pathological, sparse, uneasy, indistinguishable, mythical: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 2 set 201. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. pathological · adjective/ˌpæθəˈlɑdʒɪkəl/

   relating to or caused by disease or abnormality

   The doctor identified the patient's condition as a pathological disorder, requiring immediate treatment to address the underlying disease.

   Synonyms: disease-related, medical, morbid

   Origin: Derived from the Greek word 'pathos' meaning 'suffering' or 'disease' and the suffix '-logical' from 'logia' meaning 'study of'.

2. sparse · adjective/spɑrs/

   thinly dispersed or scattered

   The forest was sparse, with only a few trees scattered among the underbrush.

   Synonyms: scattered, thin, scarce

   Origin: from Latin 'sparsus', the past participle of 'spargere' meaning 'to scatter'

3. uneasy · adjective/ʌnˈizi/

   feeling anxious or uncomfortable

   She felt uneasy about attending the meeting, knowing there would be difficult questions to answer.

   Synonyms: uncomfortable, anxious, restless

   Origin: from Old English 'uneisig', meaning 'not easy', from 'un-' (not) + 'eisig' (easy)

4. indistinguishable · adjective/ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbl/

   not able to be identified as different or distinct

   The two paintings were so incredibly similar that they were practically indistinguishable from each other.

   Synonyms: indiscernible, identical, equivalent

   Origin: Originates from the late Middle English, from Old French indistinguible, and from Latin indistinguibilis.

5. mythical · adjective/ˈmɪθ.ɪ.kəl/

   relating to or with the characteristics of myths or mythology

   The hero's journey was filled with mythical creatures that challenged him at every turn.

   Synonyms: legendary, fabled, imaginary

   Origin: from late Latin 'mythicus', from Greek 'mythikos', from 'mythos' meaning 'myth'