legislate, precipitate, downplay, impede, decipher: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 2 set 189. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. legislate · verb/ˈlɛdʒɪsleɪt/

   to make or enact laws

   The government decided to legislate new regulations to protect the environment.

   Synonyms: enact, regulate, rule

   Origin: from Latin 'legis' meaning 'law' and 'latum' meaning 'to bring'

2. precipitate · verb/prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/

   to cause something to happen suddenly or unexpectedly

   The unexpected news about the company's financial troubles precipitated a mass exodus of employees.

   Synonyms: hasten, expedite, trigger

   Origin: from Latin 'praecipitare', meaning 'to throw headlong'

3. downplay · verb/ˈdaʊnˌpleɪ/

   to make something seem less important or less serious than it really is

   The manager tried to downplay the significance of the recent data breach, assuring employees that no sensitive information had been compromised.

   Synonyms: understate, minimize, play down

   Origin: The word 'downplay' is a compound of 'down,' which implies a reduction or lessening, and 'play,' which relates to treating something in a certain way. It emerged in the mid-20th century.

4. impede · verb/ɪmˈpid/

   to obstruct or hinder progress or movement

   Heavy traffic can impede progress on our journey, causing us to arrive late.

   Synonyms: hinder, obstruct, delay

   Origin: From Latin 'impedire', meaning 'to catch or entangle', from 'in-' (in) + 'ped-' (foot)

5. decipher · verb/dɪˈsaɪfər/

   to interpret or make sense of something difficult to understand

   The detective worked tirelessly to decipher the mysterious code left at the crime scene.

   Synonyms: decode, interpret, unravel

   Origin: from Middle French 'décipher', from deci- (of uncertain origin) + -cipher (from Latin 'cifrare', meaning 'to write in code')