negotiate, praise, trace, undergo, assemble: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 1 set 148. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. negotiate · verb/nɪˈɡoʊʃieɪt/

   to discuss and reach an agreement through compromise

   After several hours of discussion, the two parties were finally able to negotiate a fair contract.

   Synonyms: discuss, bargain, mediate

   Origin: from Latin 'negotiatus', past participle of 'negotiari' which means 'to carry on business'.

2. praise · verb/preɪz/

   to express approval or admiration for someone or something

   The coach praised the team's effort after their hard-fought victory.

   Synonyms: commend, applaud, extol

   Origin: Middle English 'praisen', from Old French 'preiser', from Latin 'pretium' meaning 'value, worth'

3. trace · verb/treɪs/

   to follow or discover the course or development of something

   The detective was able to trace the suspect's movements throughout the city over the past week.

   Synonyms: track, follow, trace out

   Origin: from Middle English tracen, from Old French traçer, from Latin tractiare, from tractus, meaning 'to draw or pull'.

4. undergo · verb/ˌʌndərˈɡoʊ/

   to experience or endure something, typically a process of change or difficulty

   After the accident, she had to undergo a long rehabilitation process to regain her strength.

   Synonyms: experience, endure, go through

   Origin: The word 'undergo' comes from the Old English 'undergan', where 'under' means 'among' or 'between' and 'gan' means 'to go'. It has roots in Germanic languages.

5. assemble · verb/əˈsɛm.bəl/

   to gather together into one place or group

   The teacher asked the students to assemble in the auditorium for the special announcement.

   Synonyms: gather, convene, collect

   Origin: from Old French 'assembler' (to put together), from Latin 'assimulare' (to bring together)