machinations - schemes or plots, especially with evil intentions: Some people attributed America’s entry into World War I to the machinations of the rich and powerful, whose pockets swelled from the production and sale of military supplies. Also: machinate (to scheme or plot, especially with evil intentions), machinator. [machina, machinae, f. - machine; contrivance, trick; machinamentum, machinamenti, n, - machine; machinator, machinatoris, m. - contriver; machinor, machinari, machinatus sum - to contrive]
maculate - spotted, soiled, stained: Although she presented to her adoring public the appearance of unmitigated virtue, most of us knew that her moral mantle was indeed maculate, like that of every human. Also: immaculate, macula (blotch on the skin), maculation (spotted condition, pattern of spots on an animal). [maculo, maculare, maculavi, maculatus - to spot, stain; maculosus, maculosa, maculosum - spotted; defiled]
magistrate - 1) a civil official empowered to enforce the law: The President is the chief magistrate of the United States. 2) a minor judicial official. Also: magisterial (pertaining to a magistrate; arrogant), magisterialness, magisterium (the teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church), magistracy (office of a magistrate), magistrature (magistracy). [magistratus, magistratus, m. - magistrate; office of magistrate]
magnanimous - exhibiting nobleness of spirit; unselfish;
generous in overlooking injury and in judging others: Her decision to
step aside and allow a younger, more enthusiastic woman to take the
reins was regarded
by a many club members as magnanimous. Also: magnanimity (quality or state of being
magnanimous), magnanimousness. [animus, animi, m. - mind,
spirit; magnanimus, magnanima, magnanimum - high-minded,
magnanimous; magnanimitas, magnanimitatis, f. - greatness of
spirit, magnanimity]
malefic - causing harm or evil: Atomic energy can be benefic or malefic; it’s up to us. Also: maleficence (the doing of evil; the state of being evil), maleficent. [facio, facere, feci, factus - to do, make; maleficentia,maleficentiae, f. - evil-doing; maleficium. malefici, n. - an evil deed, a crime; malus, mala, malum - bad]
malleable - 1) that can be hammered or pressed into various shapes without breaking: Silver, which in its pure state is too soft for most uses, becomes malleable when combined with copper. 2) adaptable. Also: malleability, malleableness.
maladjusted - not in a healthy or harmonious relation with the
circumstances of one's life: Maladjusted individuals are removed from
the school and sent to a corrective institution. Also: maladjustment.
commandeer - 1) to force into military service; 2) to seize
(property) for military or government use: Unhappy with the pace of
war reparations, the victorious powers commandeered all factories and
appropriated the profits.
immanent - indwelling; inherent: Some people believe in the immanent presence of God in the world; others don’t know where he (she, it) is or even if he (she, it) is. Also: immanence, immanency, immanentism (belief that God both dwells and works within the individual), immanentist. manor - 1) the main residence of an estate or plantation; 2) a mansion with its land: Life became harder for the serfs when the benevolent old lord of the manor died and was replaced by his ambitious son. Also: manorial.
manifest - 1. (adj.) - evident; 2. (v.) to show clearly: Long before his troops marched into Austria in 1838, Hitler manifested a desire for conquest; however, other nations did little to stop him. Also: manifestable, manifester, manifestness, manifestant (a participant in a public demonstration), manifestation, manifestative (showing clearly). [manifesto, manifestare - to show clearly, disclose; manifesto (adv.) - clearly]
manacle - 1. (n.) handcuff; pl., restraints; 2. (v.) to
handcuff; to restrain: Manacled by perfectionism, she spent much of
her free time trying to improve what was already excellent.
maritime - 1) on or near the sea: Maritime provinces often depend on the sea for food and income. 2) having to do with sea navigation, sailors, etc. Also: mariner (sailor). [maritimus, maritima, maritimum - pertaining to the sea; on the sea coast; marinus, marina, marinum - of the sea]
matriarch - 1) a mother who rules a tribe or family: There
in the opening, surrounded by women at work and children at play, sat
the matriarch. 2) a highly respected old woman. Also: matriarchal,
matriarchalism, matriarchate (matriarchal system or social order), matriarchic,
matriarchy (form of social organization in which a matriarch rules).
