Vocabulary College Prep Essentials — Set 4: Meanings flashcards
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The fourth 100 of the 400 College Prep Essentials words, from opacity and posit to triangulate and juxtapose: pronunciation, a precise definition and three example sentences, the most common use first.
Learn deck · part of Vocabulary Level 8 · College Prep Essentials · written against: Our own grade placement (VOCABULARY-PLAN.md): word frequency (wordfreq, CC BY-SA 4.0) and editorial review; no publisher's grade or word list is reproduced. Updated 2026-10-10.
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predisposition (n.) · pree-dis-puh-ZISH-uhna tendency, often inherited or present from earlier on, that makes a condition or response more likelyCharacter & Behavior
Some people have a genetic predisposition to high blood pressure.
Stress can trigger depression in people with an underlying predisposition.
Temperament may give some children a predisposition toward shyness. -
pathos (n.) · PAY-thahsthe way art, writing or events move people to pity or sadness; in rhetoric, an appeal to the audience's emotionsFeelings & Attitudes
The film's quiet last scene has real pathos without turning sentimental.
Her persuasive essay leans on pathos more than on statistics.
In Aristotle's rhetoric, pathos works alongside ethos and logos.
Origin: Greek páthos, "experience, misfortune, emotion, condition." -
modality (n.) · moh-DAL-uh-teea particular mode or method, as of treatment, learning or sensing; in grammar, the expressing of possibility or necessityThinking & Knowing
Physical therapy is one treatment modality the clinic offers after knee surgery.
The course mixes modalities: lectures, lab work and online discussion.
Words like "might" and "must" express modality in English. -
posit (v.) · PAH-zitto put forward an idea or explanation for others to consider; to suppose that something existsSpeaking & Arguing
The author posits that early cities grew from trade, not farming.
The model posits two kinds of memory, one short-term and one long-term.
Let us posit, for argument's sake, that the witness is honest. -
constrain (v.) · kuhn-STRAYNto limit or restrict what someone or something can do; to leave someone feeling obliged to do somethingActions & Effort
A tight budget constrained the study to a single rural hospital.
Rocky, shallow soil constrains root growth on mountain slopes.
Junior staff felt constrained to agree with the department chair. -
modulate (v.) · MAH-juh-laytto control how strong, fast or intense something is; to shift your voice up or down in pitch or volumeChange & Growth
Certain brain chemicals help modulate mood and attention.
Experienced lecturers modulate their voices to keep a large hall listening.
Some phones modulate screen brightness according to the time of day. -
multifaceted (adj.) · muhl-tee-FAS-uh-tidwith many sides, features or aspects, each distinct from the restSize & Amount
Homelessness is a multifaceted problem with no single cause.
Leonardo da Vinci had a multifaceted career as painter, engineer and anatomist.
Her portrait of the general is more multifaceted than earlier biographies. -
opacity (n.) · oh-PAS-uh-teethe quality of blocking light, not see-through; a puzzling, unclear character, or a lack of openness about how something worksQuality & Judgment
Lower the layer's opacity so the photo underneath shows through.
Reporters faulted the admissions office for its opacity about how applicants are ranked.
The opacity of Kant's prose frustrates many first-year philosophy students. -
redistribute (v.) · ree-duh-STRIB-yootto reshuffle how something is shared out, especially wealth, resources or power among peopleSociety & Power
Progressive taxes redistribute income toward lower-earning households.
The district redistributed teachers to fill gaps at rural schools.
Winter winds redistribute sand across the dunes. -
permeable (adj.) · PUR-mee-uh-buhlletting water, air or other fluids seep or flow through; open to outside influence or to crossingNature & Time
Sandy soil is more permeable than clay, so it drains faster.
Cell membranes are permeable to water but block most large proteins.
In her memoir, the line between fact and fiction is permeable.
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Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
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- Senses, parts of speech and sense order checked against Merriam-Webster.com, the American Heritage Dictionary and the frequency-ordered Oxford, Longman and Cambridge learner's dictionaries; all definitions, notes and example sentences are original.
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