used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
adherencenounUS /ədˈhɪrəns/
faithful support for a cause or political party or religion
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
amuseverbUS /əˈmjuːz/
occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
applausenounUS /əˈplɔːz/
a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
convinceverbUS /kənˈvɪns/
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
command with authority
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
disregardedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsrɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/
not noticed inadvertently
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
featurenounUS /ˈfiːtʃər/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
LincolnnounUS /ˈlɪŋkən/
16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
Lincoln'snounUS /ˈlɪŋkənz/
possessive form of “lincoln” — 16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
logicnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪk/
the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
notedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
propositionnounUS /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
try to get or reach
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
speechesnounUS /ˈspiːtʃəz/
plural of “speech” — the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
strictadjectiveUS /strɪkt/
rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading To the end Lincoln never changed this principle of his public speaking.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I do not seek applause, or to amuse the people, but to convince them."
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
uppermostadjectiveUS /ˈʌpərmoʊst/
at or nearest to the top
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In the earliest speeches were noted the severe logic and the strict adherence to the subject in hand.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With Lincoln the desire to prove his proposition, whatever it might be, was always uppermost.
writingsnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋz/
the third of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures
From this reading Although the stories, then, have but little direct bearing upon Lincoln's writings, they are so characteristic a feature of the man that they cannot be wholly disregarded.
