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Cardset P-Q - SAT Vocabulary Flashcards

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Pacify

v. to mollify or soothe; to tranquilize or subdue

Packet

n. a small parcel or package; a small group of related materials

Pact

n. a treaty

Pagan

n. a heathen or follower of a polytheistic religion; someone who isn't guided by any established or socially accepted religion; a hedonistic individual

Pageant

n. a vainglorious or pretentious display; an elaborate spectacle that often includes music and drama

Palate

n. the tissue that comprises the roof of the mouth; one's personal taste

Palatial

adj. relating to a palace; grand; sublime

Paleontology

n. the scientific study of the hypothetical life present in former geological periods (as according to fossil remains)

Palette

n. a slender tablet used by painters to mix pigments on; a specific range or quality of elements

Palinode

n. a formal song or ode retracting something found in an earlier poem

Pall

v. to wane in strength or vigor; to become less effective; to lose interest; to dwindle

Palliate

v. to alleviate the symptoms of a disease without attacking the disease itself; to soothe or mitigate through apologetic excuses

Pallid

adj. lacking in color or wan; lifeless or dull

Palpable

n. tangible; readily perceivable

Palsy

n. a medical condition characterized by uncontrollable bodily tremors

Paly

adj. pallid

Pamphlet

n. a coverless, unbound printed publication

Pamphleteer

v. to produce pamphlets

Panacea

n. a magical cure for all ailments

Pan-American

adj. relating to both North and South America

Pandemic

adj. wide-spread geographically and across a population

Pandemonium

n. Hell; chaos and tumult

Panegyric

n. a formal expression of praise

Panel

n. a group of people assembled in order to perform some public service

Panic

n. an abrupt, overwhelming feeling of fright or anxiety; a sudden, irrational terror that tends to cause widespread flight

Panoply

n. a protective covering or armor; clothing intended for ceremonious display

Panorama

n. a comprehensive view or assessment of a territory or subject

Pantheism

n. a religious doctrine that encourages the equal worship of all gods or creeds

Pantheon

n. a multi-god temple

Pantomime

n. a dramatic performance that tells a story solely by use of expressive bodily or facial movements

Pantoscope

n. an optical device that allows a viewer to see everything

Papacy

n. the official office of the pope

Papyrus

n. the essence of the papyrus plant (a perennial sedge originating from the Nile Valley) that is often converted into writing material by being cut into strips and pressed

Parable

n. a fictional story told for the purpose of communicating a moral or religious principle

Paradox

n. an apparently contradictory or nonsensical statement that is nonetheless true or valid; someone who apparently has contradictory qualities

Paragon

n. an ideal model

Parallel

v. to make parallel to; to correspond to or compare with

Parallelism

n. the state of being parallel; correspondence; in literature, a series of syntactically similar words or phrases

Paralysis

n. a condition or state of being characterized by an inability to function, move or act

Paralyze

v. to render powerless; to stun

Paramount

adj. supreme or superior to everything

Paramour

n. a forbidden or unlawful lover

Paraphernalia

n. one’s personal possessions or accessory equipment

Paraphrase

v. to restate a textual passage using different wording

Pare

v. to cut off an excess segment of; to trim down

Parentage

n. lineage; origin

Pariah

n. a despised and shunned individual; an outcast

Parish

n. a community ecclesiastical church

Parisian

adj. characteristic of Paris

Parity

n. the state of being equivalent; the state of having borne children

Parlance

n. a kind of speech; a parlay

Parley

v. to confer; to consider and debate terms with an enemy

Parliament

n. the primary legislative body in a political system

Parlor

n. a reception room primarily used to entertain guests

Parody

v. to mock by imitating in the manner of a caricature

Paronymous

adj. a word that was formed from another word in a foreign language

Paroxysm

n. an abrupt attack or resurgence of symptoms; an emotional outburst

Parricide

n. the murder of a close relative, such as one's mother or father

Parse

v. to minutely and critically examine

Parsimonious

adj. stingy; excessively frugal or restrained

Partible

adj. capable of being separated; divisible

Participant

n. someone who participates in a given activity

Participate

v. to engage in an activity; to possess a share of something

Partisan

adj. affiliated with or allegiant to a faction or party

Partition

n. a division; a divisor; a section of a whole

Passible

adj. able to feel intense emotion or suffer emotional pain

Passive

adj. easily influenced by external forces; sluggish or lethargic; inactive; offering no resistance

Pastoral

adj. relating to shepherds or the countryside; conveying an idealized picture of country life; pleasantly peaceful or innocent

