SAT vocabulary words: 12 high-frequency terms with definitions

B2–C112 palabras

The modern SAT tests words in context rather than in isolation, so the useful list is not the longest one — it is the set of mid-difficulty words that keep turning up in reading passages and answer choices. These twelve are that kind of word: common enough to appear, abstract enough to trip you up.

Dónde la usarás: SAT reading, writing and language questions.

SAT Vocabulary — La lista de palabras

PalabraSignificado
ambiguousOpen to more than one interpretation.“The author's final line is deliberately ambiguous.”
advocateTo publicly support an idea; a person who does so.“She advocates for smaller class sizes.”
undermineTo weaken something gradually.“The new data undermines his conclusion.”
pragmaticDealing with things practically rather than ideally.“They took a pragmatic approach to the budget.”
nuanceA subtle difference in meaning or tone.“The translation loses the nuance of the original.”
compellingConvincing, or holding your attention strongly.“The essay makes a compelling case.”
arbitraryBased on chance or personal whim, not reason.“The deadline felt arbitrary.”
skepticalDoubting that something is true.“Readers remain skeptical of the claim.”
articulateTo express an idea clearly.“He articulated the problem in one sentence.”
inevitableCertain to happen and impossible to avoid.“Conflict between the two groups was inevitable.”
novelNew and original.“The study proposes a novel explanation.”
substantiateTo provide evidence for a claim.“No source substantiates the figure.”

Cómo estudiar esta lista

Añade cinco o seis palabras al día en lugar de las doce de golpe, conserva la frase de ejemplo en la tarjeta y repásalas cuando toquen. WordNest programa cada palabra en siete intervalos crecientes —el mismo día y luego 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 y 60 días— para que la lista siga contigo meses después. Lee cómo funciona la repetición espaciada si quieres el razonamiento detrás de esos números.

Studying sat vocabulary pairs well with our GRE vocabulary list, Academic Word List (AWL) vocabulary and B2 English vocabulary list, or browse all free English word lists.

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