New (2016) SAT Vocabulary
Commonly Confused Words (Multiple-Choice Writing Section)
Accept - Verb, Receive
Except - Excluding
Access - Verb, Gain entrance to; Noun, The right to enter or approach
Excess - Noun, Adjective, Too much
Advice - Noun, Recommendation, suggestion. Ex: My best friend usually gives very
good advice.
Advise - Verb, To make a recommendation or suggestion. Ex: Residents were
advised to remain indoors during the storm.
Affect - Verb, To have an impact
Effect - Noun, impact
Aisle - Space between a row of chairs
Isle - Island
Allusion - Reference
Illusion - Fantasy
Allude (to) - Refer (to)
Elude - Avoid, Evade
Ascent - Noun, Upward movement
Assent - Agreement
Brake - Device that has a slowing/stopping effect
Break - Rest or relief
Breadth - Size, Width
Breath - Noun, What comes out your mouth when you breathe
Breathe - Verb, To inhale and exhale
Censor - Remove offensive or inappropriate parts
Censure - Punish
Cite - Verb, Reference
Site - Noun, Location
Sight - Noun, Ability to see
Collaborate - Work with
Corroborate - Confirm, make certain
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Conscience - Noun, Inner sense of right and wrong (Noun form = conscientious)
Conscious - Adjective, Awareness (Noun form = consciousness)
Council - Noun, Governing body
Counsel - Noun, Advice/opinion; Verb, To advise
Creak - Harsh or squeaking sound
Creek - Small body of water
Desert - Dry, sandy region
Dessert - A sweet
Device - Noun, Object with a specific function
Devise - Verb, Invent, come up with
Decent - Adjective, Respectable, fair
Descent - Noun, Go down
Dissent - Noun, Go against popular opinion
Elicit – Draw out
Illicit – Illegal, not permitted
Eminent - Well-known
Imminent - About to occur
Emit - Give off, discharge
Omit - Remove, leave out
Faze - To be disturbed
Phase - Period, length of time
Find - To locate
Found - To establish
Formally - In a refined manner
Formerly - In the past
Gorilla - Type of great ape
Guerilla - Irregular warfare or fighters
Hardly - Barely
Heartily - Without restraint, energetically
Heard - Past tense of hear
Herd - Group of animals
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Imply - Suggest.
Infer - Draw a conclusion
(In)credible - (Un)believable
(In)credulous - (Dis)believing
Influence - Effect
Affluence - Wealth
Later - Adverb, Afterward
Latter - Adjective, The second thing mentioned (e.g. Between chocolate and vanilla
ice cream, I prefer the latter.)
Lay - Set an object down. This verb is followed by a noun, e.g. To lay a book on the
table.
Lie - To recline. This verb is not followed by a noun, e.g. I am going to lie down for a
few minutes before dinner.
Led - Past tense of "to lead"
Lead - 1) Infinitive form of "to lead;" 2)
Lessen - Verb, Reduce
Lesson - Noun, Something that is taught
Loose - Adjective, roomy
Lose - Verb, The opposite of win
Manner - Behavior or way of acting
Manor - Estate
Passed - Past tense of to pass
Past - Noun, Earlier time
Peace - Calm, harmony
Piece - Section, portion
Peak - Noun, Highest point
Peek - Verb, To look quickly, glimpse
Plain - Adjective, Simple, not fancy
Plane - Noun, Flat surface or airplane
Persecute - Harass or torment a person because of their characteristics or beliefs
Prosecute - Conduct legal proceedings against someone
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Perspective - Point of view
Prospective - Potential
Precede - Come before
Proceed - To go forward, carry on
Pore - Verb, To read or study with great attention (pore over)
Poor - Adjective, Lacking money
Pour - Verb, To send a liquid flowing (e.g. pour a glass of milk)
Principal - Most important
Principle - Accepted rule
Reign - Noun, Period of rule
Rein - Noun, Leather straps used to control a horse; Verb, To control or curb (rein
in)
Respectfully - In a polite manner
Respectively - Pertaining to individuals in sequence, e.g. The book and magazine
belong respectively to my brother and sister. This means that the book (mentioned
first) belongs to the brother (mentioned first) and the magazine (mentioned
second) belongs to the sister (mentioned second).
