SAT Vocabulary Words from the Digital SAT September 2026 Attempt

16th October, 2026 | Abhishek Malani | 7 Min Read
Introduction
September 2026 brought one of the longest word lists of the year: 28 words, many of them formal verbs like petitioned, obviating, rescinding and precluded. These words look intimidating, but they are built from pieces you can learn to decode. A student who recognises that rescinding contains the Latin idea of cutting can work out its meaning even when the word is brand new.
This September SAT vocab list therefore doubles as a lesson in word roots. Learn the meanings in the table, then use the root guide to build a skill that works on words you have never seen.
Use it as an SAT vocab list with meanings, an SAT word roots guide and a source of SAT synonyms all in one place.
September 2026 Digital SAT vocabulary words with meanings, synonyms, and example sentences for SAT preparation
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September 2026 SAT vocabulary words with meanings, synonyms and examples

The AP United States Government and Politics exam lasts for a total of 3 hours. The section-wise breakdown is:
Word Meaning Synonyms Examples
1. Petitioned
Formally requested something, often from an authority.
appealed, requested, implored, entreated

• Residents petitioned the council to repair the footbridge.
• The students petitioned the principal for a longer lunch break.
2. Extolling
Praising someone or something enthusiastically.
praising, lauding, celebrating, glorifying

• The critic spent the whole review extolling the lead actor’s range.
• He kept extolling the benefits of a good night’s sleep
3. Obviating
Removing a need or difficulty; making something unnecessary.
preventing, averting, eliminating, making unnecessary

• A direct train line is obviating the need for a long bus transfer.
• Cloud storage is obviating the need to carry files on a flash drive.
4. Rescinding
Officially cancelling or revoking a decision, rule or agreement.
revoking, repealing, withdrawing, cancelling

• The university is rescinding its offer after discovering the false claims.
• Rescinding the curfew made the neighbourhood lively again
5. Necessitating
Making something necessary or unavoidable.
requiring, demanding, compelling, calling for

• The burst pipe is necessitating a complete kitchen rebuild.
• Rapid growth is necessitating a larger office.
6. Comprehensive
Complete and covering all or nearly all relevant aspects.
thorough, exhaustive, all-inclusive, complete

• The guidebook offers a comprehensive map of the old town.
• A comprehensive exam covers the whole year’s material.
7. Hesitancy
Uncertainty or reluctance to act or decide
reluctance, indecision, wavering, uncertainty

• His hesitancy before answering suggested he was unsure.
• Public hesitancy about the new bridge slowed its approval.
8. Discretion
The ability to make sensible judgments; or, the freedom to decide.
judgment, prudence, tact, freedom of choice

• A good assistant handles private matters with discretion.
• The teacher has discretion to extend the deadline.
9. Guardedness
Caution or reluctance to reveal thoughts, feelings or information.
wariness, reserve, caution, watchfulness

• Her guardedness vanished once she realised the interviewer was kind.
• The witness’s guardedness made the lawyer suspicious.
10. Repudiate
To reject, disown or refuse to accept something as valid.
reject, disown, deny, refuse

• The scientist chose to repudiate her earlier theory when the data failed.
• Leaders must repudiate violence in clear terms.
11. Enumerate
To list or count items one by one.
list, tally, spell out, count

• Can you enumerate the causes of the war in order?
• The brochure enumerates every service the clinic offers.
12. Lament
To express grief, sorrow or regret.
mourn, grieve, bemoan, regret

• Fans lament the closing of their favourite theatre.
• She laments the time she wasted on distractions.
13. Precluded
Prevented something from happening or made it impossible.
prevented, ruled out, barred, prohibited

• An injury precluded him from running the marathon.
• The contract’s wording precluded any change of plans.
14. Fraudulent
Dishonest or intended to deceive, usually for gain.
deceitful, dishonest, counterfeit, fake

• Police arrested the man for fraudulent insurance claims.
• A fraudulent website copied the bank’s logo to steal passwords.
15. Byzantine
Extremely complicated, intricate or hard to understand.
convoluted, labyrinthine, intricate, tangled

• The visa process was so byzantine that she hired a lawyer.
• Byzantine rules turned a simple form into a week-long task.
16. Rudimentary
Basic, elementary or not fully developed.
basic, elementary, primitive, crude

• The early telescope was rudimentary but still revealed Jupiter’s moons.
• He has only a rudimentary grasp of French.
17. Monotonous
Dull and repetitive; lacking variety.
tedious, repetitive, dull, humdrum

• The monotonous hum of the engine put everyone to sleep.
• Assembly-line work can feel monotonous without breaks.
18. Enigmatic
Mysterious and difficult to interpret.
mysterious, puzzling, inscrutable, cryptic

• The Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile has puzzled viewers for centuries.
• The author’s enigmatic ending left readers arguing for days.
19. Pragmatic
Practical and focused on what works in reality.
practical, realistic, sensible, down-to-earth

• A pragmatic mayor chose the cheaper repair that would still last.
• Her pragmatic advice was to save first and dream later.
20. Wit
The ability to express clever, amusing or insightful ideas.
humour, cleverness, wordplay, sharpness

• The speech was full of wit and gentle teasing.
• Her quick wit rescued the awkward silence.
21. Incentive
Something that motivates or encourages an action.
motivation, reward, inducement, encouragement

• Free coffee is a small incentive for early arrivals.
• Tax breaks give families an incentive to install solar panels.
22. Deception
The act of misleading someone or hiding the truth.
trickery, deceit, dishonesty, fraud

• The magician’s deception depended on misdirection.
• Deception in advertising can destroy a brand’s reputation.
23. Convention
An accepted custom, practice or established way of doing something.
custom, tradition, norm, practice

• Shaking hands is a convention in many business meetings.
• The poet broke convention by ignoring punctuation.
24. Elemental
Fundamental or basic; relating to essential components.
fundamental, essential, basic, primal

• Fear is an elemental human response.
• The film captures the elemental force of a thunderstorm.
25. Empirical
Based on observation, experience or experimentation.
observational, experimental, evidence-based, factual

• The doctor wanted empirical evidence, not opinions, before changing treatment.
• Empirical research tracked plant growth for two seasons.
26. Commended
Praised or expressed approval of someone or something.
praised, applauded, complimented, honoured

• The firefighters were commended for their quick response.
• The judge commended the jury for its patience.
27. Authenticated
Verified as genuine, real or valid.
verified, validated, confirmed, certified

• Experts authenticated the painting by studying its brushwork.
• The bank authenticated her identity with a fingerprint scan.
28. Probed
Investigated or examined closely to discover information
investigated, examined, explored, scrutinized

• Reporters probed the mayor’s finances for months.
• The surgeon gently probed the wound to check for damage.

Final word

Twenty-eight words may feel heavy, but roots turn memorisation into detective work. Choose one root family a day, practise the words inside it, and you will find September’s list far easier to carry into test day.
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