PSAT VOCAB

concede | Verb. To admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it.
Example: I was forced to concede that my opponent had a strong argument.

consensus | Noun. A general agreement.
Example: The group of friends found it nearly impossible to come to a consensus.

corroborate | Verb. To confirm or give support to a theory or finding.
Example: The thief could not produce any friend or family to corroborate his story.

decisive | Adjective. Settling an issue; producing a definite result.
Example: Megan scored a decisive victory in the game.

deference | Noun. Humble submission and respect.
Example: The student spoke with deference to his master.

degrade | Verb. To treat or regard someone with contempt or disrespect.
Example: The note degraded employees who were late.

denounce | Verb. To publicly declare to be wrong or evil.
Example: The principal was expected to denounce graphic T-shirts.

dispute | Noun. A disagreement, argument, or debate.
Example: A verbal agreement can lead to a dispute if not followed.

divergent | Adjective. Tending to be different or develop in different directions.
Example: Students took divergent paths in their papers.

dormant | Adjective. Having normal physical functions suspended; in or as if in a deep sleep.
Example: The volcano now lies dormant.

eloquent | Adjective. Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
Example: Shakespeare’s sonnets are eloquent poems.

evoke | Verb. To bring or recall to the conscious mind.
Example: National anthems evoke feelings of pride.

exert | Verb. To make a physical or mental effort.
Example: Olympiad competitors exert great mental energy.

explicit | Adjective. Stated clearly and in detail.
Example: Classroom rules were explicit.

imminent | Adjective. About to happen.
Example: A rainstorm is imminent.

impede | Verb. To delay or prevent by obstructing.
Example: The council attempted to impede the drive-thru project.

adhere | Verb. To believe in and follow practices.
Example: It can be difficult to adhere to a workout regimen.

advocate | Verb. To publicly recommend or support.
Example: The company promised to advocate for better conditions.

allude | Verb. To suggest or call attention to indirectly.
Example: She didn’t mean to allude to her ex during the discussion.

ambiguous | Adjective. Open to more than one interpretation.
Example: Her group project remarks were ambiguous.

analogy | Noun. A comparison showing similarity.
Example: Some describe ocean waves as analogies for life.

blunt | Verb. To weaken the force of something.
Example: The commissioner blunted criticism by citing success.

concise | Adjective. Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
Example: She summed up the event with a concise phrase.

bias | Noun. Prejudice in favor of or against one thing or person.
Example: Her views showed clear bias against the issue.

assert | Verb. To state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.
Example: The officer asserted how serious the violation was.

explicit (duplicate) | Adjective. Clearly stated and detailed.
Example: The rules were explicitly posted above her desk.

implicit | Adjective. Implied though not plainly expressed.
Example: Her reaction implied an implicit understanding.

impose | Verb. To take advantage by demanding attention or commitment.
Example: The mayor imposed a curfew on residents.

indifference | Noun. Lack of interest, concern, or sympathy.
Example: He responded with indifference to the road trip idea.

inevitable | Adjective. Certain to happen; unavoidable.
Example: The dress code made rule-breaking inevitable.

invoke | Verb. To cite or appeal to as an authority.
Example: He invoked his father’s name to avoid punishment.

ironic | Adjective. Happening in the opposite way than expected.
Example: It’s ironic that the tech site was listed as down.

novel | Adjective. New or unusual in an interesting way.
Example: Galileo’s novel ideas were once rejected.

obscure | Adjective. Not discovered or known about; uncertain.
Example: His movie references were obscure.

obsolete | Adjective. No longer produced or used; out of date.
Example: Her phone became obsolete after a year.

oppressive | Adjective. Inflicting hardship; weighing heavily.
Example: The oppressive heat exhausted the team.

pervasive | Adjective. Spreading widely, often in an unpleasant way.
Example: The smell was pervasive in the boat’s hull.

prevalence | Noun. The fact of being widespread or common.
Example: Transfer student prevalence affected team rosters.

prominent | Adjective. Important or famous.
Example: George Washington is a prominent American president.

provoke | Verb. To stimulate or cause a reaction, especially unwelcome.
Example: He provoked me into an argument again.

reciprocate | Verb. To respond to a gesture or action with a similar one.
Example: She reciprocated the Christmas gift with her own.

reconcile | Verb. To restore friendly relations.
Example: William apologized to reconcile after the disagreement.

Front (Term): refute
Back (Definition): to prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove
Example: Scientists often publish papers meant to refute theories that they have disproven through experimentation.

Front (Term): renounce
Back (Definition): to formally declare one’s abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession)
Example: In a shocking move, the king has decided to renounce his right to the throne, sending the country into a panic.

Front (Term): repression
Back (Definition): the restraint, prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality, etc.
Example: When citizens of a nation endure long periods of political repression, it can lead to verbal or physical altercations throughout that country.

Front (Term): retain
Back (Definition): to continue to have (something); keep possession of
Example: In an effort to retain her position as class president, Cynthia put up flyers asking for students' votes in the upcoming election.

Front (Term): skeptical
Back (Definition): not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations
Example: Bryce was skeptical of his order's estimated arrival date; past orders from the same company had taken a week longer than advertised.

Front (Term): speculate
Back (Definition): to form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence
Example: The lawyer refused to speculate on the outcome of the trial, but was hopeful that her client would be found innocent.

Front (Term): substantiate
Back (Definition): to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of
Example: The researcher ran a series of experiments hoping to substantiate her theory of magnetic influence before presenting it to her supervisor for review.

Front (Term): subtle
Back (Definition): so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe
Example: A slight cough from a friend can be a subtle indication that the friend wishes to depart from a social situation in which they feel uncomfortable.

Front (Term): supplement
Back (Definition): something that completes or enhances something when added to it
Example: Milk is often considered the perfect supplement to cereal, though other liquids have become popular choices in recent years.

Front (Term): tenuous
Back (Definition): very weak or slight
Example: With just seconds to go in the game, the team clung to a tenuous one-point lead.

Front (Term): undermine
Back (Definition): to lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of
Example: Michael practically ran on his way to school, worried that a mark of tardy would undermine his perfect attendance record.

Front (Term): underscore
Back (Definition): to emphasize or draw attention to
Example: 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.

Front (Term): unobtrusive
Back (Definition): not conspicuous or attracting attention
Example: Garbage cans at Disney World are painted to be as unobtrusive as possible, often blending into their surroundings.

Front (Term): validate
Back (Definition): to check or prove the validity or accuracy of (something)
Example: The clerk refused to validate my license, noting that it expired one month ago.

Front (Term): verisimilitude
Back (Definition): the appearance of being true or real
Example: Despite being a work of fiction, the movie possessed such authentic characters and believable dialogue that critics praised it for its verisimilitude.

Front (Term): viable
Back (Definition): capable of working successfully; feasible
Example: The hiring supervisor was pleased to find that so many viable candidates had applied for the position.