Asvab Vocab

Front 1

abbreviate

Back 1

shorten, abridge - to reduce (anything) in length, duration, etc.; make briefer: to abbreviate a speech.

Hint 1

brevi(s) short

Front 2

abstinence

Back 2

act of refraining from -Abstinence implies the willful avoidance of pleasures, especially of food and drink, thought to be harmful or self-indulgent

Hint 2

present participle of abstinre, to hold back. See abstain.

Front 3

abstract

Back 3

not applied to actual objects - theoretical; not applied or practical - to make an abstract of; summarize

Hint 3

trahere, to draw

Front 4

acquired

Back 4

developed or learned; not naturally occuring - To get by one's own efforts

Hint 4

from Latin acqurere, to add to  : ad-, ad- + quaerere, to seek, get

Front 5

adulation

Back 5

high praise - to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter

Hint 5

ad- toward and indicated direction, tendency, or addition

Front 6

aesthetic

Back 6

having to do with the appreciation of beauty

Front 7

affable

Back 7

easy-going; friendly

Hint 7

af- var. of ad- before f - fr, to speak

Front 8

alienated

Back 8

removed or disassociated from (friends, family, or homeland)

Hint 8

ali-, base of alius other

Front 9

alienate

Back 9

To cause to become unfriendly or hostile

Front 10

alleviate

Back 10

to ease a pain or a burden

Hint 10

var. of ad- before l - levi(s) light, not heavy

Front 11

alliance

Back 11

a union of two or more groups

Hint 11

al- al- + ligāre to bind - see alloy and ligament

Front 12

ambiguous

Back 12

having several possible meanings or interpretations - lacking clearness or definiteness

Hint 12

ambi- both

Front 13

ambivalent

Back 13

simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertainty, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things

Hint 13

valēns), prp. to be strong

Front 14

amenable

Back 14

ready or willing to answer, act, agree, or yield; open to influence, persuasion, or advice; agreeable

Hint 14

"able - a suffix meaning capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to, associated in meaning with the word able, occurring in loanwords from Latin (laudable); used in English as a highly productive suffix to form adjectives by addition to stems of any origin (teachable; photographable)Also, -ble, -ible.

Front 15

amicable

Back 15

characterized by or showing goodwill; friendly; peaceable

Hint 15

amīc(us) friend, friendly

Front 16

ample

Back 16

describing a large amount of something - of adequate or more than adequate extent, size, or amount; large; spacious; roomy

Hint 16

amplus wide, large

Front 17

anachronistic

Back 17

something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, esp. a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.

Hint 17

ana- “up,” “against,” “back,” chrono- “time,” -ic - used as an adjective-forming suffix with the particular senses “having some characteristics of” (opposed to the simple attributive use of the base noun) (balletic; sophomoric); “in the style of” (Byronic; Miltonic); “pertaining to a family of peoples or languages” (Finnic; Semitic; Turkic).

Front 18

anecdote

Back 18

short account of event

Front 19

anonymous

Back 19

of unknown name; lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction

Hint 19

an- “not,” “without,” “lacking”; -onym- word,” “name”; -ous - a suffix forming adjectives that have the general sense “possessing, full of” a given quality (covetous; glorious; nervous; wondrous)

Front 20

antagonist

Back 20

opponent

Hint 20

Gk agon struggle, contest (agony); anti- a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite of,” ; -ist a suffix of nouns, often corresponding to verbs ending in -ize or nouns ending in -ism, that denote a person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certain principles, doctrines, etc.

Front 21

anthology

Back 21

a collection of literary pieces

Hint 21

logos Gk lógos a word, saying, speech, discourse, thought

Front 22

apathetic

Back 22

feeling or showing little emotion - not interested or concerned; indifferent or unresponsive

Hint 22

a- “not,” “without; Gk páthos suffering, sensation

Front 23

apparatus

Back 23

equipment; a group of machines

Hint 23

ap- variation of ad-;parāre to set, get ready;

Front 24

apprehension

Back 24

anxiety or fear about the future

Hint 24

"ap- variation of ad-; prehendere to seize; a suffix, appearing in words of Latin origin, denoting action or condition, used in Latin and in English to form nouns from stems of Latin adjectives (communion; union), verbs (legion; opinion), and esp. past participles (allusion; creation; fusion; notion; torsion).

