 section 65 of English synonyms and antonyms this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer visit LibriVox.org English synonyms and antonyms by James Champlain-Fernald Union to veneration Union synonyms coalition combination conjunction junction juncture oneness unification unity unity is oneness the state of being one especially of that which never has been divided or of that which cannot be conceived of as resolved into parts as the unity of God or the unity of the human soul union is a bringing together of things that have been distinct so that they combine or coalesce to form a new whole or the state or condition of things thus brought together in a union the separate individuality of the things united is never lost sight of we speak of the union of the parts of a fractured bone or of the union of hearts in marriage but unity can be said of that which is manifestly or even conspicuously made up of parts when a single purpose or ideal is so subserved by all that their possible separateness is lost sight of as we speak of the unity of the human body or of the unity of the church compare alliance association attachment harmony marriage antonym analysis contrarity decomposition disconnection disjunction disassociation disunion division divorce schism separation severance usual synonyms accustomed common customary every day familiar frequent general habitual normal ordinary prevailing prevalent public regular wanted usual latin usus use habit want signifies such as regularly or often recurs in the ordinary course of events or is habitually repeated in the life of the same person ordinary latin ordo order signifies according to an established order hence of everyday occurrence in strictness common and general apply to the greater number of individuals in a class but both words are in good use as applying to the greater number of instances in a series so that it is possible to speak of one person's common practice or general custom though ordinary or usual would in such cases be preferable compare general normal antonyms exceptional extraordinary infrequent out of the way rare singular strange uncommon unparalleled unusual utility synonyms advantage avail benefit expediency profit service serviceableness use usefulness utility latin utilities useful signifies primarily the quality of being useful but is somewhat more abstract and philosophical than usefulness or use and is often employed to denote adaptation to produce a valuable result while usefulness denotes the actual production of such result we contrast beauty and utility we say of an invention its utility is questionable or on the other hand its usefulness has been proved by ample trial or I have found it of use still utility and usefulness are frequently interchanged expediency latin x out and pests foot literally the getting the foot out refers primarily to escape from or avoidance of some difficulty or trouble either expediency or utility may be used to signify profit or advantage considered apart from right as the ground of moral obligation or of actions that have a normal character expediency denoting immediate advantage on a contracted view and especially with reference to avoiding danger difficulty or loss while utility may be so broadened as to cover all existence through all time as in the utilitarian theory of morals policy is often used in a kindred sense more positive than expediency but narrower than utility as in the proverb honesty is the best policy compare profit and to names disadvantage folly futility in policy inadequacy in expediency in utility unprofitableness uselessness worthlessness vacant synonyms blank empty leisure unemployed unfilled unoccupied untenanted vacuous void waste that is empty which contains nothing that is vacant which is without that which has filled or might be expected to fill it vacant has extensive reference to rights or possibilities of occupancy a vacant room may not be empty and an empty house may not be vacant vacant as derived from the latin is applied to things of some dignity empty from the Saxon is preferred in speaking of slight common or homely matters though it may be applied with special force to the highest we speak of empty space a vacant lot and empty dish and empty sleeve a vacant mind and empty heart and empty boast a vacant office a vacant or leisure hour void and devoid are rarely used in the literal sense but for the most part confined to abstract relations devoid being followed by of and having with that addition the effect of a prepositional phrase as the article is devoid of sense the contract is void for want of consideration waste in this connection applies to that which is made so by devastation or ruin or gives an impression of desolation especially as combined with vastness probably from association of the words waste and vast waste is applied also to uncultivated or unproductive land if of considerable extent we speak of a waste track or region but not of a waste city lot vacuous refers to the condition of being empty or vacant regarded as continuous or characteristic antennas brim full brim brimming busy crammed crowded filled full gorged inhabited jammed occupied overflowing packed replete vein synonyms abortive baseless bootless deceitful delusive empty fruitless futile idle in constant ineffectual nougatory null profitless shadowy trifling trivial unavailing unimportant unprofitable unreal unsatisfying unserviceable unsubstantial useless vapid visionary worthless vein Latin bonus empty keeps the etymological idea through all changes of meaning a vein endeavor is empty of result or of adequate power to produce a result a vein pretension is empty or destitute of support a vain person has a conceit that is empty or destitute of adequate cause or reason that which is bootless fruitless or profitless fails