Paternal

adj. relating to a father

Paternity

n. the state of being a father

Pathos

n. an artistic element that induces feelings of compassion or pity

Patriarch

n. a father; a founder of organization or movement; the oldest male member of a group

Patrician

adj. a cultivated or socially-high-ranking individual

Patrimony

n. property inherited from one's father; heritage

Patriotism

n. devotion to one’s nation

Patronize

v. to treat condescendingly

Patronymic

adj. relating to a name taken from a paternal ancestor

Patter

v. to talk rapidly and without emotion or conviction

Paucity

n. a dearth or lack of something

Pauper

n. a devastatingly poor individual that relies on charity for subsistence

Pauperism

n. the state of being extremely poor

Pavilion

n. a great luxurious tent

Payee

n. someone who receives a payment

Peaceable

adj. tending to be peaceful; devoid of disorder or quarrels

Peaceful

adj. free from conflict or trouble; tranquil or calm

Peccable

adj. likely to sin or err

Peccadillo

n. a minor offense

Peccant

adj. marked by a tendency to or history of sin or err

Pectoral

adj. relating to the chest or the emotional heart

Pecuniary

adj. relating to money

Pedagogics

n. pedagogy, or the science of education

Pedagogue

n. a dull teacher

Pedagogy

n. the science of education

Pedal

n. a foot lever that, in being pressed, activates a mechanism

Pedant

n. someone who flaunts his knowledge; an unimaginative and dull teacher

Peddle

v. to sell wares while traveling from location to location

Peddler

n. someone who attempts to sell wares on the street

Pedestal

n. a structural base or foundation; a position of high regard

Pedestrian

n. someone who is traveling on foot

Pediatrics

n. the medical area focusing on child care and development

Pedigree

n. one's lineage; the noted purity of breed of an individual

Peerage

n. a peer's dignity or rank

Peerless

adj. having no equal or match

Peevish

adj. fretful or temperamentally querulous; displaying ill temper

Pellucid

adj. clear; readily comprehendible; easily admitting light

Penalty

n. the designated punishment for a particular criminal offense; a loss or disadvantage imposed on an entity due to a violation of a rule or law

Penance

n. a self-abasing act performed to display repentance for one’s sins

Penchant

n. a predisposition for or liking of

Pendant

n. a suspended and free-hanging ornament

Pendulous

adj. disposed to swing freely like a pendulum; hanging downward; characterized by indecision or vacillation

Pendulum

n. a suspended and free-hanging body that naturally swings to and fro due to the influence of gravity

Penetrable

adj. open to penetration

Penetrate

v. to forcefully enter or pierce; to see or pass into; to ascertain the inner meaning of; to deeply emotionally effect

Penetration

n. the process of penetrating, or the act of discerning acutely or physically passing into

Peninsular

adj. relating to a peninsula, or a segment of land that is almost completely surrounded by water

Penitence

n. the state of being deeply apologetic for one's sins

Penitential

adj. relating to penitence, or sorrow and regret for one’s sins

Pennant

n. a small emblematic flag that tapers to a point and is used for identification purposes

Pension

n. a regularly paid wage or gratuity

Pentad

n. a cluster of five entities

Pentagon

n. a five-sided and five-angled polygon

Pentagram

n. a five-pointed star

Pentahedron

n. a five-faced solid figure

Pentameter

n. a poetic line composed of five metrical feet

Pentathlon

n. a contest for athletes composed of five different events

Pentavalent

adj. possessing a degree of five

Penultimate

adj. second to last

Penurious

adj. stingy; marked by severe poverty

Penury

n. a severe lack of resources or state of poverty; stinginess

Perambulate

v. to traverse; to officially inspect something on foot

Perceive

v. to gain awareness of; to understand; to observe

Perceptible

adj. accessible to the senses

Perception

n. an observation or discernment; a notion; a physical awareness of one’s surroundings; intuitive cognition

Percipience

n. perception, or the awareness of one's environment that results from one's use of the senses

Percipient

n. someone who perceives or observes

Percolate

v. to be passed through a permeable substance; to penetrate

Percolator

n. one that percolates, or diffuses a solvent through a permeable substance

Percussion

n. the musical or rhythmic technique of tapping or striking the surface of something in order to produce sound

Peremptory

adj. doing away with a right of action or delay in advance; urgent or mandatory; marked by arrogance; haughty

