Top 100 Secondary 2 SEC Vocabulary List: Essential

These 100 words form the Secondary 2 essential vocabulary layer: familiar enough to be useful, demanding enough to support stronger analysis and explanation. Learn the list first, then study meaning, grammar, collocation and transfer. This is an eduKate learning list, not an official SEAB prescribed vocabulary list.

1. 1. Accurate
2. 2. Adequate
3. 3. Alternative
4. 4. Analyse
5. 5. Anticipate
6. 6. Approach
7. 7. Appropriate
8. 8. Assess
9. 9. Assume
10. 10. Attitude
11. 11. Balance
12. 12. Capacity
13. 13. Category
14. 14. Circumstance
15. 15. Claim
16. 16. Clarify
17. 17. Combine
18. 18. Communicate
19. 19. Complex
20. 20. Concentrate
21. 21. Conclude
22. 22. Conflict
23. 23. Consequence
24. 24. Consistent
25. 25. Context
26. 26. Contrast
27. 27. Contribute
28. 28. Convince
29. 29. Crucial
30. 30. Decision
31. 31. Decrease
32. 32. Define
33. 33. Deliberate
34. 34. Demonstrate
35. 35. Depend
36. 36. Determine
37. 37. Distinguish
38. 38. Effective
39. 39. Efficient
40. 40. Enhance
41. 41. Ensure
42. 42. Environment
43. 43. Essential
44. 44. Estimate
45. 45. Evaluate
46. 46. Evidence
47. 47. Exception
48. 48. Expand
49. 49. Extent
50. 50. Factor
51. 51. Illustrate
52. 52. Impact
53. 53. Imply
54. 54. Indicate
55. 55. Infer
56. 56. Influence
57. 57. Intention
58. 58. Interpret
59. 59. Involve
60. 60. Justify
61. 61. Logical
62. 62. Maintain
63. 63. Method
64. 64. Motivate
65. 65. Negative
66. 66. Obstacle
67. 67. Obtain
68. 68. Opportunity
69. 69. Outcome
70. 70. Overcome
71. 71. Participate
72. 72. Perspective
73. 73. Persuade
74. 74. Positive
75. 75. Practical
76. 76. Precise
77. 77. Priority
78. 78. Process
79. 79. Progress
80. 80. Reason
81. 81. Reduce
82. 82. Relevant
83. 83. Reluctant
84. 84. Require
85. 85. Resilient
86. 86. Resolve
87. 87. Resource
88. 88. Respond
89. 89. Sequence
90. 90. Significant
91. 91. Strategy
92. 92. Sufficient
93. 93. Summarise
94. 94. Sustainable
95. 95. Tendency
96. 96. Therefore
97. 97. Transfer
98. 98. Valid
99. 99. Variable
100. 100. Verify

Top 100 Secondary 2 SEC Essential Vocabulary: Meaning and Use

Word	Core Meaning	Secondary 2 Use
1. Accurate	correct and free from important mistakes	The final timetable was accurate because every room and starting time matched the confirmed bookings.
2. Adequate	enough for a particular need, though not necessarily excellent	The first shelter was adequate for light rain but too small for the whole group during a storm.
3. Alternative	another possible choice or way of doing something	When the usual entrance was closed, the school provided an alternative route through the side gate.
4. Analyse	examine something carefully by separating it into parts or relationships	The class analysed the survey by comparing responses from different year levels.
5. Anticipate	expect something and prepare for it before it happens	The organisers anticipated a long queue and opened a second registration desk.
6. Approach	a way of dealing with a task, problem or situation	The group tried a different approach after its first explanation confused the audience.
7. Appropriate	suitable for a particular situation, purpose or audience	A formal email was more appropriate than a casual message for contacting an unfamiliar organisation.
8. Assess	judge the quality, importance or condition of something using evidence	Before choosing a venue, the committee assessed its cost, accessibility and travel time.
9. Assume	accept something as true without having proved it	Do not assume that a quiet student agrees; she may simply be unsure whether to speak.
10. Attitude	a way of thinking or feeling that influences behaviour	His attitude towards group work improved when the tasks were divided more fairly.
11. Balance	give suitable attention or weight to different needs or factors	She tried to balance revision with enough sleep during examination week.
12. Capacity	the amount that something can hold, produce or manage	The hall had a capacity of 200, so registration had to close once that number was reached.
13. Category	a group of things that share a common feature	The class placed transport complaints in a different category from safety concerns.
14. Circumstance	a condition or fact surrounding an event or situation	Under normal circumstances the library closes at six, but it stayed open later during examination week.
15. Claim	a statement that something is true, especially one needing support	The writer made the claim that the new route was safer, then supported it with accident data.
