plea, confrontation, hazard, census, frontier: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 1 set 40. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. plea · noun/pliː/

   a request made in an urgent and emotional manner

   The child's heartfelt plea for help resonated with everyone in the room.

   Synonyms: appeal, request, entreaty

   Origin: Middle English 'plee', from Old French 'plai', from Latin 'placitum'.

2. confrontation · noun/ˌkɑnfrənˈteɪʃən/

   a hostile or argumentative meeting or situation between opposing parties

   The confrontation between the rival teams escalated quickly, leading to a heated argument on the field.

   Synonyms: clash, conflict, showdown

   Origin: from Latin 'confrontatio', from 'con-' meaning 'with' and 'frontare' meaning 'to place in front'

3. hazard · noun/ˈhæzərd/

   a potential source of harm or adverse effects

   The construction site is full of safety hazards that workers must be aware of to prevent accidents.

   Synonyms: risk, danger, threat

   Origin: from Old French 'hasard', from Spanish 'azar', of uncertain origin, possibly from Arabic 'al-zahr' meaning 'the dice'

4. census · noun/ˈsɛn sə s/

   an official count or survey of a population typically recording various details of individuals

   The government conducted a national census to gather demographic information about its citizens.

   Synonyms: survey, enumeration, count

   Origin: from Latin 'census', meaning 'a counting', derived from 'censere', meaning 'to assess'

5. frontier · noun/frʌnˈtɪr/

   a border or boundary between two areas or countries

   The two countries reached an agreement to secure their shared frontier against illegal crossings.

   Synonyms: boundary, border, edge

   Origin: from Middle French 'frontière', from 'front', meaning 'front, face', from Latin 'frons' meaning 'forehead or front'.