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SAT Vocabulary
definitions and vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| abate | to become less intense or widespread |
| abstract | existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence |
| abysmal | very bad |
| accordingly | to be in accordance with |
| acquisition | the process of gaining possession of something |
| adapt | to make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify |
| adept | having skill in a particular area |
| adequate | satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity |
| advent | the arrival of a notable person or thing |
| adversarial | involving or characterized by conflict or opposition |
| advocate | a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy |
| aesthetic | concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty |
| afford | have enough money to pay for |
| agitate | campaign to arouse public concern about an issue in the hope of prompting action |
| allow | let (someone) have or do something |
| allude | suggest or call attention to indirectly; hint at |
| altercation | noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public |
| ambiguous | open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning |
| ambitious | having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed |
| ambivalence | the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone |
| analogous | comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of the things compared |
| Annihilate | destroy utterly; obliterate |
| Anomaly | something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected |
| Anticipate | regard as probable; expect or predict |
| Antipathy | a deep-seated feeling of aversion |
| Apex | the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point |
| Apprehension | anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen |
| Articulate | having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently |
| Artificial | made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural |
| Assertion | a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief |
| Austere | severe or strict in manner or attitude |
| Authenticity | the quality of being authentic |
| Avenue | a way of approaching a problem |
| Avid | having an eager desire for |
| Basic | forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental |
| Bear | carry or conduct oneself in a specified manner |
| Benevolent | well-meaning and kindly |
| Bias | inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair |
| Bittersweet | arousing pleasure tinged with sadness or pain |
| Bolster | support or strengthen |
| Boost | encourage (something) to increase or improve |
| Brawl | a rough or noisy fight or quarrel |
| Brevity | the concise and exact use of words in writing or speech |
| Candid | truthful and straightforward; frank |
| Candor | the characteristic of being honest |
| Capitalize | to take advantage of |
| Capture | to take possession of |
| Civic | relating to citizens or a city |
| Clinical | emotionally attached |
| Clout | special power or advantage |
| Coarse | lacking sophistication or refinement |
| Coincide | to occur simultaneously |
| Commission | an instruction, command, or role given to a person or group. |
| Comparable | ability to be compared |
| Competent | efficient and qualified |
| Complacent | satisfied; no desire to improve |
| Complement | to make complete or perfect |
| Concede | surrender or yield |
| Conceive | to come up with |
| Condone | to allow or overlook |
| Conducive | to be suitable to bring something about |
| Conduct | to manage or control; to behave in a particular way |
| Confide | to trust someone with secrets |
| Confine | to limit something |
| Consensus | a majority agreement |
| Constitute | to make up parts of something |
| Contemplate | think deeply and at length |
| Contend | to assert or maintain an opinion |
| Contradict | to be in contrast with |
| Controversial | giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement. |
| Conventional | following accepted standards |
| Convey | to transfer information |
| Conviction | believing firmly in something |
| Corroborate | to provide evidence for a claim |
| Counteract | to work against |
| Counterargument | an argument used to diminish another |
| Counterproductive | having the opposite of the desired effect. |
| Culmination | the climax |
| Cultivate | to foster |
| Decree | to declare something formally |
| Deference | regard; respect |
| Deficient | not a sufficient amount |
| Demonstrate | to provide evidence for something |
| Demur | raise objections or show reluctance. |
| Deplete | to use something over time |
| Desolate | empty, barren |
| Devise | to develop a plan |
| Dilemma | a problem |
| Diligence | careful and persistent work or effort. |
| Diminish | make or become less |
| Dire | extremely serious or urgent |
| Discord | disagreement |
| Disdain | strong dislike |
| Dismay | stress, hopelessness |
| Disparage | to talk down to |
| Dispatch | to send a messenger or message |
| Diversification | the process of becoming diverse |
| Doctrine | a position or theory |
| Dominion | authority and power |
| Dreary | dull, sad |
| Dubious | questionable, doubtful |
| Eccentric | odd or peculiar |
| Egregious | very bad |
| Eloquent | fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing. |
| Eminent | distinguished or superior |
| Emit | to release, discharge |
| Emphatic | using emphasis, expressive |
| Empirical | based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic |
| Endow | to bestow or equip |
| Endure | to sustain or withstand against |
| Entail | to include or involve |
| Entrenched | firmly established and difficult or unlikely to change |
