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prin • ci • pal adj., main or chief. The principal damage from the fire was caused by smoke.

os • ten • ta • tious • ly adv., in a showy display. Expensive homes are featured ostentatiously in the architectural magazine.

em • phat • ic adj., forceful, definite. The soldiers’ emphatic replies satisfied the officers.

con • tem • plate vt., think about carefully. You should contemplate the consequences of your actions.

er • ro • ne • ous adj., based on error, wrong. When they discovered a miscalculation, the scientists declared that the lab results were erroneous.

or • gan • ic adj., inherent, inborn. The judge possesses an organic sense of fairness.

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en • deav • or vt., attempt, try. The swimmer will endeavor to set a new record for crossing the English Channel.

kin • dred adj., related, similar. Are the ideas expressed in this philosophy kindred to your own?

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sor • did adj., ignoble, squalid. The polite, well-dressed young man seemed out of place in his sordid surroundings.

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se• clud • ed adj., hidden from public view. We couldn’t see the secluded campsite from the highway.

re • pose vt., lie quietly, rest. The artist’s model reposes on a velvet sofa.

copse n., thicket of small trees or bushes. That copse marks the southern border of the property.

va • grant adj., nomadic, wandering. When she tired of her vagrant lifestyle, she settled down in the small town.

beau • te • ous adj., beautiful. Nothing matches the beauteous glow of the aurora borealis.

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tran • quil adj., peaceful, calm. The siren pierced the tranquil, evening air.

sub • lime adj., noble, majestic. The painter captured perfectly the sublime expression on the emperor’s face.

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cor • po • re • al adj., of a bodily or physical nature. According to legend, the strange female figure that appears outside the cemetery is not a corporeal being, but a spirit or phantom.

vain adj., empty, worthless. Do you expect me to believe such vain promises?

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rec • om • pense n., repayment, reward. The grateful parents gave recompense to the man who found their missing daughter.

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pre • vail vi., be victorious. Did the school board prevail in its fight against the budget cuts?

ex • hor • ta • tion n., strong urging. The speaker’s exhortations convinced me to join the cause.

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zeal n., passion, fervor. The conductor’s creative zeal spread through the entire orchestra.