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ACT Vocab
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| abstract adj | not like anything physical; not representing a physical object; related to thought or imagination as opposed to nature. Opposite of concrete. |
| absurdity n | the state of being ridiculously impossible |
| acknowledge vt | to admit to be true |
| acute adj | 1. in geometry, less that 90° and therefore pointed and sharp; keen 2. immediate and in need of attention; said of a disease. Opposite of chronic |
| aesthetic adj | artsy; related to beauty or excellence |
| aesthetic n | a standard for judging something’s goodness |
| affluence n | wealth |
| agenda n | plan of accomplishments and the time needed to perform them |
| allegedly adv | according to what people say but unproven |
| ambiguity n | ability to be understood in either of two ways |
| ample adj | adequate; plentiful; abundant |
| analogy n | comparison; a way to show how one thing is like another |
| anomaly n | something that doesn’t fit or belong and can’t be explained |
| apathy n | lack of feeling |
| arbitrary adj | chosen at random; having no pattern |
| articulate v | to say something clearly and in detail |
| assert vi | to state strongly |
| assertion n | a statement made strongly |
| authoritative adj | confident; sounding as if an expert had said it |
| auxiliary adj | additional; used as a substitute in case of need |
| breadth n | width, wide range or extent |
| chaos n | complete confusion or disorder |
| chronic adj | ongoing; across time. Opposite of acute |
| chronological adj | arranged in date or time order |
| cite v | to show the source of |
| coherence n | logical connection and clearness |
| coherent adj | logically connected |
| collaborating vi | to work together with |
| commendable adj | worthy of praise |
| compellingly adv | in a manner that causes someone to consider believing |
| concede vt | to admit |
| concise adj | efficient with words; saying what needs to be said in as few words as possible. |
| concrete adj | looking like something physical; representing a physical object; related to nature, as opposed to thought or imagination. Opposite of abstract. |
| condescension n | the act of lowering oneself to do something considered too “low” |
| confer vi | to talk with on a particular subject |
| conformity n | the act of going along with what everybody else is doing |
| connote vt | to cause to think about, as opposed to plainly stating. Opposite of denote. |
| consequence n | result; what follows due to something that went before |
| consequently adv | as a result |
| consistent adj | 1. the same throughout; fair 2. in harmony; having the same principles |
| contemporary n | someone who lived at the same time |
| context n | the sentence that surround the words |
| controversial adj | causing much discussion or scandal |
| conversely adv | in the opposite order |
| convey vt | to make known; to serve as a means of communication |
| correlate vt | to show how one thing relates to another |
| cosmopolitan adj | worldly; educated in the ways of the world |
| counter vt | to oppose in response |
| criterion n | a standard or reason for judgment. |
| cryptic adj | with a hidden meaning (its root word is crypt, meaning “hiding place”) |
| defiantly adv | with an oppositional attitude. |
| definitive adj | 1. the qualities that make something what it is 2. the most nearly complete and accurate |
| delete vt | to take out; remove (said of words) |
| deletion n | the act of marking something out |
| denote vt | to state plainly; to give an exact meaning. Opposite of connote. |
| derive vt | to arrive at by computing or thinking |
| deterrence n | something that keeps people from doing something |
| detached adj | neither on one side nor the other; objective; without bias; not “attached” to one side of an argument |
| deterrence n | something that keeps people from doing something |
| detract vi | to reduce the quality of |
| dialect n | a form of language used by people of a certain region or group |
| dilemma n | a choice between two confusing alternatives |
| diligent adj | hard-working |
| discern vt | to recognize as separate or different |
| disdainful adj | showing lack of respect |
| dispel vt | to get rid of |
| dissonance n | unmatched, disturbing sounds; lack of harmony |
| distract vt | to draw attention away |
| diverse adj | having parts that are unlike each other |
| drawback n | disadvantage of doing something; reason not to do something |
