Half the Sky — Vocabulary
Nicholas D. Kristof
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Exemplary sample	Uses	Broad Use
	45	top 2000
approachapproach → approaching:getting nearer Winter is approaching.more Show sample from book That was a great improvement over the previous approach of having the families run all over town, spending far more to buy bandages here, gauze there, scalpels somewhere else.†47 more get near Show general definition for approach (as in: approached the city) to get closer to (near in space, time, quantity, or quality)
	3	top 500
approach#2method (way of doing something) Perhaps I just need to work harder, but I may need an entirely different approach to the problem.more Show sample from book Bernie Krisher of American Assistance for Cambodia tried another approach.†47 more a way of doing something Show general definition for approach (as in: use the best approach) a way of doing something; or a route that leads to a particular place
	43	top 200
prudentsensible and careful She was promoted to manager because she is so prudent.more Show sample from book But he wanted $100 for the surgery, and Prudence's husband and parents said that they could raise only $20.†42 more prudent → prudence:good sense and caution
	41	top 500
gendermale/female/trans Gender roles were more defined when my grandmother was growing up.more Show sample from book Amartya Sen, the ebullient Nobel Prize-winning economist, has developed a gauge of gender inequality that is a striking reminder of the stakes involved.†40 more male, female, or any of many trans categories Show general definition for gender (as in: gender discrimination) male or female or (especially regarding self-identification): the state of being male, female, or in any of many trans categories Show editor's word notes While the word sex can almost always be substituted for this meaning of gender, gender is typically used in reference to cultural or social differences, while sex is typically used for biological differences.
	12	top 1000
interprettranslate Can she interpret Spanish to English for us?more Show sample from book There was no high school for girls, so she returned to Hargeisa to work as an interpreter for a British doctor.12 more interpret → interpreter:someone who translates language Show general definition for interpret (as in: interpret Spanish to English) to translate someone’s words into spoken words of another language while they are speaking
	1	top 10
interpret#2understand (In this case: Why did she smile? What does it mean?) I don't know how to interpret her smile.more Show sample from book Ali crushed the rebellion, and then for centuries Islamic scholars discounted Aisha's importance and rejected her feminist interpretations.12 more interpret → interpretations:ways of understanding or explaining things Show general definition for interpret (as in: her interpretation of the data) to understand or explain something in a particular way -- often the meaning or significance of something
	35	top 2000
abortionintentionally ending pregnancy Abortion is a tough issue. Some consider it a question of a woman's right to control her body, but others consider it a question of defending the helpless from murder.more Show sample from book Since the 1990s, the spread of ultrasound machines has allowed pregnant women to find out the sex of their fetuses—and then get abortions if they are female.†34 more abortion → abortions:ending of pregnancies Show general definition for abortion (as in: have an abortion) intentional ending of pregnancy with medical assistance by removing the fetus or embryo from the body before it is able to survive Show editor's word notes A spontaneous abortion (more commonly called a miscarriage) is an abortion that happens without medical assistance or intent
	28
empowerempower → empowers:gives power or authority to The Constitution empowers the Vice President to cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate.more Show sample from book The economic explosion in Asia was, in large part, an outgrowth of the economic empowerment of women.†27 more empower → empowerment:the giving of authority, power, knowledge, or confidence to someone so they can do something Show general definition give or delegate authority or power to or: give knowledge or confidence to someone that permits doing something
	24	top 2000
midwifea non-doctor who practices the profession of assisting women in childbirth The village has no doctor, but there is a midwife.more Show sample from book She spent seven years there, studying nursing, midwifery, and hospital management.†23 more midwife → midwifery:the profession of assisting women in childbirth without being a doctor Show general definition a trained (usually non-doctor) professional who assists women in childbirth; or more broadly, a person who helps bring something new into existence or helps guide it into being
	22
abolitionending the system or practice The abolition of slavery in the United States was officially achieved with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.more Show sample from book That must be the starting point of any abolitionist movement.†21 more abolition → abolitionist:a reformer who favored ending slavery Show general definition the act of formally ending a system, practice, or institution -- most often used to refer to the movement to end slavery when no specific system is named
