The Official Sat Study Guide 2Nd Edition Vocabs

Front 1

Jingoism

Back 1

–noun
the spirit, policy, or practice of jingoes; bellicose chauvinism.

Jingoe - a person who professes his or her patriotism loudly

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Capricious

Back 2

–adjective
1. subject to, led by, or indicative of caprice or whim; erratic: He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.
2. Obsolete. fanciful or witty.

Front 3

Decorous

Back 3

–adjective
characterized by dignified propriety in conduct, manners, appearance, character, etc.

Front 4

Unsubstantiated

Back 4

–adjective
1. not substantiated; unproved or unverified: unsubstantiated allegations.
2. being without form or substance.

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Aspersion

Back 5

–noun
1. a damaging or derogatory remark or criticism; slander: casting aspersions on a campaign rival.
2. the act of slandering; vilification; defamation; calumniation; derogation: Such vehement aspersions cannot be ignored.
3. the act of sprinkling, as in baptism.
4. Archaic. a shower or spray.

Synonyms:
1. censure, reproach.

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Indigence

Back 6

–noun
seriously impoverished condition; poverty.

Synonyms:
Penury:
–noun
1. extreme poverty; destitution.
2. scarcity; dearth; inadequacy; insufficiency.

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Tenacity

Back 7

–noun
the quality or property of being tenacious.

Tenacious:
–adjective
1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.
2. highly retentive: a tenacious memory.
3. pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.
4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.
5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

Front 8

Perfidy

Back 8

–noun, plural -dies.
1. deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery: perfidy that goes unpunished.
2. an act or instance of faithlessness or treachery.

Front 9

Jubilant

Back 9

–adjective
showing great joy, satisfaction, or triumph; rejoicing; exultant: the cheers of the jubilant victors; the jubilant climax of his symphony.

Front 10

Supercilious

Back 10

–adjective
haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.

Synonyms:
arrogant, scornful.

Front 11

Viable

Back 11

–adjective
1. capable of living.
2. Physiology.
a. physically fitted to live.
b. (of a fetus) having reached such a stage of development as to be capable of living, under normal conditions, outside the uterus.
3. Botany. able to live and grow.
4. vivid; real; stimulating, as to the intellect, imagination, or senses: a period of history that few teachers can make viable for students.
5. practicable; workable: a viable alternative.
6. having the ability to grow, expand, develop, etc.: a new and viable country.

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Inept

Back 12

–adjective
1. without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; maladroit: He is inept at mechanical tasks. She is inept at dealing with people.
2. generally awkward or clumsy; haplessly incompetent.
3. inappropriate; unsuitable; out of place.
4. absurd or foolish: an inept remark.

Synonyms:
1. unskillful, bungling. 4. stupid, pointless, inane.

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Antagonize

Back 13

–verb (used with object)
1. to make hostile or unfriendly; make an enemy or antagonist of: His speech antagonized many voters.
2. to act in opposition to; oppose.
–verb (used without object)
3. Rare. to act antagonistically.

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Concessions

Back 14

–noun
1. the act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument: He made no concession to caution.
2. the thing or point yielded: Management offered a shorter workweek as a concession.
3. something conceded by a government or a controlling authority, as a grant of land, a privilege, or a franchise.
4. a space or privilege within certain premises for a subsidiary business or service: the refreshment concession at a movie theater.
5. Canadian. any of the usually sixteen divisions of a township, each division being 10 sq. mi. (26 sq. km) in area and containing thirty-two 200-acre lots.

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Respite

Back 15

–noun
1. a delay or cessation for a time, esp. of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief: to toil without respite.
2. temporary suspension of the execution of a person condemned to death; reprieve.
–verb (used with object)
3. to relieve temporarily, esp. from anything distressing or trying; give an interval of relief from.
4. to grant delay in the carrying out of (a punishment, obligation, etc.).

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Dictum

Back 16

–noun, plural -ta  /-tə/
1. an authoritative pronouncement; judicial assertion.
2. a saying; maxim.
3. obiter dictum:
an incidental or passing remark, opinion, etc.
2. Law. an incidental or supplementary opinion by a judge in deciding a case, upon a matter not essential to the decision, and therefore not binding as precedent.

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Dilettante

Back 17

–noun
1. a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.
2. a lover of an art or science, esp. of a fine art.
–adjective
3. of or pertaining to dilettantes.

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Purveyor

Back 18

–noun
1. a person who purveys, provides, or supplies: a purveyor of foods; a purveyor of lies.
2. Old English Law. an officer who provided or acquired provisions for the sovereign under the prerogative of purveyance.

Front 19

Dowager

Back 19

–noun
1. a woman who holds some title or property from her deceased husband, esp. the widow of a king, duke, etc. (often used as an additional title to differentiate her from the wife of the present king, duke, etc.): a queen dowager; an empress dowager.
2. an elderly woman of stately dignity, esp. one of elevated social position: a wealthy dowager.
–adjective
3. noting, pertaining to, or characteristic of a dowager: the dowager duchess; to prefer a dowager style of dress.