to accomplish any valuable result that which is abortive ineffectual or unavailing fails to accomplish a result that it was or was supposed to be adapted to accomplish that which is useless futile or vein is inherently incapable of accomplishing a specified result useless in the widest sense signifies not of use for any valuable purpose and is thus closely similar to valueless and worthless fruitless is more final than ineffectual as applying to the sum or harvest of endeavor that which is useless lacks actual fitness for a purpose that which is vein lacks imaginable fitness compare vacant ostentation pride antonyms adequate advantageous beneficial competent effective efficient expedient potent powerful profitable real serviceable solid sound substantial sufficient useful valid valuable worthy compare synonyms for utility venal synonyms hireling mercenary purchasable salable venal latin venalis from venum sale signifies ready to sell one's influence vote or efforts for money or other consideration mercenary latin mercenarius from mercis pay reward signifies influenced chiefly or only by desire for gain or reward thus etymologically the mercenary can be hired while the venal are openly or actually for sale hireling anglo-saxon hurling from her signifies serving for hire or pay or having the spirit or character of one who works or of that which is done directly for hire or pay mercenary has a special application to character or disposition as a mercenary spirit mercenary motives that is a spirit or motives to which money is the chief consideration or the moving principle the hireling the mercenary and the venal are alike in making principal conscience and honor of less account than gold or assorted considerations but the mercenary and venal may be simply open to the bargain and sale which the hireling has already consummated a clergyman may be mercenary in making place and pay of undo importance while not venal enough to forsake his own communion for another for any reward that could be offered him the mercenary may retain much show of independence hireling service sacrifices self respect as well as principal a public officer who makes his duty tributary to private speculation in which he is interested is mercenary if he receives a stipulated recompense for administering his office at the behest of some leader faction corporation or the like he is both hireling and venal if he gives essential advantages for pay without subjecting himself to any direct domination his course is venal but not hireling compare pay venal antonyms disinterested generous honest honorable incorruptible patriotic public spirited unpurchasable venerate synonyms adore honor respect revere reverence in the highest sense to revere or reverence is to hold in mingled love and honor with something of sacred fear as for that which while lovely is sublimely exalted and brings upon us by contrast a sense of our unworthiness or inferiority to revere is a holy spiritual act to reverence is often though not necessarily to give outward expression to the reverential feeling we revere or reverence the divine majesty revere is a stronger word than reverence or venerate to venerate is to hold in exalted honor without fear and is applied to objects less removed from ourselves than those we revere being said especially of aged persons of places or objects having sacred associations and of abstractions we venerate an aged pastor the dust of heroes or martyrs lofty virtue or self sacrifice or some great cause as that of civil or religious liberty we do not venerate God but revere or reverence him we adore with a humble yet free outflowing of soul compare veneration antonyms contend despise detest disdain dishonor disregard scoff at scorn slight sperm veneration synonyms adoration awe dread reverence awe is inspired by that in which there is sublimity or majesty so overwhelming as to awaken a feeling akin to fear in awe considered by itself there is no element of esteem or affection though the sense of vastness power or grandeur in the object is always present dread is a shrinking apprehension or expectation of possible harm awakened by any one of many objects or causes from that which is overwhelmingly vast and mighty to that which is productive of momentary physical pain in its higher uses dread approaches the meaning of awe but with more of chilliness and cowering and without that subjection of soul to the grandeur and worthiness of the object that is involved in awe is preoccupied with the object that inspires it dread with apprehension of personal consequences reverence and veneration are less overwhelming than awe or dread and suggest something of esteem affection and personal nearness we may feel awe of that which we cannot reverence as a grandly terrible ocean storm awe of the divine presence is more distant and less trustful than reverence veneration is commonly applied to things which are not subjects of awe adoration in its full sense is loftier than veneration less restrained and odd than reverence and with more of the spirit of direct active and joyful worship compare esteem antonyms contempt disdain dishonor disregard scorn end of section sixty five read by denis sears in bedesto california for LibriVox section 66 of English synonyms and antonyms this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Eugene Smith English synonyms and antonyms by James Champlin Fernald venial to virtue venial synonyms excusable pardonable slight trivial venial from Latin venia pardon signifies capable of being pardoned and in common use capable of being readily pardoned easily overlooked aside from its technical ecclesiastical use venial is always understood as marking some fault comparatively slight or trivial a venial offense is one readily overlooked a pardonable offense requires more serious