State of the Union Address 2016

President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union Address on January 12, 2016. The State of the Union is always a speech that covers a wide variety of topics, but for this particular speech, President Obama cast an especially wide net. The address focused on the future of the country -- out beyond his last year in office to the challenges the next president faces. Here are 25 words from President Obama's last State of the Union. A transcript of the entire speech is available here.
25 words 1899 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pandemic
    existing everywhere
    When we help African countries feed their people and care for the sick, that prevents the next pandemic from reaching our shores.
  2. bipartisan
    supported by both sides
    So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse.
  3. automated
    operated with minimal human intervention
    Today, technology doesn’t just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated.
  4. quagmire
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    That’s not leadership; that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us.
  5. scapegoat
    someone who is punished for the errors of others
    As frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.
  6. priority
    status established in order of importance or urgency
    So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse.
  7. rancor
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency — that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better.
  8. stockpile
    something kept back or saved for future use
    As we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war.
  9. perpetrator
    someone who commits wrongdoing
    Ask the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken out last year, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a prison cell.
  10. entrepreneur
    someone who organizes a business venture
    We’re every immigrant and entrepreneur from Boston to Austin to Silicon Valley racing to shape a better world.
  11. override
    prevail or be more important than
    It’s the son who finds the courage to come out as who he is, and the father whose love for that son overrides everything he’s been taught.
  12. subsidize
    support, as through grants or other funds
    Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future — especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels.
  13. entrenched
    dug in
    None of this will happen overnight, and yes, there are plenty of entrenched interests who want to protect the status quo.
  14. influx
    the process of flowing in
    America has been through big changes before — wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights.
  15. briefing
    detailed instructions, as for a military operation
    As someone who begins every day with an intelligence briefing, I know this is a dangerous time.
  16. sustainable
    capable of being prolonged
    The future we want — opportunity and security for our families; a rising standard of living and a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids — all that is within our reach.
  17. disruption
    an act or event that causes a delay or break in an ongoing activity
    It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families.
  18. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    When we lead nearly 200 nations to the most ambitious agreement in history to fight climate change — that helps vulnerable countries, but it also protects our children.
  19. leverage
    strategic advantage; power to act effectively
    As a result, workers have less leverage for a raise.
  20. credibility
    the quality of being believable or trustworthy
    You want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere?
  21. cynic
    someone who is critical of the motives of others
    So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse. We just might surprise the cynics again.
  22. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
    What was true then can be true now. Our unique strengths as a nation — our optimism and work ethic, our spirit of discovery and innovation, our diversity and commitment to the rule of law — these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.
  23. durable
    capable of withstanding wear and tear and decay
    Let me start with the economy, and a basic fact: the United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.
  24. profound
    far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect
    What is true — and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious — is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven’t let up.
  25. thriving
    very lively and profitable
    I believe a thriving private sector is the lifeblood of our economy.
Created on Tue Jan 12 21:07:30 EST 2016 (updated Wed Jan 13 07:51:22 EST 2016)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.