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fu • sion n., merging of distinct elements into a unified whole. The fusion of my love for music and my love for crafts led me to become a guitar maker.

egal • i • tar • i • an adj., asserting a belief in human equality, especially equality in terms of social, political, and economic rights. When Thomas Jefferson wrote “All men are created equal,” he expressed an egalitarian philosophy.

en • ig • ma tic adj., mysterious. The actress’s refusal to grant interviews made her seem very enigmatic.

pro • to • type n., standard on which other things are modeled; the first working model of a new type. In 1896, Henry Ford built his “Quadricycle,” a prototype of the automobile.

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sem • i • nal adj., planting the seeds for further development; creative; original. One of the seminal writers of free verse poetry was E. E. Cummings.

re • con • dite adj., difficult or impossible for the average person to understand; deep. The laws of astrophysics are recondite for the person who has not studied gravitational theory.

im • pen • e • tra • ble adj., unable to be comprehended or penetrated. Gillian’s mind was impenetrable to me since she never spoke of her thoughts or motivations.

ve • hem • ent • ly adv., with force or intensity. The defendant vehemently denied that he was guilty of the crime, insisting passionately that he had been falsely charged.

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le • vi • a • than adj., gigantic and formidable. The leviathan dinosaur towered over the treetops.

se • da • tion n., the inducing of a relaxed state, especially by the use of sedatives. The patient’s sedation was ordered by her doctor to induce sleep.

a • que • ous adj., of, relating to, or resembling water. The darkness outside was so thick it seemed aqueous, and we felt as though we were swimming through the night.