consideration but undeliberation is found to be susceptible to pardon excusable is scarcely applied to offenses but to matters open to doubt or criticism rather than direct censure so used it often falls little short of justifiable as I think under those circumstances his action was excusable Protestants do not recognize the distinction between venial and mortal sins venial must not be confounded with the very different word venal compare venal antonyms inexcusable inexpeable mortal unpardonable unjustifiable veracity synonyms candor frankness honesty ingenuousness reality truth truthfulness verity truth is primarily and verity is always a quality of thought or speech especially of speech as an exact conformity to fact veracity is properly a quality of a person the habit of speaking in the disposition to speak the truth a habitual liar may on some occasions speak the truth but that does not constitute him a man of veracity on the other hand a person of undoubted veracity may state through ignorance or misinformation what is not the truth truthfulness is a quality that may in here either in a person or in his statements or beliefs candor frankness honesty and ingenuousness are allied with veracity and verity with truth while truthfulness may accord with either truth in a secondary sense may be applied to intellectual action or moral character in the former case becoming a close synonym of veracity as I know him to be a man of truth antonyms deceit deception delusion duplicity error fabrication falsehood falseness falsity fiction guile imposture lie mendacity untruth compare synonyms for deception verbal synonyms literal oral vocal oral from latin ose the mouth signifies uttered through the mouth or in common phrase by word of mouth verbal from latin verbom a word signifies of pertaining to or connected with words especially with words as distinguished from the ideas they convey vocal from latin vox the voice signifies of or pertaining to the voice uttered or modulated by the voice and especially uttered with or sounding with full resonant voice literal from latin littera a letter signifies consisting of or expressed by letters or according to the letter in the broader sense of the exact meaning or requirement of the words used what is called quote the letter of the law and quote is its literal meaning without going behind what is expressed by the letters on the page thus oral applies to that which is given by spoken words and distinction from that which is written or printed as oral tradition and oral examination by this rule we shouldn't strictly speak of an oral contract or an oral message but verbal contract and verbal message as indicating that which is spoken rather than by written words have become so fixed in the language that they can probably never be changed this usage is also in line with other idioms of the language as quote i give you my word end quote quote a true man's word is as good as his bond end quote quote my word of mouth end quote etc a verbal translation may be oral or written so that it is word for word a literal translation follows the construction and idiom of the original as well as the words a literal translation is more than one that is merely verbal both verbal and literal are opposed to free in the same sense of attending to words only we speak of verbal criticism of verbal change vocal has primary reference to the human voice as vocal sounds vocal music vocal may be applied within certain limits to inarticulate sounds given forth by other animals than men as the woods were vocal with the songs of birds oral is never so applied but it is limited to articulate utterance regarded as having a definite meaning as an oral statement victory synonyms achievement advantage conquest mastery success supremacy triumph victory is the state resulting from the overcoming of an opponent or opponents in any contest or from the overcoming of difficulties obstacles evils etc considered as opponents or enemies in the latter sense any hard one achievement advantage or success may be termed a victory in conquest and mastery there is implied a permanence of state that is not implied in victory triumph originally denoting the public rejoicing in honor of victory has come to signify also a peculiarly exultant complete and glorious victory compare conker antonyms defeat destruction disappointment disaster failure frustration miscarriage overthrow retreat route vigilant synonyms alert awake careful cautious circumspect on the alert on the lookout sleepless wakeful wary watchful wide awake vigilant implies more sustained activity and more intelligent volition than alert one may be habitually alert by reason of native quickness of perception and thought or one may be momentarily alert under some excitement or expectancy one who is vigilant is so with thoughtful purpose one is vigilant against danger or harm he may be alert or watchful for good as well as against evil he is wary in view of suspected stratagem trickery or treachery a person may be wakeful because of some merely physical excitement or excitability as through insomnia yet he may be utterly careless and negligent in his wakefulness reverse of watchful a person who is truly watchful must keep himself wakeful while on watch in which case wakeful has something of mental quality watchful from the saxon and vigilant from the latin are almost exact equivalents but vigilant has somewhat more of sharp definiteness and somewhat more suggestion of volition one may be habitually watchful one is vigilant of set purpose and for direct cause as in the presence of an enemy compare alert antonyms careless drowsy dull heedless inattentive unconscious inconsiderate neglectful negligent oblivious thoughtless unwary virtue synonyms chastity duty excellence faithfulness goodness honesty honor