Role - Noun, Part or character
Roll - Verb, Move on a wheel
Statue - Three-dimensional work of art
Statute - Law or regulation
Tenant - Person who lives in a particular dwelling
Tenet - Principle or doctrine
Than - Used for comparisons. My brother is two years older than I am.
Then - Used to indicate sequence. We went to the movie, and then we went home.
Wave - Move back forth, flutter
Waive - Give up one's right to something
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Key Vocabulary for Passage Comprehension (compiled primarily from
released College Board exams)
Aesthetic (sometimes sp. esthetic) - Relating to beauty or appearance
Affluent - Wealthy, well-off
Aggregate - Compilation, formation of particulars into a whole
Alienated - Estranged
Anomaly - Exception, outlier
Antipathy - Intense dislike
Apt - Appropriate, fitting
Array - Verb, To place in proper order
Authoritative - Carrying the weight of authority, trustworthy
Belie - Give a false impression
Benevolent - Kindly
Calibrate - Adjust information against a standard in order to determine its accuracy
Candid - Clear, direct
Cognitive - Relating to the brain
Combatant - Fighter
Conceive - Imagine
(In) Concert - Together (e.g. working in concert = working together)
Condone - Quietly accept illegal or immoral behavior
Consensus - Agreement
Constitution - Composition, makeup
Contemplate - Think about
Contest - Verb, protest, dispute
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Contingent - Dependent on
Conviction - Strong belief
Crux - Central problem or idea of a discussion, argument, etc.
Cultivate - Develop and improve
Curious - Odd
Demographic - Specific segment of the population with the same characteristics
Demur - Object, raise doubts
Desolate - Bare, empty
Discord - Disagreement
Disdain - Look down on
Disenfranchised - Oppressed
Disparity - Gap, difference
Disseminate - Spread
Diverge - Separate, go away from
Doctrine - Set of policies or teachings
Domestic - Relating to one's home or country
Dubious - Doubtful, questioning
Earnest - Serious
Efficacious - Effective
Endeavor - Attempt
Exalted - Elevated, noble
Expenditure - Expense
Exponent - Proponent of an idea or theory
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Extant - Existing
Faculties - Mental/physical abilities
Feasible - Doable
Fiscal - Relating to money
Florid - Fancy, decorated
Foment - Rile up, incite
Galvanize - Energize
Grievance - Complaint
Gross - Total amount
Ignominious - Publicly shameful
Immune - Unaffected by
Immure - Confine or enclose
Indifferent - Not caring
Inevitable, Inexorable - Unavoidable
Kudos - Praise
Liaison - 1) Close bond or relationship; 2) Go-between, intermediary
Malice - Evil intent
Moral - Concerned with the distinction between right and wrong; ethics
Parity - Equality
Pathogen - Harmful microorganism
Perchance - Perhaps
Peril(ous) - Danger(ous)
Perish - Die, disappear
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Phenomenon - Occurrence
Piety, Pious - Dutifully fulfilling religious obligations
Poignant - Touching
Populist - Appealing to the interests of ordinary people
Posterity - Future generations
Postulate - Set forth an argument
Prevail - Win, overcome
Pristine - Flawless
Ramp (up) - Increase
Raw - Pure, unfiltered
Reconcile – Bring together, make up with
Redress - Remedy, correction for a wrong
Religiously - Strictly
Remedy - Cure
Repel - Push away
Reverie - Dreamy state
Rhetorical - Relating to terms/language used to persuade
Sanction - Authorize OR penalize, depending on context. Sanctions = punishments
Scrutinize - Examine closely
Skeptical - Questioning, suspicious
Spawn - Give rise to
Speculate - Theorize
Sphere - Particular environment or world (e.g. the professional sphere, the athletic
sphere)
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Stipulate - Require (often used in a legal context)
Subjugate - Oppress
Subordinate - Lower-ranking
Subversive - Rebellious, going against the establishment
Suffrage - Right to vote
Summit - Highest point
Susceptible - Vulnerable, capable of being affected
Synthetic - Fake
Temper - Verb, To moderate
Traction - Grip, adhesion
Transgress - Violate, go beyond
Tyranny, Tyrant - Cruel and oppressive rule(r)
Ubiquitous - Ever-present
Uniform - Same, identical
(Un)becoming - (Un)attractive, (un)fitting
Venerable - Deeply respected
Versatile - Flexible
Viable - Workable, capable of surviving
Wrest - Pull away with effort
Yield - Give in
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