SAT Princeton Review Vocab (Paul Merrill)

advocate

to publicly recommend or support

Upon his appointment, the new vice president of the company promised to advocate for increased vacation time for all employees.

assert

to state a fact or belief confidently

After listening to the rest of the board members shout over each other, Dominic felt the need to assert that this time could have been better spent offering practical solutions to the issue.

bolster

to support or strengthen; prop up

To bolster the thesis of his history paper, Jeremy cited a series of works by other authors who had argued against single-house legislatures.

concede

to admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it

After an intense debate, I was forced to concede that my opponent had a strong argument regarding the need for district-wide budget reallocation.

dispute

to engage in an argument or cast doubt upon

The employee went to dispute his first paycheck when he found it to be substantially lower than what was promised in his offer letter.

proponent

a person who argues for a theory, proposal, or concept

Dr. Kerrigan was a huge proponent of proper intestinal health, as she believed all disease could be traced back to the digestive system.

refute

to prove a statement or theory to be wrong or false; disprove

Scientists often publish papers meant to refute theories that they have disproven through experimentation.

repudiate

to refuse to accept or be associated with

Any time one of her friends advised her to try online dating, Becky would repudiate the suggestion completely, as she had been deceived by inaccurate photos or descriptions too many times.

skeptical

not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations

Bryce was skeptical of his order’s estimated arrival date: past orders from the same company had taken a week longer than advertised.

undermine

to lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of a person or idea

Michael practically ran on his way to school, worried that a mark of tardy would undermine his perfect attendance record.

adhere

to believe in and follow the practices of

It can be difficult to adhere to a workout regimen without coaching and discipline.

buttress

to increase the strength of or justification for; to reinforce

The commissioner has promised to train 30 new recruits by the end of the year in order to buttress the police force as the city’s borders expand.

cohesion

the action of forming a united whole

Mr. Johnson hoped that the team-building exercises he had scheduled for his department’s work retreat would lead to a better sense of cohesion around the office.

consensus

a general agreement

After several hours of voting which had seemed fated to end the assembly in a stalemate, a series of clever compromises helped the majority of voters reach a consensus.

converge

to come together to form a new whole

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers converge to form the Ohio River.

corroborate

to confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding

The thief claimed to have an alibi at the time of the crime but could not produce any friend or family to corroborate his story.

foster

to encourage or promote the development of

The student council opened up the vote on the new school lunch policy to the entire student body in order to foster a greater sense of school community participation.

reconcile

to restore friendly relations between

William texted Caleb an apology as a means to reconcile following their recent disagreement.

substantiate

to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of

The researcher ran a series of experiments hoping to substantiate her theory of engine mechanics before presenting it to her supervisor for review.

supplement

something that completes or enhances something else when added to it

Milk is often considered the perfect supplement to cereal, though other liquids have become popular choices in recent years.

curtail

to reduce in extent or quantity

The new office timecard system was designed to curtail unauthorized extensions of lunch and break times.

degrade

to treat or regard something with contempt or disrespect

The harsh note taped to the bulletin board in the employee break room was clearly meant to degrade those who were not clocking in on time.

denounce

to publicly declare to be wrong or evil

The principal was expected to denounce graphic t-shirts as unacceptable school attire, but she surprised everyone when she stated that she considered them to be an important part of self-expression.

impede

to delay or prevent someone or something by obstructing; to hinder

The city council attempted to impede the fast-food restaurant’s efforts to install a drive-thru window.

impose

to force a rule or punishment to be accepted or obeyed

The major has decided to impose a curfew upon residents of his town.

mandate

to order something be done or someone behave a certain way

The new law would mandate that employers offer tuition reimbursement for continuing education courses.

obstruct

to block or deliberately make something difficult

The extra forms that need to be filled out just to speak to a supervisor needlessly obstruct what used to be a relatively streamlined process.

oppressive

unjustly inflicting hardship and constraint; weighing heavily on the mind or spirits

The heat of the jungle was so oppressive that the expedition team took breaks twice as often as planned.

preclude

to make impossible

The legal concept of double jeopardy was established to preclude the possibility of an individual being wrongly tried twice for the same criminal offense.

repression

the restraint, prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality, etc.

When citizens of a nation endure long periods of political repression, it can lead to verbal or physical altercations throughout that country.

bias

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair

Though she promised to be free of bias, it became evident very quickly that my mom preferred a dog over a cat as a potential pet.

culpable

guilty or worthy of blame

Though he insisted upon his innocence, it was clear from video evidence and eyewitness testimony that the bank thief was indeed culpable for the robbery.

decisive

settling an issue; producing a definite result

Megan’s four first-half goals helped to score a decisive victory for her field hockey team, which won the game in a shutout.

deduce

to arrive at a conclusion through reasoning

Based on the hastily made bed and poorly folded clothes, Carla was able to deduce that her son had rushed the task of cleaning his room in order ot get the chore over with.

equity

the quality of being fair or impartial

Among Judge Robertson’s best qualities is his sense of equity: he never lets his personal feelings toward a crime or criminal affect the length and severity of the judgements that he imposes.

pragmatic

dealing with things in a sensible or realistic manner; practical

The new governor’s pragmatic approach to tackling the state’s’ budget deficit one step at a time was considered a welcomed departure from the radical ideas of her predecessor.

renounce

to formally declare one’s abandonment of a claim, right, or possession

In a shocking move, the king has decided to renounce his right to the throne, sending the country into a panic.

speculate

to form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence

The lawyer refused to speculate on the outcome of the trial, but she was hopeful that her client would be found innocent.

validate

to check or prove the validity or accuracy of something

The clerk refused to validate my license, nothing that it expired one month ago.

