PSAT 10 Vocabulary

Abate

To become less active, less intense, or less in amount

Similar definitions: subside, diminish, lessen

Example: "As I began my speech, my feelings of nervousness quickly         ."

Absolute value

The distance of a number from zero on the number line; it is never negative

Similar definitions: magnitude

Example: "The          of negative seventeen is seventeen."

Abstract

Existing purely in the mind; not representing actual reality

Similar definitions: theoretical, conceptual, intangible

Example: "Julie had trouble understanding the appeal of the          painting."

Acknowledge

To recognize or admit the truth of something

Similar definitions: concede, admit, recognize

Example: "She refused to          her mistake."

Adept

Having knowledge or skill, usually in a particular area

Similar definitions: skilled, proficient, accomplished

Example: "Beth loves playing the piano, but she's especially          at the violin."

Adhere

To stick to or follow closely

Similar definitions: comply, conform, abide by

Example: "You must          to the rules if you don't want to get in trouble."

Advent

The arrival or creation of something

Similar definitions: arrival, emergence, onset

Example: "The          of the printing press transformed how quickly ideas spread."

Advocate

To publicly support or recommend a cause or policy

Similar definitions: champion, endorse, promote

Example: "Several researchers          for stricter limits on nighttime lighting in cities."

Alleviate

To make a problem or pain less severe

Similar definitions: ease, relieve, lessen

Example: "The new irrigation system helped          the drought's effect on local farms."

Ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation; unclear in meaning

Similar definitions: vague, equivocal, unclear

Example: "The poem's final line is deliberately         , inviting several readings."

Ambivalent

Having mixed or conflicting feelings about something

Similar definitions: conflicted, undecided, uncertain

Example: "She was          about the offer, excited by the salary but wary of the hours."

Ameliorate

To make something better or more tolerable

Similar definitions: improve, ease, remedy

Example: "The new policy aims to          working conditions for all employees."

Amplify

To increase the strength, volume, or effect of something

Similar definitions: intensify, magnify, heighten

Example: "The microphone will          your voice."

Analogous

Comparable or similar in some particular way

Similar definitions: parallel, comparable, akin

Example: "Green onions are considered          to spring onions."

Anecdotal

Based on personal accounts rather than systematic research

Similar definitions: informal, unverified, secondhand

Example: "The claim rests on          reports rather than controlled studies."

Anomaly

Something that deviates from what is standard or expected

Similar definitions: irregularity, aberration, outlier

Example: "This result is an          and very rarely happens."

Antecedent

The noun that a pronoun refers back to; a pronoun must agree with it in number

Similar definitions: referent

Example: "In "the scientists published their data," the          of "their" is "scientists"."

Antipathy

A deep-seated feeling of dislike or aversion

Similar definitions: hostility, aversion, animosity

Example: "Her          toward the professor was obvious: she rolled her eyes whenever he entered the classroom."

Appositive

A noun phrase placed next to another noun to rename or identify it

Similar definitions: renaming phrase

Example: "In "Marie Curie, a physicist, won two Nobel Prizes," the          is "a physicist"."

Arbitrary

Based on random choice or personal whim rather than reason or system

Similar definitions: random, capricious, unjustified

Example: "The cutoff of thirty participants was         ; forty would have worked just as well."

Arcane

Known or understood by very few

Similar definitions: mysterious, obscure, esoteric

Example: "The ancient book contained          knowledge."

Arduous

Requiring great effort; difficult and tiring

Similar definitions: strenuous, laborious, grueling

Example: "The steep hike up the mountain was         ."

Arrest

To stop or bring a process to a halt (a sense distinct from taking into custody)

Similar definitions: halt, check, stop

Example: "Cooling the sample          the chemical reaction."

Articulate

To express an idea clearly and effectively in words

Similar definitions: express, convey, enunciate

Example: "The senator was able to          a complex policy in under two minutes."

Assert

To state something confidently as fact

Similar definitions: declare, claim, maintain

Example: "The author          that early cities grew around trade routes, not rivers."

