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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 taken14,812
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)
Bold
Well-lit
Honest; frank
Quick-witted
We need to have a candid discussion about your drinking problem
3. Calamity (noun)
A disaster
A type of officer on a naval ship
A speech intended to inflame passions
A damaging lie
Most of the buildings were destroyed in the calamity of 1906
4. Capricious (adjective)
Impulsive and unpredictable
Dishonest
Warm and pleasant
Jolly
The President's capricious behavior damaged relationships with vital allies
5. Capitulate (verb)
To remove the head of
To conduct a census
To surrender
To give an explanation or excuse
Japan finally capitulated on August 15th, 1945
6. Castigate (verb)
To reprimand severely
To cripple
To release from servitude
To shower with praise
She was castigated by the online mob for using an incorrect pronoun
7. Catharsis (noun)
A sudden revelation
A reversal of fortunes
The part of a story's plot that happens after the climax
A dramatic release of emotional tension
The tears brought the catharsis she needed
8. Clemency (noun)
A cloying sweetness
Leniency or mercy in judgement
A condition of lowered intelligence caused by iodine deficiency
Disorder; confusion
The defendant pled for clemency from the judge
9. Craven (adjective)
Legendary or mythical
Having a dark color
Cowardly
Highly sought after
The craven soldiers refused to fight
10. Colloquial (adjective)
Like a bell
Related to monks or religious scholars
Related to informal, everyday speech
Cliquish; secretive
Please refrain from using colloquial expressions in legal documents
11. Concurrent (adjective)
Well-prepared
Happening at the same time
Obsolete
Trendy
The two semifinals were held concurrently
12. Cede (verb)
To travel around the perimeter of something
To yield or surrender something
To underline or highlight
To completely destroy
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 disaster
The alignment of two or more planets
A slanderous accusation
The newspaper printed calumnies against me
14. Cynic (noun)
A petty criminal
A corrosive acid
A young swan
One who distrusts the motivations of others
The cynic does not believe that humans are capable of true love
15. Concise (adjective)
Incomplete
Merely satisfactory
Slender
Brief but comprehensive
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