Perennial

adj. year-round; enduring

Perfectible

adj. capable of being perfected

Perfidy

n. the state of being treacherous or faithless; a disloyal act

Perforate

v. to penetrate or burrow through as if by way of a hole

Perfumery

n. the art of perfume-making; a place where people make perfumes

Perfunctory

adj. superficial; mechanical; insipid

Perigee

n. in space, the point of an object's orbit that is nearest to a planet's center

Periodicity

n. the state of being regularly recurrent

Peripatetic

adj. relating to walking

Perjure

v. to commit perjury, or knowingly swear to what is untrue

Perjury

n. the act of swearing something under oath that is in actuality a false statement

Permanence

n. the state of being permanent, or forever enduring

Permanent

adj. enduring forever

Permeate

v. to diffuse or pass through

Permissible

adj. allowable

Permutation

n. a fundamental alteration based on the rearrangement of currently present elements

Pernicious

adj. extremely nasty or harmful; deadly

Perpendicular

adj. positioned at right angles to a specific geometrical plane or line; dangerously steep; relating to or composed of dissimilar individuals

Perpetrator

n. someone who commits a crime

Perpetuate

v. to cause to endure or last forever; to continually occur

Perquisite

n. a monetary perk that is expected as an incidental addition to regular wages; gratuity

Persecution

n. the practice of persecuting, or harassing because of belief

Perseverance

n. the quality of persevering

Persevere

v. to continue onward despite discouragement and opposition

Persiflage

n. light banter

Persist

v. to persevere, or to continue onward despite discouragement and opposition; to exist longer than expected

Persistence

n. the act of persisting, or continuing onward despite considerable obstacles

Personage

n. a distinguished individual; a fictional character

Personnel

n. a group of people employed by an organization

Perspective

n. the ability to view things in light of their relative significance

Perspicacious

adj. exceptionally perceptive; keen or shrewd

Perspicacity

n. the ability to acutely discern; intellectual keenness

Perspicuous

adj. clear and therefore easily comprehended

Perspiration

n. the process of perspiring, or secreting particles through the skin; sweat

Perspire

v. to secrete liquid matter through the skin

Persuadable

adj. open to persuasion

Persuade

v. to cause to alter one’s belief or course of action through entreaty or argument

Pertinacious

adj. resolutely tenacious or persistent

Pertinacity

n. the quality of sticking tenaciously to an opinion or idea

Pertinent

adj. indisputably relevant to the matter under consideration

Perturb

v. to mentally disturb; to cause to enter into a state of disorder

Perturbation

n. the condition of being perturbed, or mentally, emotionally or physically disturbed

Perusal

n. the act of reading something very carefully or studying something; conversely, the act of glancing over something in a cursory manner

Pervade

v. to permeate throughout

Pervasion

n. the state of being thoroughly diffused into a situation or space

Pervasive

adj. disposed to pervade, or to permeate throughout

Perverse

adj. morally corrupt; socially improper or offensive

Perversion

n. the process of perverting, or twisting, corrupting or leading away from what is moral or generally accepted

Perversity

n. the state of being morally corrupt or socially improper or offensive

Pervert

n. someone who has been perverted

Pervious

adj. permeable or accessible

Pestilence

n. a virulent and contagious epidemic disease

Pestilent

adj. extremely injurious or destructive; contagious; annoying

Pestilential

adj. relating to pestilence; extremely harmful or deadly; intensely irritating

Peter

v. to gradually diminish into nothing

Petrify

v. to turn to stone; to cause to be lifeless; to stupefy

Petulance

n. the state of being petulant or peevish; the quality of having ill humor or poor temperament

Petulant

adj. capriciously ill tempered; rude

Pharmacopoeia

n. an authorized written work that contains descriptions of medical drugs and preparations

Pharmacy

n. the act of preparing and dispensing medical drugs; a drugstore

Phenomenal

adj. relating to a phenomenon; extraordinary

Phenomenon

n. an observable occurrence; something ascertained through the senses rather than through intellectual analysis; a perceivable circumstance subject to scientific explanation; a strikingly abnormal and seemingly inexplicable entity or occurrence

Philander

v. to engage in casual, unlawful sex with one or many women and thus be unfaithful to one's wife

Philanthropic

adj. relating to philanthropy, or the act of donating funds to charitable organizations

Philanthropist

n. someone who actively attempts to promote human welfare generally by giving charitable organizations money

Philanthropy

n. the act of donating funds to charitable organizations

Philately

n. the practice of collection stamps

Philharmonic

adj. relating to a symphony orchestra

Philogynist

n. someone who likes women as a gender

Philologist

n. someone who studies comparative literature and linguistics

Philology

n. the study of all aspects of literature with particular emphasis on cultural linguistics

Philosophize

v. to analyze or expound upon from a philosophical perspective

Philosophy

n. the science of ethics and fundamental beliefs; the study of the pursuit of wisdom; the basic beliefs held by a people or organization

