WORD LIST 159
prosaic (proh·'zay·ik) adj. unimaginative, ordinary, dull. The prosaic novel was
rejected by the publisher.
proscribe (proh·'skr ̄b) v. 1. to prohibit, forbid; to banish or outlaw.
- to denounce or condemn. The king proscribed the worship of idols in his
kingdom.
proselytize ('pros·e ̆·li·t ̄z) v. to convert or seek to convert someone to another
religion, belief, doctrine or cause. After a few minutes, it became clear to Hannah
that the purpose of the meeting was really to proselytize as many attendees as possible.
protean ('proh·tee·a ̆n) adj. taking many forms, changeable; variable, versatile. In
Native American mythology, the coyote is often called the “shape shifter” because he is
such a protean character.
protocol ('proh·to ̆·kawl) n. 1. etiquette, ceremony, or procedure with regard to
people’s rank or status. 2. a first copy of a treaty or document. Jackson was fired
for repeatedly refusing to follow protocol.
provident ('prov·i·de ̆nt) adj. wisely providing for future needs; frugal, economi-
cal. Because my parents were so provident, I didn’t have to struggle to pay for college.
proxy ('prok·see) n. 1. a person or agent authorized to represent or act for
another. 2. a document authorizing this substitution. The president appointed a
proxy to handle business matters during his absence.
prudent ('proo·de ̆nt) adj. careful and sensible regarding one’s actions and inter-
ests; exercising good judgment, judicious. Clarissa has always been very prudent,
so her recent bout of poor choices and boisterous behavior tells me she is very upset
about something.
puerile ('pyoo ̆·r ̆l) adj. 1. childish, immature. 2. suitable only for children,
belonging to or of childhood. Andrew is a remarkably successful businessman for
someone so puerile.
pugnacious (pu·'nay·shu ̆s) adj. contentious, quarrelsome, eager to fight, bel-
ligerent. Don’t be so pugnacious—I don’t want to fight.
punctilious (punk·'til·i·u ̆s) adj. extremely attentive to detail, very meticulous
and precise. One of the reasons he excels as an editor is because he is so punctilious.
pundit ('pun·dit) n. a learned person or scholar; one who is an authority on a
subject. The journalist consulted several legal pundits before drafting the article.
pungent ('pun·je ̆nt) adj. 1. having a strong, sharp taste or smell. 2. penetrating,
caustic, stinging. I love the pungent taste of a good, strong curry.