The modern Definictionary

Redefining America-A new DictionaryDylan Brittis-Tannenbaum

Alien: [eyl-yuh n, ey-lee-uh n]Adjective: Anyone who belongs to a foreign country or nation.My Spanish teacher was born in Argentina so he is an alien.Noun: Any foreigner that is not a legal citizen of where they are living.One of the people who lives down the street from me is an alien.Noun: A person from another and very different family, people, or placeBeing an alien in China, it wasnt weird I did not know how to use chop sticks.Noun: A creature from a different extraterrestrial world or outer space.The alien with the green skin in the movie was very scary.

Origin: alien (adj.) Mid-14c., "strange, foreign," from Old French alien "alien, strange, foreign; an alien, stranger, foreigner," from Latin alienus "of or belonging to another, foreign, alien, strange," also, as a noun, "a stranger, foreigner," adjectival form of alius "(an)other" (see alias (adv.)). Meaning "not of the Earth" first recorded 1920. An alien priory (c.1500) is one owing obedience to a mother abbey in a foreign country.America: [uh-mer-i-kuh]Noun: A diverse country in the N Western Hemisphere comprising of 50 United States governed by the same elected group of people that are representative of the entire nation. On my visit to America, I saw it was a beautiful place.Noun: A country that is so much better than any other in the world it has the right to claim the name of an entire continent for itself alone. If yall dont think America is the best, then yall are wrong.

Origin: America (n.) 1507, in Cartographer Martin Waldseemller's treatise "Cosmographiae Introductio," from Modern Latin Americanus, after Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) who made two trips to the New World as a navigator and claimed to have discovered it. His published works put forward the idea that it was a new continent, and he was first to call it Novus Mundus "New World." Amerigo is more easily Latinized than Vespucci.

American: [uh-mer-i-kuh n]Adjective: Of or relating to any inhabitant of the United States of America, representative of the entire group of people. Example: One of the members of my tour group was an American.Noun: A person born in the United States of America. I gave birth to a baby boy today at a hospital in New York, he is an American.Noun: An overweight, unfriendly, ignorant asshole that has an obsession with football, farming, and fatty foods.It was not weird those people screaming at the bar were so loud, they are Ugly Americans.

Origin: American (n.) 1570s (n.); 1590s (adj.), from Modern Latin Americanus, from America (q.v.); originally in reference to what now are called Native Americans; the sense of "resident of North America of European (originally British) descent" is first recorded 1640s (adj.); 1765 (n.).

Country: [kuhn-tree]1. Noun: A particular territory of land that is identifiable to a certain group of people All those people look and act alike because they are from the same country.2. Noun: The land of a persons birth.I was born in America, so it is my country.3. Noun: A genre and style of largely string-accompanied music, has folk music roots that were popularized in America.Last summer I wore my cowboy boots to a country concert.

Origin: Country (n.)Mid-13c., "district, native land," from Old French contree, from Vulgar Latin *(terra) contrata "(land) lying opposite," or "(land) spread before one," from Latin contra "opposite, against" (see contra-). Sense narrowed 1520s to rural areas, as opposed to cities. Replaced Old English land. As an adjective from late 14c. First record of country-and-western music style is from 1942. Country club first recorded 1886. Country mile "a long way" is from 1915, American English.

Culture: [kuhl-cher]Noun: The behaviors and beliefs that influence the characteristics of a specific group of people.I am different than others at this school because I grew up in a different culture.Noun: The qualities that develop in an individual or society that are highlighted as excellent aspects of multiple different fields (arts, scholarly pursuits, manners, etc.)Most people from Spain are social and friendly because it is a major aspect of their culture.Noun: The sum total ways of living and social identity of a group of people that is passed on from one generation to the next.Every person in my family loves to cook and host guests, it is an aspect of our culture.Noun: A justification for the actions of people in a particular society.The American fans at the World Cup were extremely boastful, a clear quality of their patriotic culture.

Origin: Culture (n.) Mid-15c., "the tilling of land," from Middle French culture and directly from Latin cultura "a cultivating, agriculture," figuratively "care, culture, an honoring," from past participle stem of colere "tend, guard, cultivate, till" (see colony). The figurative sense of "cultivation through education" is first attested c.1500. Meaning "the intellectual side of civilization" is from 1805; that of "collective customs and achievements of a people" is from 1867.

Diverse: [dih-vurs, dahy-, dahy-vurs]Adjective: Representation of people from a variety of different backgrounds, made up of distinct characteristics, qualities, or elements. The groups of people at that party were all extremely unique and diverse.Adjective: Having variety or a different kind, form, or character than its surroundings. The bag of candy had a very diverse selection of flavors.Adjective: Very unlike or dissimilar.Our ideas of fun are diverse.

