pr

pragmatic (adj.) practical (The politician argued that while increased security measures might not fit with the lofty ideals of the nation, they were a pragmatic necessity to ensure everyone’s safety.)

precipice (n.) the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place (The mountain climber hung from a precipice before finding a handhold and pulling himself up.)

preclude (v.) to prevent (My grandfather’s large and vicious guard dog precluded anyone from entering the yard.)

precocious (adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically precocious that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

predilection (n.) a preference or inclination for something (Francois has a predilection for eating scrambled eggs with ketchup, though I prefer to eat eggs without any condiments.)

preponderance (adj.) superiority in importance or quantity (Britain’s preponderance of naval might secured the nation’s role as a military power.)

prepossessing (adj.) occupying the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings (His prepossessing appearance made it impossible for me to think of anything else.)

presage (n.) an omen (When my uncle’s old war injury ached, he interpreted it as a presage of bad weather approaching.)

prescient (adj.) to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune

cookie’s prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be

prescient.)

prescribe (v.) to lay down a rule (The duke prescribed that from this point further all of the peasants living on his lands would have to pay higher taxes.)

presumptuous (adj.) disrespectfully bold (The princess grew angry after the presumptuous noble tried to kiss her, even though he was far below her in social status.)

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pretense (n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive (Though he actually wanted to use his parents’ car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents’ car under the pretense of attending a group study session.)

primeval (adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.)

privation (n.) lacking basic necessities (After decades of rule by an oppressive government that saw nothing wrong with stealing from its citizens, the recent drought only increased the people’s privation.)

probity (n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no one was surprised by Mr. Samson’s immoral behavior.)

proclivity (n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)

procure (v.) to obtain, acquire (The FBI was unable to procure sufficient evidence to charge the gangster with racketeering.)

profane (adj.) lewd, indecent (Jacob’s profane act of dumping frogs in the holy water in the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal.)

profligate (adj.) dissolute, extravagant (The profligate gambler loved to drink, spend money, steal, cheat, and hang out with prostitutes.)

profuse (adj.) plentiful, abundant (The fans were profuse in their cheers for the star basketball player.)

promulgate (v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgated that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior to Roger Moore’s.)

propagate (v.) to multiply, spread out (Rumors of Paul McCartney’s demise propagated like wildfire throughout the world.)

propensity (n.) an inclination, preference (Dermit has a propensity for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.)

propitious (adj.) favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitious for sailing.)

propriety (n.) the quality or state of being proper, decent (Erma’s old-fashioned parents believed that her mini-skirt lacked the propriety expected of a “nice” girl.)

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prosaic (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather’s prosaic recital of the poem bored the audience.)

proscribe (v.) to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to proscribe the sale of alcohol on weekends.)

protean (adj.)able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel’s protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)

prowess (n.) extraordinary ability (The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his life, making his prowess with the instrument even more incredible.)

prudence (n.) cautious, circumspect (After losing a fortune in a stock market crash, my father vowed to practice greater prudence in future investments.)

prurient (adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David’s mother was shocked by the discovery of prurient reading material hidden beneath her son’s mattress.)