Word List: CAT 2023 Exam | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) PDF Download

Introduction

Enhance your verbal skills with this detailed vocabulary list curated from CAT 2023 Slots 1, 2, and 3 question papers. Featuring tough words, clear meanings, and usage examples, this resource is designed to strengthen your grasp of the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section, helping you approach the exam with clarity, confidence, and precision.

CAT 2023 Slot 1 

1. Word: allegory
   Meaning: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
   Example Sentence: The children's book about a tortoise and a hare is an allegory about the value of persistence over speed.
2. Word: postcolonial
   Meaning: Relating to or existing in the period after a country has gained independence from colonial rule.
   Example Sentence: The museum’s exhibit on postcolonial art showcased paintings from countries that gained freedom in the 20th century.
3. Word: remapping
   Meaning: The act of redefining or reorganising the way something, such as a geographical or conceptual space, is understood or represented.
   Example Sentence: The new travel app is remapping popular tourist destinations to highlight lesser-known cultural sites.
4. Word: cosmopolitan
   Meaning: Reflecting a familiarity with or inclusion of many different cultures, often associated with a global or sophisticated outlook.
   Example Sentence: The city’s cosmopolitan vibe attracts people from all over the world to its diverse restaurants and festivals.
5. Word: ambivalent
   Meaning: Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
   Example Sentence: She felt ambivalent about the party, excited to see friends but nervous about meeting new people.
6. Word: determinism
   Meaning: The philosophical belief that all events, including human actions, are ultimately determined by causes external to free will.
   Example Sentence: The idea of determinism suggests that our choices, like picking a career, are shaped by our environment and upbringing.
7. Word: contingency
   Meaning: A future event or circumstance that is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty; dependence on chance or the actions of others.
   Example Sentence: The picnic’s success depends on the weather, a contingency we can’t control.
8. Word: biogeographic
   Meaning: Relating to the geographical distribution of living organisms and their relationship with the environment.
   Example Sentence: The biogeographic study showed why certain fish species are only found in specific rivers.
9. Word: lupine
   Meaning: Relating to wolves; wolf-like.
   Example Sentence: The lupine howls in the forest made the campers feel both thrilled and uneasy.
10. Word: eradicated
    Meaning: Completely destroyed or removed, often in the context of diseases, species, or problems.
    Example Sentence: The city eradicated the mosquito problem by cleaning up standing water in public areas.
11. Word: counterintuitive
    Meaning: Contrary to what one would intuitively expect, not aligned with common sense or initial assumptions.
    Example Sentence: It’s counterintuitive, but drinking warm water can help you cool down on a hot day.
12. Word: foragers
    Meaning: People who collect food by hunting, gathering, or fishing rather than farming or industrial production.
    Example Sentence: Foragers in the forest picked wild berries and mushrooms for their meals.
13. Word: ethnocentric
    Meaning: Evaluating other cultures according to the standards and biases of one’s own culture, often assuming superiority.
    Example Sentence: His ethnocentric attitude made him think his country’s food was better than anyone else’s.
14. Word: disquieting
    Meaning: Causing feelings of unease, discomfort, or anxiety.
    Example Sentence: The disquieting sound of footsteps in the empty house kept her awake all night.
15. Word: unremediated
    Meaning: Not resolved, corrected, or alleviated; left unaddressed.
    Example Sentence: The unremediated leak in the roof caused water damage to the living room.
16. Word: mindreading
    Meaning: The ability to understand or infer the thoughts, feelings, or intentions of others; also referred to as theory of mind or mentalizing.
    Example Sentence: Her mindreading skills helped her know when her friend was upset without being told.
17. Word: weaponisation
    Meaning: The act of turning something, such as information or technology, into a weapon to achieve a strategic goal.
    Example Sentence: The weaponisation of social media posts can spread rumours to influence public opinion.
18. Word: computational
    Meaning: Relating to the use of computers or computational processes, often involving algorithms or automated systems.
    Example Sentence: The computational tool helped the store predict which products would sell best during the holidays.

