disabuse, collude, recuperate, disbar, militate: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Master set 57. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. disabuse · verb/ˌdɪs.əˈbjus/

   to free someone from a mistaken belief or idea

   I had to disabuse him of the idea that all cats are unfriendly.

   Synonyms: correct, inform, clarify

   Origin: The word 'disabuse' comes from the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'to remove, opposite of' and 'abuse' from the Old French 'abuser,' meaning 'to deceive or mislead.'

2. collude · verb/kəˈluːd/

   to act together secretly for a deceitful purpose

   The two companies decided to collude to raise prices and trick their customers.

   Synonyms: conspire, plot, collaborate

   Origin: from Latin 'colludere' meaning 'to play together', from 'com-' (together) + 'ludere' (to play)

3. recuperate · verb/rɪˈkuːpəˌreɪt/

   to recover health or strength after illness or exertion

   After her surgery, she needed to take time to recuperate at home.

   Synonyms: recover, get better, bounce back

   Origin: from Latin 'recuperare', meaning 'to recover' or 'get back' which combines 're-' (again) and 'cuperare' (to capture, seize)

4. disbar · verb/dɪsˈbɑr/

   to take away the right of a lawyer to practice law

   The lawyer was disbarred after he stole money from his clients.

   Synonyms: remove, revoke, expel

   Origin: The word 'disbar' comes from the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'removal' and 'bar' referring to the legal profession.

5. militate · verb/ˈmɪl.ɪˌteɪt/

   to have a strong effect, usually against a particular result

   The high costs of the project will militate against its approval by the city council.

   Synonyms: influence, affect, impact

   Origin: from Latin 'militare', meaning 'to serve as a soldier.'