SAT Vocabulary Ep. 35: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

SAT high-frequency vocabulary Set 35: anecdotal, circumstantial, consensus, countenance, discredit, 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.35 Words in Context - Set 35

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Anecdotal Negative	adjective	Based on individual personal accounts rather than facts or systematic research	"The report cautions against drawing broad conclusions from what is ultimately anecdotal evidence collected from a handful of interviews."
Circumstantial Neutral	adjective	Based on inference or indirect evidence rather than direct proof	"Without a confession or eyewitness, the prosecution's case rested almost entirely on circumstantial evidence."
Consensus Positive	noun	General agreement among a group of people	"After hours of debate, the committee finally reached a consensus on how to divide the remaining funds."
Countenance Neutral	verb	To accept, allow, or tolerate something	"The board made clear it would not countenance any further delays in the project's timeline."
Discredit Negative	verb	To damage the reputation of someone or cause doubt about the truth of something	"New evidence emerged that seemed to discredit the witness's version of events."
Objective Positive	adjective	Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; based on facts	"The editor asked the reporter to present a more objective account of the negotiations, free of any personal opinion."
Preponderance Neutral	noun	A superiority in number, quantity, or influence	"The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff, citing a clear preponderance of evidence in her favor."
Presumptuous Negative	adjective	Overstepping what is appropriate or acceptable; excessively bold	"Critics called the young executive's plan presumptuous, arguing he had skipped several necessary approval steps."
Prevaricate Negative	verb	To speak evasively or misleadingly in order to avoid the truth	"Rather than answer directly, the spokesperson began to prevaricate, offering vague statements instead of a clear response."
Rigorous Positive	adjective	Extremely thorough, careful, and exacting	"The study underwent a rigorous review process before any of its findings were published."

Look-Alike Words

Opposite Charge · Contrast Pair

Anecdotal

Based on individual personal accounts rather than systematic research.

Rigorous

Extremely thorough, careful, and exacting.

Tip: Anecdotal evidence comes from a few loose personal stories. Rigorous methods are the careful, systematic opposite.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Discredit

To damage someone's reputation or cast doubt on the truth of a claim.

Prevaricate

To speak evasively in order to avoid stating the truth directly.

Tip: Discredit is something you do to someone else's credibility. Prevaricate is something you do yourself, dodging the truth in your own words.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Consensus

General agreement reached among a group of people.

Preponderance

A clear superiority in number, quantity, or influence.

Tip: Consensus is about people agreeing. Preponderance is about evidence or opinions weighing heavily on one side, whether or not everyone officially agrees.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.35

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.35 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

The report cautions against drawing broad conclusions from what is ultimately __________ evidence.

Question 2 of 13

Without a confession or eyewitness, the case rested almost entirely on __________ evidence.

Question 3 of 13

After hours of debate, the committee finally reached a __________ on how to divide the funds.

Question 4 of 13

The board made clear it would not __________ any further delays.

Question 5 of 13

New evidence emerged that seemed to __________ the witness's version of events.

Question 6 of 13

The editor asked for a more __________ account of the negotiations, free of personal opinion.

Question 7 of 13

The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff, citing a clear __________ of evidence.

Question 8 of 13

Critics called the plan __________, arguing he had skipped several approval steps.

Question 9 of 13

Rather than answer directly, the spokesperson began to __________, offering vague statements.

Question 10 of 13

The study underwent a __________ review process before publication.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A drug that passed years of controlled clinical trials before approval underwent a __________ testing process, not merely an anecdotal one.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A politician who dodges every direct question with vague non-answers is choosing to __________, rather than simply trying to discredit an opponent.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A jury that has not officially agreed but has clearly leaned toward one side after reviewing the evidence reflects a __________ of opinion, rather than a full consensus.

out of 13 correct

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

Answer Key & Explanations

1Anecdotal. Evidence collected from a handful of personal interviews is exactly what anecdotal describes.

2Circumstantial. A case built on indirect evidence rather than a confession or eyewitness is exactly what circumstantial means.

3Consensus. A committee reaching general agreement after debate is exactly what consensus describes.

4Countenance. Refusing to allow further delays is exactly what countenance means here, to tolerate or accept.

5Discredit. Evidence that casts doubt on a witness's account is exactly what discredit describes.

6Objective. An account free of personal opinion is exactly what objective means.

7Preponderance. A clear superiority of evidence favoring one side is exactly what preponderance describes.

8Presumptuous. A plan that skips necessary approval steps is exactly what presumptuous describes, overstepping what's appropriate.

9Prevaricate. Offering vague statements instead of a direct answer is exactly what prevaricate means.

10Rigorous. A thorough, careful review process before publication is exactly what rigorous describes.

11Rigorous. Years of controlled clinical trials is a rigorous process, distinct from anecdotal evidence based on a few personal accounts.

12Prevaricate. Dodging every question with vague non-answers is prevaricate, avoiding the truth directly, rather than discredit, which targets someone else's credibility.

13Preponderance. Leaning toward one side without official agreement is preponderance, a weight of opinion, distinct from consensus, which requires actual agreement.

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