integrity justice morality probity purity rectitude righteousness rightness truth uprightness virtuosness worth worthiness virtue from latin virtus primarily manly strength or courage from veer a man a hero is in its full sense goodness that is victorious through trial perhaps through temptation and conflict goodness the being morally good may be much less than virtue as lacking the strength that comes from trial and conflict or it may be very much more than virtue as rising sublimely above the possibility of temptation and conflict the infantile as contrasted with the divine goodness virtue is distinctively human we do not predicate it of god morality is conformity to the moral law in action whether in matters concerning ourselves or others whether with or without right principle honesty and probity are used especially of one's relations to his fellow men probity being to honesty much what virtue in some respects is to goodness probity is honesty tried and proved especially in those things that are beyond the reach of legal requirement above the commercial sense honesty may be applied to the highest truthfulness of the soul to and with itself and its maker integrity in the full sense is moral wholeness without a flaw when used as it often is of contracts and dealings it has reference to inherent character and principle and denotes much more than superficial or conventional honesty honor is a lofty honesty that scorns fraud or wrong as base and unworthy of itself honor rises far above thought of the motto of that quote honesty is the best policy end quote purity is freedom from all admixture especially of that which debases it is chastity both of heart and life but of the life because from the heart duty the rendering of what is due to any person or in any relation is in this connection the fulfillment of moral obligation rectitude and righteousness denote conformity to the standard of right whether in heart or act righteousness is used especially in the religious sense uprightness refers especially to conduct virtuousness is a quality of the soul or of action in the latter sense it is the essence of virtuous action compare innocent justice religion antonyms evil vice viciousness wickedness wrong compare synonyms for sin end of section 66 section 67 of english synonyms and antonyms this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer visit LibriVox.org English synonyms and antonyms by James Champlin Fernald wonder to youthful wonder synonyms deviate digress diverge air go astray ramble range Rome robe stray swerve veer to wonder Anglo-Saxon windon wind is to move in an indefinite or indeterminate way which may or may not be a departure from a prescribed way to deviate latin day from and via away is to turn from a prescribed or right way physically mentally or morally usually in an unfavorable sense to diverge latin die apart and vergo incline tend is to turn from a course previously followed or that something else follows and has no unfavorable implication to digress latin die apart aside and gradior step is used only with reference to speaking or writing to air is used of intellectual or moral action and of the moral with primary reference to the intellectual an error being viewed as in some degree due to ignorance range Rome and robe imply the perversing of considerable often a vast distances of land or sea range commonly implies a purpose as cattle range for food a hunting dog ranges a field for game Rome and robe are often purposeless and always without definite aim to swerve or veer is to turn suddenly from a prescribed or previous course and often but momentarily veer is more capricious and repetitious the horse swerves at the flash of a sword the wind veers the ship veers with the wind to stray is to go in a somewhat purposeless way aside from the regular path or usual limits or abode usually with unfavorable implication cattle stray from their pastures an author strays from his subject one strays from the path of virtue stray is in most uses a lighter word than wonder ramble in its literal sense is always a word of pleasant suggestion but in its figurative use always somewhat contemptuous as rambling talk way synonyms alley avenue bridal path channel course driveway high road highway lane pass passage passageway path pathway road roadway route street thoroughfare track wherever there is room for one object to pass another there is a way a road originally a rideway is a prepared way for traveling with horses or vehicles always the latter unless the contrary is expressly stated a way suitable to be traversed only by foot passengers or by animals is called a path bridal path or track as the roads in that country are mere bridal paths a road may be private a highway or high road is public highway being a specific name for a road legally set apart for the use of the public forever a highway may be over water as well as over land a route is a line of travel and may be over many roads a street is in some center of habitation as a city town or village when it passes between rows of dwellings the country road becomes the village street an avenue is a long broad and imposing or principal street track is a word of wide signification we speak of a goat track on a mountainside a railroad track a racetrack the track of a comet on a traveled road the line worn by regular passing of hoofs and wheels and either direction is called the track a passage is between any two objects or lines of enclosure a pass commonly between mountains a driveway is within enclosed grounds as of a private residence a channel is a waterway a thoroughfare is a way through a road or street temporarily or permanently closed at any point ceases for such time to be a thoroughfare compare air direction wisdom synonyms attainment depth discernment discretion enlightenment erudition