16. Clarify	make an idea, instruction or situation easier to understand	The teacher clarified that students could use notes during planning but not during the final response.
17. Combine	join two or more things so they work or exist together	The final poster combined a map with short instructions so visitors could understand it quickly.
18. Communicate	share information, ideas or feelings so another person can understand them	The team used one group chat to communicate schedule changes to every volunteer.
19. Complex	made of several connected parts and therefore not simple	The transport problem was complex because cost, timing and accessibility all affected the decision.
20. Concentrate	direct attention closely towards one task or subject	He moved away from the noisy corridor so he could concentrate on the comprehension passage.
21. Conclude	reach a judgement after considering evidence or reasoning	After reviewing three months of attendance data, the committee concluded that the earlier session was more popular.
22. Conflict	a serious disagreement or clash between ideas, needs or people	A conflict arose when one group wanted a longer event while another needed an earlier finish.
23. Consequence	a result that follows from an action, decision or event	One consequence of closing the side entrance was a longer queue at the main gate.
24. Consistent	remaining similar, steady or compatible over time	Her explanation was consistent with the details she had given in the earlier interview.
25. Context	the surrounding situation or information that helps determine meaning	In this context, the word ‘light’ refers to weight rather than brightness.
26. Contrast	show or examine how two things are noticeably different	The essay contrasted the quiet morning scene with the crowded evening market.
27. Contribute	give something useful towards a shared result or activity	Each student contributed one reliable source to the class research folder.
28. Convince	cause someone to believe or accept something through reasons or evidence	The photographs convinced the committee that the damaged walkway needed urgent repair.
29. Crucial	extremely important to the success or outcome of something	Clear emergency instructions are crucial when people must act quickly.
30. Decision	a choice made after considering what to do	The final decision was to postpone the event until the safety inspection was complete.
31. Decrease	become or make something smaller in amount, number or level	Attendance decreased after the evening bus service was reduced.
32. Define	state the exact meaning, limits or nature of something	Before debating the issue, the class defined what it meant by a fair rule.
33. Deliberate	done intentionally or after careful thought	The repeated image of darkness was a deliberate choice to create an uneasy mood.
34. Demonstrate	show clearly through evidence, action or example	The experiment demonstrated that the coated material absorbed less water.
35. Depend	be determined or supported by something else	Whether the match continues will depend on the weather and field conditions.
36. Determine	establish a fact or decide an outcome	The test results will help determine which material is strongest.
37. Distinguish	recognise or explain the difference between things	A careful reader should distinguish between a fact in the passage and the writer’s opinion.
38. Effective	successful in producing the intended result	The reminder was effective because it reached students before the deadline and included the required link.
39. Efficient	working well without wasting unnecessary time, effort or resources	Using one online form was more efficient than collecting three separate paper lists.
40. Enhance	improve the quality, value or effectiveness of something	Adding labels and arrows would enhance the diagram by making the process easier to follow.
41. Ensure	take action to make a desired result certain or very likely	The organisers checked every name twice to ensure that no participant was omitted.
42. Environment	the surroundings or conditions in which people, animals or things exist	A quiet classroom environment can make sustained reading easier.
43. Essential	completely necessary for a particular purpose	Reliable evidence is essential when a writer makes a strong factual claim.
44. Estimate	make an approximate calculation or judgement using available information	The group estimated that the journey would take forty minutes during peak traffic.
45. Evaluate	judge strengths, weaknesses or value using relevant criteria	Students evaluated both proposals by comparing cost, safety and accessibility.
46. Evidence	facts, observations or information that support or challenge a claim	The dated message was evidence that the booking request had been sent on time.
47. Exception	a case that does not follow a general rule or pattern	Every team submitted the form on Friday except one group, which was the only exception.
48. Expand	make something larger, broader or more developed	The writer expanded the paragraph by adding an example and explaining why it mattered.
49. Extent	the degree, amount or range to which something happens or is true	The survey showed the extent of the problem by revealing that complaints came from every class.
50. Factor	one element that helps cause or influence a result	Travel time was one factor in the decision to move the event closer to the MRT station.
51. Illustrate	use an example to make an idea clearer	The crowded bus stop illustrates why additional shelter would be useful after school.
52. Impact	a noticeable effect or influence on someone or something	The road closure had a significant impact on families who depended on the bus route.
53. Imply	suggest a meaning without stating it directly	His brief reply implied that he disagreed even though he never said so openly.
54. Indicate	show or point towards a fact, condition or conclusion	The rising water level indicates that the drain may still be blocked.
55. Infer	reach a conclusion from clues or evidence rather than a direct statement	From the repeated delays, readers can infer that the project was poorly organised.
56. Influence	affect the way someone thinks, behaves or develops	Friends can influence activity choices even when students make the final decision themselves.
