4000 CPE Vocabulary List

v. make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity
Armies augment their forces by calling up reinforcements.

n. sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens
He interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil.

n. the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere; halo
This medieval painting depicts its saintly character with aureole around the head.

a. characteristic of dawn; dawning, eastern, like a new beginning; relating to the atmospheric phenomenon auroras
The auroral display was particularly spectacular that evening.

a. attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperous
With favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail.

a. strict or severe in the discipline; severely simple and unornamented
The headmaster's austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students, who never visited his study willingly.

v. prove genuine; establish authenticity of
An expert was needed to authenticate the original Van Gogh painting, distinguishing it from its imitation.

a. expecting absolute obedience; completely dominating another's will
After years of submitting to the will of her authoritarian father, Elizabeth Barrett ran away from home with the poet Robert Browning.

a. weighting authority; peremptory and dictatorial
Impressed by the young researcher's well-documented presentation, we accepted her analysis of the experiment as authoritative.

n. biography or story written by yourself
I shall not indulge in autobiography by speaking of my own country.

n. dictator; ruler having unlimited power
Mussolini has been described as an autocrat who tolerated no opposition.

a. having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial
Someone accustomed to exercising authority may become autocratic if his or her power is unchecked.

n. the mechanism that imitates actions of humans
Long before science fiction readers became aware of robots, this book writer was presenting a story of an automaton who could outperform men.

a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent
Although the University of California at Berkeley is just one part of the state university system, it is autonomous in many ways.

n. independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination
The study also called for the three thousand Rapa Nui people of Easter Island to be given greater autonomy.

a. convenient for use or disposal; not busy, free; obtainable; accessible
Vaccines are available but are costly and only offer relatively short-term protection, so the animals need regular booster vaccinations.

n. radically new or original; cutting edge
It collects news, reviews, image galleries, and texts concerning avant-garde culture and contemporary art in Tokyo.

n. greediness for wealth; the insatiable desire to gain
King Midas is a perfect example of avarice, for he was so greedy that he wished everything he touched would turn to gold.

v. declare to be true; affirm
The witnesses aver that he was holding a gun.

a. reluctant; disinclined; turned away or backward; unwilling
The reporter was averse to revealing the sources of his information.