SAT Vocabulary 2

Aberration

Noun. Something that deviates from normal (abnormality)

Ex. They described the outbreak of violence in the area as an aberration.

Antithesis

Noun. A person or something that is the direct opposite of someone else or something else

Ex. Love is the antithesis of selfishness.

Disparity

Noun. A difference in level or treatment

Synonyms: discrepancy, inconsistency, inequality

Ex 1. There was a huge disparity between the two quotes I obtained.

Ex 2. There is a disparity between rich and poor.

Divergence

Noun. A difference or disagreement

Synonyms: separation, division

Ex 1. There was some divergence from the truth.

Ex 2. There is a divergence between primates and other groups.

Irascibility

Noun. Being made angry easily (short temper)

Ex 1. There was as much affection as irascibility in her remark.

Ex 2. He had a certain irascibility, which led to conflict with those he did not admire.

Enmity

Noun. Intense hostility

(Side note: if you were a football fan, you would feel enmity towards a rival team)

Ex 1. What are the sources of enmity against us, and how could those sources be reduced?

Ex 2. I don't understand his enmity towards his parents.

Eclipsed

Verb. Deprive or lower the significance, power, or prominence of something or someone

Synonyms: Outshine, surpass, overshadow, exceed.

Ex 1. The state of the economy has eclipsed the environment as the main issue.

Frivolous

(Def #1) Adj. Not having any serious purpose or value

Ex. There are rules in place to stop frivolous lawsuits from advancing.

(Def #2) Adj. Someone carefree and not serious

The man's frivolous attitude made him a perfect contender for the clown role at the birthday party.

Gawky

Adj. nervously awkward

Synonyms: awkward, socially awkward, shy, nervous

The gawky boy struggled to even get a word out when talking to their crush for the first time.

Countenance

(Def #1) Noun. A person's face or facial expression

Ex. The young gentleman's countenance exhibited an air of indifference as he observed the gathering.

(Def #2) Verb. Admit as acceptable or possible (tolerate, permit, allow)

Ex. He was reluctant to countenance the use of force.

Assemblages

Noun. A collection or gathering of things or people

Ex. London's museum contains one of the most impressive assemblages of original classic documents in the world.

Clasping

Verb. To hold someone or something firmly in your hands or arms

Synonyms: grasp, grip, hang onto

Ex 1. He was clasping the vase tightly, terrified of dropping it.

Ex 2. She clasped her son in her arms.

Distort

(Def #1) Verb. Pull or twist out of shape (change in shape in a negative way)

Ex. The globules distorted as the cold temperature caused them to lose their circular properties.

(Def #2) Verb. give a misleading or false account of impression of

Ex. Many factors can distort results.

(Def #3) Verb. change the form of an electrical signal or sound wave during transmission

Ex. You are distorting the sound by messing with the radio.

Extol

Verb. Praise enthusiastically

Ex. He extolled the values of the Indian tribe.

Esteem

(Def #1) Noun. Respect and admiration, typically for a person (respect, admiration)

Ex. He was held in high esteem by colleges.

(Def #2) Verb. To respect and admire

Many of these qualities are esteemed by companies.

Relish

Verb. greatly enjoy something

She swung a mouthful of wine with relish.

Buttress

(Def #1) Noun. a source of defense or support

Ex. She clung to her faith as a buttress to deal with the awful news.

(Def #2) Verb. increase the strength of or justification for; reinforce (strengthen, reinforce, fortify, support)

Ex. The theory has been buttressed by the experiments' results.

Prefiguring

Verb. Being an early indicator of (foreshadow)

Ex. Small slave disobedience prefigured larger slave rebellions that soon followed.

Paucity

Noun. something in small or insufficient amounts/quantities (something scarce)

Synonym: scarcity

Ex. There was a paucity of information regarding early humans.

Profusion

Noun. an abundance or large quantity of something (abundance, a lot)

Ex. The grass was covered in a profusion of yellow flowers.

Verisimilitude

Noun. the appearance of being true or real

Synonyms: plausible realism, genuine credibility

Ex. In terms of Hollywood verisimilitude, the movie is extremely accurate.

Cordial

(Def #1) Adj. warm and friendly

Ex. The environment at the spa was cordial and relaxed.

Cordially:

(Def #1) Adverb. in a warm and friendly way

Ex. He was greeted cordially by the boss for the first time.