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Egalitarian

Back 20

–adjective
1. asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, esp. in political, economic, or social life.
–noun
2. a person who adheres to egalitarian beliefs.

Front 21

Diaphanous

Back 21

–adjective
1. very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent.
2. delicately hazy.

Front 22

Anomalous

Back 22

–adjective
1. deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular; abnormal: Advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe.
2. not fitting into a common or familiar type, classification, or pattern; unusual: He held an anomalous position in the art world.
3. incongruous or inconsistent.

Front 23

Credence

Back 23

–noun
1. belief as to the truth of something: to give credence to a claim.
2. something giving a claim to belief or confidence: letter of credence.
3. Also called credence table, credenza. Ecclesiastical. a small side table, shelf, or niche for holding articles used in the Eucharist service.

Front 24

Iconoclast

Back 24

–noun
1. a breaker or destroyer of images, esp. those set up for religious veneration.
2. a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition.

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Phlegmatic

Back 25

–adjective
1. not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish.
2. self-possessed, calm, or composed.
3. of the nature of or abounding in the humor phlegm.

Synonyms:
1. stoical, cool, cold, uninterested, dull, torpid. 2. cool, collected, unruffled, placid, quiet.

Front 26

Disingenuous

Back 26

–adjective
lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere: Her excuse was rather disingenuous.

Front 27

Stature

Back 27

–noun
1. the height of a human or animal body.
2. the height of any object.
3. degree of development attained; level of achievement: a minister of great stature.

Front 28

Flotsam

Back 28

–noun
1. the part of the wreckage of a ship and its cargo found floating on the water. Compare jetsam, lagan.
2. material or refuse floating on water.
3. useless or unimportant items; odds and ends.
4. a vagrant, penniless population: the flotsam of the city slums in medieval Europe.

Front 29

Raiment

Back 29

–noun
clothing; apparel; attire.

Front 30

Reconnaissance

Back 30

–noun
1. the act of reconnoitering:
–verb (used with object)
1. to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.
2. to examine or survey (a region, area, etc.) for engineering, geological, or other purposes
2. Military. a search made for useful military information in the field, esp. by examining the ground.
3. Surveying, Civil Engineering. a general examination or survey of a region, usually followed by a detailed survey.
4. Geology. an examination or survey of the general geological characteristics of a region.

Front 31

Decimation

Back 31

–verb (used with object), -mat⋅ed, -mat⋅ing.
1. to destroy a great number or proportion of: The population was decimated by a plague.
2. to select by lot and kill every tenth person of.
3. Obsolete. to take a tenth of or from.

Front 32

Impugn

Back 32

–verb (used with object)
1. to challenge as false (another's statements, motives, etc.); cast doubt upon.
2. Archaic. to assail (a person) by words or arguments; vilify.
3. Obsolete. to attack (a person) physically.

Front 33

Contemptuous

Back 33

–adjective
showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful.

Synonyms:
disdainful, sneering, insolent, arrogant, supercilious, haughty.

Front 34

Didactic

Back 34

–adjective
1. intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry.
2. inclined to teach or lecture others too much: a boring, didactic speaker.
3. teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.
4. didactics, (used with a singular verb) the art or science of teaching.

Front 35

Tenuous

Back 35

–adjective
1. thin or slender in form, as a thread.
2. lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument.
3. thin in consistency; rare or rarefied.
4. of slight importance or significance; unsubstantial: He holds a rather tenuous position in history.
5. lacking in clarity; vague: He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life.

Front 36

Unequivocal

Back 36

–adjective
1. not equivocal; unambiguous; clear; having only one possible meaning or interpretation: an unequivocal indication of assent; unequivocal proof.
2. absolute; unqualified; not subject to conditions or exceptions: The cosigner of a note gives unequivocal assurance that it will be paid when due.

Front 37

Effusive

Back 37

–adjective
1. unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve: effusive greetings; an effusive person.
2. pouring out; overflowing.
3. Geology. extrusive (def. 3).

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Ineffable

Back 38

–adjective
1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy.
2. not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable: the ineffable name of the deity.

Front 39

Prognosis

Back 39

–noun, plural -ses  
1. Medicine/Medical. a forecasting of the probable course and outcome of a disease, esp. of the chances of recovery.
2. a forecast or prognostication.

Front 40

Retrenchment

Back 40

–noun
1. the act of retrenching; a cutting down or off, as by the reduction of expenses.
2. Fortification. an interior work that cuts off a part of a fortification from the rest, and to which a garrison may retreat.

Front 41

Edifying

Back 41

–verb (used with object), -fied, -fy⋅ing.
to instruct or benefit, esp. morally or spiritually; uplift: religious paintings that edify the viewer.

Front 42

Ephemeral

Back 42

–adjective
1. lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood.
2. lasting but one day: an ephemeral flower.

