Plausible (adjective) Reasonable enough to seem likely true, even without solid proof yet.
Example: Her excuse for missing the meeting was plausible, but her manager still wanted to see proof of the flight delay.
Mnemonic: Shares a root with 'applaud' — a plausible story is one your brain is ready to applaud as believable.
Plethora (noun) An excessive or overwhelming abundance of something.
Example: The buffet offered a plethora of desserts, far more than anyone could try in one visit.
Mnemonic: From Greek 'plethein,' to be full — a plethora is so much of something that it overflows.
Postulate (verb) To suggest that something is true as a starting assumption for further reasoning.
Example: The physicist postulated that an unseen particle must exist to explain the missing energy.
Mnemonic: A postulate is a claim a thinker posts up front and center, asking everyone to accept it so the rest of the argument can be built on top.
Precarious (adjective) Unstable or insecure, likely to collapse or fail at any moment.
Example: The ladder wobbled, leaving him in a precarious position two stories above the ground.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'precari,' to beg or pray — in a precarious situation, all you can do is hope it holds together.
Precedent (noun) An earlier action, decision, or event used as an example or guide for later similar cases.
Example: The court's ruling set a precedent that future similar cases would likely follow.
Mnemonic: It contains precede, to come before, so a precedent is whatever came before and now guides what follows.
Preclude (verb) To prevent something from happening or someone from doing something.
Example: A shortage of funding precluded the university from starting the new research program.
Mnemonic: It contains clude, related to close, the same root found in include and exclude, so to preclude is to close off a possibility before it even begins.
Predominant (adjective) Being the most common, powerful, or noticeable among several things.
Example: Rice is the predominant crop grown in this region.
Mnemonic: It contains dominant, so the predominant option is simply the one that dominates all the rest.
Premise (noun) A statement or idea that is assumed to be true and used as the starting point for an argument.
Example: The whole argument rests on the premise that economic growth always improves people's lives.
Mnemonic: It starts with pre- (before), reminding you a premise is what you accept before you can build the rest of the argument.
Prevalent (adjective) Existing or occurring very commonly in a particular place or at a particular time.
Example: Respiratory illnesses are more prevalent during the winter months.
Mnemonic: It is related to prevail, to win out over others, so a prevalent trend is one that has prevailed and spread widely.
Proliferate (verb) To increase rapidly in number or spread quickly.
Example: Online shopping platforms have proliferated over the last two decades.
Mnemonic: It shares a root with prolific, meaning highly productive, so when something proliferates it reproduces itself again and again.
Prominent (adjective) Widely known and important, or so noticeable that it stands out physically.
Example: A prominent scientist was invited to open the conference with a keynote speech.
Mnemonic: Pro- (forward) plus a root meaning to jut out, as in eminent - prominent things project forward, sticking out where everyone notices them.
Propensity (noun) A natural tendency to behave or think in a particular way.
Example: Children often show a propensity to imitate the behavior of adults around them.
Mnemonic: Notice the pens inside it, related to hanging or leaning; a propensity is a natural lean toward a certain action.
Proponent (noun) A person who publicly supports or argues in favor of an idea or cause.
Example: She has long been a proponent of renewable energy investment in local government.
Mnemonic: Pro- (for) plus a root meaning to put, as in position - a proponent puts arguments forward in favor of a cause.
Prudent (adjective) Careful and sensible when making decisions, especially about money or risk.
Example: It was prudent of her to save half of every paycheck instead of spending it all right away.
Mnemonic: Shares a root with 'providence,' or planning ahead — a prudent person always thinks several steps in advance.
Quandary (noun) A state of confusion or uncertainty about what to do, especially when every option seems flawed.
Example: Offered two great job opportunities in different cities, she found herself in a genuine quandary.
Mnemonic: Sounds like 'wonder-y' — stuck in a quandary, you wonder endlessly which way to turn.
Quell (verb) To forcibly put an end to unrest, fear, or resistance.
Example: The principal's calm announcement was enough to quell the rumors spreading through the hallway.
Mnemonic: Related to 'quiet' — to quell a riot is to force it back down into silence.
Query (noun) A question, especially one that asks for information or clarification.
Example: The librarian answered every query about the archive's unusual filing system.
Mnemonic: A query is exactly what you type into a search engine's box - every search bar is waiting for your query.
Qualitative (adjective) Relating to the nature or character of something rather than to a measurable amount.
Example: The sociologist used qualitative interviews, rather than surveys, to explore how people experienced grief.
Mnemonic: Qualitative starts with quality - it studies the quality and character of something instead of counting numbers.
Quantify (verb) To measure or express something as a specific number or amount.
Example: Economists tried to quantify the long-term cost of the drought on local farmers.
Mnemonic: Quantify starts with quantity - to quantify something is to turn it into a countable quantity.
Quintessential (adjective) Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or type.
Example: With its rain, tea, and long queues, the scene felt like the quintessential English afternoon.
Mnemonic: It comes from quint (fifth) plus essence; medieval thinkers believed a fifth, purest element lay beyond earth, air, fire, and water, so quintessential now means the purest example of something.
Rebut (verb) To argue against a claim by presenting evidence or reasoning that shows it is wrong.
Example: The scientist rebutted the criticism by presenting new data from the trial.
Mnemonic: Picture butting heads again with an argument - you're pushing back against it with your own evidence.
Reiterate (verb) To say something again, usually to add emphasis or make sure it is understood.
Example: The professor reiterated the deadline at the end of every lecture.
Mnemonic: Like a loop in a computer program that iterates again, reiterate means to run through the same statement once more.
Resilient (adjective) Able to recover quickly from difficulty, damage, or hardship.
Example: The small business proved resilient, bouncing back within months of the flood that destroyed its storefront.
Mnemonic: Like a rubber band, a resilient person or object 're-springs' back into shape after being stretched or stressed.
Robust (adjective) Strong and sturdy, whether physically healthy or built to keep functioning well under stress.
Example: The economy remained robust despite rising interest rates.
Mnemonic: Robust sounds like row plus boost - imagine a rower getting a powerful boost of strength to keep going through rough water.
Rudimentary (adjective) Basic, undeveloped, or existing only in an early, simple form.
Example: His rudimentary grasp of Spanish let him order food but not hold a real conversation.
Mnemonic: Rudimentary comes from 'rudiment,' the first crude sketch of something -- a rudimentary skill is still stuck at that rough, unfinished draft stage.