immaterial -1) unimportant; insignificant: The professor
put a red X through several paragraphs, judging them to be immaterial to
the topic under consideration. 2) spiritual rather than material.
intermediary - a go-between; mediator: A Swedish official
will act as intermediary in the trade dispute between France and the
United States. Also: intermediacy. [inter (prep. w/ acc.) -
among; between]
mellifluous - 1. flowing sweetly or smoothly: People who are persuaded by mellifluous words alone are said to be credulous or gullible; con men love them. 2. made sweet with (or as if with) honey. Also: melliferous (producing honey), mellifluousness. [mellifer, mellifera, melliferum - producing honey, melliferous; mellitus, mellita, mellitum - of honey, honeyed; fluo, fluere, fluxi, fluxus - to flow]
ameliorate - to make better; improve: Things like recycling, mandatory industrial pollution control, and the VET provide solid evidence that American society is making a genuine effort to ameliorate the environment. Also: (a)melioration (the process of improving; improvement), (a)meliorable, (a)meliorative (improving), meliorate (ameliorate), (a)meliorator.
commemorate - to honor the memory of; to preserve the memory
of: In 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II, a
statue of the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima was erected at
Arlington Cemetery to commemorate those who fought and died for their
country. Also: commemoration, commemorational, commemorative
(serving to commemorate), commemorativeness, commemorator,
commemoratory. [commemoro, commemorare, commemoravi, commemoratus
- to recollect; to keep in mind; to remind; commemoratio,
commemorationis, f. - a reminding; remembrance]
mendacious - (habitually) lying, untruthful: The liar who said there wasn’t a mendacious bone in his body was telling the literal truth. Also: mendaciousness, mendacity. [mendax, mendacis - mendacious, lying]
mendacity - untruthfulness; tendency to lie: His impertinence was matched only by his mendacity; in other words, he was a brazen liar. Also: mendacious, mendaciousness. [mendacium, mendaci, n. - a lie; mendaciunculum, mendaciunculi, n. - a little lie]
mendicant - (adj.) 1) begging; living on alms; 2) characteristic of a beggar; 3) of or designating a religious order whose members (friars) originally lived primarily on alms; (n.) beggar, a person who lives by begging: Many people find it difficult to support mendicants who make little effort to find gainful employment; others give nonjudgmentally. Also: mendicancy, mendicity. [mendicitas, mendicitatis, f. - beggary, indigence; mendicus, mendica, mendicum - needy, indigent; mendicus, mendici, m. - beggar]
mensal - having to do with, or used at the table: When only two people eat at a full-size kitchen table, a breadbox can serve as a useful mensal adornment.
commensurate - 1) proportionate; corresponding in amount, size, or degree: Everyone knows that teachers’ salaries are not commensurate with the perceived importance of their profession. 2) having the same extent or degree. Also: commensurable (measurable by the same standard or units), commensurability, commensurableness, commensurateness, commensuration. [commetior, commetiri, commensus - to measure; mensio, mensionis, f. - a measure, measuring; mensor, mensoris, m. - a measurer, surveyor; metior, metiri, mensus - to measure] mensural - of or pertaining to measure: Mensural activities involving surface area of the walls of various classrooms and a determination of the amount of paint needed to cover the walls, often appeal to students with a low non-verbal aptitude. Also: mensurable, mensurability, mensuration (the act or process of measuring), mensurational, mensurative. [mensio, mensionis, f. - a measure, measuring; mensor, mensoris, m. - a measurer, surveyor; metior, metiri, mensus - to measure]
mercantile - of, characteristic of, or pertaining to merchants or trade: Realizing that foreign languages were a mercantile advantage, Heinrich Schliemann learned one, then two; eventually he had learned some 30 languages. Also: mercantilism (commercialism), mercantilist, mercantilistic. [mercatura, mercaturae, f. - trade, commerce; mercatus, mercatus, m. - trade, buying and selling; mercor, mercari, mercatus - to trade, carry on trade]
mercenary - 1. (adj.) working or serving for money only; serving for pay in a foreign army; 2. (n.) a professional soldier serving for pay in a foreign army: What general would not prefer an army of patriots to an army of mercenaries? Also: mercenariness. [merces, mercedis, f. - wages, salary]
mercurial - 1. changeable, volatile, flighty: The actress’s mercurial temperament caused many a director to pull at his hair. 2. animated, quick; 3. containing mercury. Also: mercurialize (to make mercurial).
