Lesson 1: Numbers

These words all come from the Greek root MONOS, meaning "one." They describe things that are singular, from a single ruler to a single giant stone.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• The comedian's opening monologue was about the challenges of modern life.
• The front of the locket was engraved with an elegant monogram.
• The novel describes a dystopian future where a single, monolithic government controls everything.

🧠Memory Trick:

• The powerful monarch, who had a monopoly on power, delivered a long monologue in front of a giant monolith that was carved with his personal monogram.

Next up are words from the Latin root UNUS, which also means "one." These words focus on the idea of unity or one-sidedness.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• The jury's decision to acquit the defendant was unanimous, with every member in agreement.
• The manager made a unilateral decision to change the deadline without asking the team.

🧠Memory Trick:

• The committee's decision was unanimous, not unilateral, because every single member voted in favor of the proposal.

Now we're seeing double with the Latin roots DUO ("two") and DUPLEX ("twofold"). These words are all about pairs and copies.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• They bought a charming old duplex and now rent out the second living unit.
• Could you please duplicate this key so my roommate has a copy?

🧠Memory Trick:

• To live in the new duplex, I had to duplicate the front door key for my housemate.

Finally, the Latin root BI also means "two." These words describe things involving two sides, two parties, or two parts.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• Passing the complex new environmental law required a bipartisan effort from both political parties.
• The two companies reached a bilateral agreement to share the costs of the project.
• A sharp diagonal line will bisect the square, creating two equal triangles.

🧠Memory Trick:

• The bipartisan committee reached a bilateral agreement to bisect the disputed territory into two equal parts.