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SAT Vocabulary Words

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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800 words
Words 701–735 of 800
#WordDetailsMeaningSample sentence
701formativeadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ive commonly forms an adjective meaning having a quality or tendency.

shaping the development of a person or thingLiving abroad was a formative experience for the writer.
702fungibleadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ible means capable of, suitable for, or able to be affected.

interchangeable with another item of the same typeMoney is fungible because one dollar can replace another.
703genealogynoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: genealogy is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

the study or record of descent and originThe scholar traces the genealogy of the political concept.
704gradientnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: gradient is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

a rate of change across distance or a slopeA steep temperature gradient formed near the front.
705heuristicnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: heuristic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

a practical method that aids discovery but does not guarantee a resultThe doctor used a heuristic to prioritize urgent cases.
706homeostasisnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: homeostasis is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

the maintenance of a stable internal conditionSweating helps the body preserve homeostasis.
707hydraulicadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: hydraulic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

operated by liquid moving under pressureA hydraulic lift raised the heavy platform.
708incentivenoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: incentive is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

something that encourages a particular actionThe rebate provides an incentive to conserve energy.
709incidencenoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ence commonly forms a noun naming an action, quality, or state.

the frequency at which something occursVaccination reduced the incidence of the disease.
710inelasticadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: inelastic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

not responding greatly to a change in price or forceDemand for basic medicine can be relatively inelastic.
711infrastructurenoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: infrastructure is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

the basic systems and facilities a society needsFlooding damaged roads and other infrastructure.
712interdependentadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Prefix focus: inter- means between or among.

depending on one anotherPollinators and flowering plants are interdependent.
713isotopenoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: isotope is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

a form of an element with a different number of neutronsScientists used a radioactive isotope to date the sample.
714kineticadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: kinetic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

related to motionA moving vehicle possesses kinetic energy.
715longitudinaladjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: longitudinal is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

tracking the same subjects over an extended timeA longitudinal study followed the children for twenty years.
716macroeconomicadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Prefix focus: macro- means large-scale.

related to the economy as a wholeThe report examines macroeconomic trends in inflation and employment.
717microcosmnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: microcosm is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

a small system that represents a larger oneThe port is a microcosm of the nation's cultural diversity.
718multilateraladjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Prefix focus: multi- means many.

involving several countries or partiesThe treaty requires multilateral cooperation.
719normativeadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ive commonly forms an adjective meaning having a quality or tendency.

concerned with what ought to be rather than what merely existsThe essay distinguishes descriptive claims from normative judgments.
720oscillationnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ation commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result.

repeated movement or variation between two statesThe graph shows a regular oscillation in temperature.
721outliernoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: outlier is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

a value or case far from the general patternOne unusually high score was an outlier.
722polarizeverb
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ize commonly forms a verb meaning to make, become, or apply.

to divide people into sharply opposing groupsSensational coverage may polarize public opinion.
723proportionaladjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: proportional is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

changing in a constant ratio with something elseFuel use is roughly proportional to distance traveled.
724redistributeverb
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: redistribute is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

to distribute resources or power in a different wayThe tax is designed to redistribute some wealth toward public services.
725regressionnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -sion commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result.

a statistical method for estimating relationships among variablesThe researchers used regression to control for age.
726salinitynoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition.

the amount of salt dissolved in water or soilDrought increased the estuary's salinity.
727sequestrationnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ation commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result.

the capture and long-term storage of somethingForest conservation supports carbon sequestration.
728stratifyverb
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ify commonly forms a verb meaning to make or become.

to arrange or divide into layers or social levelsUnequal access can stratify a society by wealth.
729subsistencenoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ence commonly forms a noun naming an action, quality, or state.

the minimum resources needed to remain aliveThe family relied on subsistence farming.
730symbioticadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: symbiotic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

involving a close relationship that benefits both organismsThe fungi and tree roots form a symbiotic partnership.
731systemicadjective
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: systemic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

affecting an entire system rather than one partThe audit identified systemic failures in oversight.
732thresholdnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: threshold is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

the point at which an effect begins or a condition changesThe signal must cross a threshold before the alarm sounds.
733trajectorynoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Base-form focus: trajectory is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

the path of movement or course of developmentThe policy changed the city's economic trajectory.
734viscositynoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition.

a fluid's resistance to flowingCooling increases the oil's viscosity.
735zeitgeistnoun
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Field: SAT science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ist often names a person associated with a field, belief, or practice.

the dominant ideas and mood of a historical periodThe novel captures the anxious zeitgeist of the decade.

Vocabulary chart page

This page focuses on the word chart. Reading passages appear once in each three-page group, while cloze quizzes remain in the established enhanced range for this level.

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.