(Def #2) Adverb. with intense feeling

Ex. Hitler was cordially detested by Americans for his brutality and racial discrimination.

Preclude

Verb. Prevent from happening; make impossible (could be to prevent someone from doing something)

Synonyms: prevent, make impossible, rule out

Ex. The secret nature of his work at the government precluded him from obtaining official recognition.

Ex 2. The spy's life precluded him from leading a normal life.

Ex 3. Bike readers must always be attentive to their surroundings to preclude accidents from happening.

Conjecture

Noun. an opinion or conclusion made based on incomplete information (a guess, belief, suspicion)

Ex. Conjectures about the British man's origin in the American army were varied (basically made up ideas).

As a verb (to form the opinion on the lack of info):

Ex. Many conjectured the jury would not agree with the lawyer; however, to the audience's surprise, they did.

Magnanimous

Adj. Generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person

Synonyms: generous, benevolent, charitable

Ex 1. It is difficult to see many magnanimous CEOs nowadays.

Ex 2. In a magnanimous gesture, the leading actor gave their role to the secondary actor.

Copious

Adj. Abundant in supply or quantity

Synonym: large amounts

Ex 1. There was a copious amount of work to be done today.

Ex 2. To prepare for the exam, she made sure to take copious notes during class.

Altruistic

Noun. unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others

Ex. The police officer diving to take the bullet for the civilian was an altruistic act.

Ex 1. The volunteers at the child's hospital deserve a lot of credit for their unpaid, altruistically motivated work.

Brandish

Verb. Wave or flourish something (often a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement

Ex. The man leaped out of the closet brandishing a knife to get the robber to stand down.

Flourish

Verb. Wave something around to attract the attention of others

Ex. "Happy New Year!," he yelled, flourishing a bottle of whiskey.

Concordant

Adj. In agreement; consistent

Ex. The answers to the teacher's question were fairly concordant (all the questions were very similar).

Congenial

(Def #1) Adj. a person who gets well with others; agreeable, pleasant

Synonyms: like-minded, friendly, compatible

Ex. The man struggled to make a congenial friend to keep him company.

Ex. 2. Many drink to be congenial and have a good time.

(Def #2) Adj. A thing that is pleasant or agreeable because it is suited to one's taste or inclination

Synonyms: pleasant, pleasing, enjoyable

Ex. He would refuse to eat anything not congenial to his taste buds, even if that meant an unhealthy diet.

Ex 2. He chose to go live in a climate more congenial to his wardrobe.

Momentous

Adj. A decision, event, or change, of great importance or significance (especially towards the future)

Synonyms: important, significant, historic

Ex. The aftermath of the Civil War was a period of momentous changes for African Americans.

Transpose

Verb. To change the position or order of two or more things

Ex. We often accidentally transpose letters when typing. (You move around letters by accident when writing out words).

Ex. 2. The confusion at the office was caused when the new employee had transposed the two bank numbers.

Sporadic

Adj. Occurring irregularly or only at a few places

Synonyms: occasional, infrequent, irregular, periodical, scattered

Ex. Despite the police's effort to lower crime, there is still sporadic crime throughout the city. (Basically, random crime all over the place. It's scattered)

Constrict

(Def #1) Verb. Make narrower (tighten, compress)

Ex. The poison is extremely deadly as it constricts blood vessels.

(Def #2) Verb. Inhibit or restrict (impede, restrict, limit)

Ex. The fear of failure constricts many people's lives to a life of no risk.

Nebulous

Adj. A concept or idea that is unclear or vague

Synonyms: unclear, vague, indistinct

Ex. Abstract art is often considered nebulous as many people have different views on what a piece may truly represent.

Preponderance

Noun. Being greater in number quality, or importance

Synonyms: prevalence, majority, great quantity, almost all

Ex. A recent survey conducted in Japan determined a preponderance of women among elderly people.

Ex 2.The preponderance of evidence clearly demonstrates that the Vietnamese did not attack the Americans - as had been previously thought.

Jargon

Noun. special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand (like medical jargon).

Synonyms: technical language, specialized language

The document utilized extensive legal jargon, meaning a lawyer would be required for the family to understand what the warrant meant.

Appreciable

Adj. sufficient to be noticed or measured

Synonyms: significant, considerable, sustain, sizeable

Ex. Tea and coffee both contain appreciable amounts of caffeine; thus, making them a popular morning drink.

