📘 30 Must-Know Vocabulary Words for the SAT Reading & Writing Section – Week 1

Master SAT Vocabulary Across Psychology, Law, Society, and More

Want to ace the SAT Reading and Writing section?
These 30 high-frequency SAT words appear in comprehension passages, sentence completions, and vocabulary-in-context questions. Learn them now to decode tough texts and improve accuracy.

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🔢 Word List with Meanings & Context

Psychology & Behavior

1. Abate
   • Meaning: To lessen in intensity
   • Sentence: The storm finally began to abate after several hours.
2. Abhor
   • Meaning: To hate deeply
   • Sentence: She abhors violence in any form.
3. Abjure
   • Meaning: To renounce or reject
   • Sentence: He abjured his former beliefs in front of the crowd.
4. Abnegate
   • Meaning: To deny oneself something valuable
   • Sentence: The monk abnegated all worldly pleasures.
5. Abnegation
   • Meaning: Self-denial
   • Sentence: True spiritual growth often requires abnegation.
6. Abstain
   • Meaning: To deliberately avoid
   • Sentence: She chose to abstain from sugar for health reasons.
7. Abstemious
   • Meaning: Moderate in eating or drinking
   • Sentence: His abstemious lifestyle contributed to his longevity.
8. Accede
   • Meaning: To agree or yield
   • Sentence: The government acceded to the public’s demand.
9. Absurd
   • Meaning: Ridiculous or unreasonable
   • Sentence: The idea of cats flying planes is absurd.

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Law & Justice

10. Abet
    • Meaning: To assist or encourage wrongdoing
    • Sentence: He was charged with aiding and abetting the criminal.
11. Abrogate
    • Meaning: To repeal or cancel a law
    • Sentence: The court moved to abrogate the outdated statute.
12. Abscond
    • Meaning: To run away secretly
    • Sentence: The cashier absconded with the day’s earnings.
13. Absolution
    • Meaning: Forgiveness from guilt
    • Sentence: He sought absolution through confession.
14. Absolve
    • Meaning: To declare someone free from blame
    • Sentence: The judge absolved her of all responsibility.

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Religion & Philosophy

15. Ablution / Ablutions
    • Meaning: Ritual washing or cleansing
    • Sentence: He performed his morning ablutions before prayer.
16. Abjure (repeated for context)
    • Renouncing beliefs also applies in religious contexts.
17. Abnegation (philosophical use)
    • Self-denial is central to many ascetic philosophies.

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Education & Learning

18. Abstract
    • Meaning: Theoretical; not concrete
    • Sentence: His explanation was too abstract for beginners.
19. Abstruse
    • Meaning: Difficult to understand
    • Sentence: The professor’s lectures were often abstruse.

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Culture & Society

20. Accentuate
    • Meaning: To emphasize or highlight
    • Sentence: The curtains accentuate the room’s elegance.
21. Accessible
    • Meaning: Easy to approach or reach
    • Sentence: Online education has made learning more accessible.
22. Accolade
    • Meaning: An award or praise
    • Sentence: She received many accolades for her writing.
23. Accommodate
    • Meaning: To adapt or make space for someone
    • Sentence: The school was built to accommodate 500 students.

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Miscellaneous (General Use)

24. Abbreviate
    • Meaning: To shorten
    • Sentence: You can abbreviate ‘etcetera’ as ‘etc.’
25. Aberrant
    • Meaning: Deviating from the norm
    • Sentence: The patient’s aberrant behavior alarmed the doctors.
26. Aberration
    • Meaning: A departure from the usual
    • Sentence: His angry outburst was an aberration.
27. Abject
    • Meaning: Extremely bad or severe
    • Sentence: The refugees lived in abject poverty.
28. Abeyance
    • Meaning: Temporary inactivity or suspension
    • Sentence: The project is in abeyance due to lack of funds.
29. Accelerate
    • Meaning: To increase speed
    • Sentence: The car began to accelerate down the highway.
30. Abundant
    • Meaning: Plentiful
    • Sentence: The region is known for its abundant wildlife.

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🎯 Practice Questions (SAT Style)

1. The monk’s life of ______ reflected his deep commitment to spiritual practice.
   A) indulgence B) abnegation C) satire D) aversion
   Answer: B) abnegation
2. Which word best describes someone who deliberately avoids something?
   A) accelerate B) abate C) abstain D) absolve
   Answer: C) abstain
3. “To renounce formally” is best represented by:
   A) accede B) abjure C) abbreviate D) accommodate
   Answer: B) abjure

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💬 SAT Vocabulary Tip

When encountering unfamiliar vocabulary in the SAT, use context clues. Often, the surrounding words hint at tone, emotion, or contrast. Words like abjure and abnegation often appear in serious or philosophical texts.

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📅 Download Flashcards

📝 Download all 30 words with meanings and usage examples in printable flashcard format:
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