- Our record in raising money was very creditable; we raised several thousand dollars
every year.
CULPABLE (KUL puh bul) adj deserving blame; guilty
- We all felt culpable when the homeless old man died in the doorway of our apartment
building.
A person who is culpable (a culprit) is one who can be blamed for doing something.
To decide that a person is not culpable after all is to exculpate (EK skul payt) that person.
- Lou’s confession didn’t exculpate Bob because one of the things that Lou confessed was
that Bob had helped him commit the crime.
The opposite of exculpate is inculpate. To inculpate is to accuse someone of something.
DEIGN (dayn) v to condescend; to think it in accordance with one’s dignity (to do something)
- When I asked the prince whether he would be willing to lend me five bucks for the rest of
the day, he did not deign to make a reply.
DENOMINATION (di nahm uh NAY shun) n a classification; a category name
- Religious denominations are religious groups consisting of a number of related
congregations. Episcopalians and Methodists represent two distinct Christian
denominations.
Denomination is often used in connection with currency.
- When a bank robber demands bills in small denominations, he or she is demanding bills
with low face values: ones, fives, and tens.
DICTUM (DIK tum) n an authoritative saying; an adage; a maxim; a proverb
- “No pain, no gain” is a hackneyed dictum of sadistic coaches everywhere.
ELOCUTION (el uh KYOO shun) n the art of public speaking
- The mayor was long on elocution but short on execution; he was better at making
promises than at carrying them out. - Professor Jefferson might have become president of the university if he had had even
rudimentary skills of elocution.
A locution (loh KYOO shun) is a particular word or phrase. Someone who speaks well is
eloquent (EL uh kwent).
IGNOMINY (IG nuh min ee) n deep disgrace
- After the big scandal, the formerly high-flying investment banker fell into a life of shame
and ignominy. - The ignominy of losing the spelling bee was too much for Arnold, who decided to give up
spelling altogether.