Ex 2. The company's profits have grown appreciably these past few years.

Capacious

Adj. having a lot of space; roomy (spacious)

Synonyms: spacious, amble, big, roomy, sizeable

Ex. I found the house we rented quite capacious, having enough space to put all my items.

Dispassionate

Adj. not influenced by strong emotion, and so able to be rational and impartial

Synonyms: unemotional, emotionless

Ex. She dealt with life's disasters and challenges in a dispassionate way.

Ex 2. The new play, instead of eliciting an emotional response in the audience, encouraged the audience to be dispassionate as they critically think of the socio-political themes present.

Ameliorate

Verb. make something bad better

Synonyms: better, improve

Ex. The reform passed by the government did little to ameliorate living standards for the poor.

Disseminate

Verb. spread something (especially information) widely

Synonyms: spread, circulate, distribute

Ex. The government should always value disseminating information on important matters as a top priority.

Ex. 2. Our job as journalists is to disseminate information to the public about issues they would otherwise be unaware of.

Impervious

Adj. Not affected by something

Synonyms: unaffected by, untouched by, immune to, invulnerable to

Ex. The politician seems almost impervious to all the criticism surrounding their past.

Ex 2. The political system has been impervious to all suggestions of change proposed by the people.

Epitome/epitomize

Verb. embody, be a perfect example of

Synonyms: embody, incorporate, exemplify

Ex. Their careers epitomized the problems faced by this generation.

Ex 2. The rising prices epitomize how the economy keeps worsening.

Succinct

Adj. Briefly and clearly expressed (of something written or spoken)

Synonyms: concise, short, brief, compact, to the point

Ex. When writing speeches, politicians always aim for succinct sentences that the audience can easily grasp.

Ex 2. The diagrams in the textbook provide succinct summaries of everything you need to know for the chapter.

For all (transition phrase)

Despite, in spite of

Ex. For all her qualifications, she is still useless at the job.

Ex 2. Andrew, for all his academic knowledge, could still make questionable business decisions.

All but (transition phrase)

Essentially & more or less (Does not mean everything except)

Ex. By the time we arrived, the soccer game was all but over.(basically over)

Ex 2. Scientists found that several of the compounds all but stopped the virus. (basically stopped the virus).

Nevermore

Adverb. something that will never happen again, no future time (means never again but in old English)

Ex. After you graduate, you'll nevermore be a high school student.

Ex. 2. While I certainly enjoyed hiking, I hope I'll nevermore have to do such a thing.

Supplant

Verb. To replace

Ex. This new art form threatens to supplant the traditional form.

Ex 2. A new discovery could supplant the original findings.

Polemecist

Noun. A person who engages in a controversial debate

Ex. Politicians must be brilliant polemicists with a critical mind to succeed.

Jubilation

Noun. A feeling of great happiness and triumph (joy)

Ex. Inside the courtroom, there was no jubilation, instead it was a different scene.

Ex. 2. The soldiers broke down in jubilation when they learned the war was over.

Precocious

Adj. Advanced (normally someone who developed certain skills/abilities at a younger age than usual) - (not just in terms of intelligence though)

Synonyms: advanced, ahead of one's peers, mature

Ex. The parents knew their precocious son was destined for great things.

Abate

Verb. To reduce in amount, or degree, or intensity

Synonyms: lessen, diminish

Ex. Patients should be observed in a closed room until signs and symptoms abate to ensure the virus does not spread anymore.

Analogous

Adj. similar but not identical

Ex. Green onions are considered analogous to spring onions.

Antipathy

Noun. a strong dislike, hostile feeling

Ex. His antipathy for the professor was evident; he rolled his eyes every time he entered the room.

Austere

(Def #1) Adj. Having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance (plain, simple, basic)

Ex. The cathedral is incredibly impressive in its austere simplicity.

(Def #2) Adj. Strict in manner or attitude (stern, strict, harsh)

Ex. The man's cold and austere manner made him live a life of isolation as few could ever truly get close to him.

(Def #3) Adj. (of a way of life or living conditions) having no comforts or luxuries (self-denying, restraining)

Ex. The conditions of the prison could be hardly any more austere; in fact, if they were, it would likely be illegal.