CAT 2023 Slot 2

1. Word: positivist
   Meaning: A person who believes that knowledge should be based on observable facts and scientific methods, emphasizing empirical evidence over speculation.
   Example Sentence: The positivist scientist refused to accept theories about ghosts because they lacked measurable evidence.
2. Word: corpus
   Meaning: A collection or body of knowledge, texts, or data, often used for study or analysis.
   Example Sentence: The library’s corpus of rare books was a treasure for researchers studying ancient literature.
3. Word: epigraphy
   Meaning: The study of inscriptions or engravings, especially those on ancient stones, coins, or other materials.
   Example Sentence: The archaeologist’s expertise in epigraphy helped decode the ancient carvings on the temple walls.
4. Word: numismatics
   Meaning: The study or collection of coins, medals, and other forms of currency, often for historical or cultural insights.
   Example Sentence: His hobby of numismatics led him to collect rare coins from different countries.
5. Word: a priori
   Meaning: Based on reasoning or knowledge that is assumed to be true without needing direct evidence or experience.
   Example Sentence: She had an a priori belief that the new restaurant would be good because it was owned by a famous chef.
6. Word: fallacy
   Meaning: A mistaken belief or flawed reasoning, often based on incorrect assumptions or logic.
   Example Sentence: It’s a fallacy to think that all expensive products are automatically high quality.
7. Word: hegemon
   Meaning: A dominant leader, group, or entity that exerts significant control or influence over others.
   Example Sentence: The tech company became a hegemon in the smartphone market, overshadowing smaller competitors.
8. Word: consigned
   Meaning: Handed over or delivered to someone else’s care, often for sale or disposal, typically in a formal or commercial context.
   Example Sentence: She consigned her old furniture to a thrift store to clear space in her home.
9. Word: microfibre
   Meaning: A very fine synthetic fibre, often used in clothing or cleaning materials, that can release tiny particles when washed.
   Example Sentence: The microfibre cloth was perfect for cleaning her glasses without leaving scratches.
10. Word: hubris
    Meaning: Excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to downfall or negative consequences.
    Example Sentence: His hubris in thinking he could finish the project alone caused delays for the entire team.
11. Word: meritocratic
    Meaning: Relating to a system where advancement or success is based on ability and achievement rather than privilege or connections.
    Example Sentence: The company’s meritocratic hiring process rewarded employees who worked hard and showed talent.
12. Word: noblesse oblige
    Meaning: The belief that those with privilege or high status have a moral duty to act generously or responsibly toward others.
    Example Sentence: The wealthy family donated to the local school, acting on their sense of noblesse oblige.
13. Word: atomisation
    Meaning: The process of breaking something down into smaller, isolated parts, often referring to social fragmentation or individualism.
    Example Sentence: The rise of remote work led to the atomisation of the office team, with less face-to-face interaction.
14. Word: dualism
    Meaning: The division of something into two contrasting or opposing parts, often used in philosophy or economics to describe contrasting systems or ideas.
    Example Sentence: The dualism between work and leisure time became clear when she struggled to balance her job and hobbies.
15. Word: cuneiform
    Meaning: An ancient writing system using wedge-shaped marks, typically pressed into clay tablets, used in ancient Mesopotamia.
    Example Sentence: The museum displayed clay tablets with cuneiform writing that told stories of ancient trade.
16. Word: unparalleled
    Meaning: Having no equal; unmatched or unique in quality, extent, or significance.
    Example Sentence: Her kindness was unparalleled, as she always went out of her way to help her neighbors.
17. Word: emergent
    Meaning: Arising or developing unexpectedly as a result of complex interactions, often used to describe properties or phenomena that appear from simpler components.
    Example Sentence: The team’s emergent creativity led to a brilliant new app idea during their brainstorming session.
18. Word: counterfactual
    Meaning: Relating to or imagining events or situations that are contrary to what actually happened or is true.
    Example Sentence: She often thought about counterfactual scenarios, like what her life would be like if she had chosen a different career.

