Chapter 2 Word List
Here is an alphabetical list of the most important words you learned in this chapter.
ADVOCATE (AD vuh kut) n a person who argues in favor of a position
- Lulu believes in eliminating tariffs and import restrictions; she is an advocate of free trade.
Advocate (AD vuh kayt) can also be a verb:
- The representative of the paint company advocated cleaning the deck before painting it,
but we were in a hurry so we painted right over the dirt.
Advocacy (AD vuh kuh see) is support of or agreement with a position.
AMBIGUOUS (am BIG yoo us) adj unclear in meaning; confusing; capable of being
interpreted in different ways
- The poem we read in English class was ambiguous; no one had any idea what the poet was
trying to say.
The noun form is ambiguity (am bih GYOO uh tee).
AMBIVALENT (am BIV uh lunt) adj undecided; having opposing feelings simultaneously
- Susan felt ambivalent about Alec as a boyfriend. Her frequent desire to break up with him
reflected this ambivalence.
BENEDICTION (ben uh DIK shun) n a blessing; an utterance of good wishes In certain
church services, a benediction is a particular kind of blessing.
In secular usage, the word has a more general meaning:
- Jack and Jill were married without their parents’ benediction; in fact, their parents had no
idea that Jack and Jill had married.
The opposite of benediction is malediction (mal uh DIK shun), which means curse or slander:
- Despite the near-universal malediction of critics, the sequel to Gone with the Wind became
a huge bestseller.
BENEFACTOR (BEN uh fak tur) n one who provides help, especially in the form of a gift or
donation A person who gives benefits is a benefactor. A person who receives benefits is a
beneficiary. These two words are often confused.
- If your next-door neighbor rewrites his life insurance policy so that you will receive all his
millions when he dies, then you become the beneficiary of the policy. He is your
benefactor.
A malefactor (MAL uh fak tur) is a person who does bad things.
BENEVOLENT (beh NEV uh lunt) adj generous; kind; doing good deeds