Sublime

Adj. something so excellent or beautiful it is awe-inspiring

Synonyms: majestic, magnificent, glorious

Ex. If you're planning on going to Europe, you must Switzerland on your itinerary because of its sublime mountains.

Ex. 2. Mozart's sublime piano concertos could make anyone -- even if inexperienced with true music -- feel as if reborn.

Exalt

(Def #1) Verb or Adj (depending on if that person is regarded higher in general). to glorify or hold someone or something in high regard; think or speak highly of (praise, glorify, revere, noble)

Ex (Verb). The town will never forget what the man did for them and will continue to exalt him.

Ex (Adj). It had taken him years of fighting to reach their present exalted rank.

(Def #2) Verb. to raise to a higher power/position or rank (promote, raise)

Ex. This act would exalt the peasant above his brethren of the same rank of society.

(Def #3). Adj. In a state of extreme happiness (joy)

Ex. After hearing the wonderful news, I felt exalted and newly alive.

Meager

Adj. Something lacking quantity or quality (limited, modest) or someone/animal thin

Ex. They were forced to report their meager earnings of the invention to the company.

Ex. 2. The tall, meager man looked like a zombie as he walked through town.

Rebuke

Verb/noun: criticize/disapprove severely or angrily because of someone's actions (scold, reproach, reprimand)

Ex. His wife rebuked him for drinking so much every day.

Ex. 2. The teacher gave them a sharp rebuke for their terrible behavior.

Chide

Verb. Scold or rebuke

Ex. His mother chided him for not replying to the family's letters.

Reprimand

Verb. to scold (basically an official rebuke)

Ex. The golfer received a reprimand for his poor behavior at the golf course.

Ex. 2. The officials were either dismissed or reprimanded for their missing work.

Berate

Verb. to scold angrily

Synonyms (these past words all mean the same): reprimand, berate, reproach, chide, rebuke

Ex. His mother came out and berated me for raising my voice during mealtime.

Disincentive

Noun. something that prevents or discourages action

Ex. Spiraling house prices are beginning to act as a disincentive for further neighborhood development.

Unanimity

Noun. in complete agreement; consensus

Ex. During the revolutionary war, there was great unanimity between the colonists towards forming a new nation.

Ex. 2. There is almost complete unanimity on the issue between the council.

Dogmatic

Adj. arrogant and stubborn about one's beliefs (to strongly believe one's beliefs are true)

Ex. Working with someone dogmatic on a school project is practically impossible. Despite how good your idea may be, you always end up doing what they want.

Ex. 2. Her dogmatic beliefs began to drive away her friends and family.

Subsume

Verb. to include or contain (almost like absorbed), incorporate

Ex. Soldiers from all sorts of militaries have been subsumed into the United Nations peace-keeping force.

Ex. 2. All the small business keep being subsumed by the major monopolies.

Affinity

(Def #1) Noun. natural attraction to or liking (fondness) for someone/something

Ex. He has an affinity for Katy Perry's music because of its unique lyrics.

(Def #2) Noun. a similarity or resemblance that suggests a relationship

Ex. The building has strong affinity to traditional Greek architecture, suggesting its clear influence on it.

Auspicious

Adj. favorable; promising (something that is likely to be good)

Ex. It is not an auspicious time to hold a presidential speech as the candidate may be facing a dangerous threat.

Ex. 2. The idea of a new source of renewable energy was auspicious as, if done correctly, it could prevent more negative environmental contamination.

Futile

Adj. Useless; pointless (something that didn't produce any results)

Synonyms: ineffective, pointless, useless, worthless

Ex. That was a futile attempt by the bodyguards to keep the fans off the stage.

Ex. 2. Attempts to get resources to the troops was futile due to the blockade from the enemy.

Cumbersome

(Def #1) Adj. clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving

Ex. The cumbersome diving suits made it challenging for the group to take pictures of the marine life.

(Def #2) Adj. slow or complicated and therefore inefficient

Ex. 2. A key rule programmers follow is to never develop cumbersome code as it never successfully works in real-life applications.

Ponderous

(Def #1) Adj. Dull or excessively serious

Ex. Journalists always try to keep their articles information while never making them too ponderous to ensure reader retention.

(Def #2) Adj. slow and clumsy because of great weight

Ex. The man's ponderous footsteps could be heard from two floors down.