(find or prove something as true, not just to check it)

vindicate

to clear someone of blame or suspicion

Upset that he had been accused of staying home sick to avoid an exam, Xander hoped that a formal doctor’s note would vindicate him in his teacher’s eyes.

allude

to suggest or call attention to indirectly; to hint at

I didn’t mean to allude to your past breakup when discussing celebrity romances that ended badly.

anecdote

a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Our professor opened the semester with a number of humorous anecdotes about excuses he has heard from students who missed class.

analogous

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared

The rocking of a ship against the waves has been described by some as analogous to the ups and downs of a rollercoaster ride.

brevity

concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

Sabrina’s notes were known for their brevity, as entire concepts were often summed up into a small series of words and phrases.

eloquent

fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing

Shakespeare’s sonnets are considered some of the most eloquent poems in British literature.

explicit

stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt

The teacher’s classroom rules were explicit; they were written on a poster right above her desk.

implicit

implied but not plainly expressed

The teacher’s classroom rules were implicit; although the rules were not openly stated anywhere, all of the students knew what they should and should not do.

ironic

happening in the opposite way from what is expected, and typically causing amusement because of this

It is ironic that the tech support company’s website was listed as down for maintenance.

juxtapose

to place close together for contrasting effect

Video production teams working on horror movies with often juxtapose darker scenes with livelier music to create a deeper sense of tension and discomfort within the viewer.

underscore

to emphasize or drawn attention to

Margaux came to her presentation with a series of handouts for her colleagues, hoping this would underscore the amount of work she had put into her project.

elicit

to drawn out a response or fact from someone

Through a series of carefully crafted questions, the professor hoped to elicit the answer to the geography question from her students, which would prove that they already knew the correct information.

evince

to reveal the presence of a quality or feeling

Benjamin’s numerous social media posts within just one day of returning from his vacation were clearly meant to evince the enjoyment he had felt during his trip.

evoke

to bring or recall to the conscious mind

A country’s national anthem is meant to evoke feelings of pride in its citizens.

exert

to make a physical or mental effort

Math Olympiad competitors exert a tremendous amount of mental energy solving calculations while under a time limit.

induce

to succeed at influencing or persuading someone to do something

The solid wall of disgruntled supermarket workers in the parking lot was meant to induce potential customers to shop for their groceries elsewhere.

invoke

to cite or appeal to someone or something as an authority for an action or in support of an argument

The police captain’s son would often invoke his father’s name to get himself out of trouble.

provoke

to stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one, in someone

I knew I couldn’t let Anthony provoke me into an argument again, as he often did.

reciprocate

to respond to a gesture or action by making a corresponding one

Jennifer was so touched by the Christmas gift she received from Isabelle that she made plans to reciprocate as soon as she could get to the mall.

resilient

able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions

Others may have crumpled under the sheer number of last-minute reservations, but Hector was resilient, handling each frantic request with calm professionalism.

strenuous

requiring or expanding great effort

The groundskeepers began the strenuous task of preparing the football field and all of its associated facilities for the upcoming season.

economical*

marked by careful, efficient, and prudent use of resources; thrifty

The trend points to a clear move toward smarter, more economical travel without sacrificing the joy of discovery.

obscure

not discovered or known about; uncertain

John’s pop culture references were so remarkably obscure that his friends could go for hours without knowing a single actor or movie he mentioned.

demarcate*

to set, mark, or draw the boundaries of something

The stone wall was built to demarcate the edge of the property

invalidate*

to prove that an argument, theory, or claim is wrong or unsound
to make something legally void or officially unacceptable

The new experimental data completely invalidates the scientist's original hypothesis.
Casting two votes on the same ballot will automatically invalidate your vote.

prudent

marked by wisdom, judiciousness, or restraint

It would be prudent to review the contract carefully before signing it.

cordially

acting in a warm, sincere, friendly, and polite manner

He greeted the guests cordially.

antecedent

a preceding event, cause, or thing that comes before another

predecessor

The rotary phone is the historical antecedent of today's portable smartphone.

(relating to the PAST)

impending

something about to happen very soon

They evacuated the coastal town in advance of the impending hurricane.

