SAT Vocabulary Ep. 32: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

SAT high-frequency vocabulary Set 32: ancillary, antithesis, attenuate, discrepancy, engender, 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.32 Words in Context - Set 32

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Ancillary Neutral	adjective	Providing necessary support to the primary activities of an organization; supplementary	"The report focuses on the factory's main production line, treating packaging and shipping as ancillary concerns."
Antithesis Neutral	noun	The exact opposite of something	"The critic argues that the film's slow, quiet ending is the antithesis of the loud, chaotic opening scene."
Attenuate Neutral	verb	To reduce the force, effect, or value of something	"The new sound barrier was designed to attenuate highway noise for homes along the interstate."
Discrepancy Negative	noun	A difference or inconsistency between facts, figures, or claims that should match	"Auditors flagged a discrepancy between the reported sales figures and the amount actually deposited."
Engender Neutral	verb	To cause or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition	"The professor's open-ended questions were designed to engender genuine debate rather than a single correct answer."
Impetus Positive	noun	The force or energy that drives a process or event forward	"The graphic images of the collapsed bridge provided the political impetus needed to finally fund infrastructure repairs."
Preclude Negative	verb	To prevent something from happening or someone from doing something	"A strict confidentiality agreement precluded the former employee from discussing any details of the project."
Rationale Neutral	noun	The underlying reasons or justification for an action or decision	"The committee's report offers a clear rationale for why the smaller of the two proposals was ultimately selected."
Supplant Neutral	verb	To take the place of something, often through force or scheming	"Digital ledgers have largely supplanted the handwritten record books once used by the region's merchants."
Unequivocal Positive	adjective	Leaving no doubt; completely clear	"The board issued an unequivocal statement rejecting the merger, leaving no room for further negotiation."

Look-Alike Words

Commonly Confused · Similar Meaning

Antithesis

The exact opposite of something.

Discrepancy

A difference or inconsistency between things that are supposed to match.

Tip: Antithesis describes two things that are total opposites by nature. Discrepancy describes an unexpected mismatch between things that should agree but don't.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Engender

To cause or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition.

Impetus

The driving force or energy behind a process or event.

Tip: Engender is the act of bringing something into being. Impetus is the noun for the push that gets something moving in the first place.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Attenuate

To weaken or reduce the force or effect of something.

Preclude

To prevent something from happening entirely.

Tip: Attenuate only lessens something's impact. Preclude stops something from happening at all.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.32

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.32 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

The report focused on the main assembly line, treating packaging as a purely __________ concern.

Question 2 of 13

The film's quiet, minimalist ending is the __________ of its loud, chaotic opening.

Question 3 of 13

The new barrier was designed to __________ highway noise for nearby homes.

Question 4 of 13

Auditors flagged a __________ between the reported figures and the actual deposit.

Question 5 of 13

Open-ended questions were designed to __________ genuine debate rather than a single answer.

Question 6 of 13

Images of the collapsed bridge provided the __________ needed to finally fund repairs.

Question 7 of 13

A strict agreement __________ the former employee from discussing project details.

Question 8 of 13

The report offers a clear __________ for why the smaller proposal was chosen.

Question 9 of 13

Digital ledgers have largely __________ the handwritten record books once used by merchants.

Question 10 of 13

The board issued an __________ statement rejecting the merger.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A company reporting one profit number to investors and a different one on its tax filing has a __________ in its records, not simply an antithesis of good accounting.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A viral video of the accident became the __________ for new safety laws, rather than merely engendering public sympathy.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A rule that bans a certain topic entirely from meetings would __________ discussion of it, rather than merely attenuating how often it comes up.

out of 13 correct

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

Answer Key & Explanations

1Ancillary. Treating packaging as a secondary concern next to the main assembly line is exactly what ancillary means, supplementary and not primary.

2Antithesis. A quiet ending being the complete opposite of a chaotic opening is exactly what antithesis describes.

3Attenuate. A barrier reducing highway noise is exactly what attenuate means, lessening force or effect.

4Discrepancy. A mismatch between reported and actual figures is exactly what discrepancy describes.

5Engender. Open-ended questions designed to spark genuine debate is exactly what engender means, giving rise to a situation or feeling.

6Impetus. Images that provide the driving push needed to fund repairs is exactly what impetus describes.

7Preclude. An agreement that fully prevents someone from discussing something is exactly what preclude means.

8Rationale. The underlying justification for a decision is exactly what rationale describes.

9Supplant. Digital ledgers taking the place of handwritten books is exactly what supplant means.

10Unequivocal. A statement leaving no room for doubt is exactly what unequivocal means.

11Discrepancy. Reporting two different numbers to two different audiences is a discrepancy, an inconsistency between records, not simply the antithesis of good accounting.

12Impetus. A video driving new legislation is the impetus, the force behind the change, which goes further than simply engendering sympathy.

13Preclude. A rule that fully bans a topic would preclude discussion entirely, rather than merely attenuating, or lessening, how often it comes up.

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