SAT Vocabulary Ep. 31: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

SAT high-frequency vocabulary Set 31: catalyst, corollary, equitable, fallacious, incongruous, and 5 more words with definitions, look-alike word pairs, and a 13-question practice quiz.

CRAMBOOKNOTES SAT Vocab Series

SAT High-Frequency Vocabulary

Ep.31 Words in Context - Set 31

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Catalyst Neutral	noun	Something that causes a significant change or event to happen	"Historians identify the failed harvest as the catalyst that turned years of quiet frustration into open rebellion."
Corollary Neutral	noun	A natural consequence or result that follows logically from something else	"The researchers argue that declining bee populations are a direct corollary of the region's reduced pesticide regulations."
Equitable Positive	adjective	Fair and impartial, especially in the treatment of different groups	"The committee redesigned the funding formula to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources among the district's schools."
Fallacious Negative	adjective	Based on a mistaken belief or flawed reasoning; logically unsound	"The debate coach flagged the argument as fallacious, pointing out that correlation had been mistaken for causation."
Incongruous Negative	adjective	Not in harmony or agreement; strikingly out of place	"The museum placement felt incongruous, pairing a minimalist sculpture with an ornately decorated eighteenth-century room."
Juxtapose Neutral	verb	To place two things side by side for the purpose of comparison or contrast	"The essay juxtaposes two accounts of the same battle to reveal how differently each side remembered it."
Precipitate Negative	verb	To cause something, especially something unwelcome, to happen suddenly	"A single unfavorable review seemed to precipitate a wave of cancellations for the newly opened restaurant."
Premise Neutral	noun	A statement or assumption that forms the basis for an argument	"The entire argument rests on the premise that the two data sets were collected under identical conditions."
Specious Negative	adjective	Appearing true or plausible but actually false or misleading	"The professor dismissed the claim as specious, noting that it relied on a single unverified anecdote."
Untenable Negative	adjective	Not able to be defended or maintained against criticism or objection	"Faced with mounting evidence, the researcher admitted her original hypothesis had become untenable."

Look-Alike Words

Commonly Confused · Similar Meaning

Fallacious

Based on flawed or mistaken reasoning; logically unsound.

Specious

Appearing true or plausible on the surface, but actually false or misleading.

Tip: Fallacious describes reasoning that's simply wrong. Specious describes reasoning that looks convincing while still being wrong - the deceptive surface is the key difference.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Catalyst

Something that triggers a significant change or event.

Precipitate

To cause something, often unwelcome, to happen suddenly.

Tip: A catalyst is usually the noun for the thing that sparks change. Precipitate is the verb for causing something to happen abruptly, often something negative.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Juxtapose

To place two things side by side to compare or contrast them.

Incongruous

Not fitting together; strikingly out of place.

Tip: Juxtapose is the deliberate act of placing things together. Incongruous describes the mismatched result when things don't seem to belong together.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.31

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.31 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

The failed harvest became the __________ that turned quiet frustration into open rebellion.

Question 2 of 13

Better sleep is often a __________ of a consistent morning routine.

Question 3 of 13

The committee redesigned the formula to ensure a more __________ distribution of funding.

Question 4 of 13

The coach flagged the argument as __________, pointing out that correlation had been mistaken for causation.

Question 5 of 13

The minimalist sculpture felt __________ next to the room's ornate eighteenth-century decor.

Question 6 of 13

The essay __________ two accounts of the same battle to show how differently each side remembered it.

Question 7 of 13

A single unfavorable review seemed to __________ a wave of cancellations.

Question 8 of 13

The entire argument rests on the __________ that both data sets were collected under identical conditions.

Question 9 of 13

The professor dismissed the claim as __________, noting it relied on a single unverified anecdote.

Question 10 of 13

Faced with mounting evidence, the researcher admitted her hypothesis had become __________.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: An argument that sounds convincing at first but falls apart under scrutiny because it relies on a hidden logical trick is __________, not merely fallacious in an obvious way.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A single leaked memo that suddenly causes a company's stock to crash is best described as precipitating the crash, rather than simply being a __________ for gradual change.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A photographer who deliberately places a photo of a bustling city next to one of an empty desert is choosing to __________ them, rather than the two images simply being incongruous by accident.

out of 13 correct

Full explanations for every question appear below after you check your answers.

Answer Key & Explanations

1Catalyst. A failed harvest sparking open rebellion is exactly what catalyst means, something that triggers major change.

2Corollary. Better sleep following naturally from a consistent routine is exactly what corollary describes, a natural consequence.

3Equitable. Redesigning a formula for fairer distribution is exactly what equitable means.

4Fallacious. Mistaking correlation for causation is a classic example of fallacious reasoning.

5Incongruous. A minimalist sculpture clashing with ornate decor is exactly what incongruous describes, not fitting together.

6Juxtapose. Placing two accounts of the same battle side by side to compare them is exactly what juxtapose means.

7Precipitate. A single review triggering a sudden wave of cancellations is exactly what precipitate describes.

8Premise. The statement an argument rests on is exactly what premise means.

9Specious. A claim that sounds convincing but relies on a single unverified anecdote is exactly what specious describes.

10Untenable. A hypothesis that can no longer be defended against evidence is exactly what untenable means.

11Specious. An argument that sounds convincing but collapses under scrutiny because of a hidden logical trick is specious, not just fallacious in an obvious way.

12Catalyst. A memo triggering a crash is precipitating it, while catalyst is the broader term for something that sparks change, gradual or sudden.

13Juxtapose. Deliberately placing two contrasting images together is to juxtapose them, distinct from incongruous, which just describes the mismatched result.

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