Phlegmatic

adj. temperamentally lifeless; impassive

Phonetic

adj. relating to the sounds of speech

Phonic

adj. relating to speech sounds

Phonogram

n. a character that represents a unit of sound

Phonology

n. the historical and theoretical study of linguistic speech sounds

Phosphorescence

n. fluorescence, or a kind of luminescence that endures without ongoing radiation or heat

Photoelectric

adj. relating to the scientific study of the production of electrical effects by way of the relationship between radiation and matter

Photometer

n. a mechanism used to measure the intensity of lumination

Photometry

n. the scientific study of the intensity of light

Physicist

n. someone who studies or specializes in physics

Physics

n. the scientific study of the relationship between matter and energy

Physiocracy

n. an economic theory that contends that national wealth is defined solely by agriculture

Physiognomy

n. the science of determining temperament and inner character by analyzing one’s external mannerisms and appearance

Physiography

n. physical geography

Physiology

n. the biological science that is concerned with the essential functions of living matter as well as the anatomical structure of that matter

Physique

n. an individual's bodily form

Picayune

adj. trivial in value; petty

Piccolo

n. a miniature flute that has a range that is an octave higher than that of a regular flute

Piece

n. a fragment of a whole

Piecemeal

adv. gradually; one bit at a time

Pillage

n. the act or product of plundering

Pillory

n. a mechanism consisting of a wooden frame with holes for peoples' heads and hands that was used to publicly shame criminal offenders

Pincers

n. a gripping mechanism consisting of two small handles and two grasping jaws that work on a pivot

Pinchers

n. pincers; an instrument used to grip things

Pinnacle

n. an extremely high summit or peak; the highest state of achievement

Pioneer

n. a person or group of people who open up a new intellectual or technical activity, philosophy or development; a person or group of people who are the first settlers in a given territory

Pious

adj. extremely reverent and devoted to divine worship; overtly religious; self-consciously virtuous; commendable

Pique

v. to irritate or arouse pointed resentment in; to provoke

Piteous

adj. inclined to be compassionate or display pity

Pitiable

adj. worthy of being pitied; deserving of contempt

Pitiful

adj. worthy of pity; arousing contempt

Pitiless

adj. lacking pity; cruel

Pittance

n. a meager portion or allowance

Placate

v. to mollify or appease; to pacify

Placid

adj. undisturbed; calm or peaceful

Plagiarism

n. the act of copying someone else's production and passing off the copy as one's own original work

Planisphere

n. a depiction of the circles within a sphere on a geometrical plane

Plasticity

n. the ability to be altered or effectively reshaped by applied pressure

Platitude

n. the state of being insipid; a trite comment

Plaudit

n. a round of applause

Plausible

adj. seemingly reasonable or pleasing; appearing valid

Playful

adj. inclined to play; frolicsome

Playwright

n. someone who authors plays

Plea

n. an appeal or sincere entreaty; an apology

Pleasant

adj. pleasing or agreeable

Pleasurable

adj. pleasing or pleasant; enjoyable

Plebeian

adj. coarse or common in manner

Pledgee

n. the recipient of a pledge

Pledgeor

n. someone who deposits property as a pledge

Plenary

adj. absolute or complete

Plenipotentiary

n. an agent vested with full power to transact business

Plenitude

n. the state of being complete; abundance

Plenteous

adj. existing in abundance; plentiful

Plumb

n. a lead weight used to communicate a vertical direction

Plummet

n. plumb, or a heavy weight connected to a line that is used to convey vertical direction

Pluperfect

adj. absolutely perfect

Plural

adj. consisting of more than one of a kind

Plurality

n. the state of being plural, or numerous; politically, the difference between the number of votes cast for any two adversarial political candidates

Plutocracy

n. a government entirely comprised of and representing the wealthy

Pneumatic

adj. relating to gas or air pressure

Poesy

n. a poetic piece; a poem

Poetaster

n. a lesser or incompetent poet

Poetic

adj. relating to poetry; emotionally moving or aesthetically pleasing like poetry

Poetics

n. poetic sentiments; the practice or theory of poetry

Poignancy

n. the state of being poignant, or deeply emotionally moving

Poignant

adj. deeply emotionally moving or touching; tending to make an impression

Poise

n. self-assurance in bearing and graciousness in manner

Polar

adj. relating to a geographic pole

Polemics

n. the art of controversy

Pollen

n. a seemingly dusty mass of granular microspores in a seed plant that are designed to be used for plant fertilization with the aid of bees

