54 words the Digital SAT draws on when a passage turns to relevance and importance — each with its part of speech, a plain-English definition, and an example sentence showing how it behaves in context.
Vocabulary on the Digital SAT is tested in context, not in isolation: a Words in Context question hands you a sentence with a blank and four plausible-looking candidates, and the winner is the one whose shade of meaning fits. Studying words in a meaning-group like this one is the fastest way to build that discrimination — you learn relevance and importance as a spectrum rather than as 54 unrelated definitions.
Read the definition, then the example sentence. Say the word aloud. Come back to this theme a few days later and cover the definitions — recalling a word cold is what fixes it, and rereading it is not.
The 54 words
Alphabetical. Everything in the Relevance & Importance guide.
001
accessorynoun
a supplementary item that adds to or enhances something else
She bought a matching handbag as an accessory to her outfit.
002
ancillaryadjective
providing support to primary activities
Ancillary services included catering.
003
aproposadjective
very appropriate to a particular situation
Her comment was apropos to the discussion.
004
basicadjective
forming an essential foundation; fundamental
Understanding basic grammar is essential for learning a new language.
005
centraladjective
of greatest importance; principal
This is central to our strategy.
006
criticaladjective
expressing disapproval; extremely important
Timing is critical to the success of this operation.
007
crucialadjective
of great importance; critical
The crucial vote determined the outcome.
008
digressiveadjective
tending to stray from the main point
His digressive style frustrated listeners.
009
discountedverb
reduced in price; disregarded as being unreliable or unimportant
The store discounted all winter merchandise by fifty percent.
010
dismissverb
to send away or allow to leave; to treat as unworthy of consideration
The judge decided to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence.
011
dispensableadjective
able to be replaced or done without
No employee is truly dispensable.
012
disregardedverb
paid no attention to; ignored
The warnings were disregarded, leading to the preventable accident.
013
essentialadjective
absolutely necessary; extremely important
Water is essential for survival.
014
extraneousadjective
irrelevant or unrelated to the subject; coming from outside
The editor removed all extraneous details from the manuscript.
015
extraneousadjective
irrelevant or unrelated to the subject
Remove all extraneous details.
016
featuredverb/adjective
given special prominence; included as a main element
The article featured interviews with several industry experts.
017
foundationaladjective
serving as a base or foundation; fundamental
Mathematics is foundational to understanding physics and engineering.
018
fundamentaladjective
forming a necessary base or core
These are fundamental principles.
019
germaneadjective
relevant to a subject under consideration
Only germane information should be included.
020
highlightverb
to emphasize or draw attention to something important
The report will highlight the key findings of our research.
021
ignoredverb
refused to take notice of; disregarded
Her advice was ignored, and the project failed as a result.
022
importantadjective
of great significance or value; having high rank or influence
Education is important for personal and professional development.
023
incidentaladjective
happening as a minor consequence
The incidental costs added up.
024
inconsequentialadjective
not important or significant; trivial
The minor error was inconsequential to the overall project.
025
inconsequentialadjective
not important or significant
The error was inconsequential.
026
insignificancenoun
the quality of being too small or unimportant to be worth consideration
Standing beneath the vast stars, she felt a sense of her own insignificance.
027
integraladjective
necessary to make a whole complete
She was an integral part of the team.
028
irrelevantadjective
not connected with or related to something; not applicable
The lawyer objected, stating that the question was irrelevant to the case.
029
irrelevantadjective
not connected with the matter at hand
The judge ruled the evidence irrelevant.
030
marginaladjective
of minor importance
The marginal improvements weren't enough.
031
materialadjective
significant or relevant
The information was material to the case.
032
negligibleadjective
so small as to be not worth considering
The impact on the environment was negligible.
033
overshadowedverb
made to seem less important or successful in comparison
Her achievements were overshadowed by her more famous sibling.
034
paramountadjective
more important than anything else; supreme
Safety is of paramount importance in this industry.
035
peripheraladjective
relating to the edge or outer boundary; of secondary importance
The peripheral issues distracted from the main topic of discussion.
036
peripheraladjective
of secondary or minor importance
Peripheral issues distracted from the goal.
037
pertinentadjective
relevant to the matter at hand
She made several pertinent observations.
038
pivotaladjective
of crucial importance
It was a pivotal moment in history.
039
prioritizeverb
to designate or treat something as more important than other things
You need to prioritize your tasks to meet the deadline.
040
redundantadjective
not or no longer needed or useful; superfluous; using more words than necessary
The phrase 'free gift' is redundant since gifts are always free.
041
requireverb
to need for a particular purpose; to demand as necessary
This recipe will require three cups of flour.
042
requiredverb/adjective
needed for a particular purpose; officially compulsory
All students are required to complete the assignment by Friday.
043
requirementnoun
something that is needed or demanded; a necessary condition
A college degree is a requirement for this position.
044
requiresverb
needs for a particular purpose; demands as necessary
The job requires excellent communication skills.
045
salientadjective
most noticeable or important
The salient points were highlighted.
046
significantadjective
sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; meaningful
There has been a significant improvement in her grades.
047
superfluousadjective
unnecessary; more than is needed
The editor removed superfluous words from the article.
048
tangentialadjective
diverging from a main subject
His tangential comments delayed the meeting.
049
trivialadjective
of little value or importance
Don't waste time on trivial matters.
050
underscoreverb
to emphasize or highlight the importance of something
The report served to underscore the need for immediate action on climate change.
051
unimportantadjective
lacking in significance or value; not mattering much
The minor details seemed unimportant compared to the larger issues at hand.
052
unnecessaryadjective
not needed; more than is needed or wanted
The lengthy introduction seemed unnecessary and wasted valuable time.
053
unremarkableadjective
not particularly interesting or surprising; ordinary
The town appeared unremarkable at first but had a rich hidden history.
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