Essential Word Roots: You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict

Practice this list of English words derived from the Latin roots dic and dict, which mean "say" or "declare."
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abdicate
    give up power, duties, or obligations
    After the uprisings, Qatar’s emir abdicated, replaced by his younger, less experienced son. Los Angeles Times (Jun 15, 2017)
  2. addict
    someone who is physiologically dependent on a substance
    If you were an addict, the advice would be to get clean by seeking professional help and staying away from the addictive substance. Washington Post (Jun 26, 2017)
  3. addiction
    being dependent on something habit-forming
    He had been fond of apple pie all his life, and it certainly seemed like an innocent enough addiction. Various
  4. benediction
    a blessing or ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection
    We waited for him to speak, like a congregation expecting the minister’s benediction. Fever 1793
  5. contradict
    prove negative; show to be false
    It would appear to contradict earlier evidence suggesting a much more ancient origin for many key frog groups. BBC (Jul 3, 2017)
  6. contradiction
    opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
    There are many versions of this paradox but they are essentially equivalent: one would get contradictions if one were free to change the past. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays
  7. dictate
    determine, order, or control how something is done
    Maryland law dictates that car windows should be no more than 65% opaque. Economist (Jun 22, 2017)
  8. dictator
    a ruler who is unconstrained by law
    The starkest difference between dictatorships and democracies is that democracies are ruled by laws, and dictatorships are ruled by dictators. Salon (Apr 15, 2017)
  9. dictatorship
    a form of government in which the ruler is unconstrained
    “This is a democracy. It’s not a dictatorship and it never will be.” The House of the Spirits: A Novel
  10. diction
    the manner in which something is expressed in words
    Bergquist was friendly and talkative, with an above-normal interest in Norway, where he had roots, and pronounced every Norwegian place name with careful diction. New York Times (Mar 11, 2015)
  11. dictionary
    a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words
    They consulted dictionaries to look up correct information about word meanings and grammatical constructions. The Sense of Style
  12. dictum
    an authoritative declaration
    You have probably often heard this business dictum: “Time is money!” Forbes (Jul 18, 2014)
  13. edict
    a formal or authoritative proclamation
    The good thing about being a CEO is that you get to issue edicts and let people know you are in charge. The Guardian (Sep 2, 2015)
  14. indicate
    give evidence of
    Research strongly indicates that exposure to arts, science, and heritage programming provides students a path toward greater academic and life success. Seattle Times (Jul 28, 2017)
  15. indict
    accuse formally of a crime
    He was indicted in March on 23 charges including bribery and fraud. Reuters (Jun 29, 2017)
  16. indictment
    an accusation of wrongdoing
    “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” an indictment of slavery published before the Civil War, was a culture-bearing book, he said. New York Times (Apr 24, 2017)
  17. interdict
    command against
    Be sure not to carry any of these books up-stairs, as they are intended solely for the drawing-room; and their removal from thence is interdicted. Leslie, Eliza
  18. jurisdiction
    the territory within which power can be exercised
    “Gentlemen,” she announced to the troopers, “this is my jurisdiction and I’ll take charge of the examination.” Dead End in Norvelt
  19. malediction
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
    For every man who tried to rub her head, there were three who muttered maledictions under their breath when she went by. A Dance with Dragons
  20. predict
    make a guess about what will happen in the future
    I stare at the board and try to predict the outcome of each match. Divergent
  21. prediction
    a statement made about the future
    Once an aged prophetess arrived in Rome and offered to sell its monarch nine books containing predictions about the future. Washington Post (May 1, 2017)
  22. valedictorian
    the student with the best grades
    A valedictorian is usually the highest-performing student in a class who gives a farewell address at graduation. The Guardian (Jun 11, 2016)
  23. verdict
    findings of a jury on issues submitted to it for decision
    He imagined attending a trial and hearing the verdict: guilty. Touching Spirit Bear
  24. vindictive
    disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
    Translation: “Are you vindictive enough to see your brother not just disbarred, but imprisoned?” New York Times (Apr 11, 2016)
Created on Tue Jul 25 14:27:17 EDT 2017 (updated Tue Aug 01 10:32:45 EDT 2017)

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