Crackerjack

Adj. exceptionally good (of a person or thing) -- (VERY INFORMAL THOUGH)

Ex. Your crackerjack of a performance at the school talent show made it an unforgettable experience.

Ex. 2. It's truly a shame the crackerjack of a deal did not go through; if it had, we could have retired right this day.

Shrewd

Adj. clever; astute (sharp-witted)

Ex. She was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind his unusual gesture.

Ex. 2. Joining the company turned out to be a shrewd career choice for her as she is even the CEO of the company now.

Transfiguration

Noun. a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state

Ex. Anyone who believes in heaven and Jesus will experience a transfiguration once they perish.

Ex. 2. The ghost is a transfiguration of your loved-one; therefore, instead of being afraid, you should be excited.

Surmise

Verb. suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it (to conjecture, guess, infer)

Ex. He surmised something must be wrong with his sister.

Ex. 2. The surmise of the researches, to everyone's surprise, actually turned out to be correct, further showcasing their knowledge of the topic.

Contrive

Verb. to plan cleverly; to devise (to think up, come up with, engineer)

Ex. The oil companies were accused of contriving an oil crisis as justification for their increasing prices.

Ex. 2. The prisoners contrived a way to escape the maximum security prison.

Innocuous

Adj. Harmless

Ex. The bomb was covered in a cloth to disguise it as an innocuous package.

Ex. 2. The situation at hand may seem innocuous to the inexperienced eye; however, to the scientists, it represented a clear danger.

Sardonic

Adj. being sarcastic or mocking in a way that shows you don't believe something or think it is silly

Ex. His sardonic comment about her cooking skills made everyone laugh awkwardly.

Ex. 2. With a sardonic smile, he remarked, "Oh great, another meeting. Just what I needed today."

Ascribe

Verb. to attribute something to something (attribute, assign)

Ex. She ascribed Jane's short temper today to her upset stomach.

Ex. 2. The politician ascribes the economy's success to the current government's policies.

Stipulate

Verb. to specify a condition (normally as part of an agreement)

Ex. He stipulated certain conditions before their marriage.

Ex. 2. The rules stipulate that the players must wear the uniform provided by the school.

Ex. 3. She agreed to buy the car, but stipulated racing wheels and a custom made spoiler.

Presage

Noun or Verb. a sign or warning that something (normally bad) will happen

Synonyms: foreshadow, sign, indication, warning, omen

Noun:

Ex. The fever was a presage of his deadly, final illness.

Ex. 2. When hiking it is vital to understand the weather conditions that presage a thunderstorm.

Verb:

Ex. Often calm waters presage a large tsunami is imminent.

Ex. 2. The harsh economical treatment to Germany following WW1 presaged a challenging economy.

Inextricable

(Def #1) Adj. impossible to disentangle or separate (inseparable); or impossible to escape from

Ex. Each nation is inextricable from its religious identity.

Ex. 2. The two movies are inextricably linked, making it vital to watch both to fully understand the narrative.

Ex. 3. Meetings are an inextricable part of business; therefore, one should be educated and aware of what each one may entail.

Ex. 4. The fate of the two men seems inextricably intertwined.

Ex. 5. Healthcare is inextricably linked with the welfare of the population.

Multifarious

Adj. having great variety; numerous and diverse

Ex. The multifarious activities Benjamin Franklin immersed himself in made him one of the most important figures of his time.

Ex. 2. The nation is a composite of multifarious traditions and people.

Venerable

Adj. highly respected (often because of age and thus wisdom)

Ex. YouTube is often considered one of the most venerable streaming platforms due to their huge assemblage of videos.

Ex. 2. Perhaps the most venerable and prestigious scientific journal is The Nature.

Ex. 3. The man elected for the presidency was a venerable old man.

Venerate

Verb. to regard with reverence (to revere), look up to with great respect (means to actually pay someone venerable their respect)

Ex. My father greatly venerated George Washington, even causing him to enlist into the military.

Ex. 2. President Abraham Lincoln was venerated during his presidency from people even outside of the United States.

Forerunner

Noun. person or thing that came before something/someone else (predecessor)

Ex. The icebox was a forerunner of today's modern refrigerator.

Ex. 2. The March stock market drop was a forerunner to the crash during June.

(Def #2). Noun. a sign or warning of something to come

Ex. A calm ocean with minimal waves is generally a forerunner of a tsunami.

