Advanced Vocabulary List 11
- anachronism
- (noun) someone or something that belongs in another place in time
Everything seemed normal except for the anachronism of the man riding a horse down the street. One country colonizing another country is an anachronism in today's global environment.
- antecedent
- (noun) something that precedes another thing, especially the cause of the second thing
Pronouns usually refer to antecedents.
- debacle
- (noun) a terrible failure
By most accounts, the war in Iraq has been a tremendous debacle.
- exonerate
- (verb) to absolve from blame, to prove innocent
I am confident that I will be fully exonerated if I'm given a fair trial.
- lucid
- (adjective) clear, clear headed
I am the most lucid right after a cup of coffee. His style of writing was very clear and lucid.
- pernicious
- (adjective) harmful, deadly
The current concentration of ownership of media has had a pernicious effect on democracy in the US.
- wily
- (adjective) sly, clever, cunning (usually deceitfully).
Many politicians employ teams of wily advisors to help them skirt the law.