The Giver: Chapters 5–8

by Lois Lowry
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a regimented community that is free from pain and suffering—but also free from joy, independence, and even color. When he is appointed the community's Receiver of Memory, Jonas begins to question everything he has been taught.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–18, Chapters 19–23

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. disquieting
    causing mental discomfort
    Jonas said the standard phrase automatically, and tried to pay better attention while his mother told of a dream fragment, a disquieting scene where she had been chastised for a rule infraction she didn’t understand.
  2. infraction
    a violation of a law or rule
    Jonas said the standard phrase automatically, and tried to pay better attention while his mother told of a dream fragment, a disquieting scene where she had been chastised for a rule infraction she didn’t understand.
  3. indulgent
    tolerant or lenient
    At every other public ceremony, the audience was silent and attentive. But once a year, they all smiled indulgently at the commotion from the little ones waiting to receive their names and families.
  4. relinquish
    turn away from; give up
    Each family member, including Lily, had been required to sign a pledge that they would not become attached to this little temporary guest, and that they would relinquish him without protest or appeal when he was assigned to his own family unit at next year’s Ceremony.
  5. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
    The audience applause, which was enthusiastic at each Naming, rose in an exuberant swell when one parental pair, glowing with pride, took a male newchild and heard him named Caleb.
  6. meticulously
    in a manner marked by extreme care of details
    The community was so meticulously ordered, the choices so carefully made.
  7. scrupulously
    with careful attention and effort to do something correctly
    Like the Matching of Spouses and the Naming and Placement of newchildren, the Assignments were scrupulously thought through by the Committee of Elders.
  8. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Jonas always chuckled when he heard a parent, exasperated, call sharply to a whining toddler, “That’s enough, Twenty-three!”
  9. acquisition
    the cognitive process of obtaining skill or knowledge
    The Instructors of Threes were in charge of the acquisition of correct language.
  10. subside
    wear off or die down
    The Chief Elder waited until the uneasy applause subsided.
  11. benign
    pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence
    The community, relieved from its discomfort very slightly by her benign statement, seemed to breathe more easily.
  12. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    Earlier that day, dressing in his own dwelling, he had practiced the kind of jaunty, self-assured walk that he hoped he could make to the stage when his turn came.
  13. successor
    a person who inherits some title or office
    Our community has only one Receiver. It is he who trains his successor.
  14. indolence
    inactivity resulting from a dislike of work
    What we observe as playfulness and patience — the requirements to become Nurturer — could, with maturity, be revealed as simply foolishness and indolence.
  15. rigorous
    demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
    Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver.
Created on Thu Sep 26 21:16:55 EDT 2013 (updated Mon Jun 23 15:09:22 EDT 2025)

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