Pollute

v. to cause to be morally or physically unclean; to defile or contaminate

Polyarchy

n. a form of government in which three or more persons hold power

Polycracy

n. a nation or state governed by more than one person

Polygamy

n. a philosophy of marriage that allows either man or wife or both to have more than one spouse at a time

Polyglot

adj. composed of or versed in multiple languages; culturally diverse

Polygon

n. a closed geometrical figure that is bounded by straight lines

Polyhedron

n. a geometric solid composed of plane faces

Polysyllable

n. a word that has more than three syllables

Polytechnic

adj. relating to the teaching of various technical arts or applied sciences

Polytheism

n. the state of worshiping more than one god

Pommel

v. to pummel, or beat

Pomposity

n. a pompous, or arrogant, act

Pompous

adj. excessively ornate; inclined to exaggerate one’s own importance; relating to pomp, or pretentious display

Ponder

v. to consider or reflect on

Ponderous

adj. clumsy due to substantial weight; painfully dull

Pontiff

n. a bishop or pope

Populace

n. the people as a group; the population

Populous

adj. possessing a large population

Portend

v. to anticipate through the interpretation of an omen

Portent

n. a sign or omen foreshadowing an impending occurrence

Portfolio

n. a bound collection of papers generally representing someone’s overall professional performance

Posit

v. to fix or set firmly; to affirm the truth of; to suggest

Position

n. an object’s physical location; a relative standing or social rank; an occupation; one’s standpoint on an issue

Positive

adj. confident; definite; actual rather than fictitious; relating to affirmation; optimistic

Posse

n. a sizable group of people united by a common purpose; a person’s group of attendants or followers

Possess

v. to own; to control or dominate

Possession

n. the act of occupying, dominating or taking for oneself

Possessive

adj. inclined to or desirous of controlling or owning

Possessor

n. one that dominates, controls or owns something

Possible

adj. capable of being realized

Postdate

v. to date an event with a date that is later in time than the event’s actual date of occurrence; to happen later in time than

Posterior

n. one's buttocks

Postgraduate

adj. relating to studies undertaken after graduation

Postscript

n. a series of notes added to the end of a literary work

Potency

n. the state of being powerful; the capacity to cause a specific result

Potent

adj. having influence or power; effective; rich or concentrated; fertile

Potentate

n. one that holds immense power or influence; ruler

Potential

n. something that has the ability to develop or manifest

Potion

n. a liquid concoction

Powerless

adj. lacking the authority or strength to act

Practicable

adj. capable of being practiced, utilized or done; possible or feasible

Prate

v. to chatter idly

Prattle

v. to voice meaningless sounds in the manner of small children; to babble

Preamble

n. an introduction that generally communicates the intent of a written work

Precarious

adj. dependent on personal whims, dubious developments or unstable conditions; risky or dangerous

Precaution

n. a cautionary measure taken in advance of an upcoming event; a safeguard

Precede

v. to exist or arrive before; to exceed in significance

Precedence

n. relative importance

Precedent

n. a previous occurrence of a similar event; an act or statement potentially serving as an example that could possibly justify a subsequent and similar act or statement

Precedential

adj. marked by precedence

Precession

n. a relatively slow gyration of a spinning body’s rotation axis around an intersecting line so as to represent a cone

Precipice

n. an extremely steep and therefore dangerous place; a brink

Precipitant

adj. precipitate, or characterized by a speedy and intense decline

Precipitate

v. to hurl violently; to cause to occur abruptly; to cause vapor to condense into liquid and fall

Precise

adj. clearly defined; exact; distinguishable

Precision

n. the state of being precise, or exact; relative refinement in performance or operation

Preclude

v. to cause to be impossible or unnecessary by acting in advance

Precocious

adj. acting surprisingly mature at an early age; unusually early developmentally

Precursor

n. something that comes before and signals the approach of a subsequent event or entity

Predatory

adj. characterized by the tendency to prey or plunder

Predecessor

n. someone who precedes someone else, especially in a professional position

Predicament

n. a frustrating and emotionally straining circumstance

Predicate

v. to declare to be an attribute of; to imply

Predict

v. to indicate in advance of an actual occurrence; to foretell

Prediction

n. something that is predicted, or foretold

Predominance

n. the state of being predominant, or superior in influence; the state of being the most common

