SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 159

Set 159 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: fallible, livid, venturesome, posthumous, imprecise. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. fallible · adjective/ˈfæləbəl/

   capable of making mistakes or being incorrect

   Even the most experienced professionals are fallible and can make errors in judgment.

   Synonyms: mistaken, errant, imperfect

   Origin: from Latin 'fallibilis', from 'fallere' meaning 'to deceive or to err'

2. livid · adjective/ˈlɪvɪd/

   furiously angry or enraged

   When she discovered that her colleague had taken credit for her work, she was livid at the betrayal.

   Synonyms: infuriated, enraged, furious

   Origin: from Latin 'lividus', meaning 'blue' or 'black', originally referring to a color implying bruising or pallor, later used to convey intense anger.

3. venturesome · adjective/ˈvɛn.tʃər.səm/

   willing to take risks or embark on difficult courses of action

   The venturesome explorer set out to conquer the uncharted mountains, eager for the thrill of discovery.

   Synonyms: audacious, courageous, daring

   Origin: The word 'venturesome' is derived from the word 'venture', which comes from the Old French 'aventure', meaning 'chance' or 'risk'.

4. posthumous · adjective/ˈpɑːstʃəməs/

   occurring or awarded after the death of the originator

   The author received a posthumous award for her contributions to literature, bringing attention to her once-overlooked works.

   Synonyms: postmortem, after-death, belated

   Origin: from Latin 'posthumus', which means 'after earth', derived from 'post-' (after) + 'humus' (ground, earth)

5. imprecise · adjective/ˌɪm.prɪˈsaɪs/

   not accurate or exact

   The scientist criticized the imprecise measurements taken during the experiment, which led to unreliable results.

   Synonyms: inexact, inaccurate, vague

   Origin: from Latin 'imprecisus', meaning 'not precise', from 'in-' (not) + 'precisus' (precise)