Educated: Chapters 17–23

by Tara Westover
In this acclaimed memoir, Tara Westover recounts growing up in the remote mountains of Idaho with her survivalist parents.

Here are links to our lists for the memoir: Prologue–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–16, Chapters 17–23, Chapters 24–29, Chapters 30–40
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. shibboleth
    a manner of speaking distinctive of a particular group
    Her clothes were a kind of shibboleth to me; they signaled that she was not a gentile, and for a few hours I felt less alone.
  2. waiver
    a formal written statement of relinquishment
    A full-tuition waiver would require a near-perfect GPA.
  3. stilted
    artificially formal or stiff
    My teacher said I had a knack for writing but that my language was oddly formal and stilted.
  4. uppity
    arrogant or self-important
    Dad said I was becoming “uppity.”
  5. contemplative
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    The professor was Dr. Richard Kimball, and he had a resonant, contemplative voice.
  6. feign
    give a false appearance of
    It was too late to feign indifference.
  7. discourse
    extended verbal expression in speech or writing
    I had begun to understand that we had lent our voices to a discourse whose sole purpose was to dehumanize and brutalize others—because nurturing that discourse was easier, because retaining power always feels like the way forward.
  8. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
    The word carries a brutal power, and part of me felt it would be more appropriate (or perhaps only more comfortable) to substitute a euphemism rather than resurrect this old demon.
  9. impregnable
    incapable of being attacked or tampered with
    The wall separating the two had been impregnable.
  10. innate
    inborn or existing naturally
    Through dinner, Dad would list all the false theories of science that his genius son would disprove; then after dinner, I would tell Richard about college, about classes, books, professors, things I knew would appeal to his innate need to learn.
  11. emphatic
    forceful and definite in expression or action
    Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute.
  12. lofty
    of high moral or intellectual value
    The tone of that entry seems lofty, high-minded, but in it I detect a whiff of fatalism.
  13. fatalism
    a mental attitude accepting that everything is predetermined
    The tone of that entry seems lofty, high-minded, but in it I detect a whiff of fatalism.
  14. discretionary
    not earmarked; available for use as needed
    “The church will pay,” he said quietly. “I have a discretionary fund.”
  15. visceral
    coming from deep inward feelings rather than from reasoning
    My opposition was beyond rational, it was visceral.
Created on Wed Jan 23 15:51:32 EST 2019 (updated Mon Jul 28 12:40:45 EDT 2025)

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