Matched: Chapters 1–7

by Ally Condie
In this dystopian novel, seventeen-year-old Cassia Reyes begins to question the strict rules of the society in which she lives.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–12, Chapters 13–23, Chapters 24–32
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. artifact
    a man-made object
    “I didn’t know you had an artifact.” A few treasures from the past float around among us. Though citizens of the Society are allowed one artifact each, they are hard to come by.
  2. leeway
    a permissible difference
    Boys don’t have as much leeway in choosing clothes as girls do.
  3. cravat
    a scarf or band of cloth worn around the neck
    Still, they get to select the color of their shirts and cravats, and the quality of the material is much finer than the material used for plainclothes.
  4. reproach
    a mild rebuke or criticism
    "Xander,” his mother says next to him, amusement mingled with reproach in her voice.
  5. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    The unaccustomed smoothness of silk against my skin makes me feel lithe and graceful.
  6. vain
    having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
    I want to open the compact and check in the mirror to make sure I look my best. But I don’t want to seem vain, so I sneak a glance at my face in its surface instead.
  7. optimal
    most desirable possible under a restriction
    I smile back at him and give him the best greeting we have in the Society. "I wish you optimal results,” I tell Xander.
  8. relic
    an antiquity that has survived from the distant past
    He sifts through the relics of a society that is not as far in the past as it seems.
  9. preside
    act as executive officer
    The hostess presiding over the Banquet brings Lea a small silver box; the same thing happens to Joseph Peterson on the screen.
  10. default
    an option that is selected automatically
    The screen flashes back to the default picture: a boy and a girl, smiling at each other, with glimmering lights and a white-coated Official in the background.
  11. insubordination
    defiance of authority
    I'm surprised by the unhappy edge to his tone; the way his comment seems to be right on the verge of insubordination.
  12. swoon
    pass out from weakness or physical or emotional distress
    My peers will spend the next few days swooning over pictures of their Matches, bragging about them during meal hour at school, waiting for more and more bits of information to be revealed.
  13. archaic
    so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
    The hostess corrects me gently. “Not lucky, Cassia. There is no luck in the Society.”
    I nod. Of course. I should know better than to use such an archaic, inaccurate term.
  14. opulent
    rich and superior in quality
    “I can’t believe it,” I say, and I feel opulent and a little giddy.
  15. incessantly
    without interruption
    She and Bram torment each other incessantly.
  16. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
    We are not supposed to disparage other members of our street and our community.
  17. exemplary
    worthy of imitation
    Mapletree Borough is known for being tight-knit and exemplary in this way.
  18. askew
    turned or twisted toward one side
    Bram reappears in the doorway, plainclothes wrinkled, hair askew.
  19. deviation
    a variation from the standard or norm
    "And I'm using the last hour to visit Grandfather." The Officials don't often allow a deviation from the usual free-rec options; but on the eve of someone’s Final Banquet, visiting is encouraged and permitted.
  20. affinity
    a natural attraction or feeling of kinship
    Still, she harbors a particular affinity for them because of the seeds, which are small and brown but cloaked in beauty, in these thin white tendrils of cotton.
  21. commission
    a special group delegated to consider some matter
    They created commissions to choose the hundred best of everything: Hundred Songs, Hundred Paintings, Hundred Stories, Hundred Poems.
  22. specialization
    the line of work you have adopted as your career
    Such specialization keeps people from becoming overwhelmed.
  23. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    I’d never dared think that he might be my Match, of course, but now that it’s happened I am interested. Intrigued.
  24. charismatic
    possessing an extraordinary ability to attract
    None of us ever thought we could have golden, charismatic, clever Xander.
  25. drab
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    Most of the colors inside the game center are drab: gray walls, brown plainclothes for the students, dark blue plainclothes for those who have already received their permanent work positions.
  26. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    He's engrossed in making his move and doesn't see what’s happening.
  27. insignia
    a badge worn to show official position
    Then I peek over at the woman next to me, trying to catch a glimpse of the insignia on her shirt pocket.
  28. aberration
    a state or condition markedly different from the norm
    Aberrations live among us; they're not dangerous like Anomalies, who have to be separated from Society.
  29. anomaly
    a person who is unusual
    Aberrations live among us; they're not dangerous like Anomalies, who have to be separated from Society.
  30. simulation
    representing the real world by a computer program
    It is hot and humid in the room, reminding me of the tropical ocean simulation we had in Science once, the one about the coral reefs that teemed with fish before the Warming killed them all.
  31. teem
    be full of or abuzz with
    It is hot and humid in the room, reminding me of the tropical ocean simulation we had in Science once, the one about the coral reefs that teemed with fish before the Warming killed them all.
  32. populace
    people in general considered as a whole
    There’s a higher concentration of Aberrations there than in the general populace.
  33. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
    “Her nephew," my mother said, her voice filled with empathy. "Of course Aida would want to raise him."
  34. recompense
    the act of making amends for service or loss or injury
    But Xander's father agreed. “It’s logical. An exception as recompense for the accident. A son to replace the one that they shouldn’t have had to lose. That’s how the Officials see it."
  35. dismal
    causing dejection
    "And what is his work position?”
    I hesitate to tell Grandfather because it is such a dismal one.
  36. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    "Ah," Grandfather says, raising his eyebrows in a wry expression.
  37. recreational
    of or relating to an activity that diverts or amuses
    “I have a recreational pass,” Grandfather told her, not stopping. “I’m in excellent health.”
  38. sentiment
    a personal belief or judgment
    I got up early this morning and spent time cutting and pasting and copying sentiments on the letter-making program on the port.
  39. inoculation
    taking a vaccine as a precaution against a disease
    My father reaches for the edge of the bed and pulls it smoothly toward the early morning light. “Remember when you did this for me? When I had all those inoculations as a child?"
  40. solemnity
    a trait of dignified seriousness
    Some of the solemnity leaves the room now that the Committee has gone.
Created on Tue Jul 16 10:50:54 EDT 2019 (updated Tue Jul 16 13:27:54 EDT 2019)

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