Following is a list of vocabulary words to study in preparation for the Verbal subtest of either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or (more likely) the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

The "definitions" provided are by no means complete. They are merely reasonable synonyms for the terms--words and short phrases with similar meaning that are likely to be more familiar. But even having just a vague idea of the meaning of a term is usually all you need to choose the correct response on the test--and that's the whole idea.

How to use this list
1) Print it out (Duh)--HIGHLIGHT THE LIST THEN PRINT "SELECTION".  Cross out each term you definitely already know.
2) Cut out each remaining vocab term and its definition (so you have a pile of paper slips with one word defined on each)
3) Glue each definition (each slip of paper you cut out in step 2) onto a 3 x 5 index card. Frugal types might want to cut the 3 x 5 cards in half first. Write the vocab word without the definition on the back of each card. Now you have a pile of flash cards.
4) Repeatedly drill yourself on the cards whenever you can. Go quickly. Read each term, then try to recall its meaning before looking at the definition. Don't dwell on each definition. Don't divide up the cards into small groups--by the time you learn the last group, the first will be forgotten.
5) As you learn a word (you know the definition immediately, without looking, on several successive occasions), remove that card from your working pile. Continue drilling the words that give you trouble.
6) Occasionally go through all the words, including the ones you removed because you learned them, to keep them fresh in your memory. Do this more frequently as the test date approaches.

The List
The terms appear in random order. They are not taken from any particular source, but from dictionaries. I have no special knowledge that these words tend to appear on any particular test, but they are, in my experience, likely candidates to appear on any vocab test. This list focuses on more advanced, obscure vocabulary. There will also be many vocabulary words on the SAT and GRE that are not as difficult as these, but which nevertheless may be unfamiliar to many people. If the words below seem quite difficult to you, I suggest you purchase a book on vocabulary and expose yourself to the more common vocabulary words that do not appear on this particular list.

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CLICK HERE for the printer friendly Vocabulary List