Predominant

adj. dominant in strength or influence; being the most common

Predominate

v. to dominate; to prevail

Preeminence

n. the state of being preeminent, or paramount in rank

Preempt

v. to forestall or prevent from occurring; to establish precedence over

Preemption

n. the act of seizing or purchasing before any others

Preengage

v. to engage or put under obligation beforehand

Pre-establish

v. to prove or institute beforehand

Preexist

v. to exist at an earlier point than

Preexistence

n. existence in a preceding condition or state

Preface

n. an introduction to a larger work

Prefatory

adj. relating to a preface; positioned in front

Prefer

v. to approve of or like better

Preferable

adj. marked by greater desirability

Preference

n. something that is preferred

Preferential

adj. expressing or giving preference regarding candidates

Preferment

n. an official promotion

Prefix

v. to set in front

Prehensible

adj. capable of being grasped

Prehensile

adj. capable of grasping or seizing physically or intellectually

Prehension

n. the act of grasping; comprehension

Prejudice

n. an unwarranted and irrational hostile attitude towards a particular person or group of people

Prelacy

n. the office of a superior ranking ecclesiastic

Prelate

n. a superior-ranking ecclesiastic

Prelude

n. a brief performance that precedes and generally introduces the feature performance

Premature

adj. occurring before the expected or proper time

Premier

adj. of primary importance; earliest

Premise

n. an assumed statement or condition that forms the foundation of an argument

Premonition

n. a forewarning or anticipation of an otherwise unknowable upcoming event

Preoccupation

n. the act of preoccupying, or preferentially occupying the attention of; inordinate concern with something

Preoccupy

v. to engross the attention of at the expense of something else

Preordain

v. to ordain in advance

Preparation

n. the act of reading oneself for an upcoming event or circumstance

Preparatory

adj. serving to ready for something

Preponderant

adj. marked by dominance or superiority

Preponderate

v. to surpass in influence or significance

Prepossession

n. a preoccupation with a single concept or entity; prejudice

Preposterous

adj. unnatural and irrational; utterly absurd

Prerogative

n. a special or particular right or privilege

Presage

v. to forewarn or foreshadow; to foretell

Prescience

n. omniscience; foresight; foreknowledge of conditions or events

Prescient

adj. capable of foretelling or anticipating events

Prescript

adj. dictated as a rule

Prescriptible

adj. capable of being prescribed, or designated for use as a remedy

Prescription

n. written instructions recommending a particular medicine and detailing the proper uses of that medicine

Presentient

adj. inclined to have premonitions, or episodes marked by irrational anticipation or foreknowledge of an event

Presentiment

n. a premonition; an inkling that something will occur

Presentment

n. the act of setting forth or exhibiting something for consideration

Preservation

n. the act of protecting something from harm, destruction or decay

Presumption

n. an audacious attitude; an inference or assumption

Presumptuous

adj. tending to take undue liberties or overstep boundaries

Pretension

n. an attempt to establish a claim; a pretentious and generally unrealistic aspiration

Pretentious

adj. tending to propose unjustified and extreme claims; seemingly brimming with an affected, exaggerated sense of self-importance

Preternatural

adj. irregular or unnatural; extraordinary

Pretext

n. an alleged purpose presented to disguise one's true intentions

Prevalence

n. the state of being prevalent, or widely accepted

Prevalent

adj. dominant; widely accepted or adopted

Prevaricate

v. to stray from the truth; to mislead or lie

Prevention

n. the act of preventing, or stopping something from occurring

Prickle

v. to prick, or to penetrate slightly with a sharp point

Priggish

adj. tending to offend others by observing manners to an extreme and therefore obnoxious extent

Prim

adj. stuffily proper or prudish; orderly and trim

Prima

adj. principle or primary

Primer

n. a substance that is required for the adherence or formation of another substance

Primeval

adj. relating to the earliest ages of human history

Primitive

adj. relating to the earliest temporal period; barely developed or evolved; primary or original; fundamental or natural

Principal

adj. of primary importance; relating to a principal

Principality

n. the office of a principal; a prince’s jurisdiction or territory

Principle

n. a fundamental rule or doctrine; an origin; an underlying characteristic

Priory

n. a religious residence governed by a prior or prioress

Pristine

adj. pure, or unspoiled; original

Privateer

n. a private ship armed with weaponry that is authorized to attack enemy vessels

Privilege

n. a right granted as an advantage or benefit

Privity

n. joint knowledge of and interest in a private matter

Privy

adj. relating to someone in one's individual capacity; sharing of a secret

Probate

v. to make a legal document valid; to cause to be on probation

Probation

n. a period of freedom enjoyed by some well-behaving convicted offenders that is supervised by a probation officer; a careful examination and evaluation of a subject designed to ascertain fitness or competency

Probe

v. to thoroughly explore; to investigate through penetration

Probity

n. moral uprightness; honesty

Procedure

n. an accepted means or manner of accomplishing something; a set of steps or instructions designed to be used as a guide