Front 25

arbiter

Back 25

a judge who decides a disputed issue

Front 26

arbitrary

Back 26

determined by impulse rather than reason

Hint 26

ary - The suffix has the general sense “pertaining to, connected with” the referent named by the base; it is productive in English, sometimes with the additional senses “contributing to,” “for the purpose of,” and usually forming adjectives: complimentary; visionary; revolutionary; inflationary

Front 27

archaic

Back 27

characteristic of an earlier period; extremely old-fashioned

Hint 27

ic a suffix forming adjectives from other parts of speech, occurring originally in Greek and Latin loanwords (metallic; poetic; archaic; public) and, on this model, used as an adjective-forming suffix with the particular senses “having some characteristics of” (opposed to the simple attributive use of the base noun) (balletic; sophomoric); “in the style of” (Byronic; Miltonic); “pertaining to a family of peoples or languages” (Finnic; Semitic; Turkic). B30

Front 28

arid

Back 28

extremely dry - describing a dry, rainless climate

Hint 28

a suffix occurring in descriptive adjectives borrowed from Latin, often corresponding to nouns ending in -or1

Front 29

assertion

Back 29

a declaration or statement

Hint 29

L assertus joined to, defended, claimed

Front 30

assiduous

Back 30

hard-working

Hint 30

as- variation of ad-; + sed- (s. of sedēre to sit + ous-a suffix forming adjectives that have the general sense “possessing, full of” a given quality (covetous; glorious; nervous; wondrous);

Front 31

Adversity

Back 31

misfortune

Hint 31

vert- turn

Front 32

assimilation

Back 32

to absorb; to make similar

Hint 32

as- var. of ad- before s: assert. simil(is) like, similar; -ion a suffix, appearing in words of Latin origin, denoting action or condition, used in Latin and in English to form nouns from stems of Latin adjectives (communion; union), verbs (legion; opinion), and esp. past participles (allusion; creation; fusion; notion; torsion).

Front 33

astute

Back 33

shrewd; clever

Front 34

asylum

Back 34

sanctuary - a place of retreat or security

Front 35

auspicious

Back 35

favorable; promising

Hint 35

from auspex, auspic-, bird augur; -ous a suffix forming adjectives that have the general sense “possessing, full of” a given quality (covetous; glorious; nervous; wondrous)

Front 36

austere

Back 36

without decoration; strict

Front 37

benevolent

Back 37

friendly, helpful - well-meaning; generous

Hint 37

form of bene (adv.) well, akin to bonus good; vol- to wish; -ent - same as -ant; -ant -ant has the general sense “characterized by or serving in the capacity of” that named by the stem (ascendant; pretendant), esp. in the formation of nouns denoting human agents in legal actions or other formal procedures (tenant; defendant; applicant; contestant). In technical and commercial coinages, -ant is a suffix of nouns denoting impersonal physical agents (propellant; lubricant; deodorant).

Front 38

benign

Back 38

kind and gentle

Hint 38

form of bene (adv.) well, akin to bonus good; -ign gignere to beget

Front 39

biased

Back 39

prejudiced; a particular tendency or inclination, esp. one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question; prejudice.

Front 40

brittle

Back 40

easily broken when subjected to pressure

Front 41

brusque

Back 41

rudely abrupt

Front 42

camaraderie

Back 42

trust among friends

Front 43

camouflage

Back 43

to hide by blending in with surroundings

Front 44

candor

Back 44

sincerity; openness

Front 45

capricious

Back 45

impulsive and undpredictable

Front 46

catalog

Back 46

v: to make an itemized list of

Front 47

caustic

Back 47

bitingly sarcastic or witty

Front 48

circuitous

Back 48

indirect, roundabout

Hint 48

in a circular way

Front 49

clandestine

Back 49

secretive

Front 50

clarity

Back 50

clearness in thought or expression

Hint 50

from Latin clarus, clear, bright

Front 51

cogent

Back 51

convincing; reasonable

Hint 51

co- + ag-, s. of agere to drive; -ent - same as -ant; -ant -ant has the general sense “characterized by or serving in the capacity of” that named by the stem (ascendant; pretendant), esp. in the formation of nouns denoting human agents in legal actions or other formal procedures (tenant; defendant; applicant; contestant). In technical and commercial coinages, -ant is a suffix of nouns denoting impersonal physical agents (propellant; lubricant; deodorant).