(relating to the FUTURE)

sanction

penalty, punishment / to penalize, punish
permission / to permit

Without realistic sanctions, teachers have difficulty keeping order in the classroom.
His actions were not sanctioned by his superiors.

rationalize

to attempt to find logical, plausible reasons to explain or justify behavior, beliefs, or decisions

She tried to rationalize her impulsive shopping spree by claiming the expensive items were actually long-term investments.

contempt

feeling of superiority and strong disapproval or disgust toward someone or something

He spoke about his political opponents with open contempt.

deferential

a polite, respectful, and submissive attitude shown toward someone considered to be a superior, elder, or authority figure

Out of respect for his grandmother's age and wisdom, he took a deferential approach and asked for her blessing before making the announcement.

cumbersome

awkward to handle, carry, or manage, usually because of its large size, heavy weight, or complex design

The heavy couch was far too cumbersome to squeeze through the narrow apartment door.
Filing for the small business permit turned out to be a cumbersome and time-consuming process.

paradoxically

something that happens or exists in a seemingly contradictory, self-defeating, or absurd way

Paradoxically, the stricter the new rules became, the more people found ways to break them.

ambivalence

the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

Understandably, Jillian struggled with ambivalence regarding the group project: she loved working with her friends but felt that the work was never divided evenly.

apprehensive

anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen

Lauren was apprehensive about her upcoming violin recital: she had practiced enough but had never performed in front of more than four or five people.

arbitrary

based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system

The town’s enforcement of parking rules felt arbitrary, as some days the rules would be strictly enforced and other days it seemed impossible to get a ticket no matter how severe the infraction.

diconcerting

causing one to feel unsettled or worried

With their car’s tank running on low, the friends found the continual lack of a gas station anywhere along their route increasingly disconcerting.

erratic

irregular in pattern or movement

After being dropped into the pool, the cell phone displayed increasingly erratic behavior: it would work perfectly one minute then freeze entirely the next.

indecipherable

not able to be read or understood

Braden was in such a rush to complete his English essay that the entire conclusion was deemed indecipherable by his professor.

jarring

inconsistent in a striking or shocking way

The difficulty of the final statistics exam was such a jarring departure from the normal simplicity of the professor’s tests that the students felt compelled to ask her if there was an error.

tenuous

very weak or slight

With just seconds to go in the game, the team clung to a tenuous one-point lead.

vexation

the state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried

Carla could not hide her vexation at her son for arriving home two hours past curfew without telling her ahead of time.

compelling

evoking interest, attention, or admiration

Despite her awareness of the mountain of homework she had to do, Lara found the current storyline of her favorite television show too compelling to pass up starting another episode.

congenial

pleasant, friendly, or agreeable

Known as quite the congenial host, Davante made sure the atmosphere of his game nights was welcoming to friends both old and new.

deference

humble submission and respect

The student spoke with deference to his instructor when discussing the proper application of a mixed martial arts technique.

meticulous

showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise

Ruchi was incredibly meticulous in the production of her photos on her social media page: the lighting, filter, and exposure were each precisely adjusted to enhance the visual quality of her subjects.

novel

new or unusual in an interesting way

Novel ideas, such as Galileo’s model for the Earth revolving around the Sun, usually take time to be accepted by those comfortable with traditional views.

profound

having or showing great knowledge or insight

Marie Curie’s understanding of chemistry and radioactivity was profound: she discovered the elements radium and polonium, and her work in radiation therapy would save millions of lives.

prominent

important; famous

One of the most prominent American presidents, George Washington is often noted as having set numerous presidential precedents that continue to this day.

unobtrusive

not conspicuous or attracting attention

Garbage cans at the theme park are painted to be as unobtrusive as possible, often blending into their surroundings.

verisimilitude

the appearance of being true or real (not necessarily true)

Despite being a work of fiction, the movie possessed such authentic characters and believable dialogue that critics praised it for its verisimilitude.

viable

capable of working successfully; feasible

The hiring supervisor was pleased to find that so many viable candidates had applied for the position.

rudimentary

very basic, elementary, or at the earliest stages of development (primitive, crude)

crude

something in its natural, raw, or unrefined state
crude language: words, phrasing, or humor that is vulgar, offensive, or explicit

His carpentry skills were evident in the crude wooden table he built.

preponderance

the quality or fact of having a greater amount, number, weight, or influence (majority)

The preponderance of waste in my trash bin is plastic.

prospect

-the possibility of something happening in the future, a potential customer, or a promising candidate
There is little prospect of the weather improving this week
The sales team spent the morning calling new prospects.

-A wide, expansive, or panoramic view of a landscape
The restaurant terrace offered a marvelous prospect of the valley.

efficacy

the ability of something (like a medicine, treatment, or method) to produce a specific, desired result under ideal and controlled conditions

The board questioned the efficacy of the new marketing strategy in boosting sales.

repercussions

the indirect, often unintended, and typically negative consequences or aftereffects that result from an action, decision, or event

The central bank's decision to unexpectedly raise interest rates had widespread repercussions for local small businesses struggling to secure loans.

dissipate

to gradually disappear, scatter, or fade away

The morning sun quickly dissipated the dense fog, allowing us to see the road.
After the heated argument, the tension in the room began to dissipate.