imply, vindicate, ingratiate, conceive, adjourn: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from TOEFL Vocabulary set 141. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. imply · verb/ɪmˈplaɪ/

   to suggest or indicate something indirectly

   The teacher's praise seemed to imply that the student had worked very hard on the project.

   Synonyms: suggest, indicate, hint

   Origin: From Middle English 'implicken', from Latin 'implicare' meaning 'to entwine or involve'.

2. vindicate · verb/ˈvɪn.dɪ.keɪt/

   to clear from blame or suspicion

   The evidence presented in court helped to vindicate the accused man, proving that he was innocent of all charges.

   Synonyms: justify, exonerate, clear

   Origin: from Latin 'vindicare', meaning 'to claim, defend, or avenge'

3. ingratiate · verb/ɪnˈɡreɪ.ʃi.eɪt/

   to gain favor or approval of someone by deliberate effort

   In order to ingratiate himself with his new boss, he frequently complimented her ideas during meetings.

   Synonyms: curry favor, flatter, ingratiate oneself

   Origin: From the Latin 'ingratiari', meaning 'to make oneself acceptable or agreeable'.

4. conceive · verb/kənˈsiːv/

   to form or develop an idea or plan in the mind

   After many brainstorming sessions, the team was finally able to conceive a groundbreaking marketing strategy.

   Synonyms: imagine, form, devise

   Origin: Middle English conceiven, from Old French conceivre, from Latin concipere, meaning 'to take in, to receive'.

5. adjourn · verb/əˈdʒɜrn/

   to suspend a meeting or session to a later time or date

   After several hours of debate, the committee decided to adjourn the meeting until next week.

   Synonyms: postpone, suspend, defer

   Origin: Middle French 'ajourner', deriving from 'à' meaning 'to' and 'jour' meaning 'day'.