Front 52

coherent

Back 52

logically connected

Hint 52

co- + haerēre to stick, cling; -ent - same as -ant; -ant -ant has the general sense “characterized by or serving in the capacity of” that named by the stem (ascendant; pretendant), esp. in the formation of nouns denoting human agents in legal actions or other formal procedures (tenant; defendant; applicant; contestant). In technical and commercial coinages, -ant is a suffix of nouns denoting impersonal physical agents (propellant; lubricant; deodorant).

Front 53

cohesive

Back 53

condition of sticking together

Hint 53

co- + haerēre to stick, cling; -ive a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc.: active; corrective; destructive; detective; passive; sportive.

Front 54

collaborate

Back 54

to work together

Hint 54

col- var. of com- before l; com- a prefix meaning “with,” “together,” “in association,” and (with intensive force) “completely,” occurring in loanwords from Latin (commit): used in the formation of compound words before b, p, m: combine; compare; commingle; + labor work;

Front 55

compassion

Back 55

sympathy, mercy

Hint 55

; pas- Latin from pat, to suffer

Front 56

compelling

Back 56

forceful; urgently demanding attention

Hint 56

com- a prefix meaning “with” ; + pellere to push, drive

Front 57

comprehensive

Back 57

large in scope or context

Front 58

compromise

Back 58

to settle differences

Front 59

conception

Back 59

the ability to form or understand an idea

Hint 59

com- a prefix meaning “with” ; + pellere to push, drive

Front 60

condemn

Back 60

to express strong disapproval of; denounce

Hint 60

con- a variation of com- meaning "with " or "completely"; cep- variation of capere - to seize; -ion a suffix, appearing in words of Latin origin, denoting action or condition, used in Latin and in English to form nouns from stems of Latin adjectives (communion; union), verbs (legion; opinion), and esp. past participles (allusion; creation; fusion; notion; torsion).

Front 61

condescending

Back 61

treating people as weak or inferior

Hint 61

con- variation of com - meaning "with" or "completely"; L dē-, prefix - from, away from, of, out of; -scendere, form of scandere to climb

Front 62

conditional

Back 62

provisional, contingent

Front 63

congregation

Back 63

crowd of people

Hint 63

con- variation of com- meaning "with"; + greg- flock ;

Front 64

consensus

Back 64

general agreement

Front 65

contemporary

Back 65

current, modern; from the same time

Hint 65

con- variation of com- meaning "with" or "in association"+ tempor- time; -ize - “to convert into, give a specified character or form to” (computerize; dramatize; itemize; motorize), “to subject to (as a process, sometimes named after its originator)” (hospitalize; terrorize; galvanize; oxidize; simonize; winterize). Also formed with -ize are a more heterogeneous group of verbs, usually intransitive, denoting a change of state (crystallize), kinds or instances of behavior (apologize; moralize; tyrannize), or activities (economize; philosophize; theorize).

Front 66

contemptuous

Back 66

feeling hatred; scornful

Hint 66

contempt

Front 67

context

Back 67

circumstances of a situation; environment

Front 68

convergence

Back 68

joining of parts

Hint 68

con- variatio of com- meaning "with"; L vergere to turn, bend, be inclined;

Front 69

conviction

Back 69

a fixed or strong belief

Front 70

convoluted

Back 70

intricate; complex

Hint 70

con- variation of com- meaning "with"; + volvere to roll, turn, twist

Front 71

copious

Back 71

plentiful; having a large quantity

Front 72

cordial

Back 72

friendly; sincere

Front 73

coup

Back 73

a brilliantly executed plan

Front 74

cryptic

Back 74

difficult to comprehend

Front 75

decorous

Back 75

proper; marked by good taste

Front 76

deleterious

Back 76

harmful; having a harmful effect; injurious

Front 77

derived

Back 77

copied or adapted from a source

Front 78

despotic

Back 78

exercising absolute power; tyrannical

Front 79

dictatorial

Back 79

domineering, oppressively overbearing

Front 80

diligent

Back 80

hard-working

Front 81

discredit

Back 81

dishonor, disgrace

Front 82

disdain

Back 82

to regard with scorn - to look down on