SAT - additional (positive/negative/neutral depending on context) words to know

adept

adept

POS - skilled

align (oneself with)

P - support or adopt the position of

authentic

POS - genuine

centrality

POS - state of being central or essential

complement

POS - to complete or perfect

comprehensive

POS - thorough, complete

contingent

POS - dependent upon

confer

POS - give, grant

cultivate

POS - grow, raise

elucidate

POS - make clear

esteemed

POS - held in high regard

invigorating

POS - intensely energizing, exciting

extant

POS - still in existence

fervor (adj. fervid)

POS - excitement, intensity

innovative

POS - new and revolutionary

mirth

POS - happiness

mitigate

POS - make less severe

precocious

POS - done at an earlier age than usual

prevail

POS - win

sovreignty

POS - political independence, self-rule

adversary

NEG - opponent

bureaucracy (adj. bureaucratic)

NEG - administrative portion of a government or organization; usually has a connotation of unnecessary hassle or complication

conventional

NEG - traditional, what has always been done; usually has a negative connotation on the SAT

displace

NEG - to force someone or something from its home or habitat

disparity (adj. disparate)

NEG - difference, gap

feign (verb)

NEG - to fake or pretend

fruitful/fruitless

NEG - productive/unproductive

haphazard

NEG - careless

impede, inhibit

NEG - prevent; get in the way of

indecipherable

NEG - incomprehensible

impenetrable

NEG - impossible to understand or access

marginal

NEG - unimportant

rudimentary

NEG - very basic

trivial

NEG - unimportant

acquisition

NEU - something received or purchased

constitute

NEU - make up, compose; often used as a more sophisticated synonym for is

corollary

NEU - a statement or condition that logically results from a proven argument

contemporary

NEU - current

contrive

NEU - think up

disposition

NEU - personality

ethics

NEU - moral principles

epistemology

NEU - branch of philosophy dealing with theory of knowledge

ideology

NEU - belief system

fluctuate

NEU - go back and forth, be unstable

inherent, innate, intrinsic

NEU - inborn, existing in something by definition

intuitive

NEU - without thought, done instinctively

lineage

NEU - a family sequence

judicial

NEU - related to the law

magnitude

NEU - large size

mutable

NEU - changeable (opp: immutable - not changeable)

preliminary

NEU - occurring before the main event

premediated

NEU - planned beforehand (usually negative but not always)

reciprocate

NEU - respond to an action or behavior with the same action/behavior

successor

NEU - person who inherits another’s position