Vocabulary and Context

I remember learning vocabulary words in middle school and getting tired of making so many practice sentences for the new words. Now I’m working on my vocabulary 15-20 years later and I’m really understanding how valuable those practice sentences were.

Raw memorization of words and definitions don’t stick well in my mind. I process so much information each day that I have to work quite hard to make vocabulary words memorable.

But if I can craft a well-phrased sentence around the word it helps me remember much longer because it gives the word some context. Also, the sentence takes you through the process of using the word well, which helps it stick.

It’s sometimes hard to see how valuable context is because it is so intermingled in what we do, think and say. Context is like the air you breath, you rarely think about it but it is essential.

Here are some words for the you:

profligate – adj – excessively wasteful

execrate – v – to abhor or loathe

perspicacious – adj – acutely perceptive or keenly aware

inveigle – v – to obtain by deception or flattery

You can write sentences for for these words in comments below.