-sion, -sions

(Latin: a suffix found at the end of some words that make certain verbs become nouns.)

If you need any information regarding the pronunciation system being used for the words in this unit, click on this Pronunciation Chart for a presentation of simplified American-English pronunciations.

mansion (MAN shuhn) (s) (noun), mansions (pl)
A large manor or house that is impressive in size and scope: Margaret had relatives in England who lived in an immense mansion, with at least 10 bedrooms, many years ago.
manumission (man" yuh MISH uhn) (s) (noun), manumissions (pl)
1. The act of liberating a slave from bondage: Manumission was the process of freeing slaves from bondage and it was done at the will of the owners of the slaves.
2. Etymology: from Middle English and is derived from the Latin manumittere, "to set free"; from manu, literally, "hand" + mittere, "to release, to let go".

The freeing of slaves by an act of government; for example, at the end of the American Civil War.

Manumission dates back to ancient Rome. Popes, emperors, and minor landholders; all were counted among those who practiced it.

During the Middle Ages serfs were freed through a form of manumission which was a process that differed from time-to-time and from lord-to-lord.

High productivity, loyal service, or even buying their way out of service were all reasons for which slaves or serfs received their freedom under manumission.

In ancient Rome, freed slaves were not "freeborn" and were still required to grovel in the presence of their former masters.

During the Middle Ages serfs, who had obtained their freedom and farmland, would often give up their land in troubled times in exchange for the protection of their former feudal masters.

In times of bad harvests, serfs could find themselves, once again, attached to the land of a noble because of the lack of any other means of survival.

For these reasons, manumission is not any where near the same as "emancipation".

—Based on information from various sources, including:
"Slavery" in the Encyclopedia Britannica; Encyclopedia, Inc.;
William Benton, Publisher; Chicago; Volume 20; 1968; pages 628-634.
obtrusion (ahb TROO zhuhn) (s) (noun), obtrusions (pl)
1. A thrusting upon others by force or being unsolicited: There are obtrusions of crude opinions all around the world.
2. An interference or an unwelcome interruption: During staff meetings at schools, obtrusions by students, parents, a secretary, or even the janitor are not allowed.
omission (oh MISH uhn) (s) (noun), omissions (pl)
Something that has not been included or done: There is still an omission of Grant's name from the list of those who will be invited to meet with the special committee.

There was an important omission in the special report and, because it was so significant, the other staff members wanted to know why it wasn't there.

It was a serious omission that the military newspaper forgot to add an article about General Oliver's new rank as the base commander.

persuasion (puhr SWAY zhuhn) (s) (noun), persuasions (pl)
1. Communication intended to induce a belief or some action; especially, with reasoning, pleading, or coaxing: It took a lot of persuasion to convince the children to go to bed early on Christmas Eve because they were all excited about Santa Claus coming and what he would bring to them on Christmas morning!
2. A personal belief or judgment which is not necessarily based on proof or any thing that is certain; especially, for having good reasons for doing it: Lynn was convinced that her father’s persuasion of going to the fitness studio and exercising as often as possible was justified.
possession (puh ZESH uhn) (s) (noun), possessions (pl)
The act or fact of having or owning something: Doris put all of her personal possessions which she thought were needed for her trip into her suitcase and made sure that it didn’t weigh more than the allowed amount for the flight to Canada.
precision (pri SIZH uhn) (s) (noun), precisions (pl)
1. Exactness or accuracy: Margaret's grandfather had an old pocket watch that showed great precision and was always in accord with the correct time, which was quite remarkable considering its age.
2. In mathematics, the correctness to which a calculation is performed, specifying the number of significant digits with which the result is expressed: The engineer checked the precision of the measurements of his sensitive equipment to make sure it was still reliable.
3.The requirement of great exactitude: Being a TV news reporter necessitates perfect precision to be at the right spot at a specific time for a broadcast.
4. Perfect accuracy and correctness when performing business dealings: Bank clerks have to show great precision when they take care of the accounts of their clients.
pretension (pri TEN shuhn) (s) (noun), pretensions (pl)
1. A claim, especially an unsupported one, as to some distinction or accomplishment: Greg said he came from a wealthy family, but this pretension turned out not to be true because his family was actually poor and he was deep in debt.
2. A pseudo claim or profession: Sally’s pretension about being the most famous pianist in the whole world was just one of the dreams she had.
prevision (pri VIZH uhn) (s) (noun), previsions (pl)
1. A prophetic revelation, as in a dream: Kate's prevision about a hurricane coming to her area prompted her to equip the storm cellar with food and water.
2. The process of predicting or forecasting; such as, by reasoning or a premonition about the future based on facts, figures, etc.: Reginald's prevision that economical conditions could cause a bad financial situation for his family resulted in his saving enough money to provide for their well-being for years to come.
Anticipating, foreknowledge.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Having the skills to predict or to prophecy.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

procession (pruh SESH uhn) (s) (noun), processions (pl)
1. The forward movement of a group of people or vehicles as part of a celebration, commemoration, or demonstration: The funeral procession for Tony’s father, who passed away suddenly, was very small because it included only close members of his family.
2. The act of moving ahead toward a goal: The college students were in a procession to the football stadium in hopes of seeing their team win the championship.
profession (pruh FESH uhn, proh FESH uhn) (s) (noun), professions (pl)
1. An occupation that requires extensive education or specialized training and/or experience: James wanted to become a teacher, the same profession as his parents, and so he had to study at least four years at the university in order to achieve his objective.
2. The members of a particular occupation: Many students at the college decided to go into the teaching profession, thinking that they could improve the motivation of the children in their neighborhoods.
3. An affirmation of a religious conviction or faith: Greg and Susan believed their marriage would last forever since they had the same spiritual-minded profession of belief which they lived by respectfully.
profusion (pruh FYOO zhuhn, proh FYOO zhuhn) (s) (noun), profusions (pl)
1. Imprudent and limitless expenditures; wastefulness: The lavishness or profusion Pat's wife showed when she went shopping was something he could not support, neither financially nor morally.
2. An extravagant amount or bounteous outpouring: Jeanette loved to take walks in the spring and enjoyed the profusion and multitudes of blossoms in the nearby park.
progression (pruh GRESH uhn, proh GRESH uhn) (s) (noun), progressions (pl)
1. The process of developing over a period of time: Harry's parents were pleased with his progression of extraordinary musical talent.
2. A continuous and connected series of actions, events, etc.: The progression of painting the house has been going on for days, but Jack and Jill are almost finished now.
propulsion (pruh PUHL shuhn, proh PUHL shuhn) (s) (noun), propulsions (pl)
A forcing or pushing to shove or drive something forward: Good propulsion is needed to move a swimmer through the strong waves of an ocean.

The wind requires strong propulsion to blow trees down during a storm.

protrusion (proh TROO zhuhn) (s) (noun), protrusions (pl)
1. Something that sticks out from its surroundings: Before they started renovating the walls in their living room, Maxine and Mark had to remove all the protrusions and leftover wallpaper in order to have a smooth surface to work on.
2. The act of thrusting forward or beyond the usual limit: Strong protrusions with his legs were necessary for the diver to get him back to the surface of the lake again.
3. Something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings: The protrusions on the side of the cliff made it possible for the mountain climber to get to the top by grabbing and holding on to each one as he climbed higher.