Circumspect: meaning and SAT practice

Circumspect (adjective) means: Careful to consider all circumstances and consequences before acting.

Circumspect in a sentence

The circumspect investor studied the market carefully before investing her money.

Similar: cautious, prudent, careful, wary. Opposite: reckless, careless.

SAT-style practice: what does “circumspect” most nearly mean?

The circumspect investor studied the market carefully before investing her money.

As used in the sentence, “circumspect” most nearly means

  1. clear
  2. cautious
  3. conventional
  4. witty
Show the answer

Answer: B. “circumspect” means: Careful to consider all circumstances and consequences before acting. “cautious” is the closest match in this sentence. The other choices are real SAT-level words, but none of them carries that meaning here.

On the digital SAT this is the “Words in Context” skill, about 7 of the 54 Reading and Writing questions. The test asks what a word means as used in the passage, so a word’s most common meaning is not always the answer. More of these, with full explanations, are on SAT Words in Context practice questions.

  • canny: Shrewd and careful, especially in business or dealing with others.
  • judicious: Having good judgment and making wise, careful decisions.
  • painstaking: Requiring or showing great care and effort.
  • punctilious: Very careful about details and proper behavior or conduct.
  • scrupulous: Extremely careful and precise about details and ethics.
  • imperturbable: Remaining calm and composed even in difficult or stressful situations.

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