capable of causing disease through transmission from one organism to another
example
The doctor confirmed that the patient had an infectious disease that required immediate treatment.
synonyms
contagioustransmissiblecommunicable
word origin — from Latin 'infectious', from 'infectus', past participle of 'inficere' meaning 'to taint, dye, or stain'
SAT Vocabulary Level 1 — Set 174
Set 174 of SAT Vocabulary Level 1 covers 5 words: infectious, distant, insightful, ambitious, articulate. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
infectious · adjective/ɪnˈfɛkʃəs/
capable of causing disease through transmission from one organism to another
The doctor confirmed that the patient had an infectious disease that required immediate treatment.
Synonyms: contagious, transmissible, communicable
Origin: from Latin 'infectious', from 'infectus', past participle of 'inficere' meaning 'to taint, dye, or stain'
distant · adjective/ˈdɪstənt/
far away in space or time
The distant mountains loomed on the horizon, their peaks shrouded in mist.
Synonyms: remote, far-off, faraway
Origin: Middle English, from Latin 'distantem', the accusative singular of 'distantem', which is the present participle of 'distare' meaning 'to stand apart'
insightful · adjective/ˌɪnˈsaɪt.fəl/
having or showing a deep understanding and keen perception
Her insightful analysis of the situation revealed underlying issues that had previously gone unnoticed.
Synonyms: perceptive, astute, shrewd
Origin: The word 'insightful' originates from 'insight,' which comes from the Middle English 'insihte' (meaning 'the power of seeing into a situation') and is derived from the Old English 'insihth,' where 'in-' means 'into' and 'sihth' means 'sight.'
ambitious · adjective/æmˈbɪʃ.əs/
having a strong desire and determination to succeed
Her ambitious plans to launch a startup within the next year reflect her strong determination to succeed in the competitive market.
Synonyms: aspiring, driven, enterprising
Origin: from Latin 'ambitiosus', from 'ambitio' meaning 'a going around' or 'solicitation for office', from 'ambire' meaning 'to go around'
articulate · adjective/ɑrˈtɪkjʊlɪt/
able to express thoughts and feelings clearly and effectively
She is an articulate speaker who can convey complex ideas with ease.
Synonyms: eloquent, fluent, expressive
Origin: From Latin 'articulatus', meaning 'jointed' or 'divided into joints', which evolved to mean 'clearly expressed'.