SAT Verbal sections terms & vocabulary

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

These lists are mostly taken from the College Board Digital SAT practice tests 1-4 (linear versions), but are also informed by prior SAT paper tests.

Key SAT vocabulary and terms to know

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

Some key terms that will show up in test questions or passages include:

agency (n)

• a medium, method, or abilty to do something

ambiguous (adj.)

• unclear, no distinction between things, options or alternatives
• from ambi- for "both", "two or more", "wandering"
  • "ambiguity" is a state of indecision, lack of clarity

ambivalence (n.)

• unconcern with a situation or choice
• state of not caring between options

analysis (n.)

• detailed examination to determine the features or parts of something or some idea
• analysis separates the whole into the components (parts)
  • analysis wants to know "how" something works, etc., whereas, "evaluation" seeks its overall worth or value

assert / assertion

• assert (v): to make a claim
• assertion (n): a claim

bias (n), biased/ unbiased (adj)

• bias= prejudicial, opiniated, having a prior opinion
• unbaised = not having or not from an opinion

characterize (v.)

• to generalize regarding the distinctive nature or key features of someone/something
• to state in a general sense, categorize according to core features

control (n.)

• an element in an experiment that does not change
• as opposed to the "variable," which does change
  • note that in the SAT these words will be used to evaluate experiments or studies

some of which have faults because of faulty "controls" or unclear or multiple "variables"

concede (v.)

• to admit, yield, or accept
  • used on SAT as in "to accept for the sake of the argument"

context, contextual(n, adj)

• in relation to a situation or place
• literally "with" (con-) "what is woven together" (text)
• "text" comes from the Latin texere for "to weave, what is woven"
• words and situations have "context"

correlate (v.)

• to connect, to relate
  • correlated means "related to but not directly"
• also, corollary" (n.) is a parallel or connected proposition or situation

critical (adj.)

• important, of an emergency situation
• analytical, investigated thoughtfully
• also, negative, inclined to judgement

disparate

evaluate

• to measure, assess, determine value or significance of
• "evaluate" deals with holistic (overall) understanding, whereas "analysis" deals with detailed, dissected understanding

hierarchy, hierarchical (n., adv.)

• an organization or system of ranking
• levels of importance, authority or significance
• classification

hypothetical, hypothetically (n., adv.)

• = 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..."

innocuous (adj)

• not harmful, not injurious (causing harm)

mandatory (adj)

• required

merely (adj.)

• = "only"
• the SAT frequently measures student comprehension of this word
• note that "merely" is different from "a little," "a few" or "few"

nevertheless (adv.)

• = "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 or emphasize

novel (adj.)

• new, unusual
• different from what is common
• note that as a noun, "a novel" is a popular genre (form) of fiction
• novels are called "novel" because the genre was "novel" (new) when it was introduced in the 19th century)

nuance (n.)

• small or subtle difference(s); fine distinction
  • implies careful, close understanding, as opposed to broad generalizations or unspecific distinctions
• "nuanced" (past participle adjective) means a carefully considered, thoughtful distinction

proponent

relevant

• related, in context to
• "associated with", "connected to", "important for"
• "matters" (as in, "what matters" = "what is relevant")

skeptical, skeptic (adj., noun)

• = 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

standard (n.)

• a baseline measurement
• what is common or commonly accepted

structure (n.)

• the arrangement of an organization or object
  • esp. in terms of the inter-relationship of its parts and underlying elements

synopsis (n)

• a brief summary of a written work

tone (n.) as in "author tone"

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

Other terms to know

Historical terms

• see SAT Reading section historical timeline & themes)

Transition words (conjunctive adverbs)

• see:Transition words translations

Homophones

ad, add

affect v effect

assure v. ensure

bare, bear

cite, site, sight

complement, compliment

ensure, insure

it's, its

past, passed

principal, principle

prey, pray

their, there, they're

to, too, two

waist, waste

weather, whether

whose, who's

your, you're

Digital SAT Vocabulary terms from official practice tests 1-4 (2023)

Words taken from Vocabulary questions (selected not inclusive of all):

abrupt

adhere

ambivalence

atypical

biased / unbiased

buttress

catastrophic

characterization

circumvent

collaboration

commercialization

concede

conceptualize

conform

contrive

critical

delegate

discern / discernable

disconcerting

disengage

disorienting

disparate

diverge

diverse

dynamic

eclipse

elusive

exemplify

fabricate

foretell

grapple

imminent

impartial / impartiality

imperceptible

improvise

inadequate

inconclusive

indecipherable

indifference

inexplicable

infallible

innocuous

interjected

intricate

intriguing

invalidate

inventive

irrelevant

latent

localized

lucrative

mandatory

mimic

moderate / moderation

mystifying

neglect

novel

nuanced

obscure

off-hand

operative

ornamental

overshadowed

paucity

peripheral

persistent

predatory

predetermined

prescribed

presume

profusion (of)

proponent

quarrel

recant

refute

renounce

renunciation

replicable

repudiate

repudiate

resilient

restrained

satisfactory

secretive

skeptical

speculate

strenuously

substantial

substantial

succumb

surmise

synchronize

synchronize

tedious

tenuous

underestimate

underscore

unobtrusive

validated

verisimilitude

waive

Digital SAT Vocabulary terms used in passages (general vocab)

ablation (in science)

adaptation

ambient

analysis

annotate

apparatus

artifact

artifact

artificial

assess / assessment

assume

attribute (noun and verb)

bias / biased

capitalize

clinch

collaborate/ collaboration

concede/ concession

conceptual

confer

conflicted

conformed / conforming

conjecture

contaminate

contemporary

contrived

convention/s

conventional

conversely

correlate

corrugation(s)

criteria

cultivate

cultivate / cultivation

curator

deference

depleted

disparage / disparagement

disparate

disparity / disparaties

disperse

disposed/ disposition

diverge / divergence

diverse

diverse

divert

dormant

downplay / downplaying

elaborate

ensured

equivalent

evocative

exasperate / exasperated

factors

fallible

fanciful

fluctuate / fluctuation

foliage

forge / forged

fragile

fragment

genre

germinate / germination

implement (verb)

incorporate

indigenous

inexplicable

infrequent

inordinate

institution

languish

legitimate / legitimacy / legitimately

macro-/ micro-

memoir

memoir(s)

methodology

miniscule

mitigate

momentous

monitor

narrative (usually "historical narrative)

nominal

obstinate

obtuse

orientation (usually, "political orientation")

percolate

precarious

prevalent

profuse

quilt (verb)

reciprocate

relevant

replicable

revelation

revenue

saturated

standard

sturdy/ sturdily

stylistic

substantial

substantially

substantiate / substantiated

subtle

subtle

susceptible

symbolic

synchronized

synthesis / synthesize

tender

unprecedented

unsympathetic

validate / validated

volition