English Vocabulary · SAT Preparation Live Review Preview

SAT Vocabulary Words

The current digital SAT Reading and Writing section uses short passages from literature, history and social studies, the humanities, and science. Its Craft and Structure questions ask students to determine the meaning of high-utility words in context and to choose the most logical and precise word or phrase. Vocabulary also supports evidence, inference, rhetorical synthesis, transitions, and clear Standard English expression across the section.

This independently authored 800-word beta curriculum is arranged in twenty-three pages of up to thirty-five words. Pages containing words 1–500 include five cloze questions drawn only from that enhanced range; words 501–800 remain fully visible and editable while the expanded practice layer is developed. Each row includes a passage-field label and an editable word-study note about a transparent affix, compound structure, capitalization, or dictionary base form. The list is an unofficial KSSR learning resource and is not endorsed by or affiliated with College Board. SAT is a registered trademark of College Board.

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Words 526–560 of 800
#	Word	Details	Meaning	Sample sentence
526	penitent	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: penitent is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	feeling sincere regret for wrongdoing	The penitent official returned the money and resigned.
527	penurious	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.	extremely poor or unwilling to spend	The penurious patron refused to fund basic safety repairs.
528	perennial	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: perennial is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	lasting for many years or repeatedly recurring	Water access remains a perennial concern in the region.
529	perfidious	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.	deliberately disloyal or deceitful	The allies condemned the secret agreement as perfidious.
530	peripatetic	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: peripatetic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	traveling from place to place, especially for work	The peripatetic lecturer spoke at universities on three continents.
531	pernicious	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.	gradually causing serious harm	The report documents the pernicious effects of housing discrimination.
532	perpetuate	verb Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: perpetuate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	to cause something to continue indefinitely	Biased data can perpetuate unfair decisions.
533	pertinent	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: pertinent is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	directly relevant to the subject	The judge allowed only pertinent testimony.
534	pervasive	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ive commonly forms an adjective meaning having a quality or tendency.	spreading throughout an area or group	A pervasive odor indicated contamination throughout the building.
535	petulant	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: petulant is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	childishly irritable or rude	The minister's petulant response intensified the criticism.
536	philanthropy	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: philanthropy is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	the practice of giving resources to promote public welfare	Her philanthropy supported clinics and public libraries.
537	philistine	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: philistine is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	a person indifferent or hostile to art and culture	The critic unfairly called every popular reader a philistine.
538	piety	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: piety is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	devotion to religious duty or moral principle	The portrait presents the queen as a model of piety.
539	placate	verb Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: placate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	to make an angry person calmer	Officials offered refunds to placate frustrated travelers.
540	plasticity	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition.	the ability to be shaped, changed, or reorganized	Brain plasticity allows learning to alter neural pathways.
541	platitude	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: platitude is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	an overused statement presented as meaningful	The speech offered a platitude instead of a concrete policy.
542	plethora	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: plethora is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	a quantity greater than is needed	The archive contains a plethora of letters but few financial records.
543	poignant	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: poignant is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	causing a strong feeling of sadness or reflection	The empty shoes form a poignant memorial.
544	polemical	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: polemical is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	strongly attacking or defending a controversial position	The author's polemical tone leaves little room for uncertainty.
545	pragmatism	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ism often names a belief, system, movement, or practice.	an approach that judges ideas by practical results	Fiscal pressure encouraged pragmatism over ideological purity.
546	precipitous	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.	dangerously steep or occurring very rapidly	The company experienced a precipitous decline in sales.
547	predilection	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -tion commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result.	a preference formed in advance	The editor's predilection for short essays shaped the journal.
548	presumptuous	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.	excessively bold in assuming authority or privilege	It was presumptuous to announce the decision before the board voted.
549	prevaricate	verb Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: prevaricate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	to avoid the truth by speaking evasively	The witness began to prevaricate when asked about the missing funds.
550	prodigal	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: prodigal is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	wastefully extravagant	The prodigal heir exhausted the estate within a decade.
551	prodigious	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.	remarkably great in size, amount, or ability	The scholar possessed a prodigious memory for dates.
552	profligate	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: profligate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	recklessly wasteful or immoral	Profligate spending left the administration deeply in debt.
553	proliferate	verb Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: proliferate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	to increase or spread rapidly	Unverified reports began to proliferate online.
554	propensity	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition.	a natural tendency to behave in a certain way	The material has a propensity to crack in extreme cold.
555	propitious	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.	indicating favorable conditions or a good chance of success	Calm weather made the morning propitious for launch.
556	proponent	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: proponent is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	a person who supports an idea or plan	A leading proponent of the reform addressed the committee.
557	propriety	noun Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: propriety is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	behavior that is socially or morally appropriate	The inquiry questioned the propriety of accepting expensive gifts.
558	prosaic	adjective Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: prosaic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	ordinary and lacking imagination	The mystery ends with a prosaic explanation.
559	proscribe	verb Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: proscribe is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.	to officially forbid something	The treaty will proscribe the use of certain weapons.
560	proselytize	verb Study Field: SAT literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ize commonly forms a verb meaning to make, become, or apply.	to try to convert someone to a belief or cause	The organization may inform visitors but cannot proselytize in the school.

Vocabulary reading and practice

The Peripatetic Teacher

Reading practice for pages 16–18. Five relevant words are highlighted.

English reading

A peripatetic teacher travels between remote villages with a box of books. A penurious official repeatedly refuses to fund fuel, while a perfidious supplier secretly raises prices after signing a contract. When records expose the scheme, the supplier appears penitent. The teacher’s perennial commitment to students never changes.

Reading comprehension

1. Why is the teacher peripatetic?

The teacher travels between villages.

2. What makes the supplier perfidious?

The supplier secretly violates the agreement.

3. What commitment is perennial?

The teacher's commitment to students is perennial.

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About the digital SAT

The digital SAT Reading and Writing section measures comprehension, analysis, synthesis, rhetoric, and command of language. Its Words in Context questions ask students to determine a word’s meaning or choose the most logical and precise word for a particular passage. That means SAT vocabulary study should focus on useful academic words, multiple meanings, tone, and exact usage—not on memorizing rare words in isolation.

Use this list as one part of SAT preparation. Read each example closely, compare near-synonyms, and notice how surrounding sentences control meaning. The lesson readings and questions are designed to practise the same habits of contextual reasoning, while official College Board questions remain the best guide to the test’s exact format.

College Board test overview

Sources and curriculum references

These references guide selection and calibration. Definitions, sample sentences, readings, questions, and teaching notes are independently written and reviewed.

SAT Vocabulary Words

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The Peripatetic Teacher

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