World History: 15. The Renaissance and Reformation, Lessons 1–2

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mercantile
    relating to or characteristic of trade or traders
    Mercantile means related to commerce or trade.
  2. renaissance
    a period of renewed activity and prominence
    The Renaissance was a great cultural revival that swept through Europe from the 1300s through the 1500s.
  3. patron
    someone who supports or champions something
    A patron is someone who gives money or other support to a person or group.
  4. humanism
    a doctrine emphasizing self-realization through reason
    Humanism was a cultural movement of the Renaissance based on the study of classical works.
  5. secularism
    a doctrine that rejects religious considerations
    The Renaissance also marked a growing trend toward secularism, or the view that religion need not be the center of human affairs.
  6. vernacular
    the everyday speech of the people
    It was written in the vernacular, or everyday spoken language of the people.
  7. individualism
    a belief in the virtue of self-reliance
    The third idea that defined Renaissance thought was individualism, the belief that the individual was more important than the larger community.
  8. utopia
    ideally perfect state
    Today, we use utopia to mean an imaginary, ideal place.
  9. satire
    a literary genre that uses humor to ridicule human failings and vices
    Satire is a kind of writing that uses ridicule or sarcasm to criticize vice or folly.
  10. civic
    of or relating or belonging to a city
    Artists were also sought after by guilds and civic groups.
  11. prestige
    a high standing achieved through success or influence
    These risks led to exceptional efforts that brought prestige to both the artists and their patrons.
  12. linear
    involving a single dimension
    They developed the rules of linear perspective, a mathematical system for representing three-dimensional space on a flat surface.
  13. perspective
    appearance as determined by distance from the viewer
    They developed the rules of linear perspective, a mathematical system for representing three-dimensional space on a flat surface.
  14. engrave
    carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
    Engraving is an art form in which the artists etches a design on a metal plate with a needle and acid.
  15. proportion
    harmonious arrangement or relation of parts within a whole
    Proportion is a way of balancing the parts of a design to make a pleasing whole.
  16. sonnet
    a verse form of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme
    A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines with a fixed rhyming pattern.
  17. picaresque
    (of fiction) involving clever rogues or adventurers
    Picaresque refers to a series of comic episodes usually involving a mischievous character.
  18. artificial
    contrived by art rather than nature
    His works possess great energy and never seem artificial.
  19. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    This monumental work includes the artist's self-portrait in which, true to his nicknames the "melancholy genius," Michelangelo looks sad and resigned.
Created on Thu Jul 01 16:08:00 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Jul 08 16:21:57 EDT 2021)

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