| dry adj | reserved and subtle, as opposed to broad and obvious (said of a sense of humor) |
| eclectic adj | having components from a wide variety of sources |
| editorial adj | having the qualities an editor might add, as opposed to fact-based news stories |
| eloquent adj | graceful and skillful of speech |
| eminent adj | famous; outstanding |
| emphatically adv | with great emphasis |
| enumerate vt | to count out one by one |
| escapist adj | literature or art that rejects the routine of the real world |
| establishment n | “The powers that be”—those who by their wealth or power make the social rules |
| evaluative adj | helping to judge |
| evoke vt | to bring to the mind or the senses |
| explanatory adj | explaining; giving details about something in order to make it easier to understand |
| explicit adj | obvious and detailed |
| extent n | a place as far as |
| façade n | false face; front; shallow covering of the real thing |
| facet n | a particular side, as of a jewel; aspect |
| factual adj | based on proven knowledge |
| faculty n | individual parts that make up a whole person or institution |
| feign vt | to pretend; to fake |
| fictitious adj | made up, as opposed to factual |
| figuratively adv | in a way; so to speak; in a way that people understand but not literally true |
| finding n | what someone has found after much research. Usually plural: findings |
| foresight n | the ability to understand beforehand, to “foresee” |
| formality n | “dressed-up”-ness; the degree to which something follows social rules |
| format n | shape, size, and general arrangement of a book, magazine, or other presentation |
| frenzied adj | with hysterical agitation; wild |
| frivolous adj | not serious; silly |
| furthermore adv | in addition |
| generalities n | the big ideas or qualities that smaller ideas share |
| generalization n | an overall big idea drawn from a bunch of smaller ideas |
| generalize vi | to state the qualities that different things or ideas have in common |
| generate vt | to cause to be made |
| genre n | category |
| glib adj | quick-witted; smooth-tongued |
| humanitarian adj | having to do with those who serve mankind |
| hypothesis n | the unproven idea you start out with before you prove something |
| idealistic adj | expecting the best; identified by ideals, rather than dreads |
| ideological adj | having to do with ideas, their nature and source |
| Idiomatic adj | unique in language and thought; setting its own standard |
| illogical adj | lacking logic; not making sense |
| illustrative adj | so descriptive that it draws a mental picture |
| imminent adj | on its way; about to arrive |
| implication n | the idea a person gives without saying it directly |
| imply vt | to give an idea indirectly, without coming out and saying |
| impose vt | to cause unnecessary trouble to |
| inaccurate adj | wrong; faulty |
| inadvertently adv | without having been planned; by not being careful |
| incentive n | a reward or prize offered to get someone to behave a certain way |
| Inclination n | leaning; tendency |
| inconsistency n | lack of “sameness”; difference in substance or texture |
| inconstant adj | unsteady; wavering |
| indication n | hint; sign |
| Indifference n | absence of caring |
| inevitable adj | unavoidable |
| inexplicably adv | “un-explain-ably” |
| infer v | to come up with an idea based on what someone said |
| inference n | an idea that comes from what someone else said |
| influential adj | having influence; having “pull” |
| ingenious adj | clever and inventive |
| ingenuous adj | innocent, trusting, simple |
| inherent adj | built-in naturally |
| initial adj | first; at the beginning |
| inquiry n | question-asking |
| insight n | ability to see or understand the inner nature |
| insignificant adj | unimportant; too small to matter |
| insinuate vt | to hint or suggest indirectly |
| insistently adv | refusing to give up |
| Insufficient adj | not enough |
| intent adj | determined to; focused |
| intent n | purpose |
| intently adv | with great concentration |
| interpretation n | way of saying something in a different language or for a different listener |
| intolerant adj | unwilling or unable to put up with |
| intricacies n | complicated details |
| intricate adj | delicate and complicated |
| intrigue vt | to fascinate |
| irreconcilable adv | un-matchable; that cannot be brought into agreement |
| irrelevant adj | unrelated; not important to the matter at hand |
