Admonition warning
Alcove A small area set off from a larger room or space
AnimalsA tern used in Jonas' community to describe someone "uneducated or clumsy, or someone who didn't fit in".
Aptitude Skill or ability
Assimilated Absorbed
Aungmented Added to.
Benign Not harmful; gentle and calm
Birthmother A female who us assigned to give birth to three children within three years, after which she becomes a laborer.
Buoyancy The ability to stay afloat
Capacity to See Beyond Having the ability to see things that others cannot see
Carnage Here, meaning a mutilated and bloody body
Ceremony of Loss When a child dies unexpectedly, the citizens of the community repeat the dead person's name over and over - and more and more softly - during the day
Chastise Criticize
Climate Control Jonas' community controls the weather so that is is the same all the time.
Collection Crew People assigned to pick up food trays left outside of dwellings
Confort Object A stuffed animal that is issued to an infant until the child becomes an Eight, at which time the stuffed animal is recycled for another child's use
Conspicuous Noticeable
Conveyance Here, meaning trnasportation
December Ceremony The ceremony during which the children in each peer group chronologically move from one age to the next; infants are placed with family units, and Twelves are assigned their lifelong careers
Droning on Speaking continuously; chatterting idly
Dwelling A home
Ecstatic Exciting and pleasurable
Electrode A conductor through which electric charge is passed
ElsewhereA place outside of the community; Lowry only hints at what and where Elsewhere is
Embossed Embossing is a process in which letters or shapes are physically raised — for example, words in books printed in Braille; if you run your finger over the embossed letters or shapes, you can feel their outline
Exampted Freed; not responsible
Food Delivery People People in Jonas' community don't cook their own food. The food for each meal is delivered to community members by people who have been assigned to be Food Delivery people
Fretful Agitated or uneasy
Genetic Scientists Here, scientists who study human genes and attempt to eliminate differences, or unique characteristics, in people and in the environment
Geraniums Common house or garden plants that have white, pink, or red flowers
Gullies Ditches that run paralle to roads
Hall of Closed Records A building that houses various documents and video recordings; all information in the Hall of Closed Records is off-limits to the vast majority of citizens
Hall of Open Records A building that stores records about citizens and events, as well as other information that is available to citizens of the community
Hatchery Jonas' community includes a salmon hatchery, a place where salmon are raised for the people's consumption
Hearing-beyondHearing things that other people in the community can't hear because they do not have the memories and no longer have the ability; for example, The Giver hears music
Hoarded selfishly accumulated
House of the Old A facility, similar to a nursing home, in which elderly people reside and are cared for by Caretakers
Imperceptibly Without a noticiable result
Imploringly Begging for understanding in a painful situation
Indolance Laziness
Indulgently Here, meaning patiently, contentedly, and happily
Integral Necessary
Invigorating Powerfully exciting
Ironic A contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs. For example, in Chapter 1, when the Speaker informs the community that the errant pilot will be released, he uses an "amusing" tone in his voice, but the act of release is a serious, fatal matter
Languid Spiritless or weak
Lethargy Dullness of spirit; a lack of energy
Murmur-of-Replacement Ceremony When a new infant is given to a family unit to replace a child who died unexpectedly, the citizens of the community speak the child's name softly at first, then more rapidly and loudly, symbolizing the return of the dead child. The new infant is given the same name as that of the child who died
New Children New borns; infants
Obsolete of no consequence or importance; forgotten
Ominous Threatening
Palpable Here, meaning real
Parched Dried
Piecemeal scattered; not together or in unison
Port Here, a place to secure a bicycle
Relief-of-Pain medication Medication that is dispensed to community members to relieve pain so that no one in the community suffers
Retroactive Putting something in effect at an earlier time
Ruefully Regretfully or sadly
Runners Blades used to glide over a surface, usually ice
"seeing beyond" Seeing things that other people in the community can't see because they do not have the memories and no longer have the ability; for example, Jonas sees the color red in Fiona's hair
Shed Here, meaning discard or forget
Sheepish Embarrassed and uncomfortable
Sinuous Curving and supple
Solemnly Seriously, with awe
Speaker The person whose voice the people hear over the laudspeaker system
Stirrings Feelings of sexual desire
Supplementary Additional
Tunic A peice of clothing
Usages Ways in which words are used
Wheedle Here, meaning to complete for attention