No matter where you’re at in school, the words you know can help you. They’ll make your papers better and your oral presentations stronger and more powerful. They’ll help you ace exams. And when, after college, you start looking for a job, they’ll make you a better candidate, qualified for higher-paying jobs. Having a good vocabulary pays off—literally!
That’s where Roget’s Thesaurus of Words for Students comes in. Unlike some thesauruses you may have seen before, this one does more than simply list words that are related to the main entry. Instead, the book you’re holding gives you definitions of the words so you’ll know exactly what they mean, and examples so you can see how the words are used in sentences. For instance, if you’re working on an English paper and want to find a term related to the word context, look up the entry for context in this book. There (among many other words) you’ll find the word etymology and an entry that reads: “The study of word origins and how words have evolved into their current forms or meanings. The lineage of a word; description of origin and how the word came into its current use. Those who have studied Greek or Latin can make educated and often correct guesses regarding a word’s ETYMOLOGY.” You can imagine how impressed your English teacher is going to be when she sees that you not only know a word like that … but you can also use it correctly.
For each key word you’ll find a list of related words sorted by their part of speech: adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs, and antonyms. Go through them until you find the one best suited to the sentence you’re crafting. Highlight ones that you’ll want to use in future projects.
No matter what field of study you eventually choose, words are important. Even mathematicians and computer programmers have to be able to explain what they’re doing in clear, understandable, precise language. Sure, some of these words are going to be new to you and are going to sound strange—even weird and exotic. But that’s the fun of learning new words; you find new ways to express yourself.
The words in this thesaurus have been chosen with an eye to expanding your vocabulary and making it easier for you to express yourself in well-developed language. Using sophisticated and interesting words such as ameliorate (“To improve or upgrade; to make better or put right”), circumvent (“To avoid by means of artful contrivance; to maneuver around; bypass”), or onomatopoeia (“The naming of a thing by creating a vocal imitation of its sound”) marks you out as someone teachers will watch and encourage.
This book is a tool that can help you not only to do well in school but to excel; use it well and wisely and you’ll go to the head of the class!