Proceed

v. to move onward after an interruption; to carry out an action

Proclamation

n. a formal public statement

Procrastinate

v. to delay the commencement of an action intentionally

Procrastination

n. the act of intentionally putting something off

Proctor

n. an exam supervisor

Prodigal

n. someone who throws money away lavishly; someone who has come back after an absence

Prodigious

adj. inspiring wonder or awe; amazingly large or vast

Prodigy

n. an inexplicable and marvelous occurrence or accomplishment; an omen; an exceptionally talented youth

Productive

adj. tending to produce results

Profession

n. a primary occupation or professional calling; the act of publicly declaring a belief

Professor

n. an academic faculty member and teacher at a university or college

Proffer

v. to offer for consideration or acceptance

Proficiency

n. the state of being proficient, or significantly knowledgeable or skillful in an art or occupation

Proficient

adj. skillful and competent in a trade, art or activity

Profile

n. a graphic representation; an outline; a brief biographical sketch

Profiteer

n. someone who makes an apparently unreasonable profit from the sale of necessary wares or services during emergency circumstances

Profligacy

n. the state of being profligate, or obscenely extravagant

Profligate

adj. extremely extravagant and licentious

Profuse

adj. abundant; provided liberally; bountiful

Progeny

n. animal or vegetable offspring; a group of disciples; descendents

Progression

n. the process of advancing or moving forward; the act of proceeding

Prohibition

n. an official order to cease or restrain a given activity

Prohibitionist

n. someone who favors prohibition, or the act of forbidding a given commodity or activity

Prohibitory

adj. prohibitive, or tending to restrain or cease activity

Projection

n. the process of thrusting something forward; the formation of a hypothesis or plan; the act of presenting something for an audience

Proletarian

n. a member of the laboring or lower class

Prolific

adj. very productive; fruitful

Prolix

adj. unnecessarily long; characterized by excessive wordiness

Prologue

n. an introductory passage preceding a literary work that often recounts narrative events that ostensibly occurred prior to the narrative itself

Prolong

v. to extend or continue

Promenade

v. to stroll along a promenade,

Prominence

n. the state of being prominent, or highly noticeable and/or popularly known

Prominent

adj. protruding beyond a surface; highly noticeable; popular

Promiscuous

adj. unrestricted in taste; tending to have multiple sexual partners; casual

Promissory

adj. communicating or establishing a promise

Promontory

n. a mass of land that projects into or over another physical body

Promoter

n. someone who promotes something; a chemical substance that has the ability to increase the activity of a given catalyst

Promulgate

v. to publicly declare or proclaim; to enact or enforce a law

Propaganda

n. factual or fictitious information spread with the intent of aiding or injuring a cause, person or organization

Propagate

v. to create offspring; to cause to extend into a wider area; to transmit; to widely communicate knowledge and acceptance of an idea

Propel

v. to push onward with as if by a physical force

Propellant

adj. capable of propelling, or pushing onward by means of a motion-inducing force

Propeller

n. something that propels; a mechanism used to propel a vehicle

Prophecy

n. a foretelling of future events; the divinely inspired words of a prophet

Prophesy

v. to foretell based on mystic or divine knowledge or influence

Propitious

adj. favorable or auspicious; inclined to do good

Proportionate

adj. proportional; corresponding in ratio

Propriety

n. the state of being proper; adherence to socially acceptable speech or conduct

Propulsion

n. the process of propelling

Prosaic

adj. relating to prose rather than poetry; dull or ordinary

Proscenium

n. the foreground of a stage or scene

Proscribe

v. to forbid as illegal or harmful

Proscription

n. an official restriction; prohibition

Proselyte

n. a new religious or political convert

Prosody

n. the study of the rhythmic aspect of language

Prospector

n. someone who searches an area for mineral deposits

Prospectus

n. a statement that predicts the nature of something based on in-house calculations

Prostrate

adj. lying upon the ground face-down in an expression of submission; devoid of the vitality or will necessary to rise

Protagonist

n. the main character of a literary work; a champion of a social or political cause

Protection

n. the act of protecting, or guarding someone from injury or exposure

Protective

adj. inclined to fiercely guard or defend someone or something

Protector

n. a guardian

Protege

n. someone whose career is furthered by a person of prominence

Protestant

n. a Christian rather than a Catholic

Protocol

n. an original draft or record of a transaction or document; a strict etiquette code; a detailed set of conventions or procedure plan

Protomartyr

n. a given cause's first martyr

Protoplasm

n. the aggregate of a biological cell's nucleus, cytoplasm, plastids and mitochondria

Prototype

n. a fundamental model that is used as a basis for subsequent models; a typical example

