Akshay DineshWelcome to a new month of vocabulary learning. October’s words reward close reading: some help us weigh evidence, others sharpen comparisons, and several make everyday explanations more exact. Take one word each day, say it aloud, and notice how its meaning changes when you place it in a sentence of your own.
1 Oct – Anomalous
Type: Adjective
Origin: Greek, Latin
Definition: Different from what is normal, expected, or typical; unusual in a way that invites explanation.
2 Oct – Pragmatic
Type: Adjective
Origin: Greek
Definition: Focused on practical results and workable solutions rather than theory alone.
3 Oct – Corroborate
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To support a statement, theory, or finding with additional evidence.
4 Oct – Austere
Type: Adjective
Origin: Greek, Latin
Definition: Plain and without decoration, comfort, or excess; sometimes also strict in manner.
5 Oct – Delineate
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To describe, outline, or mark the boundaries of something precisely.
6 Oct – Salient
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Most noticeable, important, or relevant in a particular situation.
7 Oct – Scrutinize
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To examine something very closely in order to find details, strengths, or problems.
8 Oct – Implicit
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Suggested or understood without being stated directly.
9 Oct – Formidable
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin, French
Definition: Inspiring respect or concern because of great strength, difficulty, or ability.
10 Oct – Reconcile
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To restore agreement, or to make two apparently conflicting ideas consistent.
11 Oct – Cumulative
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Increasing or developing through a series of additions over time.
12 Oct – Arbitrary
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Based on personal choice or chance rather than a clear rule or reason.
13 Oct – Plausible
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Seeming reasonable or likely to be true, although not yet proved.
14 Oct – Qualify
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To meet a condition, or to limit a statement by adding detail or exceptions.
15 Oct – Analogous
Type: Adjective
Origin: Greek
Definition: Similar in a way that makes a useful comparison possible.
16 Oct – Detrimental
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Causing harm, damage, or an unwanted effect.
17 Oct – Extrapolate
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To estimate an unknown value or outcome by extending a known pattern.
18 Oct – Consensus
Type: Noun
Origin: Latin
Definition: General agreement reached by most or all members of a group.
19 Oct – Discrete
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Separate and distinct from other things; made of individually countable parts.
20 Oct – Facilitate
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To make a process or action easier to complete.
21 Oct – Hypothesis
Type: Noun
Origin: Greek
Definition: A testable explanation or prediction proposed on the basis of limited evidence.
22 Oct – Inherent
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Existing as a natural, permanent, or essential part of something.
23 Oct – Paradox
Type: Noun
Origin: Greek
Definition: A statement or situation that seems contradictory but may reveal an underlying truth.
24 Oct – Refute
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To show with evidence or reasoning that a claim is false or mistaken.
25 Oct – Connotation
Type: Noun
Origin: Latin
Definition: An idea or feeling that a word suggests beyond its direct definition.
26 Oct – Viable
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Capable of working successfully or continuing under real conditions.
27 Oct – Rhetoric
Type: Noun
Origin: Greek
Definition: Language shaped to persuade, influence, or produce a particular effect.
28 Oct – Empirical
Type: Adjective
Origin: Greek
Definition: Based on observation, measurement, or experience rather than theory alone.
29 Oct – Contingent
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Dependent on a condition or event that may or may not happen.
30 Oct – Exemplify
Type: Verb
Origin: Latin
Definition: To serve as a clear example of an idea, quality, or pattern.
31 Oct – Proportionate
Type: Adjective
Origin: Latin
Definition: Appropriate in size, amount, or degree when compared with something else.
