As part of my efforts to get into a good graduate school next year (or the year after, depending on application cycles and deadlines), I've been studying for the GRE, or Graduate Record Examination.  There are parts of it I know I'm going to ace, but there are other parts I'm a little worried about.  That's why I picked up a copy of the New GRE 2011-2012 Premier with CD-ROM, a study aide straight from Kaplan, the people who design and give the test.

As part of studying for the Verbal section, it is suggested that you keep a vocabulary journal, a notebook where you write out and define words you've never heard before that you find in books or hear said.  It's supposed to help build vocabulary in preparation for the exam, but like the book says, this is a great practice to keep up for the rest of your life!

The book suggests that the method we were taught in elementary school, trying to derive the meaning of a word from the sentence around it, is flawed and that the only way to truly understand a word and the feelings or connotations that may be behind it is to examine it's true definition and roots.  It also suggests making up your own sentence for the word and writing it out to get a good feel for what you've just learned.  Learning the synonyms and antonyms of the word is good practice too.  Using the tips from the study guide, I created a format for my definitions that incorporates all the good practice habits mentioned: Word - (part of speech), (Greek/Latin roots and definitions of roots), (definition), (sentence using word), (synonyms), (antonyms.).   Remember, learning synonyms and antonyms of a word you know can help you to derive the meanings of the unknown synonyms or antonyms later without actually having to look them up!

I think this is going to prove to be an invaluable tool for my reading and writing ventures, and I just had to share it with all my readers!  The book lists several words that appear often on the exam, and I must admit, I learned a lot of new ones.  I also started taking the time to define new words I encountered while reading, as well as old words I'd never bothered to truly define.

If you'd like to start your very own vocabulary journal, here are three words to start you off, presented in the format I mentioned:

Vituperative - adj. - from vituperate + ive; Latin vituperatus, meaning to spoil or blame; vitu from
viti from vitium, meaning blemish; perare from parare, meaning to furnish or provide - characterized by or of the nature of harsh, abussive, defaming language; abusive verbally
Ex. - There is no need to be vituperative during these negotiations.
Synonyms: calumniating, castigating, censorious, contumelious, defamatory, derisive, disparaging, insolent, insulting, invective, libelous, maligning, obloquious, offensive, opprobrious, reproachful, reviling, rude, sarcastic, scathing, scolding, scurrilous, sharp-tongued, slanderous, traducing, upbraiding, villifying
Antonyms: N/A

Contraindicate - verb - from contra + indicate, Latin contra meaning against - (medical term) to give an indication against the advisability of something, usually a remedy or treatment
Ex. - The doctor contraindicated certain kinds of exercise in the treatment of his patient's arthritis.
Synonyms: N/A
Antonyms: N/A

Diatribe - noun - from Latin diatriba, Greek diatribe, meaning pastime, study, or discourse - a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
Ex. - Pay no attention to the repeated diatribes against the senator.
Synonyms: harangue, criticism, abuse, castigation, denunciation, disputation, invective, jeremiad, objection, onslaught, philippic, reviling, screed, stricture, tirade, vituperation
Antonyms: praise, recommendation, compliment, defense, support