| Word | Part of Speech | Definition |
| abbreviate | v | To shorten; to make smaller. |
| abdication | n | A formal giving up of control or authority. |
| aberrant | adj | Abnormal or deviant. |
| abhor | v | To detest; to hate; to loathe. |
| abolish | v | To cancel; to put an end to; to eradicate. |
| aboriginal | adj | Primitive; original; native. |
| abrasive | adj | Rubbing away; causing irritation; harmful. |
| abscission | n | A cutting off; a separation. |
| abstain | v | To refrain from use; to withdraw from participation. |
| abstinence | n | Restraint from pleasurable things or experiences. |
| abusive | adj | Insulting; physically or psychologically harmful. |
| accessible | adj | Easy to approach; obtainable; within reach. |
| accessory | n | An additional object; a useful but not essential component of a whole. |
| acclimate | v | To adjust to a climate or environment; to adapt to a new area, situation, conditions, etc. |
| accolade | n | An award of merit; praise; approval. |
| accommodate | v | To help someone; to oblige; to bring into harmony; to adapt. |
| accomplice | n | A partner in crime. |
| accountable | adj | Responsible; honorable and honest. |
| accrue | v | To accumulate over time; come about by addition. |
| acidulous | adj | Sour in attitude; sharp; bitter. |
| acoustics | n | The science of sound; the sound characteristics of a singular room or venue. |
| acquittal | n | A verdict by a jury that a person is not guilty. |
| acrid | adj | Bitter; sharp; biting. |
| acrophobia | n | The fear of heights. |
| acute | adj | Sharp; biting; quickly perceptive; keen. |
| adamant | adj | Inflexible; unwilling to change; hard. |
| addendum | n | An addition; something that is added. |
| addiction | n | A compulsive, often habitual need; a feeling of necessity for an item that is not strictly required to maintain health and longevity. |
| address | v | To speak to; to focus ones attention on; to deal with and to contemplate. |
| adjoin | adj | To be next to. |
| adulterate | v | To make impure; to reduce the quality of by the introduction of something inferior. |
| adversary | n | An opponent; the enemy; someone or something that offers opposition. |
| adverse | adj | Going against; opposing; unfavorable. |
| advocate | v | To speak in favor of; to support; to encourage. |
| aerate | v | To put air into; to expose to fresh air; to supply with air. |
| aesthetic | adj | Artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful; appealing to the sense of sight. |
| affirmation | n | An assertion in the positive; a confirmation. |
| affliction | n | A condition of distress; a disease; the cause of suffering. |
| affluence | n | Abundance; wealth. |
| agenda | n | The items or list of items to be covered during a meeting; the plan of action. |
| aggrandize | v | To make more great; to increase in power, wealth, rank, etc. |
| aggravate | v | To make worse; to irritate. |
| agility | n | The ability to move in a coordinated and quick manner. |
| agitate | v | To stir up; disturb; to cause to move from a place of rest or peace. |
| agnostic | adj | Being skeptical of the existence of a god or any supreme being. |
| agrarian | adj | Pertaining to land or its cultivation. |
| agronomy | n | The broad science of crop rotation and crop maintenance, including soil management, cultivation, fertilization, irrigation, etc. |
| alcove | n | A nook; a cranny; a recess; an enclosed space. |
| alimony | n | Payments made on a regular basis, most often to a spouse of a former engagement or marriage. |
| allegiance | n | Support; a sense of loyalty; duty towards an individual or specific cause. |
| allergy | n | A condition where a person is very sensitive to certain chemicals or substances in the environment; an exaggerated immune response to otherwise harmless stimuli. |
| alliteration | n | A poetry term referring to the repetition of beginning sounds of two or more words; the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter. |
| allocate | v | To assign; to set aside for a particular purpose. |
| allude | v | To refer indirectly to; to imply. |
| allure | v | To entice; attract; to tempt; to entice. |
| altercation | n | A noisy fight; a heated argument that involves yelling. |
| amalgam | n | A combination of different things; a mixture of metals. |
| amalgamate | v | To combine; to form into a clump; to unite. |
| amass | v | To collect over time; to gather in large amounts. |
| amazon | n | A female warrior; the jungle region in South America in the vicinity of the river by the same name. |
| ambidextrous | adj | Able to use the left hand or the right hand equally well; equally skilled. |
| ambience | n | The environment; the atmosphere; the mood. |
| ambiguous | adj | Uncertain; hard to understand. |
| ambush | n | A sudden attack made from a concealed position. |
| amend | v | To correct; to make a positive change; to right a wrong. |
| amenities | n | Niceties; features or components that help to make life pleasurable and easier. |
| amiable | adj | Agreeable; friendly; lovable. |
| amicable | adj | peaceful; friendly. |
| amnesia | n | Loss of memory. |
| amnesty | n | A time when a criminal is exempt from punishment; an official pardon that is mandated by a government and usually extended to political offenders. |
| amoral | adj | Without morals; unable to distinguish between right and wrong. |
| ample | adj | Enough; abundant; sizable; opportune. |
| amplify | v | To increase in size, effect, volume, etc. to expand; to broaden or clarify. |
| amputate | v | To cut off part of a body; to prune. |
| amulet | n | A charm or talisman; an object that is worn to protect against evil or to shun away bad luck. |
