scapegoat n. (SKAYP GOHT) one who is given the blame for the actions of others. In truth, nearly everyone on the team had a hand in losing the game, but the shortstop was made the scapegoat for making an error in the ninth inning.
schism n. (SIZ um) a separation in a group, especially due to a disagreement. A schism has formed in the church over homosexual rights.
scintillating adj. (SIN til ayt ing) sparkling; twinkling. The diamonds were absolutely scintillating under the jeweler's light.
scrupulous adj. (SKROOP yuh lus) having morals and ethics; principled. When it came to filing his taxes, he accounted for every penny and was absolutely scrupulous in his deductions.
scrutinize vb. (SKROO tuh nize) to look over closely. The teacher will scrutinize your papers for neatness and grammar, so be careful.
secede vb. (si SEED) to withdraw or break away from a group. The northern portion of our state would like to secede from the southern portion, due to vast philosophical differences.
secular adj. (SEK yuh lur) unrelated to religion or spiritual matters. Not every church takes the secular viewpoint that humans evolved from apes; some still hold to the story of Adam and Eve.
sedentary adj. (SED un tair ee) unmoving; inactive. Couch potatoes with sedentary lifestyles can expect to gain weight very quickly.
semantics n. (suh MAN tiks) that which deals with words and their meanings. Whether the problem is black and white or falls into a gray area isn't important; let's argue about solutions, not semantics.
seminal adj. (SEM uh nul) originating; the first. The launching of Sputnik was the seminal event in ushering in the satellite age.
sequester vb. (suh KWES tur) to isolate, set apart, or separate from others. We will need to sequester the sick passengers until we know what kind of virus they have.
serendipity n. (SER un DIP uh tee) good fortune; a lucky accident. I met my wife through pure serendipity; she was walking her dog and I was walking mine, and our leashes tangled.
servile adj. (SUR vile) submissive or subservient, like a servant. The slave's servile, eager-to-please demeanor won him little respect and lots more work.
shirk vb. (SHURK) to neglect or ignore a responsibility. Don't shirk your duties or you'll never get a raise.
shrewd adj. (SHROOD) clever and wily; savvy. You need to be a shrewd investor to make a profit in a bear market.
singular adj. (SING gyuh lur) unique; one of a kind.
The scientists assured us that the tsunami striking our shore was a singular event and wouldn't likely ever happen again.
slander n. (SLAN dur) false and damaging statements made about someone publicly. The challenger accused the incumbent governor of corruption, but we suspected it was nothing more than slander.
smear campaign n. damaging statements and accusations made to destroy, someone's reputation; mudslinging. The two candidates mounted reciprocal smear campaigns; by the time the elections were over, both of their reputations had been thoroughly tarnished.
sojourn n. (SO jurn) a visit or stay somewhere for a brief time. I'm planning a three-month sojourn in southern California to write my novel.
solace n. (SOL is) comfort or relief from difficulty. Although we lost the game, I took solace in the fact that we would have another chance to advance in the semifinal round.
solemn adj. (SOL um) serious, dignified, and somber. The funeral was solemn.
solicitous adj. (suh LIS uh tis) showing one's concern through attentiveness. Good mothers are always solicitous toward their children when they get hurt.
solvent adj. (SOL vunt) financially sound and able to pay one's bills and expenses. The company was doing well and would remain solvent for at least another three years.
sophistry n. (SOF is tree) clever argument that sounds plausible but is, in reality, full of holes; artful reasoning that misleads or deceives. Great lawyers don't always need facts or overwhelming evidence to win cases; sometimes a bit of sophistry is all that's called for.
sophomoric adj. (sof MOR ik) juvenile; immature; foolish. Any more sophomoric pranks like that and we'll be forced to suspend you from school.
sovereign adj. (SOV run) independent from the rule of others. The island declared itself a sovereign nation and rejected any further administration from the mainland.
spearhead vb. (SPEER HED) to head up or start an organization, movement, etc. John Muir is often credited with spearheading the environmental movement.
specious adj. (SPEE shus) appearing to be true but in fact being fallacious. Your argument probably sounds quite credible to the jury, Mr. Jones, but my expert witness will, in fact, prove that it is specious.
spite n. (SPYTE) hard feelings; vengeance. The teacher flunked Jake for the year; out of spite, he egged her car.
splitting hairs being nitpicky and too exacting. If we're going to sit around splitting hairs all day, we'll never get this contract signed; let's just agree on a fifty-fifty deal and work out the trivial details as we go.
spry adj. (SPRY) lively and active. She was astonishingly spry for someone who would turn ninety-six next month.
spurious adj. (SPYOOR ee us) false, counterfeit; not authentic. The police officer's radio report of a flying saucer turned out to be spurious.
squalid adj. (SKWALL id) filthy and run-down. They lived in a squalid, cockroach-infested tenement building in the center of town.
squander vb. (SKWAN dur) to waste. Let's be irresponsible and squander all our money on impulse purchases and luxuries.
stagnation n. (stat NAY shun) an absence of life or activity. To bring this company out of stagnation, we must put more money into research and development.