Synonyms: Prefixes from Latin - ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning

"Antecedent" is a noun that means "a thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another," so we need to pick out another answer choice that means something like "forerunner." "Predicate" may look like a potentially correct answer because both it and "antecedent" have meanings specific to grammar. ("Antecedent" can also mean "a word, phrase, clause, or sentence to which another word (especially following a relative pronoun) refers.") However, "predicate" does not mean the same thing as "antecedent," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Precursor," a noun which means "a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner," is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "antecedent," so "precursor" is the correct answer.

"Impious" is an adjective that can mean either "not showing respect or reverence, especially for a god," or "wicked" when describing a person or act. So, "respectful" cannot be the correct answer because "respectful" is an antonym of "impious." "Sacrilegious," however, is an adjective that means "treating a holy place or object in a way that does not show proper respect," and because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "impious," it is the correct answer.

When used as a verb, the word “presage” means to be a sign of a future event, often implying that this is a sign of warning. The word comes from the prefix “pre-”, meaning before, and the base “sage,” which does not merely mean wise, but to perceive keenly. Someone who is “sagacious” is wise precisely because that person keenly perceives reality. The word would be used in a sentence like, “In many cultures, the flying of a crow over a barn presaged a poor harvest in the coming year.”

When someone is “acquitted” of an action, he or she is “forgiven” or set free from any sort of charges of that action. For instance, someone “acquitted of murder” is judged to be innocent of the crime. The word “exonerate” best matches this usage. It means to remove blame officially. Literally, it is derived from the Latin meaning to lift the burden from someone. The “-onerate” portion of the word means “burden,” while (as you likely know) “ex-” means out of or away from. The word is related to “onerous,” meaning burdensome or difficult.

The word “prescribe” distantly comes from the Latin meaning “to write out ahead of time.” (The “scribe” portion of the word comes from the Latin for “to write.”) We often use the word in medical contexts, when a doctor recommends (and authorizes) the usage of a given medicine. It is so used because of its general meaning of “recommend.” Do not confuse this with “proscribe,” which means “to forbid” (generally by law).

The word “proscribe” is frequently confused with “prescribe,” which means to recommend or authorize (something); however, while the word “prescribe” literally means to to write ahead of time, the word “proscribe” literally means to write in front of. The sense is that one writes something as a law that thus acts to forbid certain actions. This is the best meaning for the term.

Among these options, “heal” and “recover” are attempting to get you to confuse this word with “convalesce,” which means to recover or to regain strength. The word “coalesce” comes from the prefix “co-,” meaning together or with, and “-alesce,” which is derived from the Latin for to nourish or to grow up. When things “coalesce,” they come together, forming a larger whole. For instance, one could say, “All of the ingredients cooked down and coalesced into a single, homogeneous stew.” The word “adolescence” means a stage of growing to maturity, and is related to the word “coalesce.”

The word “convalescence” shouldn’t be confused with “coalesce,” which means to merge together. “Convalescence” comes from the Latin “con-,” meaning together, with, or all together, and “valesco,” which means to become healthy. The word would be used in a sentence like, “When Carol contracted pneumonia, she had to spend several weeks in the hospital convalescing before she was strong enough to return home.”

For this word, there are two parts that are helpful in coming up with a general meaning of the word, though you must be careful. The “im-” prefix is really the form of “in,” though it changes here because of the way we pronounce “n” when it is followed by “p.” Sometimes “in” can also mean on when used as a prefix. The “-pose” is related to “position,” here meaning something like to place; therefore, we can think of “impose" as being to place upon. Now, to force someone to do something is to place something on them (or to “foist” it on them). It should be noted that “impose” does add an additional shade meaning implying that this imposing is also something of an infliction or a penalty.

When someone is “deposed,” he or she is removed from a position or office in a forceful manner. For instance, one could say, “The insurgents deposed the sitting government and replaced it with their own officers.” The word comes from the prefix “de-,” meaning down from, and “-pose,” meaning to place (as related to “position”). Therefore, "depose" literally means to place down (from its original place). Think of “tearing someone down” from his or her throne. Of all the options, the word “overthrow” matches most closely. Note that a “deposition” might also mean the giving of evidence in court.

