Vocabulary Grade 9 — Set 1: Meanings flashcards
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The 100 most common of the 300 Grade 9 words, from integrity and infrastructure to veto and catastrophe: pronunciation, a plain definition and three example sentences, the most common use first.
Learn deck · part of Vocabulary Level 4 · Grade 9 · written against: Our own grade placement (VOCABULARY-PLAN.md): word frequency (wordfreq, CC BY-SA 4.0) and editorial review; no publisher's grade or word list is reproduced. Updated 2026-10-10.
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integrity (n.) · in-TEG-ruh-teehonesty and a firm commitment to doing what is right; being in one piece and in good shapeCharacter & Behavior
Coach Bell trusts Maya because of her integrity on and off the field.
A person of integrity admits mistakes instead of hiding them.
Engineers checked the structural integrity of the old bridge after the storm.
Root: Latin integer, entire, also the source of integer in math. -
stance (n.) · STANSthe opinion or position someone takes in public on an issue; the way someone standsFeelings & Attitudes
The senator changed her stance on the highway after hearing from farmers.
Our student council took a firm stance against cutting art classes.
Coach Ortiz fixed my batting stance, and my hitting improved right away.
Watch out: you take or adopt a stance on an issue, or against it. -
valid (adj.) · VAL-idwith good reasons or facts behind it; officially acceptable and usable, as a ticket or documentThinking & Knowing
Maria made a valid point about the bus schedule.
Coach agreed that our complaint about the muddy field was valid.
You need a valid student ID to borrow library laptops.
Root: Latin validus, robust or potent, from valēre, to have strength or be well. -
rhetoric (n.) · RET-uh-rikpersuasive speech or writing, often more showy than heartfelt; knowing how to make words work well, spoken or writtenSpeaking & Arguing
Voters were tired of angry campaign rhetoric and wanted real plans.
Despite all the rhetoric, the council never fixed the potholes.
In debate club, we study the rhetoric of famous speeches.
Watch out: someone who asks a rhetorical question wants to make an impression, not to hear a reply. -
enterprise (n.) · EN-tur-prighza business or company; a big, difficult or daring project; a bold, can-do spirit that likes trying new thingsActions & Effort
Small enterprises like bakeries and repair shops keep Main Street busy.
Digging the Erie Canal was a huge enterprise that took eight years.
With some enterprise, Jada turned dog walking into a summer business.
Watch out: free enterprise is an economy where privately owned firms compete and the government mostly stays out of it. -
dynamic (adj.) · digh-NAM-iklively, eager and bursting with ideas; never standing still and always evolvingChange & Growth
Our dynamic new principal started three clubs in her first month.
Fashion is dynamic, with new trends every season.
Rivers are dynamic systems that keep shifting their banks.
Watch out: as a noun, a dynamic is how people act together: the team's dynamic. -
substantial (adj.) · suhb-STAN-shuhlof a size or amount that really counts; well built, with nothing flimsy about itSize & Amount
The school received a substantial donation for new science equipment.
There's been substantial progress on the new library.
The old farmhouse was a substantial building with thick stone walls.
Don't confuse with: substantive, getting down to the issues that really matter: a substantive discussion. -
representative (n., adj.) · rep-rih-ZEN-tuh-tivsomeone picked to stand in for others or be their voice; showing what the whole group is likeQuality & Judgment
Each homeroom elects a representative to the student council.
Call the company and ask to speak to a customer service representative.
The ten apples we tested were representative of the whole orchard's crop.
Watch out: in the U.S. Congress, Representatives serve in the House for two-year terms. -
infrastructure (n.) · IN-fruh-struhk-churthe roads, bridges, power lines, water pipes and other basic systems that keep a place runningSociety & Power
The town spent millions fixing aging infrastructure like bridges and sewers.
Fast internet is now part of a city's basic infrastructure.
Hurricanes can badly damage a region's infrastructure.
Root: Latin infra, below, plus structure. -
mechanism (n.) · MEK-uh-niz-uhmthe working parts of a machine; a series of steps or an organized setup that makes something happenNature & Time
A spring mechanism snaps the trap shut.
The school set up a mechanism for reporting bullying anonymously.
Scientists still don't fully understand the mechanism that lets birds sense magnetic fields.
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Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Senses, parts of speech and sense order checked against Merriam-Webster.com, the American Heritage Dictionary and the frequency-ordered Oxford, Longman and Cambridge learner's dictionaries; all definitions, notes and example sentences are original.
- Grade placement is our own, from wordfreq frequency data (CC BY-SA 4.0) and editorial review; no publisher's grade or word list is reproduced.
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