Latin words English kept whole

1. 1
   agenda/əˈdʒendə/

   noun

   A list of things to cover at a meeting.
2. 2
   data/ˈdeɪtə/iAlso said ˈdætə.

   noun

   Facts collected to learn something from.
3. 3
   consensus/kənˈsensəs/

   noun

   Agreement shared by a whole group.
4. 4
   veto/ˈviːˌtoʊ/

   verb

   Block a decision by voting against it.
5. 5
   interim/ˈɪntərəm/iAlso said ˈɪntrəm or ˈɪnərəm.

   adjective

   Temporary, until something permanent arrives.
6. 6
   status/ˈstætəs/iAlso said ˈsteɪtəs.

   noun

   A person's rank or standing in society.
7. 7
   curriculum/kərˈɪkjələm/

   noun

   The set of courses a school teaches.
8. 8
   alibi/ˈæləˌbaɪ/

   noun

   Proof you were elsewhere during a crime.
9. 9
   gratis/ˈɡrætəs/

   adverb

   Without paying.
10. 10
    vacuum/ˈvækjuːm/

    verb

    Clean with a vacuum cleaner.

The sentences

1. What's first on the agenda this morning?

2. The data from last month looks much better.

3. I don't think we have a consensus yet.

4. The board could veto the whole plan.

5. She'll be the interim manager until we hire someone.

6. He cares far too much about his status.

7. The school is changing its curriculum next year.

8. He had an alibi for that whole night.

9. They gave us the coffee gratis.

10. I need to vacuum the living room tonight.

Pronunciation

• data/ˈdeɪtə/

  The first a sounds like the one in day.

• consensus/kənˈsensəs/

  The stress falls on the middle syllable, SEN.

• status/ˈstætəs/

  The first a sounds like the one in cat.

• curriculum/kərˈɪkjələm/

  The stress falls on the second syllable, RICK.

• alibi/ˈæləˌbaɪ/

  The last syllable rhymes with by.

• vacuum/ˈvækjuːm/

  Say two syllables, VAK-yoom, with a y sound after the k.

Good to know

agenda

Most workplace meetings in the US circulate a written agenda beforehand, and people expect the meeting to stick to it.

consensus

American office culture often values reaching consensus, even informally, before a decision is treated as final.

status

Job titles and status are commonly discussed openly at work in the US, more so than in many other cultures.

Questions

What do you call the list of things to cover at a meeting?

The agenda. You could ask "What's first on the agenda this morning?"

What does it mean if the board can veto a plan?

Veto means to block a decision by voting against it, as in "The board could veto the whole plan."

What's the difference between an interim manager and status?

Interim means temporary, until something permanent arrives, like "She'll be the interim manager until we hire someone." Status is a person's rank or standing, as in "He cares far too much about his status."