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SAT Vocabulary Words Starting With C

Can you guess the definitions of these words that commonly appear on the Scholastic Aptitude Test?
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: October 16, 2019
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First submittedSeptember 21, 2019
Times taken14,811
Average score80.0%
Rating4.45
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1. Callow (adjective)
Having a yellowish complexion
Lacking in experience
Overly simplified
Handsome but unintelligent
We can't expect wise decisions from these callow youths
2. Candid (adjective)
Honest; frank
Bold
Quick-witted
Well-lit
We need to have a candid discussion about your drinking problem
3. Calamity (noun)
A speech intended to inflame passions
A damaging lie
A type of officer on a naval ship
A disaster
Most of the buildings were destroyed in the calamity of 1906
4. Capricious (adjective)
Impulsive and unpredictable
Jolly
Warm and pleasant
Dishonest
The President's capricious behavior damaged relationships with vital allies
5. Capitulate (verb)
To give an explanation or excuse
To surrender
To conduct a census
To remove the head of
Japan finally capitulated on August 15th, 1945
6. Castigate (verb)
To reprimand severely
To shower with praise
To release from servitude
To cripple
She was castigated by the online mob for using an incorrect pronoun
7. Catharsis (noun)
A reversal of fortunes
The part of a story's plot that happens after the climax
A dramatic release of emotional tension
A sudden revelation
The tears brought the catharsis she needed
8. Clemency (noun)
Disorder; confusion
Leniency or mercy in judgement
A condition of lowered intelligence caused by iodine deficiency
A cloying sweetness
The defendant pled for clemency from the judge
9. Craven (adjective)
Legendary or mythical
Cowardly
Having a dark color
Highly sought after
The craven soldiers refused to fight
10. Colloquial (adjective)
Related to monks or religious scholars
Cliquish; secretive
Related to informal, everyday speech
Like a bell
Please refrain from using colloquial expressions in legal documents
11. Concurrent (adjective)
Obsolete
Happening at the same time
Trendy
Well-prepared
The two semifinals were held concurrently
12. Cede (verb)
To completely destroy
To travel around the perimeter of something
To yield or surrender something
To underline or highlight
After losing the war, Mexico was forced to cede much of its territory to the United States
13. Calumny (noun)
A bowl-like depression in the earth
A slanderous accusation
A disaster
The alignment of two or more planets
The newspaper printed calumnies against me
14. Cynic (noun)
A young swan
One who distrusts the motivations of others
A petty criminal
A corrosive acid
The cynic does not believe that humans are capable of true love
15. Concise (adjective)
Merely satisfactory
Brief but comprehensive
Slender
Incomplete
The board members appreciated her concise summary of the relevant facts
+2
Level 77
Sep 21, 2019
Cool. Number 8 has a typo, should be defendant, not defendent. Also why don't you have periods at the end of the example sentences?
+2
Level ∞
Sep 21, 2019
Fixed the spelling
+1
Level 69
Oct 3, 2019
Great quiz :D
+2
Level 75
Oct 24, 2019
First one I've aced in quite a while, so of course I think it's a great quiz, too. :)
+1
Level 75
Oct 16, 2019
I reckon the answer for "capitulate" should start "to give", not "the give"?
+1
Level ∞
Oct 16, 2019
Okay
+1
Level 68
Oct 24, 2019
I was wrong about 'capitulate' as I remembered that 'caput' means 'head' so I answered 'beheading'.

And I answered 'bold' for 'candid' as some people (especially in Ireland) use 'bold' to mean a bit upfront and outspoken (e.g. 'My kid is being bold by answering back') rather than meaning 'brave' or 'courageous'.

+1
Level 81
Oct 24, 2019
Same root, but it means headings, like drawing up terms for surrender under different headings(topics).
+1
Level 73
Oct 24, 2019
Great quiz. More please.
+1
Level 55
Mar 10, 2020
lmao, only got 7 out of 15, I guess that's what I get for only being a first-year in high school
+1
Level 76
Apr 18, 2020
Ah, then the first word is especially appropriate for you.
+1
Level 73
Sep 24, 2020
Dude I need to study this quiz in preparation for my upcoming SAT lol
+1
Level 59
Nov 19, 2020
That's funny, when you're french it is really simple. I had more trouble understanding some proposals than the original word. I guess that a lot of those words have a French history or have been borrowed by French.
+1
Level 71
Jan 21, 2022
Haha! The two that I missed were the MOST freqently guessed one and the LEAST frequently guessed one. What are the odds?
+1
Level 48
Feb 22, 2024
I took the SAT and it had words nowhere near this hard