Assess

To evaluate the nature, quality, or importance of something

Similar definitions: evaluate, appraise, judge

Example: "Researchers          water quality by measuring oxygen levels at several depths."

Astute

Showing sharp judgment and an ability to notice what others miss

Similar definitions: shrewd, perceptive, discerning

Example: "Her          reading of the data revealed a pattern the team had overlooked."

Attest

To serve as clear evidence or proof of something

Similar definitions: testify, confirm, corroborate

Example: "The worn stone steps          to centuries of daily use."

Attribute

To credit something as the cause or source; a characteristic belonging to something

Similar definitions: ascribe, credit, quality

Example: "Historians          the city's growth to its position on the trade route."

Augment

To increase or add to something

Similar definitions: supplement, enlarge, boost

Example: "The museum          its collection with a donation of two hundred photographs."

Austere

Severe or plain in appearance or manner; stern and without decoration

Similar definitions: stern, spare, unadorned

Example: "The monastery's          rooms held nothing but a bed and a candle."

Benevolent

Kind, generous, and well-meaning

Similar definitions: kindly, charitable, compassionate

Example: "Many cultures believe in          spirits."

Bolster

To strengthen or support something

Similar definitions: reinforce, buttress, shore up

Example: "The new fossil evidence          the theory that the species migrated north."

Candid

Truthful and straightforward, even when uncomfortable

Similar definitions: frank, forthright, blunt

Example: "Josh is          about his desire to become an actor."

Capricious

Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

Similar definitions: fickle, erratic, unpredictable

Example: "Mountain weather is notoriously         , shifting from sun to sleet within an hour."

Catalyst

Something that causes or speeds up a change or reaction

Similar definitions: trigger, spur, impetus

Example: "The strike became a          for reforms that had stalled for years."

Causation

A relationship in which one variable actually produces a change in another

Similar definitions: cause and effect

Example: "Only a controlled experiment can establish          rather than mere correlation."

Central idea

The main point a text conveys, which details and examples support

Similar definitions: main idea, thesis

Example: "A question about the          asks what the passage as a whole is arguing."

Check

To restrain or hold something back (a sense distinct from examining or verifying)

Similar definitions: restrain, curb, hold back

Example: "Dense underbrush          the spread of the fire."

Circumvent

To find a way around an obstacle or rule

Similar definitions: bypass, evade, sidestep

Example: "They found a loophole to          the rule."

Claim

A statement an author puts forward as true and expects to support

Similar definitions: assertion, contention

Example: "Every          in an argumentative text should rest on evidence."

Coalesce

To come together to form a single unified whole

Similar definitions: merge, unite, fuse

Example: "The scattered protests gradually          into a national movement."

Coefficient

The numerical factor multiplying a variable in a term

Similar definitions: multiplier

Example: "In the expression 5x squared, the          is 5."

Cogent

Clear, logical, and convincing

Similar definitions: persuasive, compelling, sound

Example: "She made a          case for redirecting the budget toward maintenance."

Coherent

Logical and consistent; forming a unified whole

Similar definitions: logical, consistent, unified

Example: "The scattered observations finally formed a          picture of the ecosystem."

Colon

A punctuation mark that introduces a list, explanation, or definition after a complete sentence

Similar definitions: : mark

Example: "A          must be preceded by a complete sentence, not by a fragment."

Comma splice

The error of joining two independent clauses with only a comma

Similar definitions: run-on error

Example: ""The lab closed, we went home" is a          and needs a semicolon or a conjunction."

Compelling

Evoking strong interest or attention; convincingly persuasive

Similar definitions: persuasive, gripping, forceful

Example: "The debater gave a          argument that changed several minds in the room."

Complementary angles

Two angles whose measures add up to 90 degrees

Similar definitions: angles summing to 90

Example: "Because the two acute angles of a right triangle are         , the sine of one equals the cosine of the other."

Compound

To make a problem worse by adding to it

Similar definitions: worsen, aggravate, intensify

Example: "Poor drainage          the damage caused by the storm."