Protract

v. to continue onward in time or space

Protrude

v. to stand out or project from the surrounding area or context

Protrusion

n. something that protrudes, or sticks out from an encompassing surface

Protuberance

n. the state of being protuberant, or projecting outwards from a surrounding area

Protuberant

adj. protruding; prominent

Protuberate

v. to cause to project outwards from a surrounding area

Proverb

n. a concise, well-known maxim or saying; an adage

Provident

adj. providing for future circumstances; frugal

Providential

adj. relating to Providence, or divine guidance

Provincial

adj. relating to a province; narrow in outlook; lacking sophistication; relatively plain rather than ornate

Proviso

n. a clause that presents a conditional stipulation

Provocation

n. something that arouses or provokes

Prowess

n. notable bravery or valor; remarkable ability or skill

Proximately

adv. immediately; imminently

Proxy

n. an entity authorized to act for another entity

Prudence

n. shrewdness regarding one’s affairs; good judgment; caution regarding risks; wisdom; the capacity to govern oneself through reason

Prudential

adj. relating to prudence, or good judgment and sagacity

Prudery

n. an act or comment reflecting prudishness, or obnoxious observance of proprieties

Prurient

adj. tending to arouse unwholesome sexual desire

Pseudapostle

n. a spurious apostle

Pseudonym

n. a pen name or false name

Pseudonymity

n. the adoption and use of a pseudonym, or false name

Psychiatry

n. a medical field devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of mental, social and behavioral disorders

Psychic

adj. relating to the psyche; characterized by mysterious perception or sensitivity; spiritual rather than material in nature

Psychopathic

adj. relating to psychopathology, or any antisocial disorder

Psychotherapy

n. the psychological treatment of mental and emotional disorders primarily through use of therapy

Pudgy

adj. short and chubby

Puerile

adj. childish or juvenile

Pugnacious

adj. combative or belligerent in nature

Puissant

adj. powerful

Pulmonary

adj. relating to the lungs

Punctilious

adj. characterized by exact conformity with the details of conventions

Punctual

adj. prompt; disposed to arrive on time

Pungency

n. the state of being pungent, or sharp in flavor, odor or character

Pungent

adj. sharp or biting in nature; acrid; intensely flavorful; stimulating to the senses

Punitive

adj. relating to punishment

Pupilage

n. the state of being a pupil, or student

Purgatory

n. a state of limited suffering

Purl

v. to edge, embroider or stitch with silver or gold thread

Purloin

v. to take wrongfully; to steal

Purport

n. professed meaning; substance

Purveyor

n. someone who sells wares or services

Pusillanimous

adj. contemptibly cowardly or timid

Putrescent

adj. relating to putrefaction, or organic decomposition

Pyre

n. a heap of material sometimes including human remains intended to be burned

Pyromania

n. an uncontrollable, sudden inclination to start fires

Pyrotechnic

adj. relating to pyrotechnics, or fireworks

Pyx

n. a small receptacle used to house and carry the holy host

Quackery

n. the practice of being a quack, or a charlatan posing as a medical doctor

Quadrate

adj. square in shape

Quadruple

v. to multiply by four

Qualification

n. a restrictive modification; a standard that must be met

Qualify

v. to meet specific required standards; to pass a required test of ability or skill and therefore gain acceptance into a level, activity, organization or office

Qualm

n. an abrupt attack of sickness or emotional uneasiness

Quandary

n. a state of troubling or distressing doubt

Quantity

n. an amount or number

Quarantine

n. a condition of mandatory, enforced isolation generally intended to prevent the spread of disease

Quarrelsome

adj. inclined to bicker or quarrel; confrontational

Quarter

n. one fourth of a whole; a city or town district

Quarterly

adj. occurring every three months

Quartet

n. a group of four performers

Quarto

n. one of four parts cut from a piece of paper

Quay

n. a man-made landing place built parallel to the bank of a waterway

Querulous

adj. regularly complaining; whining

Query

v. to ask a question; to inquire

Queue

n. a series of entities kept in temporary storage until further processing occurs

Quibble

n. an insignificant criticism

Quiescence

n. the state of being quiescent, or inactive

Quiescent

adj. tranquil; characterized by a lack of activity; in a state of rest

Quiet

adj. calm or gentle; tranquil; inactive; not noisy

Quietus

n. death; something that represses

Quintessence

n. something’s pure essence; the most regular representative

Quintet

n. a group of five performers

Quite

adv. totally; extremely; considerably

Quixotic

adj. rashly and foolishly romantic or idealistic; absurdly chivalrous

The End

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