n. exact sameness; distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
E.g. But Reebok will continue to have a separate identity, retaining its name and its headquarters in the US state of Massachusetts.
n. expression whose meaning differs from meanings of its individual words; distinctive style
E.g. The phrase "to lose one's marbles" is an idiom: if I say that Joe's lost his marbles, I'm not asking you to find some for him. I'm telling you that he's crazy.
a. excellent and delightful in all respects
E.g. That place is an idyllic spot for a picnic.
v. kindle; cause to start burning; set fire to
E.g. A nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
n. lack of knowledge or education
E.g. Do you think that her ignorance is a reasonable argument for this failure?
v. refuse to pay attention to; disregard; overlook; neglect
E.g. The main headlines in the Iraqi newspapers ignore the inspectors' return, but editorials urge the UN to be independent and impartial.
n. lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion
E.g. What Peterson wrote about South Dakota's government now being in imbalance is most certainly true.
v. drink in; absorb or take in as if by drinking
E.g. The dry soil can imbibe the rain quickly.
n. emulation; copying the actions of someone else
E.g. You talk like an Englishman, DON'T you? It's the worst imitation I ever heard.
a. enormous; boundless; so great as to be beyond measurement
E.g. He expressed immense disappointment with the way the Clintons have run the campaign.
n. forceful consequence; strong effect; influencing strongly
E.g. It's hard to characterize the cultural effects, although easier to the vital economic impact on China's neighbors.
v. injure or hurt; become worse; affect negatively
E.g. Drinking alcohol can impair your ability to drive safely; if you're going to drink, don't drive.
ad. fairly; in an impartial manner
E.g. He smiled at them both impartially.
v. hinder; charge with improper conduct; challenge validity of; try to discredit
E.g. A series of accidents impede the launching of the space shuttle.
v. drive or force onward; drive forward; urge to action through moral pressure
E.g. A strong feeling of urgency would impel her; if she failed to finish the project right then, she knew that she would never get it done.
n. having power command or control; critically importance; some duty that is essential and urgent
E.g. Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.
a. having no personal preference; objective
E.g. He always contributed impersonal criticism.
n. incentive; stimulus; force or energy associated with a moving body
E.g. A new federal highway program would create jobs and give added impetus to our economic recovery.
a. implied or understood though not directly expressed
E.g. Jack never told Jill he adored her; he believed his love was implicit in his actions.
v. express or indicate indirectly; signify
E.g. Why does the word imply male siblings and not female as well?
a. adapted to impress forcibly; impressive; impressive in appearance
E.g. While the large vessel looked imposing from the outside, the interior was actually cramped.
n. impression produced by pressure or printing; distinctive influence; impress firmly in the mind
E.g. English people stills bear the imprint of the Norman invasion.
a. having power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent
E.g. A colleague once referred to impulsive children as “MNM” kids: Me, Now, and More!
n. lack of ability, especially mental ability, to do something
E.g. They let her go because of what her inability to meet obligations under her contract.
v. disable or disqualify; deprive of capacity or natural power
E.g. During the winter, respiratory ailments incapacitate many people.
v. enrage; infuriate; cause to be extremely angry
E.g. Cruelty to defenseless animals will incense Caroline.
a. inharmonious; impossible to coexist; not easy to combine harmoniously
E.g. The married couple argued incessantly and finally decided to separate because they were incompatible.
n. disbelief; doubt about the truth of something
E.g. In my experience, most of the incredulity is expressed by people who don't understand how evolution works and aren't acquainted with all evidence.
ad. endlessly; incessantly; for a long time, no end defined; forever
E.g. This allowed them to stay indefinitely in the United States, to claim benefits like Social Security and to apply to become citizens.
a. cut in the edge into points or inequalities, like teeth; having an uneven, irregular border
E.g. The first paragraph isn’t indented, which is slightly problematic; it should be as second and third paragraphs.
a. having no particular interest or concern; being neither good nor bad
E.g. No one can remain indifferent when an orchestra of Palestinian children comes to play for Holocaust survivors and to bring delight to the old people.
ad. in unnoticing; randomly; in a random manner
E.g. Jesus himself seems to accept dinner invitations indiscriminately, often eating with social outcasts.
a. essential; requisite; impossible to be omitted or remitted
E.g. It was the routine but indispensable ceremonies of state.
a. inactive; lacking power to move; unable to move or act
E.g. Potential intelligence, like potential, can remain inert forever.
n. health facility where patients receive treatment
E.g. The second building houses the charity and infirmary wards of the hospital for students' training.
v. expand; fill with air or gas; increase the amount or availability of
E.g. Many people want to know who decides to inflate the currency.
v. impose something unpleasant; cause
E.g. United Nations officials warn that malaria does not only inflict terrible suffering, it's also damaging Africa's economies.
a. important; powerful; having or exercising influence or power
E.g. Speaking at an industry conference, the Indian leader addressed some of India's most powerful and influential businessmen.
n. flowing into; mass arrival or incoming
E.g. The influx of refugees into the country has taxed the relief agencies severely.
v. impart information to; make aware of something; be a pervasive presence in; animate
E.g. "And did she inform you what I went to do?" "Oh, yes, sir! Everybody knew your errand."