The word “repose” is related to words like “impose,” “depose,” and “suppose,” all of which have the base “-pose,” which is related to “position” or “place.” While “repose” does not mean to place back, as one would expect from the “re-” prefix, it does take on a stronger sense of “positioning” or “placement,” meaning rest. Used as a verb, it can mean to be resting or sitting in a single location. It likewise can be used figuratively sense of placing (for example) one’s trust in someone else. Sometimes, you will hear people speak of burying a body as placing that person in “final repose”—that is, in his or her “final resting place.”

Several of the answers appear to be acceptable, given the presence of “face” in the word. The word “efface” is derived from root words related to “face,” but it is necessary to be very careful in considering the word’s roots. The “ef-” prefix is the same as the “ex-” prefix that means out of or away from. To “efface” is “to take the face away” from something. What this means is to remove something, as when one erases it. This is the best option among the answers. One also is said to be "self-effacing" when he or she acts in a way so as to hide his or her worth—as though that person were “erasing” his or her own abilities.

Do not be tempted to thinking “degrade” means the same thing as “downgrade.” Both words contain the “-grade” base, which means step or stage. Likewise, “de-” means down from. This might lead you to think that they both merely mean to force someone "down a step." Nevertheless, “degrading” actions are ones that are contemptuous or disrespectful. They are meant to humiliate those who receive them. For this reason, “humiliating” is the best answer among the others.

The word “atheist” means “one who does not believe in the existence of any god. The “a-” prefix here is privative, making the word to mean the opposite of the base “theist.”

The base itself means “one believing in God.” It is found in other words like “theology” (the study of God or gods) and “pantheism” (the belief that the world and God are identical). Likewise, the “th” becomes “d” in some contexts like “deity” and “deism.” Among the options given, the best is “nonbeliever.” Do not be tricked by the other options that are at most accidentally related to the word “atheist.”

The “-tend” found in the word “distend” is related to the same root found in “extend.” It generally means to stretch or (more broadly) to reach. When one “extends” his or her arm, he or she reaches or stretches it out toward something. When something becomes “distended,” it becomes stretched in the sense of being swollen—as in “a distended stomach” because of disease or gaseous buildup.

The word “edict” comes from the prefix “e-” meaning “out or out of” and “-dict,” which means “to say or speak.” The latter is found in many words like “diction,” “dictate,” “dictionary,” and “benediction” (as well as many, many others). “Edict” thus literally means “something spoken out.” The sense of this “out” is that the thing is proclaimed, particularly by one in authority. For this reason, the option “proclamation” is the best option among those provided.

The word “predict” is very familiar, but let us be careful not to associate it with incorrect meanings (such as “announce” or even “invoke”).

The word is clearly composed of two parts—“pre-” and “-dict.” The former means before (in the temporal sense). The latter means to speak or say. It is related to many English words like “diction,” “dictation,” “valedictorian,” and “edict.”

To "predict" something is to state that something will happen in the future, often as the consequence of something else. To make a pop cultural reference, think of how many people “predict the outcome of the football game.” This means that they try to declare who will be the winner—before the competition even takes place. The word “foretell” merely comes from different roots—clearly meaning to tell before.

Often, one speaks of a “eulogy” being delivered at a funeral, but such speeches are not necessarily limited to those occasions. The word is comprise of the prefix “eu-” and “-logy.” The former means “good.” It is found in the word “euphony,” meaning “good sounding.” The “-logy” portion of “eulogy” means “words” as found in the English word “logic.” For these reasons, “eulogy” generally means a speech given in praise of someone. A panegyric is likewise such a positive speech.

Although the word “pretentious” is related to the word “pretend,” do not be fooled. “Pretend” literally means to stretch forward in the sense of taking or claiming something. The “-tend” means stretch, as is found in “extend.” The “pre-” does not mean before in a temporal sense but instead in the physical sense—e.g. “he stood before the magistrate.” When someone is pretentious, he or she claims to be something that he or she is not, often doing so with much fanfare to draw attention. The word “ostentatious” means much the same, itself being derived from Latin roots meaning to stretch out to show.