Descriptionary

pontificate vb. (pon TIF uh kayt) to preach or lec­ture, particularly about one's own dogma. The indus­trialist continued to pontificate on the necessity of continued economic growth, but the environmental­ists in the audience were buying none of it.

portent n. (POR tent) a sign of things to come. Black clouds on the horizon are a portent of an immi­nent storm.

postulate vb. (POS chuh layt) to assume without proof. Although we have no concrete evidence, it's easy to postulate that life exists on other planets.

pragmatic adj. (prag MAT ik) practical; real-world, as opposed to theoretical, We'll make this company competitive again through pragmatic means, not through wishful thinking and daydreams.

precedence n. (PRES uh duns) priority. In a tor­nado, safety must take precedence over comfort; stay down in your basement until the storm has passed.

precedent n. (PRES uh dunt) an example from the past (as in a case of law) used as a guideline for a sim­ilar occurrence, case, or development in the present. Last week's verdict did not set any precedents; two similar legal cases in 1937 and in 1950 had identical outcomes.

precipitate vb. (pri SIP i TAYT) to cause to happen, especially sooner than expected. Alcohol won't soothe tensions in a domestic dispute; in many instances it can precipitate violence.

preclude vb. (pree KLOOD) to prevent or render impossible. Locking firearms in a cabinet should pre­clude most young children from the possibility of an accidental shooting.

precocious adj. (pri KOH shus) unusually mature or advanced for one's age. The precocious tike was speaking three languages at the age of four.

precursor n. (pree KUR sur) that which comes before; a forerunner. The Internet is the precursor of a

preeminent adj. (pree EM i nunt) dominant and unsurpassed. In all categories of safety, the car we chose to buy is preeminent.

preempt vb. (pree EMPT) to displace or take the place of another. Unfortunately, the president's speech is going to preempt my favorite television show.

premonition n. (prem uh NISH un) a foreboding, hunch, or forewarning. I once had a horrible premo­nition that my local bridge was going to collapse, but it never did.

prerequisite adj. (pree REK wuh zit) required; necessary. Yes, I'm afraid geometry and algebra are indeed prerequisite.

prerogative n. (pri ROG uh tiv) a right or privilege. I can wear my hair any way that I want to; it's my prerogative.