CAT 2023 Slot 3

1. Word: patrimony
   Meaning: Property or heritage inherited from ancestors, often referring to cultural or historical assets of a nation or group.
   Example Sentence: The old library, filled with rare manuscripts, was considered part of the town’s cultural patrimony.
2. Word: imperialism
   Meaning: A policy or practice of extending a country’s power and influence through colonisation, military force, or economic control.
   Example Sentence: The museum’s exhibit explained how imperialism shaped the borders of many modern nations.
3. Word: antiquities
   Meaning: Ancient objects or artefacts, typically of historical or cultural significance, often from past civilisations.
   Example Sentence: She admired the antiquities displayed in the museum, especially the ancient pottery from Greece.
4. Word: rationality
   Meaning: The quality of being based on reason or logic, rather than emotions or irrational beliefs.
   Example Sentence: His decision to save money for college showed rationality, even when his friends were spending recklessly.
5. Word: Bayesian
   Meaning: Relating to a statistical method that updates probabilities based on new evidence or information.
   Example Sentence: The weather app used Bayesian analysis to improve its rain predictions based on recent data.
6. Word: epiphany
   Meaning: A sudden realisation or insight, often leading to a new understanding or perspective.
   Example Sentence: During her walk in the park, she had an epiphany about what career she truly wanted to pursue.
7. Word: aesthetics
   Meaning: The branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, or the appreciation of beauty.
   Example Sentence: The interior designer’s focus on aesthetics made the living room both stylish and inviting.
8. Word: paradox
   Meaning: A statement or situation that seems contradictory or absurd but may reveal a deeper truth.
   Example Sentence: It’s a paradox that staying up late to finish work made her too tired to perform well the next day.
9. Word: aphorisms
   Meaning: Short, pithy statements that express a general truth or principle in a memorable way.
   Example Sentence: Her grandmother’s aphorisms, like “a penny saved is a penny earned,” guided her financial decisions.
10. Word: elusive
    Meaning: Difficult to find, catch, or achieve; hard to grasp or define.
    Example Sentence: The perfect recipe for chocolate cake was elusive, as every attempt turned out too dry.
11. Word: metaphysical
    Meaning: Relating to abstract concepts beyond the physical world, such as the nature of existence, reality, or being.
    Example Sentence: Their late-night talks often turned metaphysical, exploring questions about the meaning of life.
12. Word: terraforming
    Meaning: The process of deliberately modifying a planet’s environment to make it more habitable, or altering landscapes significantly on Earth.
    Example Sentence: The science fiction movie showed humans terraforming Mars to create a new home for settlers.
13. Word: genocide
    Meaning: The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, religious, or national group.
    Example Sentence: The history class studied the tragic genocide that displaced entire communities in the last century.
14. Word: indigenous
    Meaning: Native to a particular region or environment; originating naturally in a specific place.
    Example Sentence: The festival celebrated the indigenous music and dance of the local tribe.
15. Word: vested
    Meaning: Having a strong personal interest or stake in something, often due to potential benefits or involvement.
    Example Sentence: The shop owner had a vested interest in keeping the street clean to attract more customers.
16. Word: assertible
    Meaning: Capable of being stated or declared as true or valid, often in the context of an argument or claim.
    Example Sentence: Her theory about recycling was assertible because it was backed by scientific studies.
17. Word: premise
    Meaning: A statement or proposition used as the basis for an argument or reasoning.
    Example Sentence: The premise of his argument was that exercise improves both physical and mental health.
18. Word: idiosyncratic
    Meaning: Having peculiar or distinctive characteristics, often unique to an individual or group.
    Example Sentence: His idiosyncratic habit of wearing mismatched socks made him stand out at school.