Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

PETITIONER

DEFINITION:
A person who pleads with a governmental institution for a legal remedy or a redress of grievances, through the use of a petition.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
While presenting the citizens’ petition for debate at the April 11 Spring Town Meeting, petitioners argued that ICE operations in Plymouth have “created fear” and “disrupted lives” among the immigrant community, leading to what they call a distrust of local police.
The Boston Herald, 04/20/2026

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Words in the News Quiz
5 High School Words

Click on the correct answer in the quiz below.
Then see if you can find the word in your newspaper -- the print edition, the website or the digital edition and copy the sentence for context. NOTE: High School words are much harder to find!


1. Hegemony

Architectural.

The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others.

The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.

To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.


2. Fatuous

To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.

Lacking serious purpose or occupation; idle.

To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.

Vacuously, smugly, and unconsciously foolish.


3. Supercilious

Not limited to or associated with a particular religious denomination.

An advocate of the extension of political voting rights, especially to women.

Feeling or showing haughty disdain.

A factor that determines a range of variations; a boundary


4. Filibuster

The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.

Division into ordered groups or categories.

Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious.

A plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the cone.


5. Ziggurat

A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.

Having a bad disposition; surly.

Deception by trickery or sophistry.

To impress (something) upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; instill.


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Common Core State Standard
LS.CCS.4/5/6 Grades 3-12: Students are asked to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words through multiple choice vocabulary quizzes. Quizzes are designed to help students demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in words, acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words, and gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Students are then asked to find the words within the newspaper and copy the sentence for context to its overall meaning or function in a sentence.