meretriciousness - a flashy attractiveness, alluring by false charms: The perception of meretriciousness among Hollywood stars may derive from the public's confusion of actor and role. Also: meretricious. [meretrix, meretricis, f. - harlot; meretricius, meretricia, meretricium - of a harlot]
meticulous - extremely careful about small details: Patients would be well advised to use caution when taking prescription medicines; even the most meticulous pharmacists can be expected to make mistakes once in a while. Also: meticulosity, meticulousness. [metuendus, metuenda, metuendum - fearful; metuo, metuere, metui - to fear, be afraid]
transmigration - 1) the passing of the soul at death into another body (human or animal): Hindus believe in the transmigration of the soul; the spirit, or atman, moves from body to body until it becomes pure enough to attain its ultimate goal, union with Brahman. 2) a passing from one place or state to another. Also: transmigrant, transmigrate, transmigrative, transmigrator, transmigratory. [transmigro, transmigrare, transmigravi, transmigratus - to migrate]
militate - to be directed or to work (against): The
patient's obesity and poor general health militated against a speedy
recovery from the heart attack. Also: militation. [milito,
militare, militavi, militatus - to be a soldier; to serve]
millennium - 1) a period of 1000 years: Many Christians thought the world would end at the close of the first millennium, A.D. 2) a 1000th anniversary. Also: millenarian (a person who believes that Jesus will return to earth and rule for 1000 years), millenarianism (what millenarians believe), millenary (of or consisting of 1000 years), milliennialism (millenarianism).
minatory - threatening: The door of the Halloween haunted house was draped with the minatory inscription first used by Dante in his Divine Comedy to describe the entrance to hell, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." Also: minatorial. [minaciter - threateningly; minae, minarum, f. - projecting points; threats; minatio, minationis, f. - a threatening; minax, minacis - projecting; threatening]
diminution - a diminishing or lessening, decrease, reduction, abatement: The coach attributes his team's lack of success over the past several seasons to a diminution of talent. Also: diminuendo (a gradual reduction of loudness), diminutive (small), diminutiveness. [deminuo, deminuere, deminui, deminutus - to make smaller or less; minutia, minutiae, f. - smallness] diminutive - (adj.) 1) small, tiny; 2) (grammar) expressing smallness: In German, -lein, and -chen are diminutive suffixes. (n.) 1) a small thing or person; 2) a diminutive element (word or part of a word). Also: diminuendo (decrescendo), diminution, diminutiveness. [deminuo, deminuere, deminui, deminutus - to make smaller, lessen; deminutio, deminutionis, f. - a lessening; minutia, minutiae, f. - smallness] minuet - 1) a slow dance popular in the 17th and 18th centuries: Louis XIV introduced the minuet to the French court around 1650. 2) a composition in 3/4 time suitable for such a dance. [minor, minus - smaller; minutus, minuta, minutum - small; minusculus, minuscula, minusculum - somewhat small; minutatim - little by little; minutia, minutiae, f. - smallness]
admixture - 1) the act of mixing; mixture; 2) anything added in mixing: It has often been asserted that the liberal admixture of people of all national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds to the great American melting pot has preserved the vitality of our country. Also: admix. [admisceo, admiscere, admiscui, admixtus - to mix with; admixtio, admixtionis, f. - admixture]
commiserate - to sympathize with; to feel or express pity for: Having herself undergone similar surgery in the previous year, she was able to commiserate with her anxious friend. Also: commiseration, commiserative (compassionate), commiserator. [commiseror, commiserari, commiseratus sum - pity, commiserate; commiseratio, commiserationis, f. - pity, compassion] miserly - living in wretched circumstances in order to save money, which is loved for its own sake: In Molière’s romantic comedy The Miser, Cléante, son of the miserly Harpagon, uses his father’s love of money to secure his paternal consent to his marriage to a poor girl. Also: miser, miserliness.