Comprehensive

Complete; covering all or nearly all elements of something

Similar definitions: thorough, exhaustive, all-inclusive

Example: "The report offers a          survey of every dialect spoken in the region."

Concede

To admit that something is true, often reluctantly

Similar definitions: acknowledge, grant, yield

Example: "She          that she was wrong during the argument."

Congruent

Having exactly the same size and shape

Similar definitions: identical, equal

Example: "Two triangles are          when all three pairs of corresponding sides match."

Conjecture

A conclusion formed on incomplete evidence; a guess

Similar definitions: speculation, supposition, hypothesis

Example: "Without written records, any account of the city's founding remains         ."

Connotation

An idea or feeling a word suggests beyond its literal meaning

Similar definitions: implication, overtone, association

Example: ""Thrifty" and "stingy" share a definition but carry a very different         ."

Consensus

General agreement among a group

Similar definitions: accord, unanimity, agreement

Example: "The team finally reached a          on the decision."

Conspicuous

Clearly visible; attracting notice or attention

Similar definitions: prominent, obvious, noticeable

Example: "Veronica's red dress was          in the crowd."

Constant

A quantity in an expression or function that does not change

Similar definitions: fixed value

Example: "In the equation y = mx + b, both m and b are          for a given line."

Contend

To argue or assert a position, often against opposition

Similar definitions: argue, maintain, assert

Example: "Some historians          that the treaty was doomed before it was signed."

Contentious

Causing or likely to cause disagreement

Similar definitions: controversial, divisive, disputed

Example: "Politics are highly          these days."

Contingent

Dependent on something else happening or being true

Similar definitions: conditional, dependent, subject to

Example: "Our family ski trip is          on the weather."

Conventional

Following accepted or traditional practice

Similar definitions: orthodox, customary, standard

Example: "Her method departs sharply from the          approach to restoring frescoes."

Convey

To communicate an idea, feeling, or piece of information

Similar definitions: express, communicate, impart

Example: "The photograph          the scale of the flood better than any statistic could."

Coordinating conjunction

A word such as and, but, or so that joins two independent clauses when preceded by a comma

Similar definitions: FANBOYS conjunction

Example: "A comma plus a          can correctly join two complete sentences."

Correlation

A measure of how two variables trend together, positive when both rise

Similar definitions: association, relationship

Example: "A positive          means the line of best fit has a positive slope."

Corroborate

To confirm or support a statement with additional evidence

Similar definitions: confirm, verify, substantiate

Example: "The note signed by her father          her claim that she was absent from class that day."

Cosine

In a right triangle, the ratio of the side adjacent to an angle to the hypotenuse

Similar definitions: cos

Example: "The          of an angle equals the adjacent side divided by the hypotenuse."

Counteract

To act against something in order to reduce its effect

Similar definitions: offset, neutralize, counterbalance

Example: "This ingredient seems to          the other ones."

Counterargument

A view opposed to the author's that the author raises in order to answer it

Similar definitions: objection, rebuttal

Example: "The essay strengthens its case by addressing the strongest          directly."

Cultivate

To develop or nurture something deliberately over time

Similar definitions: foster, nurture, develop

Example: "Over two decades she          a reputation for meticulous fieldwork."

Currency

The state of being widely accepted or in circulation

Similar definitions: acceptance, prevalence, circulation

Example: "The theory gained          among biologists in the 1990s."

Curtail

To cut short or reduce the extent of something

Similar definitions: restrict, limit, trim

Example: "Budget cuts          the expedition from six months to three weeks."

Dangling modifier

A modifying phrase with no logical word in the sentence to describe

Similar definitions: misrelated modifier

Example: ""Walking to school, the rain began" contains a         , since the rain was not walking."

Deficient

Lacking some necessary quality or element

Similar definitions: inadequate, insufficient, wanting

Example: "I feel as though the sources for my paper are         ."

Delineate

To describe or outline something precisely

Similar definitions: outline, define, map out

Example: "The opening chapter          the three phases of the migration."