Origin: Diverse (adj.)C.1300, spelling variant of divers (q.v.), perhaps by analogy with converse, traverse, etc. In some cases directly from Latin diversus, and since c.1700 restricted

Government: [guhv-ern-muh nt, er-muh nt]Noun: A group of people chosen to guide the political direction and control over the members of a particular society.On election day I voted for the new members of the United States government.Noun: A branch of supreme authority over a body of people.I cant say that publically, it goes against my government.Noun: The form or system of rule by which a group of people are governed. The current legal systems of my country are upheld by the government.

Origin: Government (n.) Late 14c., "act of governing or ruling;" 1550s, "system by which a thing is governed" (especially a state), from Old French governement (Modern French gouvernement), from governer (see govern). Replaced Middle English governance. Meaning "governing power" in a given place is from 1702.

Illegal: [ih-lee-guh l]Adjective: Something that goes against the laws of a particular area, contrary to the current societal norms that define what is right or acceptable. It is illegal to run on the street naked, so Nick was arrested.Noun: A person who is present in a country without legal authorization to be there.My neighbor was forced to quit his job, leave his friends, and move because he was illegal. Origin: Illegal (adj.) 1620s, from French illgal or directly from Medieval Latin illegalis, from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Latin legalis (see legal). Term illegal immigrant first recorded 1892 in American English (illegal immigration is from 1887).

Immigrant: [im-i-gruh nt] Noun: Someone who was born in a different country, but decided to move and represent a new place, usually for permanent residence. My grandmother moved to the United States in 1915 as an immigrant.Noun: Every inhabitant of the United States that is not a Native American.All the people who moved to America after it was discovered by Christopher Columbus were immigrants.Noun: Someone of lesser social standing in a new country of residence.The American society would be much better without so many immigrants.

Origin: Immigrant (n.) "One who immigrates," 1792, in an American context, from French immigrant, from Latin immigrantem (nominative immigrans), present participle of immigrare (see immigrate). Emigrant is older. As an adjective from 1805.

Minority: [mi-nawr-i-tee, -nor, -mahy-]Noun: The smaller part of a group.Being one of three guys in my math class made me the minority.Noun: The smaller part of a group that is opposed to the views of the larger part.The minority of people at the party argued for pepperoni on the pizza.Noun: The smaller group in society that is distinguished as weaker than the majority.The minority of people at the party wanted pepperoni on the pizza, so we ordered only cheese.Noun: Someone who is of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than the other people in the same society.New laws were created in order to help foster scholarly growth in the minority population.Noun: A group of people who are considered inferior because they are different from the vast majority.The only reason he got into that college is because he is a minority.Noun: A group lacking power or representation compared to the other members of society.He shouldnt be allowed to vote because he is a minority.Noun: Someone who is Black or Hispanic, usually used in a derogatory fashion.It is expected he doesnt do as well in school because he is a minority.Origin: Minority (n.) 1530s, "condition of being smaller," from Middle French minorit (15c.), or directly from Medieval Latin minoritatem (nominative minoritas), from Latin minor (see minor (adj.)). Meaning "state of being under legal age" is from 1540s; that of "smaller number or part" is from 1736. The meaning "group of people separated from the rest of a community by race, religion, language, etc." is from 1919, originally in an Eastern European context.

Opportunity: [op-er-too-ni-tee, -tyoo-]

Noun: A favorable situation that is used to reach a certain goal. The University of Michigan offers a lot of academic opportunity.Noun: A position that is vital for advancement and success. Being a college student has given me the opportunity to pursue my goals and aspirations academically.Origin: Opportunity (n.)Late 14c., from Old French opportunite (13c.) and directly from Latin opportunitatem (nominative opportunitas) "fitness, convenience, suitableness, favorable time," from opportunus (see opportune). Opportunity cost attested from 1911. Expression opportunity knocks but once (at any man's door) attested from 1898.

12Rights: [rahyts]Plural Noun: Moral or legal entitlements to have the ability to act in a certain way in a particular situation.As an American citizen I am given the rights to freedom of speech, religion, and the press. Plural Noun: A particular power people are given in order to justify behavior and motivations. The reason the boss can drink in the office is because he has more rights than the other employees.

Origin: Right (adj.)"Morally correct," Old English riht "just, good, fair; proper, fitting; straight, not bent, direct, erect," from Proto-Germanic *rekhtaz (cognates: Old Frisian riucht "right," Old Saxon reht, Middle Dutch and Dutch recht, Old High German reht, German recht, Old Norse rettr, Gothic raihts), from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," also "to rule, to lead straight, to put right" (see regal; cognates: Greek orektos "stretched out, upright;" Latin rectus "straight, right;" Old Persian rasta- "straight, right," arta- "rectitude;" Old Irish recht "law;" Welsh rhaith, Breton reiz "just, righteous, wise").

Works CitedDefinitions and origins of words were used from the sources below:

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014."Online Etymology Dictionary." Online Etymology Dictionary. N.p., 2001. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.

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