| irrevocable adj | unchangeable |
| likewise adv | in the same way |
| longstanding adj | having been established a long time |
| lyricism n | graceful, musical quality |
| mainstream n | majority; common idea |
| mandate v | to cause to be demanded |
| means n | stuff needed; way |
| mediocre adj | neither high- nor low-quality; in-between; average |
| melancholy adj | sad and thoughtful; gloomy |
| mere adj | only; nothing more or other than |
| meticulous adj | picky and extremely careful |
| minuscule adj | very tiny |
| mischievous adj | fond of playing jokes and causing harmless trouble |
| misconception n | mistaken idea |
| momentous adj | important in a life-changing way |
| mutual adj | as much from one side as the other; agreeable to both sides; from both sides |
| narrative n | the telling of a story |
| nevertheless adv | unlike what you might expect; nonetheless |
| nonetheless adv | unlike what you might expect; nevertheless |
| nostalgia n | an emotional feeling about the past |
| noteworthy adj | worth paying attention to |
| notion n | small part of an idea |
| obscure adj | hard to find |
| obscure vt | to hide |
| obtuse adj | dull; not sharp; said of an angle that is greater than 90° because it isn’t “sharp” |
| omission n | the leaving out of something |
| omit vt | to leave out |
| on behalf of prep | for the sake of; to represent |
| one-dimensional adj | having neither depth nor width; a spot only, without any development |
| onus n | burden |
| outset n | beginning; the place from which one “sets out” |
| paradox n | the relationship between two statements that do not seem to be able to be true at the same time |
| parenthetical adj | 1. inside parentheses: words inside curved marks (like those around these words) 2. that which is said off to the side; not the main idea but one that is worth sneaking in |
| perceptual adj | relying on the senses, as opposed to the mind |
| phenomenal adj | like nothing else; unique |
| philosophy n | way of thinking that guides other thoughts and actions |
| plagiarism n | the using of someone else’s words or ideas without giving that person credit; stealing words or ideas |
| populace n | the people of a region or group |
| populous n | having a large population |
| portray vt | to display from a certain viewpoint |
| preceding adj | the one that went before; previous |
| precisely adv | exactly |
| preconceived adj | already thought of |
| previous adj | that which came before; preceding |
| progressive adj | socially or culturally different from a mainstream idea |
| quasi prefix | sort of; somewhat |
| quintessential adj | the absolute basic |
| randomly adv | not in any predictable order |
| rational adj | based on thought, not feeling; reasonable |
| redundancy n | words that are unnecessary because they have been stated in another way |
| redundant adj | unnecessary because they have been stated in another way |
| reinforce vt | to make stronger |
| relevant adj | related to the important idea |
| reluctantly adv | not wanting to |
| remnant n | leftover piece |
| remote adj | away from everything else |
| replenish vt | to fill back up; to restore to its original volume |
| resemblance n | “looking-alike-ness” |
| resistant to adj | able to avoid being infected or taken in by |
| resolution n | strength of will |
| resonate vi | to spread a sound or an idea |
| resources n | qualities or material that can be used |
| respectively adv | in the same order as the items on the other list |
| revel v | to enjoy indulgently |
| reverent adj | treating with great respect, as if holy |
| revisionist adj | trying to change the accepted idea |
| rift n | a space that divides |
| rudimentary adj | just enough to get by |
| sacrilege n | a supreme insult to something held holy |
| sanctuary n | 1. a place that provides protection and safety because it has been set aside by a religious authority 2. the status of someone who depends on the protection of a sanctuary |
| sapling n | a young tree |
| satellite n | something that orbits around something else |
| saturation n | being so full that it is impossible to hold any more |
| scholarly adv | like someone who enjoys school; academic; bookish |
| scrutinize vt | to examine closely |
| scrutiny n | careful observation |
| seascape n | a painting or drawing of the sea and features in it or nearby; compare to landscape |
| seemingly adv | apparently; giving the appearance of |
| selectively adv | in a picky, careful way |
| seminal adj | a basic part of what comes after |
