legitimacy(li JIT im is ee) n.the quality of being legally correct; lawful; sanc-
tioned by law or custom; reasonable and just
- Don’t give anybody your personal information online, unless you’re 100%
certain of that person’s legitimacy. - The legitimacyof backroom poker games is doubtful.
- The legitimacyof Virgil’s tracing Rome’s history back to the Trojan War is
questionable but artful.
[Syn. lawfulness]
levee* (LEV ee) n.1. a retaining wall built beside a river to prevent flooding; a
dike; 2. a landing place on the riverbank; 3. a ridge of earth built around a field
that is to be irrigated - Leveesare common sights on the lower Mississippi River.
- If you’re planning to take a riverboat, you just might find yourself on the
levee,waiting for the Robert E. Lee.
liberal(LIB ir el) adj.1. not restricted; 2. generous; 3. plentiful; ample; abundant;
- not limited to the literal meaning; 5. tolerant of views other than one’s own
- A loose-fitting sweatshirt allows one a liberalamount of arm movement.
- The mayor was liberalin his praise for the fire department.
- Tina put a liberalamount of strawberry jam on her roll.
- Some judges have a liberalinterpretation of the meaning of the law.
- A university is a place for a liberalexchange of viewpoints.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. progressive (in the political sense)]
library(LY bre ree) n.1. a collection of books, films, magazines, CDs, etc., espe-
cially a large one that is systematically arranged; 2. a public or private institution in
charge of such a collection; 3. the building in which the aforementioned is housed - The Libraryof Congress is one serious collection.
- One of the greatest losses to Western civilization was the burning of the
Libraryat Alexandria (Egypt, not Virginia). - Helene and Judy met to do some reading at the public library.
linchpin (LINCH pin) n.1. a pin that goes through the outer end of an axle to
prevent the wheel from falling off; 2. anything that holds the parts of a whole
together - Most automobiles use cotter pins as their linchpins.
- Evers was the linchpinof the Cubs great double-play trio, Tinkers to Evers
to Chance. - The keystone is the linchpinor the true arch.
literal(LIT oer il) adj.1. having to do with letters of the alphabet; 2. word for
word; following the exact words or meaning of the original; 3. interpreting things
according to their precise meaning - Placing something in literalorder is another way of saying alphabetizing.
- Ben was very literal,so when his girlfriend told him to “go jump in the
lake,” he went looking for a lake to jump into. - Only a few sects nowadays live their lives according to a literalinterpreta-
tion of Holy Scripture.
[-ly adv.]
L: SAT Words 149