SAT Words I

completely honest; straightforward

Candace's candidates overwhelmed her business colleagues, who were not used to such honesty.

inference; guesswork

At this point, Kimaya's hypothesis about single-cell biorhytms is sitll conjecture: She doesn't have conclusive evidence.

instructive

The tapes were entertaining and didactic; they both amused and instructed children.

a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term

"To pass away" is a common euphemism for dying.

to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information

Seeing the wrecked bike and his daughter's skinned knees, Heath extrapolated that she had had a biking accident.

lacking cohestion or connection

Maury's sentences were so incoherent that nobody understood a word.

to imply or communicate steathily

Sean insinuated that Grace stole the arsenic, but he never came out and said it.

easily understood; clear

Our teacher provides lucid explanations of even the most difficult concepts so that we can all understand them.

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

Since they are expected to make speeches, most politicians and lawyers are well-versed in the art of rhetoric.

quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgement or insight

Judge Ackerman's legal acumen was so well regarded that he was nicknamed the "Solomon of the South."

dexterous; deft

An adroit balloon-animal maker, Adrianna became popular at children's parties.

to find out, as through investigation or experimentation

The private investigator had long suspected my dog; before long, he ascertained that Toto was indeed the murderer.

shrewd; clever

Stewart is financially astute; he invests wisely and never falls for scams.

careful; prudent; discreet

Ned's circumspect manner makes him a wise appointment to the diplomatic corps.

to scatter widely; as in sowing seed

The news about Dave's embarrassing moment at the party disseminated quickly through the school; by the end of the day, everyone knew what had happened.

deep, extensive learning

Professor Rudy's erudition was such that she could answer any question her students put to her.

the application of scientific principles to agriculture, especially to animal breeding

After years of practicing animal husbandry, Marsha's husband was able to create a breed of dog that actually walked itself.

excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules

Pedro's pedantic tendencies prompted him to remind us constantly of all the grammatical rules we were breaking.

shrewd; clear-sighted

Persephone's perspicacious mind had solved so many cases that the popular private investagator was able to retire.

practical

Never one fo rwild and unrealistic schemes, Matt took a pragmatic approach to research.

exhibiting unusually early intellectual aptittude or maturity

Bobby Fisher's precocious intellect made him one of the world's best chess players before he could even drive.

formal proposal

Before writing my thesis, I had to submit a detailed prospectus to the department for approval.

basic; elementary; in the earliest stages of development