mitigate - to make less severe or intense: The student asked the teacher to mitigate the harsh punishment. Also: mitigable (able to be mitigated), mitigation, mitigative (tending to mitigate), mitigator, mitigatory (mitigative). [mitigatio, mitigationis, f. - a soothing, an assuaging; mitis, mitis - ripe; soft, mild, gentle]
commissary - 1) a deputy; 2) a store in an army camp or a
lumber camp where food and supplies can be purchased: One advantage
of military life is that supplies are less expensive in the commissaries
than on the general market. Also: commissariat (the branch of
the army that supplies food, etc.). [committo, committere, commisi,
commissus - to entrust]
accommodate - (trans.) 1) to have room for; hold comfortably: Their
dining-room table is large enough to accommodate 16 guests. 2) to
furnish someone with something; 3) to help out; (intrans.) to become
adjusted; to be adapted. Also: accommodable, accommodating,
accommodation, accommodational, accommodationist (someone who has
become adjusted to the opinions of the majority for reasons of economic
or political expediency). [accommodo, accommodare, accommodavi,
accommodatus - to make suitable; commodus, commoda, commodum
- suitable, convenient] modus vivendi - manner of living; lifestyle: The modus vivendi of the ancient Epicureans did not include an unrestrained pursuit of pleasure; instead, contrary to what our word "epicurean" suggests, they sought to avoid pain and discontent by means of simple food and drink, relaxation, and pleasant conversation.
mollify - to soften or temper (a person); pacify, appease: A non-confrontational willingness to listen will mollify many an angry person. Also: mollifiable, mollification, mollifier. [mollesco, mollescere - to become soft; mollio, mollire, mollivi, mollitus - to make soft, soften; mollitia, mollitiae, f. - softness; mollitudo, mollitudinis, f. - softness]
admonish - 1) to scold gently: Maria (Julie Andrews)
succeeds as governess in The Sound of Music because she is able to
admonish the Trapp children lovingly. 2) to warn; 3) to advise
strongly. Also: admonisher, admonishment, admonition (an
admonishing; a mild reprimand), admonitor (admonisher), admonitory
(admonishing), monition (admonition), monitory
(admonitory). [admoneo, admonere, admonui, admonitus - to remind;
to advise; admonitio, admonitionis, f. - suggestion; admonition]
insurmountable - that cannot be overcome or passed: What
was the name of the American cyclist who, against seemingly
insurmountable odds, won the Tour de France with an incredible ride on
the final day? Also: insurmountability, insurmountableness,
surmount, surmountable, surmountableness, surmounter.
monstrance - in the Catholic Church, a receptacle in which the
consecrated host is carried in processions or shown for adoration: The
Corpus Christi procession included servers and choir boys, local
seminarians, priests, monsignors, and finally the bishop walking under a
canopy and holding the monstrance.
moratorium - an authorized delay or cessation of an action: Both sides agreed to a three-day moratorium, during which their leaders were expected to discuss plans for peace. [morator, moratoris, m. - a delayer]
morbid - 1) of or caused by disease; unhealthy, diseased; 2) demonstrating an unwholesome inclination to dwell on gloomy matters: Her morbid sense of humor was unappreciated by her fun-loving colleagues. 3) gruesome, horrible. Also: morbidity, morbidness. [morbidus, morbida, morbidum - sickly, diseased]
demur - (v.) to object, take exception: When she demurred at the boss’s suggestion that she work additional without additional pay, she knew that her days with the company were numbered. (n.) objection. Also: demurrable, demurrage, demurral, demurrer. [demoror, demorari, demoratus - to delay, retard; mora, morae, f. - a delay; morator, moratoris, m. - a delayer]
morose - moody, gloomy, ill-humored: A fiftieth birthday can be an occasion for morose thoughts about the brevity of life or a time for the joyful anticipation of 50 more years. Also: moroseness. [morositas, morositatis, f. - peevishness, moroseness]
moribund - dying, ending: The superintendent had hoped to
revive the old school by making it a magnet school, but it was already
irreversibly moribund. Also: moribundity. [moribundus,
moribunda, moribundum - dying]
mores - fundamental customs of a group: Adapting to the mores of an adopted country can be more challenging that learning its language.
emotive - producing emotion: The emotive qualities of
tragedy have been written about for over two thousand years. Also: emotiveness.
