Confusing Words Clarified: Group A; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc. +

Suggestive, indirect reference to something: "He was always allusive regarding anything about his personal life and never provided any specific information."

1. Tending to slip away; hard to grasp or to perceive: "She had an elusive fragrance which we could not identify."
2. Difficult to find or to capture: "The truth is proving to be elusive."

Tending to mislead, to deceive: "She's being delusive when she tells us we can finish this job on time."

Deceptive, unreal, illusory: "He has illusive hopes of finding a better job."

"While he was lost in the desert, he saw an illusive oasis known as a mirage."

1. Every existing possibility, every method: "She investigated all ways that were possible to find her missing sister."
2. The entire distance, from start to finish: "All ways will be checked to see what we need to do to for this poor child."
3. Every way, all possible ways: "The teachers tried in all ways to interest Mary in studying."

1. Every time, on every occasion, regularly, consistently: "We always start working at 0800 hours; however, she is always late."
2. Eternally, forever, perpetually: "He vowed that he would always love her."
3. At any time; in any event: "You may always get a new job if you want to."

Place of worship; a stand or platform in a place of worship: "He placed the Bible on the altar as he read passages to the congregation."

"She knelt at the altar to pray."

1. To change, transform, make different, modify: "The blond wig seemed to completely alter her appearance. She said she would also alter her dress."
2. To castrate or to spay an animal; such as, a cat or a dog: "The family dog was taken to the animal center so the vet could alter him."

1. Occurring by turns; succeeding each other, take turns, change (verb): "He and his sister alternate washing the supper dishes."
2. One and then the other; every other, successive (adjective): "Each of the two druggists works on alternate Sundays."

"The awning had alternate red and white stripes."

3. Standby, backup, understudy (noun): "He attended the political convention not as a delegate but as an alternate."

A choice between two or among more than two things; something remaining to be chosen; option: "Is there an alternative to going?"

"If he wants to get to Los Angeles by tonight, he has no alternative but to go by plane."

The height of a thing above a reference level, especially above sea level or above the earth's surface: "The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 9,000 feet (2.74 kilometers)."

A feeling or way of thinking which affects a person's behavior: "She has a positive attitude about the kind of work she is doing; however, he has an attitude problem (not friendly or cooperative)."

A female graduate: "My mother is an alumna of the University of California."

Female graduates: "My two sisters are both alumnae of Alpha High School."

A male graduate: "He was an alumnus of the University of Iowa."

1. Male graduates: "All of the graduates at the commencement were alumni because it was a males-only university."
2. Generally used to refer to both the alumni and alumnae of a coeducational institution: "My parents are alumni of the same college."

Someone who does something for pleasure rather than for payment and anyone with limited skills in, or knowledge of, an activity; nonprofessional: "An amateur is not allowed to play in most professional golf tournaments."

"An amateur shouldn't play professional poker for high stakes."

An armor like covering: "The armature of this dynamo needs repair."

Any new participant in some activity; beginner, apprentice; a disciple, convert, proselyte, novitiate: "The neophyte learned the required church procedures very quickly."

Someone who is beginning, or who is learning, an activity and has acquired little skill in it; a beginner, an apprentice: "He's a novice in the blacksmith's trade."

Someone who is just beginning to learn something and who is new to a field or activity, a beginner, a learner: "The old pro gave the tyro some tips on how to do the job more efficiently."

Additional clarifications regarding amateur, neophyte, novice, and tyro

Amateur, the most widely used of these four terms, is applied to someone who follows or pursues any art, study, or other activity simply from the love of doing it.

In certain activities; especially, sports, an amateur is anyone who, regardless of excellence, receives no payment for his or her performance: "Alice played as an amateur for five years before becoming a professional."

Neophyte also refers to a beginner (novice, tyro), but the term is usually applied to a recent church convert; especially, to a novice in a religious order and to a recently ordained priest.

A novice is a beginner, a person new to any field or activity: "Some young brides are novices when it comes to housekeeping."

Tyro is closely related in meaning to novice; because it refers to someone who is inexperienced: "James was a tyro during his first weeks at training camp."

An amateur may be skilled and even experienced, but neophytes, novices, and tyros never are. A neophyte, novice, or tyro may be a professional, but an amateur never is.

A making or becoming better; improvement: "Efforts of amelioration are being made for the suffering of people who have lost their jobs."

1. The act or process of improving something or the state of being improved: "We are hoping for a melioration of the financial situation for our company."
2. The linguistic process by which a word over a period of time grows more elevated in meaning or more positive in connotation: "The word nice has gone through the process of melioration because it formerly meant 'foolish'."

1. The process or condition of worsening or degenerating; deterioration: "The global financial situation is going through a process of pejoration."
2. The process by which the meaning of a word becomes negative or less elevated over a period of time: "The word silly, which formerly meant 'deserving sympathy, helpless, or simple', has gone through pejoration, resulting in the meanings of 'showing a lack of good sense, frivolous.' "

1. To change for the better; to improve; to rectify: "I would advise you to amend your manners."
2. To change, to revise, to modify: "The members of the club voted to amend the constitution."

To improve by critical editing; to correct, to revise: "We must emend the report by inserting the right data."

Friendly and agreeable in disposition; good-natured and likable: "Amiable neighbors help make a house a home."

"He has an amiable personality."

Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; peaceable, agreeable: "If wars are to end, nations must learn amicable means of settling their disputes."

A feeling of friendship: "Friendly relations between nations or groups could give mankind an era of international amity."

A very deep unfriendly feeling: "There is a long history of enmity between him and his fellow workers because of his comments against the labor union."

"It's a mistake to ignore the lethal enmity between Bin Laden and Hamas."

A loss of memory as a result of a shock, an injury, a psychological disturbance, or some kind of medical disorder: "Because of the shock caused by a head injury, the man's amnesia resulted in a total loss of memory regarding his past life."

One in a group of speech disorders in which there is a defect, or loss, of the power of expression and comprehension of spoken or written language or signs: "My brother suddenly had aphasia as a result of brain damage resulting from the automobile-accident."

1. Relationships involving more than two: "The teachers apparently agreed among themselves that the curricula needed revisions."
2. In the midst of; surrounded by: "We were in the forest among the trees."
3. In the company of; in association with: "We were traveling among a group of tourists."

1. Applied to relationships involving only two: "The apple pie was shared between the two sisters."
2. Also applicable to two or more when the items are distinctly separate: "The car was driven between several houses before it came to a stop."
3. Intermediate to, as in quantity, amount, or degree: "We found that it costs between fifteen and twenty dollars."
4. Often used to express a reciprocal relationship: "You will have to choose between riding and walking."

1. Neither moral nor immoral; that is, not showing concern for what is right or wrong in human behavior: "He is an amoral, selfish man who is only interested in pursuing his own personal goals regardless how others may be harmed."
2. Not caring about right and wrong: "The governor has a cynical and amoral way of striving to increase his personal political objectives."

Contrary to established social principles; corrupt, evil, wrong: "Selling illegal drugs to anyone is immoral."

Having no perception of what is right or wrong or unable to distinguish right from wrong: "An infant or any one who is mentally incapable of knowing what is right or wrong is considered to be unmoral; that is, neither moral nor immoral."

Entertained, occupied; interested: "We amused ourselves by playing games until our parents got back home."

1. Mildly amused; engrossed, thoughtful: "He gave the child a bemused look."
2. Confused, muddled, bewildered: "The wine left him somewhat bemused."