100 SAT Vocabulary Words with Meanings and Examples

abundantadjective

Existing in large quantities.

“Fresh water is abundant in the region.”

accessibleadjective

Easy to reach, use or understand.

“The museum is accessible by subway.”

adaptverb

To adjust to new conditions.

“Desert plants adapt to scarce water.”

advocateverb

To publicly support.

“She advocates for longer library hours.”

allocateverb

To distribute for a purpose.

“The school allocated funds for new laptops.”

ambiguousadjective

Open to more than one interpretation.

“The ending of the story is ambiguous.”

anticipateverb

To expect or predict.

“We anticipate heavy traffic on Friday.”

arbitraryadjective

Based on chance rather than reason.

“The rule seemed arbitrary to the students.”

assertverb

To state confidently.

“The author asserts that bees are essential to farming.”

biasnoun

An unfair preference for or against something.

“The survey questions showed a clear bias.”

coherentadjective

Logical and consistent.

“Her essay presents a coherent argument.”

compellingadjective

Powerfully convincing.

“The scientist offered compelling evidence.”

comprehensiveadjective

Including all or nearly all elements.

“The guide gives a comprehensive overview.”

conventionaladjective

Based on what is generally done.

“Conventional wisdom held that the plan would fail.”

conveyverb

To communicate an idea or feeling.

“The poem conveys a sense of loss.”

credibleadjective

Able to be believed.

“We need credible sources for the report.”

deduceverb

To reach a conclusion by reasoning.

“From the footprints, she deduced the visitor’s height.”

depictverb

To represent in words or pictures.

“The mural depicts the town’s history.”

diminishverb

To make or become less.

“The noise diminished as we walked away.”

discrepancynoun

A lack of agreement between facts.

“There was a discrepancy in the totals.”

distinctadjective

Clearly different.

“The two species have distinct songs.”

elaborateverb

To add more detail.

“Please elaborate on your second point.”

emphasizeverb

To give special importance to.

“The coach emphasized teamwork.”

enhanceverb

To improve the quality of.

“Good lighting enhances the photo.”

evokeverb

To bring a feeling or memory to mind.

“The smell evoked memories of her grandmother’s kitchen.”

exemplifyverb

To be a typical example of.

“Her career exemplifies hard work.”

explicitadjective

Stated clearly and in detail.

“The instructions were explicit.”

facilitateverb

To make easier.

“The app facilitates group projects.”

feasibleadjective

Possible to do.

“Is the plan financially feasible?”

fluctuateverb

To rise and fall irregularly.

“Temperatures fluctuate in spring.”

fosterverb

To encourage the development of.

“Reading together fosters a love of books.”

fundamentaladjective

Basic and essential.

“Fractions are fundamental to algebra.”

hypothesisnoun

A proposed explanation to be tested.

“The experiment tested her hypothesis.”

illuminateverb

To help explain; to light up.

“The letters illuminate the poet’s early life.”

implyverb

To suggest without saying directly.

“The author implies that the policy failed.”

incentivenoun

Something that motivates action.

“Free snacks were an incentive to attend.”

inevitableadjective

Certain to happen.

“Change is inevitable.”

inferverb

To conclude from evidence.

“We can infer that the narrator is nervous.”

inhibitverb

To hold back or prevent.

“Cold temperatures inhibit plant growth.”

integrateverb

To combine into a whole.

“The course integrates art and science.”

intricateadjective

Very detailed and complicated.

“The quilt has an intricate pattern.”

ironynoun

A contrast between expectation and reality.

“The irony is that the fire station burned down.”

justifyverb

To show to be right or reasonable.

“Can you justify the expense?”

mediateverb

To help settle a dispute.

“A teacher mediated the argument.”

mitigateverb

To make less severe.

“Trees mitigate summer heat.”

notionnoun

An idea or belief.

“The notion that goldfish forget everything is a myth.”

noveladjective

New and original.

“The team proposed a novel solution.”

obscureadjective

Not well known; unclear.

“The quote came from an obscure poem.”

optimaladjective

Best or most favorable.

