Prevalent - adjective

accepted, done, or happening often or over a large area at a particular time

Definition:
1: archaic :  powerful

2: being in ascendancy :  dominant

3: generally or widely accepted, practiced, or favored : widespread

Source:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevalent

Encounter:
I encountered the word when I reading the article “Patients Prescribed Narcotic Painkillers Use More of Them for Longer, Study Finds” on the New York Times. “Other aspects of the report mirrored previous research on opioid painkillers. Their use is more prevalent among women and the elderly.” prevalent is another one of those words I recognize but the actual definition was not clear to me therefore I looked it up it had three different definitions, and in this context it had meant widespread.

Scrutiny - noun

the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical way

Definition:
1: a searching study, inquiry, or inspection

2: a searching look

3: close watch

Source:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrutiny

Encounter:
I encountered this word when I reading the article “Uber’s Background Checks for Drivers Come Under Scrutiny” on the New York Times. Scrutiny is a word that’s around I see it and I have the jist of what it means but I did not know the definition with precision, so I looked it up. This clarified the word for me quite a bit, this article was talking about investigating their investigations on people cause that is essentially what a background check is.

Referendum - noun

an event in which the people of a county, state, etc., vote for or against a law that deals with a specific issue : a public vote on a particular issue

Definition:
1: a) the principal or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative
b) a vote on a measure so submitted

2: a diplomatic agent’s note asking for government instructions

Source:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/referendum

Encounter:
I was reading this article “Congressional Leaders Reach Deal on Spending” on New York Times. “For instance, the bill would nullify the District of Columbia’s referendum to legalize marijuana, but it would allow Washington to decriminalize the drug, meaning possession of small amounts would no longer be punished.” In the sentence, I have made predictions of what the word means, since it has to do with laws and trying to pass it but that is still not enough for me to know the actual meaning of the word. After looking up the word I now understand referendum means a popular vote of something and in this case it has to deal with marijuana.

Rectal - adjective

medical : relating to, affecting, or located near the rectum

Definition:
1:  relating to, affecting, or being near the rectum e.g. <rectal cancer, rectal walls>

Source:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectal

Encounter:
I was reading an article on the New York Times about C.I.A. torture reports, their faults and brutality of it and I came across this word as I was reading the article, not knowing what it meant I searched it up on Webster and I did not know that the C.I.A. was doing such gruesome torture to people and violating their bodies you can most likely guess what it was about from the definition of the word so I’d rather not say.

Consolidating - Verb

to join or combine together into one thing

Definition:
1:  to join together into one whole
2:  to make firm or secure
3:  to form into a compact mass

Source:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consolidate

Encounter:
I was reading an article on the New York Times article on Obama extending the U.S. role on the Afghan combat  “The allies are expected to follow the American lead in consolidating and withdrawing their troops.” I had no idea what it meant, but now I understand that the allies meant to join their armies together into a whole and start retreating from Afghanistan. Instead of having ground wars they mean to use drones instead.