| sensory adj | having to do with seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, or feeling (as opposed to thinking) |
| sentiment n | an expression of feeling; an opinion colored by emotion |
| serenity n | the state of being serene: beautifully calm |
| shrill adj | high, piercing, and grating on the ear |
| shrub n | any bushy plant, smaller than a tree, often used for decoration or as a fence |
| shun vt | to avoid deliberately and systematically |
| simultaneous adj | occurring at the same time |
| singular adj | unusual; not like anything else |
| site n | a place where something happened or is planned to be |
| sit-in n | a form of protest in which participants sit in a targeted place until their demands are met. |
| sizable adj | big |
| skepticism n | tendency to doubt |
| slogan n | a saying that identifies a movement or person |
| social order n | “the way things are”; the unwritten rules for how a society works |
| solace n | emotional comfort |
| sovereign adj | all-powerful; in control of the entire unit |
| specific adj | exact; of a particular kind |
| speculate vi | to invest money or ideas in something you aren’t sure about; to gamble |
| spin-off n | a TV show originated as a feature of another TV show |
| stable adj | staying the same; neither getting better nor worse |
| stationary adj | staying in one place |
| stationery n | specialized, fine quality paper for writing letters and notes |
| status n | current state of being |
| stereotypical adj | matching what people expect because of one trait |
| stifle vt | to repress; to hold down |
| subjective adj | based on feelings and not on fact |
| succession n | a series |
| succumb vi | to fall a victim (to) |
| superficial adj | only on the surface; not deep |
| superimpose vt | to lay (something) on top of something else |
| sustenance n | that which sustains; the stuff that keeps something alive |
| syndicated adj | a group of similar businesses owned by one company |
| syringe n | a device for putting a small amount of a liquid into a small space, like a medicine into a vein |
| taut adj | tightly stretched |
| taxed with vt | given the responsibility for |
| tenet n | any opinion , principle, or doctrine that a person or group holds |
| terra firma n | Latin for “solid earth” |
| terrestrial adj | having to do with the earth |
| theorize vi | to propose an explanation for |
| thereafter adv | from then on; starting at that point and then going on |
| thus adv | 1. like this; in this way 2. therefore; because of what has just been said |
| timber n | trees that have been felled and are to be used for wood for furniture, paper, etc. |
| tirade n | a long speech in which the speaker fusses or complains |
| toxin n | a poison that comes from a plant or animal |
| trajectory n | the curved path of something hurtling through space |
| transcend vt | to go beyond or above |
| transition n | a graceful easing from one thing to another |
| translucent adj | able to let light through but diffusing it enough to conceal any object behind it |
| treason n | an act of betrayal against one’s own country |
| typesetting n | the art of placing tiny metal letters and numbers in place to be covered with ink and pressed against paper to make a printed page |
| tyranny n | any government controlled by a single person |
| tyrant n | one who has absolute power over a country |
| uncanny adj | “un-explainable”; something for which no one knows the reason |
| unparalleled adj | unmatched; too extreme to be equaled |
| unprecedented adj | original; having nothing similar that came before |
| unsolicited adj | “un-asked-for” |
| urgency n | need for action |
| urn n | a large vase, sometimes with a lid |
| vaccine n | a preventive medicine made from the disease-causing essence itself; by introducing a small amount of the germ into the body, the body forms antibodies to fight the disease, and can thus resist further exposure to the disease. |
| vindicate vt | to prove innocent after having been blamed |
| visionary n | one who imagines how the future can be |
| vivid adj | strongly colored; standing out from the background |
| voluptuous adj | heavily fleshed in a beautiful way |
| vulnerable adj | easily wounded or hurt |
| wherefore conj | why; for what reason |
| whimsy n | a lighthearted, playful attitude |
| withdrawn adj | shy; staying away from people |
| worldview n | an overall way of looking at the world |
Created by:
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