SAT Verbal sections terms & vocabulary

Terms and definitions useful for answer questions on the SAT Reading and Writing sections.

Vocabulary and terms for Reading Questions

Effective test-taking requires full comprehension of the questions themselves.

Some terms that will show up in test questions include:

• critical
  • important, emergency situation
  • analytical, investigated thoughtfully
• hypothetical/ hypothetically
  • = an estimate, theory
  • or, an idea or situation that is not real but could be
  • used to test a "hypothesis" or theoretical prediction or observation that has not been tested in reality
  • SAT Reading section uses it frequently for inference questions
    • i.e., "Given the hypothetical condition, then..." = "if this were true, then..."
• merely
  • = "only"
  • the SAT frequently measures student comprehension of this word
  • note that "merely" is different from "a little," "a few" or "few"
• nevertheless
  • = "yes, but..."
  • used to accept a prior argument or statement, then deflect, negate, or contradict it.
  • for Reading section, transition words mark important statements an author wants to make
• skeptical
  • = doubtful, uncertain of, seeing as unproven
  • a "skeptic" is one who doubts or questions the veracity of something
  • on the SAT, the word "skeptical" may be used to indicate a perspective of doubt
    • ex., if the question asks, "Scholars are skeptical of the idea that people would behave that way"
      • = scholars doubt people would behave that way
      • i.e., use "backwards thought" or "inversion" to make sense of the question

• tone
  • "author's tone" or "passage's tone'" refers to the "feeling" or "atmosphere" of a passage
  • different "tones" may include:
    • informal, conversational
    • detailed, descriptive
    • character study, pyschological
    • light-hearted, amusing, cheerful
    • satirical, comedic
    • authoritative, academic, definitive
    • journalistic

Historical terms to know

• see SAT Reading section historical timeline & themes - A+ Club Lesson Planner & Study Guide (school4schools.wiki)

Transition word definitions (conjunctive adverbs)

• it is useful to know a "translation" or ready synonym for transition words so that they are clear when assessing possible answers
• see this entry:Transition words translations

Digital SAT Vocabulary from official practice tests (2023)

abrupt

adhere

annotate

assume

atypical

buttress

capitalize

commercialize / commercialization

conflicted

conform / conformity

contrive / contrived

deference

discern / discernable

disconcerting

disengage

disparage / disparagement

disparate

diverge

diverse

dynamic

eclipse

elusive

exasperate / exasperated

fallible

fluctuate / fluctuation

forge / forged

fragment

grapple

imminent

impartial/ impartiality

indecipherable

indifference

inexplicable

infallible

innocuous

inordinate

interject

intriguing

inventive

latent

lucrative

mandatory

mimic

momentous

nominal

novel

nuance / nuanced

obscure

obstinate

obtuse

operative

ornamental

paucity

peripheral

predatory

prescribe

presume

profuse

profusion of

proponent

quarrel

quilt (verb)

recant

reciprocate

renounce

repudiate

resilient

speculate

substantial

substantiate / substantiated

succumb

surmise

synchronize / synchronization

tedious

tenuous

underscore

unobtrusive

unprecedented

validate / validated

verisimilitude

Homophones & homonyms

assure v. ensure

prey v. pray

affect v effect