Era 4 Vocab Guide
ERA 4 VOCABULARYWORLD HISTORY PROJECT 1Key Era VocabularyThis report provides a summary of key vocabulary for this era. For each word, you will find the definition, part of speech, word forms (plurals/tenses), synonyms, and examples of how the word, or forms of the word, are used in a sentence.administrative• of or pertaining to administration or managementPart of speech:adjectiveWord forms:administration, administrativelySynonyms:managerial, bureaucraticIn a sentence:Whether or not to hire more workers is an administrative decision.antiquity• ancient times, generally prior to c. 500 CEPart of speech:nounWord forms:antiqueSynonyms:ancient times, classical timesIn a sentence:He believed that art from antiquity was superior to art from the Middle Ages. aristocracy• a high-ranking social class, having special privileges and influencePart of speech:nounWord forms:aristocraciesSynonyms:nobility, eliteIn a sentence:She was born into the aristocracy and was expected to marry someone of her own class.autonomous• free and independent, as a state or an organism; self-governingPart of speech:adjectiveWord forms:autonomouslySynonyms:free, independent, self-governingIn a sentence:Once governed by its powerful neighbor, the small region is now autonomous.barbarian• a person in a culture believed by those in another culture to be savage, primitive, or uncivilizedPart of speech:nounWord forms:barbarians, barbaricSynonyms:primitive, savageIn a sentence:The Romans fought the barbarians to the north.
ERA 4 VOCABULARYWORLD HISTORY PROJECT 2bureaucrat• an official in a government office, especially one who follows rules and routines rather than personal judgmentPart of speech:nounWord forms:bureaucrats, bureaucraticSynonyms:official, politician, civil servantIn a sentence:The government bureaucrat hosted a public forum to hear from citizen's about how the new healthcare law could affect them.canal• a man-made waterway for transportation or irrigationPart of speech:nounWord forms:canalsSynonyms:waterway, aqueductIn a sentence:The two lakes are connected by a canal.caravan• a band of people traveling together for safety, especially across a desertPart of speech:nounWord forms:caravansSynonyms:convoy, processionIn a sentence:The travelers rejoiced as their caravan neared the oasis.catastrophe• a disaster with widespread effectsPart of speech:nounWord forms:catastrophic, catastrophicallySynonyms:calamity, cataclysm, disasterIn a sentence:An earthquake represents a catastrophe not only for humans but for all forms of life.chronology• the order of events in timePart of speech:nounWord forms:chronological, chronologiesSynonyms:chronicle, calendarIn a sentence:She tried to remember the chronology of these various incidents in order to help the police solve the crime.
ERA 4 VOCABULARYWORLD HISTORY PROJECT 3clergy• the group or body of people authorized to conduct religious services, such as ministers, priests, or rabbisPart of speech:nounWord forms:clergiesSynonyms:ministryIn a sentence:Nuns were an important part of the clergy.collapse• to fall down or give way; to stop functioning or end suddenly; failPart of speech:verbWord forms:collapses, collapsing, collapsedSynonyms:break down, fail, crumbleIn a sentence:After the recent bombings, the peace talks collapsed.crusades• any of the several attempts of medieval European Christians to recover and then defend the Holy Land in and around Jerusalem from the MuslimsPart of speech:proper nounWord forms:CrusadersSynonyms:In a sentence:Pope Urban II encouraged the Crusades by urging Christians to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims.decline• a falling off or loss, a movement downwardPart of speech:nounWord forms:declines, declined, declining, declinationSynonyms:deterioration, drop, loss, drop-offIn a sentence:The rapid decline in population was due to the spread of the plague.diffusion• the spreading or wide scattering of somethingPart of speech:nounWord forms:diffusionalSynonyms:dispersion, spreadIn a sentence:The diffusion of new technologies increased as trade routes expanded.
ERA 4 VOCABULARYWORLD HISTORY PROJECT 4feudalism• a system of economic and political organization, as in Europe in the Middle Ages, in which one person would pledge to support another person; for example, a knight might pledge to fight when needed in exchange for land from the kingPart of speech:nounWord forms:feudal, feudalistic, feudalistSynonyms:manorialism, manor systemIn a sentence:Serfs were among the lowest class during the age of feudalism.ghetto• a part of a town or city in which members of a particular religion, nationality, ethnic group, or race are forced by law, social, or economic pressures to livePart of speech:nounWord forms:ghettosSynonyms:In a sentence:The Jews of Warsaw, Poland were compelled to live in ghettos established by the Germans beginning in 1940.hajj• the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim is expected to make at least once during Dhul al-HijjahPart of speech:nounWord forms:Synonyms:pilgrimageIn a sentence:One of the Five Pillars of Islam is the hajj, or the journey to Mecca.immunity• the state or condition of being immune (resistant) to a diseasePart of speech:nounWord forms:immunitiesSynonyms:resistance, exemptionIn a sentence:I get the flu shot each year in hopes of building my immunity against the virus.imperial• of or pertaining to an empire or its rulerPart of speech:adjectiveWord forms:imperiallySynonyms:royal, sovereignIn a sentence:The imperial army fought hard for their emperor.
ERA 4 VOCABULARYWORLD HISTORY PROJECT 5influx• a continuous coming in of things or peoplePart of speech:nounWord forms:influxesSynonyms:torrent, avalancheIn a sentence:Every fall there is an influx of students in our town.Monsoon Marketplace• a network of Indian Ocean trade routes that connected people, goods, and ideasPart of speech:nounWord forms:Synonyms:In a sentence:The mapping of the monsoon trade winds in the Indian Ocean allowed merchants to participate in the monsoon marketplace.monsoon• predictable winds that indicated the arrival of the rainy season, facilitating fast sailing and assisting maritime travelers Part of speech:nounWord forms:monsoonsSynonyms:deluge, rainstormIn a sentence:Reoccurring monsoons allowed sailors to predict the direction of winds across the Indian Ocean.mosque• a Muslim place of worshipPart of speech:nounWord forms:mosquesSynonyms:temple, church, place of worshipIn a sentence:The Muslim family made their way to the neighborhood mosque when they heard the call to prayer.patronage• the support, guardianship, or sponsorship provided by patrons, as of artistic endeavors, museums, and the likePart of speech:nounWord forms:patronSynonyms:aegis, backing, sponsorshipIn a sentence:The sculptor would have little hope of carrying out his work without the patronage of the countess.
ERA 4 VOCABULARYWORLD HISTORY PROJECT 6Pax Romana• Roman Peace; a 200-year-long period in Roman history in which it experienced relative peacePart of speech:proper nounWord forms:Synonyms:In a sentence:The Pax Romana allowed Rome to regularly trade overseas.province• the administrative divisions of a country or empirePart of speech:nounWord forms:provincesSynonyms:county, domain, territoryIn a sentence:The western province supplies most of the country's food source.religious pluralism• an acceptance of religious diversityPart of speech:nounWord forms:Synonyms:In a sentence:The country adopted policies that favored religious pluralism in hopes of minimizing violence and conflict amongst the many different religious groups.restructure• to change the structure or organization ofPart of speech:verbWord forms:restructuring, restructured, restructuresSynonyms:reorganizeIn a sentence:After James filed for bankruptcy, he was forced to restructure his business and make his financial decisions more transparent to investors.societal collapse• a big decrease in population numbers, or in standard of living over a large area for a long timePart of speech:verbWord forms:Synonyms:In a sentence:Societal collapse is not inevitable, the success of a society is determined by its response to problems.