Partisan

Noun. a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person (a supporter, follower)

Ex. President Franklin Roosevelt's policies during the Great Depression turned many African Americans into Democratic partisans.

Ex. 2. At first the young poet was a partisan of the Revolution; however, after learning of the brutal methods of the revolutionists he realized they weren't any better than the corrupt government they were fighting.

Zealot

Noun. fanatic; someone passionately devoted to a cause too far (basically goes overboard)

Synonyms: radical, extremist

Ex. The religious zealot vehemently opposes anyone who questions their beliefs.

Ex. 2. The coffee lover was a zealot regarding where his coffee was grown, who grew it, and how it was roasted.

Detractors

Noun. a person who disparages someone or something (critics)

Ex. He succeeded in proving his detractors wrong by starting his own company.

Ex. 2. Despite his work's popularity, his many detractors still believe it is overrated and often too basic.

Circumvent

Verb. find a way around; avoid (an obstacle)

Ex. We circumvented the problem by using a different program.

Ex. 2. The settlers found ways to circumvent all restrictions placed by the government.

Ex. 3. Many tend to seek loans to circumvent financial problems; however, they fail to consider how challenging it may be to pay back.

Recant

Verb. formally reject one's formerly held belief (often a religious one or heretical) -- (basically take back a belief as you no longer hold/believe it)

Heretical means to basically believe in or practice (in heresy) in beliefs against the generally accepted ones.

Synonyms: renounce, deny, reject, repudiate

Ex. He could think of nothing he had written that he would eagerly recant.

Ex. 2. Galileo was forced to recant his assertion that the Sun orbited the Earth.

Ex. 3. The newfound evidence left the researcher with no other choice but to recant their theory and admit they were wrong.

Strenuous

Adj. needing much effort; using a lot of energy

Synonyms: taxing, vigorous, arduous, difficult, hard

Ex. After an extremely strenuous climb, we finally reached the top of the mountain.

Ex. 2. After a surgery, doctors recommend to avoid strenuous exercise as it often worsens one's condition.

Ex. 3. The controversial law has faced strenuous opposition, making many wonder if there is any possibility it may be passed.

Disconcerting

Adj. causing one to feel unsettled; upsetting, frustrating

Synonyms: unsettling, disturbing, discomforting

Ex. He had a disconcerting habit of offering jobs to people he met at parties.

Ex. 2. Communist ideas are disconcerting for anyone who values democracy.

Ex. 3. She heard disconcerting sounds of heavy weapon fire and screams in the distance.

Infallible

Adj. free from error; absolutely dependable (incapable of making an error/mistake)

Ex. While most doctors are extremely well trained, they are not infallible, making it always vital to seek second opinions.

Ex. Children are infallibly curious, and thus parents must always keep a close watch of where they are and what they are doing.

(Means children are always curious pretty much, they never fail not to be curious)

Atypical

Adj. not typical or normal (abnormal)

Ex. There were atypical results for the March and May surveys, indicating that another factor may be distorting the results.

Ex. 2. The prospering economy of the small country was atypical for its region because of its small size.

Blemish

Noun or Verb. an imperfection, flaw (something that prevents something from being perfect)

Noun.

Ex. The smallest blemish on the Rolls Royce might render it unsalable.

Ex. 2. He had barely scratched his new computer, it was only a blemish.

Ex. 3. The offense were an uncharacteristic blemish on an otherwise clean record.

Verb.

Ex. His reign as world champion has been blemished by controversy.

Ex. 2. The incident ended up being a blemish on his record, potentially ruining his chances of attending his dream school.

Antecedent

Noun or Adj. something that existed before or precedes another

Ex. The Boston Tea Party was one of the key antecedents of the American Revolutionary War.

Ex. 2. Despite conventional wisdom, the Emancipation Proclamation was not the antecedent of the abolishment of slavery; in fact, many states had already abolished it far before the document was created.

Postulate

Verb. hypothesize; propose; suggest; claim/assert (normally assuming the existence, fact, or truth of something)

Ex. His theory postulated that there were billions of other planets within the universe with many likely having living organisms.

Ex. 2. Shortly prior to the Civil War, many began to challenge the postulate that African Americans benefited from slavery.

Ex. 3. If we postulate the need for change, it follows that we must take the necessary changes to obtain said change.