foresight information insight judgment judiciousness knowledge learning impressions profundity prudence reason reasonableness sagacity sense skill understanding enlightenment erudition information knowledge learning and skill are acquired as by study or practice insight judgment profundity or depth reason sagacity sense and understanding are native qualities of mind though capable of increase by cultivation the other qualities are on the borderline wisdom has been defined as the right use of knowledge or the use of the most important means for attaining the best ends wisdom thus presupposing knowledge for its very existence and exercise wisdom is mental power acting upon the materials that fullest knowledge gives in the most effective way there may be what is termed practical wisdom that looks only to material results but in its full sense wisdom implies the highest and noblest exercise of all the faculties of the moral nature as well as of the intellect prudence is a lower and more negative form of the same virtue respecting outward and practical matters and largely with the view of avoiding loss and injury wisdom transcends prudence so that while the part of prudence is ordinarily also that of wisdom cases arise as in the exigencies of business or of war when the highest wisdom is in the disregard of the maxims of prudence judgment the power of forming decisions especially correct decisions is broader and more positive than prudence leading one to do as readily as to refrain from doing but judgment is more limited in range and less exalted in character than wisdom to say of one that he displayed good judgment is much less than to say that he manifested wisdom skill is far inferior to wisdom consisting largely in the practical application of acquired knowledge power and habitual processes or in the ingenious contrivance that makes such application possible in the making of something perfectly useless there may be great skill but no wisdom compare a human astute knowledge mind prudence sagacious skillful antonyms absurdity error fatuity folly foolishness idiocy imbecility imprudence indiscretion miscalculation misjudgment nonsense senselessness silliness stupidity compare synonyms for absurd idiocy wit synonyms banter burlesque drollery facetiousness fun humor jest jocularity joke playfulness pleasantry railery waggery wagishness witticism wit is the quick perception of unusual or commonly unperceived analogies or relations between things apparently unrelated and has been said to depend upon a union of surprise and pleasure it depends certainly on the production of a diverting entertaining or merry making surprise the analogies with which wit plays are often superficial or artificial humor deals with real analogies of an amusing or entertaining kind or with traits of character that are seen to have a comical side as soon as brought to view wit is keen sudden brief and sometimes severe humor is deep thoughtful sustained and always kindly pleasantry is lighter and less vivid than wit fun denotes the merry results produced by wit and humor or by any fortuitous occasion of mirth and is pronounced and often hilarious antonyms dullness gravity seriousness sobriety solemnity stolidity stupidity work synonyms achievement action business deed doing drudgery employment exertion labor occupation performance product production toil work is the generic term for any continuous application of energy toward an end work may be hard or easy labor is hard and worrying work toil is straining and exhausting work work is also used for any result of working physical or mental and has special senses as in mechanics which labor and toil do not share drudgery is plotting irksome and often menial work compare act business antonyms ease idleness leisure recreation relaxation repose rest vacation yet synonyms besides further hitherto now still thus far yet and still have many closely related senses and with verbs of past time are often interchangeable we may say while he was yet a child or while he was still a child yet like still often applies to past action or state extending to and including the present time especially when joined with as we can say he is feeble as yet or he is still feeble with scarcely appreciable difference of meaning except that the former statement implies somewhat more of expectation than the latter yet with a negative applies to completed action often replacing a positive statement with still he is not gone yet is nearly the same as he is here still yet has a reference to the future which still does not share we may be successful yet implies that success may begin at some future time we may be successful still implies that we may continue to enjoy in the future such success as we are winning now youthful synonyms adolescent boyish callow childish child like girlish immature juvenile purile young boyish childish and girlish are used in a good sense of those to whom they properly belong but in a bad sense of those from whom more maturity is to be expected childish eagerness or glee is pleasing in a child but unbecoming in a man purile in modern use is distinctly contemptuous juvenile and youthful are commonly used in a favorable and kindly sense in their application to those still young youthful in the sense of having the characteristics of youth hence fresh vigorous lighthearted buoyant may have a favorable import as applied to any age as when we say the old man still retains his youthful ardor vigor or hopefulness juvenile in such use would be little the statement young is distinctively applied to those in the early stage of life or not arrived at maturity compare new antonyms compare synonyms for old end of section 67 and end of english synonyms and antonyms by james champlin fernold recording by denis sears in medesto california for livervox