SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Synonyms: Roots from Latin
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Verbal
All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #71 : Using Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots To Identify Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
IMPUGN
Rent
Attack
Lurk
Consider
Excel
Attack
To "impugn" is to attack someone either verbally or physically. It also means to challenge someone's statements as false. The Latin root word, "pugnare," means to fight.
Example Question #31 : Synonyms: Roots From Latin
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
AMBIGUOUS
Pristine
Indubitable
Undeniable
Unclear
Ambidextrous
Unclear
If you don't recognize a word, it is almost always a good idea to try to use roots to figure out its meaning. You can break the word ambiguous into its component parts fairly easily ("ambi" + "guous"). "Ambi-" is a pretty common prefix, so you should recognize it even if you don't know what the whole word means. It's even in one of the other answer choices: "ambidextrous." The prefix "ambi-" has to do with something that goes in two directions at once. "Ambidextrous," for instance, means able to use both hands to do tasks (e.g. to write). "Ambiguous" means unclear, or having an unclear or undecidable meaning—a meaning that is unclear because it is one among multiple possible meanings. The answer choices "pristine," "indubitable," and "undeniable" each have to do with either clearness or certainty, and we already know what ambidextrous means, so "unclear" is the only choice left.
Example Question #32 : Synonyms: Roots From Latin
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ELUCIDATE
Intelligent
Lucid
Clarify
Read
Learn
Clarify
The word "elucidate" means to clarify or to explain. The best answer choice is "clarify," which means to make clear or to explain. The word "lucid", though related to the verb "elucidate", is not itself a verb. It is an adjective which means clear or easily understood.
Example Question #33 : Synonyms: Roots From Latin
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SIMILITUDE
Bastion
Resemblance
Felicity
Ardor
Pleasantry
Resemblance
"Similitude" is a noun derived from the Latin root "similis", meaning similar. "Resemblance" is a noun meaning the state of being alike, so it is a synonym for "similitude."
Example Question #34 : Synonyms: Roots From Latin
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FIDELITY
Ministry
Ennui
Loyalty
Inadequacy
Tint
Loyalty
"Fidelity" is a noun derived from the Latin root fidelis meaning faithfulness. "Loyalty" is a noun meaning a strong feeling of allegiance or faithfulness, and is an appropriate synonym.
All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
