As we mentioned in yesterday’s post, merely being presented with a list of words and told “learn these” is not the most exciting, or effective, way to study vocabulary. You’ll learn more quickly, remember words better, and be able to use words correctly in context if you know something about the words and can relate them to the world around you. Do you know the history of the word? Where did you see it used? Does it relate to a topic that you’re particularly interested in? All of these connections will tie the word firmly in your consciousness, so that you’ll have it on hand to use in the future.

Several relatively uncommon words became part of the common vocabulary over the summer, as pointed out by the word-savvy people at Merriam-Webster. They track the number of times words are typed into their search engine, which shows how often people are trying to look up the definition of each particular word. This summer, they discovered several words that gained in search frequency in response to world events, movie releases, and sporting competitions. How many of these words did you already know?

inception (in-SEHP-shun) noun
Definition: The origin or beginning of something.
Cultural Context: The Hollywood movie “Inception,” with its theme of where images and ideas actually come from, was released in July 2010.
Example: The library board has from its inception been focused on increasing the availability of materials to low-income children in the outer suburbs.

cacophony (kuh-KAW-fuh-nee) noun
Definition: Loud, discordant, annoying sounds.
Cultural Context: The vuvuzelas blown at this summer’s World Cup drew many complaints for their blaring noise.
Example: The auditorium was loud with a cacophony of voices, but when the mayor arrived, the audience immediately became quiet.

frugal (FROO-gull) adjective
Definition: Careful with money.
Cultural Context: As many world economies took a downward turn, governments began to cut spending and pay more attention to their budgets.
Example: Her frugal habits allowed her to pay off her home mortgage ten years early, and now she has enough money to be able to travel each summer.

moratorium (MOR-uh-TOR-ee-um) noun
Definition: An official delay, postponement, or ban of a specific activity.
Cultural Context: After the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the US government put a halt to further drilling for a period of time.
Example: In order to keep the athletes in top form, the coach declared a moratorium on sodas and other high-sugar drinks, and encouraged the team members to drink fruit juice or milk.

despicable (duh-SPIH-kuh-bull) adjective
Definition: Vile, evil, without morals.
Cultural Context: The animated movie “Despicable Me” tells the story of an evil villain who learns to be a good person.
Example: Although the former president spent the rest of his life working with the poor and giving money to charity, the people could not forgive the despicable acts committed under his administration.

What was your favorite word from this summer? Leave your suggestions in the comments.