al

alacrity (n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.)

alias (n.) a false name or identity (He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID.)

allay (v.) to soothe, ease (The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to allay investors’ fears about an economic downturn.)

allege (v.) to assert, usually without proof (The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free.)

alleviate (v.) to relieve, make more bearable (This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while.)

allocate (v.) to distribute, set aside (The Mayor allocated 30 percent of the funds for improving the town’s schools.)

aloof (adj.) reserved, distant (The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn’t care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics.)

altercation (n.) a dispute, fight (Jason and Lionel blamed one another for the car accident, leading to an altercation.)