SAT Grammar: Diction and Word Choice

A comprehensive list of commonly confused words and diction choices from the SAT grammar lecture, focused on definitions and semantic distinctions.

Accept

to receive, take

Except

excluding

Access

entrance; opportunity

Excess

more than needed

Addition

something added

Edition

a certain production of something

Adopt

to legally take on, accept

Adapt

to change to be more suitable

Advice

a recommendation

Advise

to give a recommendation

Adverse

bad; unfavorable

Averse

opposed to

Affect

to influence

Effect

a result

Afflict

to cause suffering

Inflict

to force something harmful

Allude

to make an indirect reference

Elude

to avoid

Allusion

an indirect reference

Illusion

a false idea or vision

Altogether

completely; entirely

All together

all things with each other

Ambivalent

to have two different feelings about something

Ambiguous

having more than one possible meaning

Amoral

having no sense or right and wrong

Immoral

having intentionally bad morals

Anecdote

a short personal story

Antidote

a substance or activity that stops something bad

Angle

space between intersecting lines measured in $\text{degrees}$

Appraise

to examine and judge

Apprise

to tell someone of something

Are

$3^{rd}$ person plural of \"to be\"

Ascent

movement up

Assent

agreement/approval

Auditory

related to hearing

Audible

able to be heard

Aural

related to hearing

Oral

spoken, or related to the mouth

Bated

in suspense, excited

Baited

to harass (past tense)

Berth

a bed on a boat/train

Beside

next to something

Besides

in addition to something

Born

to have been birthed

Borne

carried

Censure

to criticize formally

Censor

to remove offensive things from public

Capitol

state legislature building

Climactic

an important or exciting time

Climatic

relating to the weather

Collaborate

to work together

Corroborate

to provide supporting information

Complacent

feeling you don't need to try hard

Complaisant

willingness to please others

Complement

something that goes well with something else

Compliment

saying something to show praise

Comprehensive

thorough

Comprehensible

easy to understand

Conscience

the part of you that makes you feel guilty

Conscious

aware; awake

Contemptuous

showing contempt

Contemptible

extremely bad

Credible

able to be believed

Credulous

gullible

Descent

a movement down

Dissent

disagreement

Discreet

secretive

Discrete

separate and different

Disinterested

impartial

Uninterested

not interested

Elicit

to get info or a reaction from someone

Illicit

not legal

Eminent

respected

Imminent

about to happen

Immanent

permanent part of something

Expandable

gets bigger

Expendable

non-essential

Explicit

clear, detailed

Implicit

implied or suggested

Flaunt

exaggerate

Flout

intentionally break the rules

Human

people/person

Humane

kind

Imply

suggest

Infer

guess something based on the information you have

Ingenious

really clever

Ingenuous

innocent and trusting

Latter

near the end of a period

Moral

right and wrongs

Morale

confidence level in the success of an endeavor

Perpetrate

do something bad

Perpetuate

to sustain or preserve something

Precede

to happen before something else

Proceed

to go forward

Prescribe

recommend or authorize medical treatment

Proscribe

to forbid

Principal

most important

Principle

fundamental rule

Reluctant

unwilling

Reticent

saying little about what you feel