SAT Common Vocabulary

list of common words included in the SAT's vocabulary and vocabulary questions (words in context)

abate

to diminish in force or intensity

abridge

to shorten or condense

accentuate

to emphasize or highlight

adhere

to stick or cause to stick to something; to support, follow, or maintain commitment to

amenable

ready and willing to accept, agree, or cooperate; suggestible, controllable, or yielding

amend

to change or improve; to formally revise or correct

anachronistic

of or pertaining to a time period other than the current era or one being portrayed; old-fashioned or existing out of time

analogous

comparable in certain respects or similar in some way to something else

annihilate

to defeat or destroy utterly

anomalous

abnormal, peculiar, or irregular; deviating or departing from the common order, form, or rule

archetypal

perfectly representative as a specimen or the defining example of something; pertaining to the original on which other instances are patterned

attenuate

to weaken or reduce in amount, force, or magnitude; to make longer and thinner

augment

to make larger, greater, or stronger; to build on what already exists

auxiliary

providing additional aid or support

contentious

argumentative or quarrelsome; involving or inviting disagreement or strife

contrive

to make something happen through skill, planning, and ingenuity; to accomplish something foolish

conventional

customary; conforming to established practice or accepted standards

correspondence

communication by mail or text; a close comparison, agreement, or equivalence

counterfactual

false or contrary to fact; an alternate or hypothetical scenario

counterintuitive

contrary to what logic, experience, or instinct would expect

cryptic

hidden, concealed, secret, or mysterious; having hidden meaning

dearth

a scarcity, shortage, or lack

deposition

the act of deposing; testimony under oath; something placed or put down

deter

to discourage or scare away

diminution

a lessening, decrease, or reduction

discontinuous

having gaps, breaks, or intervals; not unbroken

discrepancy

a lack of agreement, consistency, or compatibility; an unexpected difference or incongruity

disparate

fundamentally different; incongruous or incompatible

efface

to eliminate, erase, or make indistinct

effectual

successful in producing a desired outcome or result; effective

emanate

to issue, originate, or flow from; to give off or emit

encompass

to include, surround, or cover a wide range

encryption

the act, state, or process of rendering information unreadable without special knowledge or keys

entanglement

the act or state of being ensnared in a complicated situation or relationship

enumerate

to count or list one by one; to provide a complete, specific, and clear account

ephemeral

lasting for a brief time; transitory; short-lived

epitome

the ideal example or embodiment of something; a summary or abstract

epoch

a long period characterized by notable events; the start of a new era

eschew

to intentionally avoid, abstain, or keep away from

esoteric

intended for, understood, or enjoyed by only a small, specialized group; abstract, niche, or mystical

exemplar

someone or something that serves as an ideal model or example

expedite

to accelerate the progress of or hasten; to accomplish quickly or efficiently

expire

to exhale or breathe out; to die or terminate

extol

to praise highly, celebrate, or glorify

extraneous

unrelated or irrelevant; external or introduced from without

extrapolate

to draw determinations or conclusions from what is already known; to conjecture or project

feral

having escaped domestication or civilization and become wild

fruitful

productive, successful, or beneficial; producing desired outcomes or results

gratify

to please or satisfy

halt

to suspend, cease, or abruptly stop; a sudden termination

harbinger

someone or something that foreshadows an event or signals the approach of another; a forerunner or precursor

haughty

proud and disdainful; arrogant and egotistical

hinder

to hold or set back; to impede, delay, or prevent

homogeneous

composed of similar or identical elements

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration or overstatement, often used as a literary or rhetorical device

iconoclasm

the belief in or act of attacking or destroying institutions, idols, and monuments

idiosyncratic

peculiar to a specific individual; having strange, specific, or distinctive habits

inane

completely lacking in sense or substance; foolish or absurd

inconsequential

of no consequence or of little importance

incredulity

disbelief or doubt

incremental

increasing or adding in small or gradual steps

indispensable

absolutely necessary; essential

latitude

relative freedom from restriction or restraint; a geographical measurement of distance north or south based on lines parallel to the equator

lethargic

feeling very listless, tired, or disinterested; torpid

lineage

a line of descent from a common ancestor or progenitor; parentage or pedigree

manifest

to exhibit or reveal plainly or distinctly; to use clear intentions, visualization, affirmation, and other indirect actions to help achieve goals and attract wealth and success

meticulous

extremely or overly careful in thinking about or dealing with small details; precise, picky, or punctilious

misconstrue

to interpret inaccurately or misunderstand

multifaceted

having many sides, aspects, or characteristics; well-rounded and complex

multifarious

varied, diverse, or manifold

oblique

slanted, tilted, or off bias

obstinate

stubbornly sticking to an opinion or course of action; inflexible; difficult to manage or control

occlude

to cause to become closed; to obstruct or hide; to shut in or out

paradox

an idea or state that seems to contradict itself but may reveal a deeper truth

paradoxical

having self-contradictory properties

perfunctory

performed with a minimum of effort or interest; cursory, hasty, or superficial

pertinent

relevant or applicable

placid

pleasantly peaceful, tranquil, or calm; showing little energy or disturbance

porosity

state or quality of containing openings or pores

precarious

unstable, insecure, or risky

preempt

to stop or forestall; to purchase or secure before others

profusion

an extremely large amount, quantity, or expenditure; extravagance or abundance

propagate

to spread, promote, or reproduce; to produce or breed organisms using natural processes

protracted

extended or prolonged; lasting longer than expected

proxy

someone or something that acts as a substitute or agent for another; something that indirectly represents or signals another

refurbish

to renovate, redecorate, or freshen up

refute

to prove wrong or false through evidence or argument; to reject or deny

repertory

a collection of works a performer or company may present

replica

a reproduction or close copy

reprimand

to admonish, condemn, or formally rebuke

resilient

able to quickly recover, adapt, or bounce back from difficulty, stress, or change

resolute

determined, purposeful, or steady; resolved

restitution

the act of restoring to a rightful owner something that has been lost or stolen; compensation for loss, damage, or injury

retrospect

contemplation of the past; to look back on

simulation

a process of enactment or imitation under anticipated conditions or rules

spurious

false, fake, or illegitimate; not genuine

subdued

muted, restrained, or controlled; quiet and reflective

substantiate

to support with evidence or show to be true; to embody or give form to

supersede

to supplant, take priority over, or cause to be set aside

tantamount

equivalent in value, meaning, or effect