Front 43

Chicanery

Back 43

–noun, plural -er⋅ies.
1. trickery or deception by quibbling or sophistry: He resorted to the worst flattery and chicanery to win the job.
2. a quibble or subterfuge used to trick, deceive, or evade.

Front 44

Wrongheaded

Back 44

–adjective
wrong in judgment or opinion; misguided and stubborn; perverse.

Front 45

Lassitude

Back 45

–noun
1. weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor.
2. a condition of indolent indifference: the pleasant lassitude of the warm summer afternoon.

Front 46

Erudition

Back 46

–noun
knowledge acquired by study, research, etc.; learning; scholarship

Front 47

Bucolic

Back 47

–adjective
1. of or pertaining to shepherds; pastoral.
2. of, pertaining to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life.
–noun
3. a pastoral poem.
4. Archaic. a farmer; shepherd; rustic.

Front 48

Lugubrious

Back 48

–adjective
mournful, dismal, or gloomy, esp. in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner: lugubrious songs of lost love.

Front 49

Sundry

Back 49

–adjective
1. various or diverse: sundry persons.
—Idiom
2. all and sundry, everybody, collectively and individually: Free samples were given to all and sundry.

Front 50

Stringent

Back 50

–adjective
1. rigorously binding or exacting; strict; severe: stringent laws.
2. compelling, constraining, or urgent: stringent necessity.
3. convincing or forcible: stringent arguments.
4. (of the money market) characterized by a shortage in money for loan or investment purposes; tight.

Front 51

Dispersive

Back 51

–adjective
serving or tending to disperse.

Front 52

Gaudy

Back 52

–adjective
1. brilliantly or excessively showy: gaudy plumage.
2. cheaply showy in a tasteless way; flashy.
3. ostentatiously ornamented; garish.

Front 53

Facetious

Back 53

–adjective
1. not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark.
2. amusing; humorous.
3. lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous: a facetious person.

Front 54

Facet

Back 54

–noun
1. one of the small, polished plane surfaces of a cut gem.
2. a similar surface cut on a fragment of rock by the action of water, windblown sand, etc.
3. aspect; phase: They carefully examined every facet of the argument.
4. Architecture. any of the faces of a column cut in a polygonal form.
5. Zoology. one of the corneal lenses of a compound arthropod eye.
6. Anatomy. a small, smooth, flat area on a hard surface, esp. on a bone.
7. Dentistry. a small, highly burnished area, usually on the enamel surface of a tooth, produced by abrasion between opposing teeth in chewing.

Front 55

Barter

Back 55

–verb (used without object)
1. to trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money.

Front 56

magnanimous

Back 56

–adjective
1. generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies.
2. high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler.
3. proceeding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character, etc.: a magnanimous gesture o

Front 57

Insolence

Back 57

–noun
1. contemptuously rude or impertinent behavior or speech.
2. the quality or condition of being insolent.

Front 58

Inconspicuous

Back 58

–adjective
not conspicuous, noticeable, or prominent.

Front 59

Consecration

Back 59

–noun
1. the act of consecrating; dedication to the service and worship of a deity.
2. the act of giving the sacramental character to the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine, esp. in the Roman Catholic Church.
3. ordination to a sacred office, esp. to the episcopate.

Front 60

Effacement

Back 60

–verb (used with object), -faced, -fac⋅ing.
1. to wipe out; do away with; expunge: to efface one's unhappy memories.
2. to rub out, erase, or obliterate (outlines, traces, inscriptions, etc.).
3. to make (oneself) inconspicuous; withdraw (oneself) modestly or shyly.

Front 61

Conformist

Back 61

–noun
1. a person who conforms, esp. unquestioningly, to the usual practices or standards of a group, society, etc.

Front 62

Apolitical

Back 62

Not - Political

Front 63

Sedition

Back 63

Incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government.

Front 64

Insurrection

Back 64

an act or instance of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against civil authority or an established government.

Front 65

Subvert

Back 65

To overthrow

Front 66

Nonpartisan

Back 66

Not supportive of or controlled by a political party.

Front 67

Corollary

Back 67

An immediate and natural consequence
*remember it's a math proposition that is incidentally proved in proving another proposition.

Front 68

infatuate

Back 68

To inspire out of foolishness, or to affect with folly; making foolish or fatuous.

Front 69

Extol

Back 69

to praise highly

Front 70

Venality

Back 70

being purchasable; the venality of a corrupt office

Front 71

Unswerving

Back 71

going from one point to another without turning aside

Front 72

Resigned

Back 72

having to accept; hopelessness

Front 73

Brevity

Back 73

brief expression

Front 74

Libelous

Back 74

containing a libel - defamatory writing

Front 75

Repertory

Back 75

a place for storage or a place where things maybe found.

Front 76

Disseminates

Back 76

to spread out; to disperse

Front 77

Supple

Back 77

able to adept; elastic