Denounce

To publicly criticize or condemn something as wrong

Similar definitions: condemn, criticize, censure

Example: "Several scientists          the study as methodologically unsound."

Dependent clause

A clause with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence

Similar definitions: subordinate clause

Example: ""Because the sample was contaminated" is a          and needs a main clause."

Deplete

To use up or reduce the supply of something

Similar definitions: exhaust, drain, consume

Example: "Repeated harvests          the soil of nitrogen."

Deter

To discourage someone from acting, usually through doubt or fear

Similar definitions: discourage, dissuade, inhibit

Example: "Steep fines did little to          illegal dumping along the riverbank."

Detrimental

Causing harm or damage

Similar definitions: harmful, damaging, injurious

Example: "Road salt proved          to the roadside plants."

Deviate

To depart from an established course or standard

Similar definitions: diverge, stray, digress

Example: "When the new evidence was uncovered the lawyer          from the original plan."

Diminish

To make or become smaller, weaker, or less important

Similar definitions: decrease, lessen, reduce

Example: "The politician's influence has          over time."

Discern

To perceive or recognize something that is not obvious

Similar definitions: detect, distinguish, make out

Example: "It is hard to          any trend in the data before 1950."

Discount

To regard something as unimportant or unreliable (a sense distinct from reducing a price)

Similar definitions: dismiss, disregard, downplay

Example: "Reviewers          the earliest measurements because the instrument was uncalibrated."

Discredit

To harm the reputation or believability of something

Similar definitions: disprove, undermine, invalidate

Example: "The follow-up study          the original findings."

Discrepancy

A difference or inconsistency between things that should match

Similar definitions: inconsistency, disparity, mismatch

Example: "A          between the two ledgers pointed to a clerical error."

Discriminant

The expression under the radical in the quadratic formula, which reveals how many real solutions an equation has

Similar definitions: b squared minus 4ac

Example: "A negative          means the quadratic has no real solutions."

Disparage

To speak of someone or something in a belittling way

Similar definitions: belittle, denigrate, deride

Example: "The politician          his opponent's ideas on tax cuts."

Disparate

Essentially different in kind; not able to be compared easily

Similar definitions: dissimilar, divergent, distinct

Example: "Many European countries have          Christmas traditions."

Disseminate

To spread information widely

Similar definitions: circulate, distribute, broadcast

Example: "Pamphlets were the fastest way to          news before the telegraph."

Diverge

To move apart or differ from one another

Similar definitions: differ, deviate, branch off

Example: "My parents' opinions on politics began to          as they grew older."

Domain

The set of all input values for which a function is defined

Similar definitions: input set

Example: "The          of a rational function excludes any value that makes the denominator zero."

Dormant

Temporarily inactive but capable of becoming active

Similar definitions: inactive, latent, quiescent

Example: "The volcano beneath Mount Fuji has been          for centuries."

Dubious

Doubtful; not to be relied upon

Similar definitions: questionable, suspect, doubtful

Example: "The manuscript's origin is         , and several scholars consider it a forgery."

Earnest

Sincere and serious in intention or conviction

Similar definitions: sincere, heartfelt, wholehearted

Example: "He felt terrible about breaking the mirror and made an          apology."

Efficacy

The ability to produce a desired result

Similar definitions: effectiveness, potency, usefulness

Example: "Trials confirmed the vaccine's          against the newer variant."

Elicit

To draw out a response, answer, or reaction

Similar definitions: evoke, provoke, extract

Example: "The survey was designed to          honest answers about study habits."

Eloquent

Fluent and persuasive in speech or writing

Similar definitions: articulate, expressive, moving

Example: "His speech was not only          but also extremely compelling."

Elucidate

To make something clear; to explain

Similar definitions: clarify, illuminate, explain

Example: "A single diagram          what three pages of text had obscured."

Elusive

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve

Similar definitions: evasive, slippery, hard to pin down

Example: "Nothing became clearer, and the answer remained         ."