| Enumerate | to count |
| Envy | jealousy to an excessive degree |
| Erratic | not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable. |
| Establish | to enact or to found |
| Evoke | bring or recall (a feeling, memory, or image) to the conscious mind. |
| Exacerbate | to make something worse |
| Excel | to be successful at something |
| Exert | to put something into use |
| Exhilarating | exciting, stimulating |
| Expend | to use up |
| Exploit | make full use of and derive benefit from |
| Facilitate | to make a process easier |
| Feasibility | the possibility of something |
| Ferocity | violence, viciousness |
| Fiscal | of or relating to money |
| Flourish | to grow, prosper (esp quickly) |
| Fluctuate | to rise and fall in an irregular pattern |
| Foment | to stir up or instigate |
| Foreseeable | capable of being anticipated |
| Frankly | clearly, directly |
| Freewheeling | carefree |
| Fundamental | the most basic component |
| Galvanizing | stimulating, exciting |
| Geriatric | relating to old people, especially with regard to their healthcare. |
| Hostile | dangerous, harmful |
| Hypothetical | supposed |
| Ignominious. | deserving or causing public disgrace or shame |
| Impart | to bestow or transmit |
| Impartiality | treating all rivals equally |
| Imposing | impressive in size or appearance |
| Imposition | an unwelcome and unfair burden |
| Imprudent | rash, not cautious |
| Incite | to stir up or excite |
| Indifference | emotional detachment |
| Indiscriminately | randomly |
| Indulge | to give into something |
| Infer | to guess through reasoning |
| Innovative | new or novel |
| Insatiable | unable to be satisfied |
| Inversion | the reversal of something |
| Invoke | to appeal to or call upon |
| Irreconcilable | incapable of being resolved |
| Lament | to mourn |
| Locomotion | movement |
| Lucrative | profitable |
| Malicious | spiteful, harmful |
| Malleable | capable of being changed |
| Materialistic | superficial |
| Melodramatic | exaggerated or extravagant |
| Modest | humble and simple |
| Modify | to alter, tweak, or change |
| Momentous | significant in a historical context |
| Novel | innovative, new |
| Nuance | a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. |
| Null | ineffective, legally void |
| Objectivity | the quality of being objective; impartial |
| Obsolete | uncommon or rare |
| Omnipotent | all-powerful |
| Onset | the early stages of something |
| Opine | to formally state an opinion |
| Ornate | highly decorated |
| Oust | to force out of |
| Paramount | most important, superior |
| Peculiar | bizarre, strange |
| Perish | to pass away; to die |
| Persecute | harass or annoy persistently. |
| Petulant | irritable, pouty |
| Pinnacle | highest degree |
| Pitiable | arousing pity |
| Plausible | possibly true |
| Postulate | to assert |
| Potent | having a strong influence |
| Pragmatic | useful, practical |
| Precedent | an example from the previous time |
| Predecessor | a person or thing that comes before another |
| Prescribe | to command orders |
| Principle | n. basic truth, assumption, or rule |
| Prohibit | to ban |
| Prompt | punctual |
| Promulgate | formally declare |
| Prosecute | to put on trial |
| Provocative | arouse, inspire |
| Qualitative | measuring the quality of something |
| Quantitative | measuring the amount of something |
| Quirk | a strange trait or characteristic |
| Ramify | to form branches |
| Rash | done without regard to consequences |
| Raw | unrefined |
| Readily | without delay |
| Reconsideration | thinking again |
| Reform | an improvement |
| Refute | to prove to be incorrect |
| Reinforce | to support |
| Reluctantly | somewhat unwillingly |
| Renounce | to give up |
| Reproach | to critique |
| Repudiate | to refuse to acknowledge as true |
| Retention | the continued control or possession of something |
| Satiated | satisfied |
| Savvy | practical knowledge |
| Scandalous | morally offensive |
| Scorn | a feeling of disdain |
| Scrupulous | careful, thorough |
| Scrutinize | to examine critically |
| Secrete | to release or produce |
| Sentiment | opinion |
| Sheer | very thin |
| Simple | not complex |
| Sinister | evil, ominous |
| Solidarity | common purpose amongst a group |
| Sparingly | in a restricted manner |
| Spawn | to generate |
| Spur | to incite |
| Squalid | sordid, run-down |
| Stark | very plain |
| Static | changeless; motionless |
| Subordinate | to be lower in rank |
| Subsequently | happening after something |
| Substantial | very large in degree or amount |
| Substantiate | to make stronger with evidence |
| Subtle | difficult to detect |
| Sufficient | enough |
| Surly | unfriendly |
| Surmount | to overcome |
| Susceptible | to be vulnerable |
| Tactful | capable of dealing with people |
| Taut | pulled tight |
| Teeming | to be full of |
| Temperament | usual feelings or mood |
| Tentative | not certain or fixed |
| Transparent | easy to perceive; see-through |
| Treacherous | unstable and dangerous |
| Tremendous | very great in amount, scale, or intensity |
| Ubiquitous | found everywhere |
| Unadorned | plain, undecorated |
| Undermine | to weaken gradually |
| Underscore | to emphasize |
| Undulate | to move in a wavy pattern |
| Unilateral | one-sided |
| Unjust | not justified |
| Unmitigated | total, utter |
| Unprecedented | entirely new |
| Unveil | to reveal |
| Urge | try earnestly or persistently to persuade (someone) to do something |
| Validate | check or prove the validity or accuracy of |
| Viability | ability to work successfully |
| Vital | absolutely necessary; essential |
| Vow | a solemn promise |
| Warrant | justification or authority for an action, belief, or feeling |
| Yield | produce or generate (a result, gain, or financial return). |