[emoveo, emovere, emovi, emotus - to move out]
muliebrity - 1) womanly nature or qualities: She praised his virility, he her mulierity. 2) womanhood. [muliebris, muliebre - of a woman, womanly; muliebriter - after the manner of a woman, effeminately; mulierositas, mulierositatis, f. - love of women, excessive fondness for women; mulierosus, mulierosa, mulierosum - fond of women]
multiciplicity - state of being manifold and various: The
recent success of our business is attributable to a multiplicity of
causes, not the least of which is the industriousness of the new
employees. [multiplex, multiplicis - having many folds or
parts; many times as much, many more]
supermundane - 1) above or beyond what is worldly; 2) of or pertaining to the region above the earth: I wonder if our children’s children will be able to hop in their family rocket and hurry off to their favorite supermundane restaurant or shopping center. [mundus, mundi, m. - world; super (prep. w/ acc.) - above, over]
extramundane - beyond the material world: Many poor and downtrodden individuals are sustained by a belief that they will be rewarded in a future, extramundane existence. Also: mundane, mundaneness, mundanity. [extra (adv. and prep. w/ acc.) - outside; beyond; mundanus, mundani, m. - citizen of the world] mundane - earthly, worldly (of this world, not heavenly): “I prefer to discuss mundane matters,” she said with a smile, “so that I have a chance of knowing what I’m talking about.” Also: mundaneness, mundanity (worldliness). [mundanus, mundani, m. - citizen of the world]
muniment - a document by which rights or privileges are defended or maintained: The Magna Charta of 1215 and the The United States Constitution of 1789 stand tall among the documents of the world as important muniments of individual liberties. [munitio, munitionis, f. - a defending, protecting; munitor, munitoris, m. - a fortifier; military engineer]
municipal - of or pertaining to a city or town: Yesterday
evening the city council considered a long list of proposed municipal
improvements. Also: municipalism (policy of rule by
municipalities), municipalist (a person who supports
municipalism), municipality (city, town, or other district having
a local government), municipalization, municipalize (to make a
municipality of). [municipalis, municipale - belonging to a
(free) town]
mural - a (large) picture painted directly on a wall, or a
(large) decoration attached to a wall: A fresco is a particular kind
of mural, one that is painted on damp, fresh plaster so that the colors
sink in. [muralis, murale - of a wall]
commute - 1) to change a sentence imposed on a convicted criminal to a less severe one: Many a governor has agonized over whether to commute a convicted murderer’s death sentence to life imprisonment. 2) to travel regularly between the same two somewhat distant points. Also: commutable, commutability, commutableness, commutate (to reverse the direction of an electrical current), commutative, commutativity, commuter. [commutabilis, commutabile - changeable; commutatio, commutationis, f. - a change, a changing; commuto, commutare, commutavi, commutatus - to change entirely] immutable - unchangeable: Are all laws relative, and thus changeable, or are some laws immutable? Also: immutability, immutableness (immutability), mutate (to change), mutation, mutational. [immutabilis, immutabile - unchangeable, immutabilitas, immutabilitatis, f. - unchangeableness; mutabilis, mutabile - changeable, mutabilitas, mutabilitatis, f. - changeableness; mutatio, mutationis, f. - a changing] mutable - able to change or be changed; changeable: Customs,
laws, and social institutions are mutable; as man’s needs change,
society changes. Also: immutability, immutable, immutableness,
mutant (a new kind of organism resulting from mutation), mutability,
mutableness, mutate (to change), mutation, mutational. [mutabilis,
mutabile - changeable; mutabilitas, mutabilitatis, f. -
changeableness; mutatio, mutationis, f. - change] |
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