SAT Vocabulary — Words in Context flashcards
10 of 80 cards free to study here · 11 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys
Eighty high-utility academic words of the kind the digital SAT's Reading and Writing 'words in context' items test, each with its pronunciation, a plain definition and three example sentences, the most common use first, nearly all with one in the voice of a science or history passage.
Learn deck · part of Digital SAT · written against: Digital SAT (2024 onward). Updated 2026-10-10.
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assert (v.) · uh-SURTto say with conviction that a claim is correct; to insist on your authority or rights so that others acknowledge themMaking Claims
The 1911 survey asserted that the mounds were natural, not built by hand.
The author asserts that trade, not farming, drove the region's early growth.
The young queen soon asserted her authority over her feuding nobles. -
empirical (adj.) · im-PEER-ih-kuhldrawn from observation, measurement or experiment, not from theory or reasoning by itselfEvidence & Proof
The claim rested on empirical data: three years of samples from forty wells.
Little empirical evidence supports the popular belief that full moons make people act strangely.
Her approach was empirical: she trusted measurements over elegant theories. -
ambiguous (adj.) · am-BIG-yoo-uhsallowing two or more readings or meanings; not clear or definiteClear & Unclear
The inscription is ambiguous: one symbol could mean "king" or "year."
Because the soil samples gave ambiguous readings, the team collected a fresh set in the spring.
The law's ambiguous wording led to years of court battles. -
culminate (v.) · KUHL-muh-naytto build to a peak or a final stage; to finish in a specific event or outcomeChange & Growth
Decades of soundings culminated in the first detailed map of the harbor floor.
The protests culminated in a march of thousands on the capital.
Her career culminated with a prize for her work on ocean currents.
Watch out: usually culminate in. -
facilitate (v.) · fuh-SIL-uh-taytto make a task or process go more easily; to guide a group's discussion so that it stays on trackHelp & Hinder
A shared vocabulary between the two laboratories facilitated the exchange of results.
Enzymes in saliva facilitate the digestion of starch.
A trained volunteer facilitated the discussion between parents and teachers. -
reconcile (v.) · REK-uhn-sighlto make two ideas, accounts or needs fit together; to restore friendly relations; to accept something unwelcomeAgreement & Conflict
Historians struggle to reconcile the general's memoirs with his own dispatches.
Estranged for a decade, the cousins were reconciled at their grandmother's bedside.
The settlers slowly reconciled themselves to a life of hard winters. -
indifferent (adj.) · in-DIF-uh-ruhntnot caring about something or taking any interest in it; of only ordinary quality, mediocreAttitudes & Judgment
The council was indifferent to the astronomer's warning and refused the funding.
Most students seemed indifferent to the new dress code.
After an indifferent first season, the team improved quickly.
Watch out: the "mediocre" sense is easy to miss: an indifferent harvest was neither good nor bad. -
prevalent (adj.) · PREV-uh-luhntfound often or widely in a certain area, group or periodAmount & Degree
Malaria was prevalent in the lowlands until the marshes were drained.
The clinic's survey found nearsightedness far more prevalent among the town's children than among their grandparents.
Such superstitions were prevalent among sailors of the time. -
elicit (v.) · ih-LIS-itto prompt a reaction or answer, or to coax information out of someoneCause & Effect
The interviewers phrased each question gently to elicit memories the villagers rarely shared.
The comedian's opening line elicited a few nervous giggles.
In lab tests, a sudden loud tone elicited a startle reflex in nearly every mouse.
Don't confuse with: illicit (illegal). -
feasible (adj.) · FEE-zuh-buhlachievable with the resources and methods at hand; practicalFeasibility & Strength
A tunnel under the bay became feasible once new machines could bore through the rock.
Is it feasible to finish the bridge before winter?
Surveyors found a feasible route for the road through the hills.
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About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Senses and parts of speech checked against Merriam-Webster.com, The American Heritage Dictionary (5th edition, ahdictionary.com), Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, the Cambridge Dictionary, the New Oxford American Dictionary (3rd edition, Oxford Reference) and Longman; all definitions and example sentences are original.
- Also checked against College Board's Assessment Framework for the Digital SAT Suite (version 4, September 2026), for what Words in Context questions test (reference only; no text copied).
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