“Eight hours is optimal for many teens.”

paradoxnoun

A statement that seems contradictory but may be true.

““Less is more” is a paradox.”

persistentadjective

Continuing firmly despite difficulty.

“Her persistent questions finally got an answer.”

perspectivenoun

A particular point of view.

“The story is told from a dog’s perspective.”

plausibleadjective

Seeming reasonable or likely.

“That is a plausible explanation.”

pragmaticadjective

Practical rather than idealistic.

“They chose a pragmatic compromise.”

precedentnoun

An earlier event used as an example.

“The decision set a precedent.”

predominantadjective

Most common or strongest.

“Blue is the predominant color in the painting.”

preliminaryadjective

Coming before the main part.

“Preliminary results look promising.”

prevalentadjective

Widespread.

“Smartphone use is prevalent among teens.”

profoundadjective

Very great or deep.

“The book had a profound effect on her.”

prominentadjective

Important or famous; easy to see.

“A prominent scientist reviewed the study.”

proponentnoun

A supporter of an idea.

“Proponents of the plan cite lower costs.”

provokeverb

To cause a reaction.

“The speech provoked a lively debate.”

rationalenoun

The reasons behind a decision.

“The rationale for the change was safety.”

readilyadverb

Quickly and easily.

“The answer was readily available online.”

reconcileverb

To make consistent.

“It is hard to reconcile the two accounts.”

refuteverb

To prove wrong.

“New data refuted the claim.”

reinforceverb

To strengthen.

“Practice reinforces new skills.”

relevantadjective

Closely connected to the matter.

“Include only relevant details.”

reluctantadjective

Unwilling.

“He was reluctant to speak first.”

resilientadjective

Able to recover quickly.

“Resilient communities rebuild after storms.”

rhetoricnoun

Language designed to persuade.

“The candidate’s rhetoric inspired the crowd.”

rigorousadjective

Extremely thorough and careful.

“The study used rigorous methods.”

scrutinynoun

Close examination.

“The plan came under scrutiny.”

skepticaladjective

Doubtful.

“Scientists were skeptical of the claim.”

subsequentadjective

Coming after.

“Subsequent studies confirmed the result.”

subtleadjective

So delicate that it is hard to notice.

“There is a subtle change in the narrator’s tone.”

sufficientadjective

Enough.

“The evidence is not sufficient.”

superficialadjective

On the surface only.

“The damage was superficial.”

sustainverb

To keep going over time.

“The town could not sustain two bakeries.”

synthesizeverb

To combine ideas into a whole.

“Good essays synthesize several sources.”

tentativeadjective

Not certain or fixed.

“We made tentative plans for Saturday.”

undermineverb

To weaken gradually.

“Rumors undermined trust in the team.”

unprecedentedadjective

Never happened before.

“The flood was unprecedented.”

validateverb

To confirm or support.

“Later tests validated the results.”

viableadjective

Capable of working successfully.

“Solar power is a viable option.”

vividadjective

Producing clear, strong images.

“The author gives a vivid description of the storm.”

warrantverb

To justify.

“The minor error does not warrant a rewrite.”

yieldverb

To produce; to give way.

“The orchard yields apples every fall.”

contradictverb

To state the opposite of.

“The second study contradicts the first.”

corroborateverb

To confirm with evidence.

“Records corroborate her story.”

dismissverb

To treat as unworthy of consideration.

“He dismissed the idea too quickly.”

divergeverb

To separate and go in different directions.

“Their opinions diverge on cost.”

empiricaladjective

Based on observation.

“The claim lacks empirical evidence.”

endorseverb

To declare public support for.

“The newspaper endorsed the plan.”

exploitverb

To make full use of; to use unfairly.

“The team exploited the gap in defense.”

hinderverb

To make difficult.

“Fog hindered the search.”

innovativeadjective

Introducing new ideas.

“The school uses innovative teaching methods.”

nuancedadjective

Showing subtle differences.

“She gave a nuanced answer.”

overlookverb

To fail to notice.

“Don’t overlook the footnotes.”

sentimentnoun

A view or feeling.

“Public sentiment favored the new park.”

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