| analogous | adj | Comparable; having a similar form or shape. |
| anatomy | n | The scientific study of the structure of animals; the dissection and study of the body. |
| ancestry | n | Family descent; inherited properties that are shared among people with a past common family member. |
| anecdote | n | A short story of an amusing event; a quick tale meant to entertain or to invoke laughter. |
| anesthetic | n | Something that causes the loss of sensation. |
| annuity | n | A yearly or periodic allowance or payment. |
| anoint | v | To consecrate; to pour oil onto as part of a religious ceremony. |
| anomalous | adj | Abnormal; irregular; unexpected. |
| anomaly | n | An irregularity; something that is out of place. |
| anonymity | n | State or condition of not having a name or identity. |
| anthology | n | A collection of various pieces of writing, all from different authors. |
| anthropomorphic | adj | Possessing human characteristics. |
| antibiotic | n | A drug, ointment, or medicine that destroys bacteria or pathogens. |
| antibody | n | An immune body; something that prevents or blocks another; a protein produced as an immune response to a specific virus or bacteria. |
| anticipate | v | To act in advance; to prevent; to predict; to realize beforehand. |
| antidote | n | A remedy; a magic potion; something that counteracts a disease or poison. |
| antipathy | adj | Strong aversion; dislike. |
| antiquated | adj | Obsolete, outdated, run-down. |
| antique | n | Something from a previous time; something made previously which is now of great worth. |
| antithesis | n | The direct opposite; opposition; contrast. |
| apathy | n | A lack of caring or interest; indifference; a lack of concern or interest in important affairs. |
| aperture | n | An opening; a hole; the adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light that can enter. |
| apex | n | To top; the summit; the ultimate goal; a climax. |
| apocalyptic | adj | Prophetic; pertaining to revelations of disaster. |
| apologist | n | A person who writes in defense of a cause or institution. |
| appall | v | To shock; to disgust; to dismay. |
| apparent | adj | Evident; easily perceived. |
| appease | adj | To make quiet; to soothe; to calm. |
| appreciate | v | To be understanding of; to be thankful; to be conscious of. |
| aptitude | n | Fitness; talent. |
| arbitrate | v | To act as judge; to preside over. |
| arboretum | n | A place where different types of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited; a place where a large variety of woody plants are kept for ornamental purposes. |
| archaic | adj | Antiquated; out of date; no longer used; of or belonging to the past. |
| archaism | n | A word or phrase that is no longer in use; an archaic expression; something that is outdated. |
| archetype | n | A prototype; a primitive pattern; something that is the first and original. |
| archives | n | Public records; a place where public records are maintained. |
| arduous | adj | Hard; strenuous; labor-intensive; difficult. |
| arduous | adj | Difficult; steep; laborious; requiring great effort. |
| arid | adj | Dry; barren; unproductive; forgotten. |
| aristocracy | n | A form of government in which nobility and power is based on heredity only; the privileged class. |
| armada | n | A fleet of navy warships. |
| aromatic | adj | Fragrant; sweet smelling. |
| arrogance | n | Proud superior mannerisms; behavior that is snobbish. |
| arsenal | n | A storage place for military equipment; the available military weapons at one's disposal. |
| artery | n | A large blood-vessel; a main blood vessel in the body. |
| ascend | v | To go up; to climb. |
| ascertain | v | To find out; to make certain; to clarify and finalize. |
| aseptic | adj | Preventing infection; having a cleansing effect. |
| assertive | adj | Having and expressing strong opinions; exhibiting a confident belief in one's own abilities. |
| assimilate | v | To absorb; to take in; to grasp and to make one's own; to fully understand. |
| assort | v | To classify into different sorts; to arrange: to match. |
| assorted | adj | Of various types; matched; of many origins; not of the same variety. |
| assurance | n | A promise or a pledge; a statement of authenticity; certainty. |
| astigmatism | n | A defect in the eye which prevents proper focus. |
| astonish | v | To astound; to surprise. |
| astral | adj | Of or pertaining to the stars, related to the stars. |
| astronomical | adj | Enormously large; gigantic. |
| astute | adj | Shrewd, wise, and keen. |
| asylum | n | A refuge or a shelter; political protection. |
| atheistic | adj | Denying the existence of God or of a supreme being. |
| atrophy | n | The wasting away of tissue, an organ, or any part of a living organism due to a lack of food. |
| attentive | adj | Alert; listening carefully; at full attention; considerate. |
| attest | v | To swear and testify; to bear witness to. |
| attribute | n | A quintessential component; an essential quality. |
| atypical | adj | Not normal; out of the ordinary. |
| audacious | adj | Daring and bold. |
| augment | v | To increase; to add to; to compound. |
| authenticate | v | To verify as genuine; to prove. |
| autocratic | adj | Having absolute unchecked power; like an absolute dictator. |
| autonomous | adj | Not needing support; being able to function without outside influence or help; self-governing. |
| autopsy | n | An examination of a dead body; the identification of the case of death. |
| auxiliary | adj | Additional; secondary; in a supportive role. |
| avalanche | n | A great mass of falling snow and ice. |
| aversion | n | A strong dislike; a hatred for. |
| avid | adj | Eager; very willing. |