	16	top 1000
discriminatetreat unfairly Some employers still discriminate against older workers when hiring.more Show sample from book And while job discrimination against women is real, it has less to do with sexism than with employers being wary of China's generous maternity benefits.15 more discriminate → discrimination:unfair treatment of different groups of people differently Show general definition for discriminate (as in: suffered discrimination) to treat people of different groups differently -- especially unfair treatment due to race, religion or gender
	15	top 1000
initiativewillingness to act independently She is smart, dedicated and has initiative. I expect to see her promoted soon.more Show sample from book This pattern persisted ever since: Only a few have held the monopoly on initiative because they alone have had the social tools.†14 more the ability and tendency to determine what should be done and to start doing it without instruction; or to start something Show general definition the ability and tendency to determine what should be done and to start doing it without instruction or: to start something The exact meaning of starting something depends upon the context. For example: "She did it on her own initiative." -- started it without anyone telling her to "She seized the initiative." -- started actions that force others to react to her rather than her having to react to them "the peace initiative" -- a plan or the start of actions to bring about something "a ballot initiative" -- a proposed law that is started by citizen petition rather than by the legislature (applicable in many jurisdictions such as California)
	1	top 100
positivegood or beneficial The new tutor had a positive effect on her math grades all semester.more Show sample from book We thus regard the Pentecostal boom with some suspicion, but without doubt it also has a positive impact on the role of women.†4 more Show general definition for positive (as in: had a positive effect) good or beneficial
	4
positive#2it found the condition present The pregnancy test was positive.more Show sample from book Sunitha arranged for Abbas to be tested for HIV; she tested positive, so Sunitha is trying to find her an HIV-positive man to marry.†4 more indicating that a condition was found Show general definition for positive (as in: The test came back positive.) found a condition or substance to be present indicating the presence of something being tested for -- especially a disease, condition, or substance
	9
obstetriciana physician specializing in childbirth She saw her obstetrician for an exam.more Show sample from book The world's obstetricians are particularly neglectful of their duty in this regard.†8 more obstetrician → obstetricians:physicians who specialize in childbirth
	3	top 200
empiricalbased on experience or observation rather than theory Is her theory supported by empirical data?more Show sample from book In contrast, there's empirical evidence that crackdowns can succeed, when combined with social services such as job retraining and drug rehabilitation, and that's the approach we've come to favor.†2 more Show general definition based on experience or observation rather than theory
	1
correspondencedone from afar via written communication She took a correspondence course while she was in prison.more Show sample from book Then Tererai took correspondence classes and began saving money.1 more done from afar (by mailing letters, reports, etc.) Show general definition for correspondence (as in: a correspondence course) done from afar Show editor's word notes For example, a corresponding member or a correspondence course. This sense of corresponding arose because people who lived in distant cities and could not be present for meetings, could communicate by sending written communications.
	1
correspondentreporter Let's get a report from our correspondent in Mexico City.more Show sample from book Frank heard about Bernard Krisher, a former Newsweek correspondent who was so appalled by poverty in Cambodia that he formed an aid group, American Assistance for Cambodia.1 more Show general definition for correspondent (as in: foreign correspondent of the paper) a reporter or other representative -- typically from a foreign country or with a particular expertise
	4	top 1000
suffrageright to vote Although few of the women who pioneered women's suffrage lived long enough vote, the right was finally granted to women in 1920.more Show sample from book Child mortality declined by 8-15 percent with the enactment of suffrage laws.... Nationwide, these reductions translate into roughly 20,000 averted child deaths each year.†3 more Show general definition the right to vote
	2	top 200
implicitunderstood (without having been directly said) "Did she explicitly promise?" "Well, I guess not explicitly, but nobody who was there could have missed the implicit promise."more Show sample from book Implicit in what we're saying about China is something that sounds shocking to many Americans: Sweatshops have given women a boost.1 more Show general definition for implicit (as in: not explicitly but implicitly) not stated directly, but understood (or capable of being understood) from something else Show editor's word notes Shared information is often divided into two categories: That which is said explicitly (directly in words that leave no room for confusion or doubt) and that which is said implicitly.