed
Example: The inchoate efforts of the incoming administration to reverse the damage done over the past decade have so far been less successful than we had hoped.

risible (RIH-zih-buhl) adjective
Definition: Causing laughter.
Synonyms: comical, ludicrous
Antonyms: solemn, tragic
Example: Alan’s attempts to seem sophisticated by trying to speak French to the waiter were risible, and only got us an evening of poor service.

No one will laugh when you successfully and correctly use these powerful and descriptive vocabulary words in your conversations and communication at work and at home. There are many more words that you’ll find extremely useful, especially if you’re studying for the SAT or GRE, and we’ll continue to provide you with definitions and usage examples in future posts.

Are there words that you’re curious about? Leave your questions in the comments.

On the vocabulary section of the GRE (and the SAT) you’ll be presented with words that you’ve never seen before, ones that you might have seen but don’t know well, and some that you think you know but that are easily confused with others. In order to do well on the exams, you can use some of the study tips we’ve already discussed on this blog – understanding root words, learning to use words in context by writing sample sentences, working with flash cards and other visual aids – but you’ll also need to spend a certain amount of time simply memorizing words that are likely to appear on the examinations. Here are ten words that you’ll find useful on these tests, and which are also excellent additions to your everyday vocabulary.

explicit (ex-PLIH-sit) adjective (adverb explicitly)
Definition: Detailed, precise, and completely understandable.
Synonyms: exact, definitive
Antonyms: ambiguous, vague
Example: The guide spent fifteen minutes giving the hiking group explicit instructions on what to do if they saw a rattlesnake on the trail.

paradigm (PAIR-ah-dime) noun
Definition: An example or a model that other things are patterned on.
Synonyms: prototype, standard
Example: Linking cell phones and internet access has created a new paradigm for global communication systems.

criterion (cry-TEAR-ee-uhn) noun (plural criteria)
Definition: A standard or example that other things are measured by.
Synonyms: gauge, yardstick
Example: A successful applicant will need to match each criterion on the interviewer’s list.

subversive (sub-VER-sihv) adjective, but can be used as a noun
Definition: Working against established authority, in particular to overthrow it; or, a person who is acting in such a manner.
Synonyms: rebellious, seditious
Antonyms: obedient, loyal
Example: Those three men are on the Interpol watch list because they are suspected of engaging in subversive activities in several unstable countries.

fiduciary (fih-DOO-shee-air-ee) adjective, but also commonly used as a noun
Definition: A relationship of trust between two entities, usually involving money; or, a person who has responsibility for that trust or property.
Synonyms: trustworthy, responsible
Antonyms: unreliable, irresponsible
Example: Alice inherited her fortune when she was a child, and her estate was managed by several older relatives in a fiduciary capacity until she turned 21.

You can trust that we’ll be back tomorrow with five more useful, powerful vocabulary words for you to learn.

Were you aware of this useful word? If so, you were cognizant of the word and, we hope, how to use it. Cognizant means aware of something or knowing about something. The word can be traced back to the Latin root gnoscere, meaning “to know.” This root is shared with other words that have similar meanings: notice, recognize, prognosis, incognito.

Example: If you want to go skydiving, you must first sign a waiver stating that you are fully cognizant of the risks involved.

Knowledge of word origins and the basic building blocks of vocabulary – root words, suffixes, and prefixes – will help you quickly identify and define new words. Even if you don’t know the exact meaning of a word, if you can isolate one or more of its components, and know those meanings, you’ll be able to get the sense of the word and how it is used in the context of the sentence. This is particularly useful when you’re faced with a reading comprehension test, like those you’ll find on the GRE and SAT examinations. You’ll be given a paragraph (or two or three) and asked to read the paragraph, then answer a series of questions about the contents and meaning. If you’re unable to define some of the vocabulary words in the paragraph, you might not be able to answer the questions. However, knowing the roots of the words will give you a general idea of their meaning, and it will be easier to grasp the intent of the paragraph as a whole.

To practice this, select a paragraph or two from a text that you’re unfamiliar with – one that you suspect will contain words you don’t know – and read through the text, marking the words you’re unsure of. Before looking up the definitions, see if you can find the word roots, and use those to write in the general meaning of the words. Re-read the paragraph. Do you feel that you understand the paragraph, even without knowing exactly what each word means?

Keep a list of word roots that you encounter, and use them to identify the basic meaning of new words that you come across. It’s a quick and easy way to multiply your word knowledge.