Barbara Jordan Vocabulary

Question 1

word:

Platform

POS: Noun

Answer 1

Definition: A set of principles by which a group stands

Sentence: The Founding Fathers created this nation upon the platform of racial equality among all else-a principle that was violated for most of America’s history.

Etymology: plat-: flat, -form: shape/form

Question 2

word:

Quandary

POS: Noun

Answer 2

Definition: A state of confusion

Sentence: Tommy, a very responsible student, was in a quandary as to where his missing pencil was located.

Etymology: quandary: origin unknown

Question 3

word:

Blaspheme

POS: Verb

Answer 3

Definition: To insult (something sacred)

Sentence: Slavery and racism not only violated basic human rights but also blasphemed the platform upon which the Founding Fathers built this nation.

Etymology: blas-: ill/evil, -pheme: to speak

Question 4

word:

Endeavor

POS: Verb

Answer 4

Definition: To attempt to reach a goal

Sentence: I embarked on this perilous endeavor to achieve liberation from the cycle of life and death by solely acting with the intent of benevolence.

Etymology: en-: in/within, dever: duty

Question 5

word:

Invigorate

POS: Verb

Answer 5

Definition: To give life and energy to

Sentence: In my family, a traditional way to invigorate the mind and soul is to take a refreshing cold shower or swim in cold water.

Etymology: in-: in/within, -vigor: to be lively

Question 6

word:

Admonish

POS: Verb

Answer 6

Definition: To encourage one to do the right thing (suggesting disappointment)

Sentence: My fellow congresspeople, we must admonish our people, whether they are crushed by the hands of poverty or blinded by the light of wealth, to vote and to partake in deciding who our next president will be.

Etymology: ad-: to/toward, monere: to remind

Question 7

word:

Exhort

POS: Verb

Answer 7

Definition: To strongly urge

Sentence: How can we exhort our citizens to focus on the greater good of our nation if we, as congresspeople, are so blinded by the fog of selfishness?

Etymology: ex-: out, hortare: to stir up

Question 8

word:

Defer

POS: Verb

(as used in the Barbara Jordan Vocabulary)

Answer 8

Definition: To put off or delay

Sentence: My landlord threatened eviction if I attempted to defer the rent payment for a fifth consecutive time.

Etymology: de-: away, -fer: to carry

Question 9

word:

Nominate

POS: Verb

Answer 9

Definition: To name as a candidate

Sentence: For the 2024 election, the nominated candidate for the Democratic Party was Kamala Harris, and her Republican counterpart was Donald Trump.

Etymology: nominare: name

Question 10

word:

Cynical

POS: Adjective

Answer 10

Definition: Distrustful of human nature, criticizing

Sentence: After President Nixon’s Watergate scandal, America’s citizens were overwhelmingly cynical towards the government and pressured Nixon into resignation from his position.

Etymology: cyn-: dog
(Greek word for a group of 5th century B.C.E. philosophers who believed in anarchy over traditional political arrangements and devoted their lives to high moral standards while critiquing conventional society.)