57. Intention	the aim or purpose behind an action	Her intention was to help, but the rushed message created more confusion.
58. Interpret	explain or understand the meaning of information, language or behaviour	Two readers may interpret the character’s silence differently depending on which details they notice.
59. Involve	include something as a necessary part or activity	The project involved interviewing residents, mapping problem areas and presenting recommendations.
60. Justify	give reasons or evidence showing that something is reasonable	The writer justified the recommendation by showing that it was safer and only slightly more expensive.
61. Logical	following clear and reasonable connections between ideas	His conclusion was logical because it followed directly from the evidence presented earlier.
62. Maintain	keep something at the same level, condition or standard	The team created a weekly schedule to maintain the garden throughout the term.
63. Method	a particular way of doing something	The second method produced more consistent results than the first.
64. Motivate	give someone a reason or desire to act	Seeing her improvement chart motivated Jia to continue practising each morning.
65. Negative	harmful, unfavourable or expressing disagreement	One negative effect of the later ending time was that some students missed their usual bus.
66. Obstacle	something that makes progress difficult	The lack of reliable transport became an obstacle for students attending evening sessions.
67. Obtain	get something through effort, request or a process	Students must obtain permission before entering the laboratory after school.
68. Opportunity	a suitable chance to do or achieve something	The exchange programme gave students an opportunity to speak with peers from another country.
69. Outcome	the final result of an action, process or event	The outcome of the trial will determine whether the new timetable continues next term.
70. Overcome	deal successfully with a difficulty or problem	She overcame her fear of public speaking by practising first with small groups.
71. Participate	take part actively in an activity or event	More students participated when the discussion allowed written responses as well as speaking.
72. Perspective	a particular way of viewing or understanding a situation	From a resident’s perspective, the new road reduces convenience even if it improves traffic overall.
73. Persuade	cause someone to agree or act through reasons or argument	The campaign persuaded more families to recycle by making the collection process simpler.
74. Positive	helpful, favourable or expressing approval	One positive result of the change was that students had more time to complete their work.
75. Practical	suitable for real conditions and likely to work	A practical solution must fit the time, budget and people actually available.
76. Precise	exact, specific and carefully expressed	Use precise directions such as ‘beside the main gate’ instead of ‘somewhere outside’.
77. Priority	something considered more important than other tasks or needs	During the emergency, moving everyone to a safe area became the first priority.
78. Process	a series of connected actions or stages leading to a result	The application process begins with registration and ends when the booking is confirmed.
79. Progress	movement towards a goal or improvement	Her progress became clear when she could explain the concept without looking at her notes.
80. Reason	a cause, explanation or justification for something	The main reason for the delay was the late arrival of replacement parts.
81. Reduce	make something smaller in amount, degree or size	Switching off unused lights can reduce electricity use across the school.
82. Relevant	directly connected to the matter being discussed	Only details relevant to the question should remain in the final answer.
83. Reluctant	unwilling or hesitant to do something	He was reluctant to complain because the mistake had been made by a close friend.
84. Require	need something as necessary for a task or result	The final design requires stronger supports because the roof is heavier than expected.
85. Resilient	able to recover and continue after difficulty	The resilient team adjusted its strategy after losing the first match.
86. Resolve	solve a problem or bring a disagreement to an end	The two groups resolved the dispute by combining the strongest parts of both plans.
87. Resource	something useful that can support a task or need	The library is an important resource for students who need books, study space and internet access.
88. Respond	react or reply to a question, event or situation	The council responded to the complaint by repairing the lights and publishing a maintenance schedule.
89. Sequence	the order in which connected events or actions occur	The instructions are easier to follow when each step appears in the correct sequence.
90. Significant	important or large enough to deserve attention	There was a significant increase in attendance after the programme moved to an earlier time.
91. Strategy	a planned method for achieving a goal	Her revision strategy was to practise weak topics first and test them again after two days.
92. Sufficient	enough for a particular purpose or need	One short interview is not sufficient evidence for a claim about the whole school.
93. Summarise	give the main points in a shorter form	The student summarised the article without copying its sentences.
94. Sustainable	able to continue over time without exhausting needed resources	A sustainable study routine leaves enough time for sleep and regular schoolwork.
95. Tendency	a usual or likely pattern of behaviour or change	The survey showed a tendency for attendance to fall when sessions ended late.
96. Therefore	for that reason; used to introduce a conclusion or result	The path floods after heavy rain; therefore, the school should provide a safer alternative route.
97. Transfer	apply or move knowledge, skill or something else from one context to another	Students showed transfer when they used the same reasoning skill successfully in a new topic.
98. Valid	reasonable, acceptable or logically well-founded	Her concern was valid because the safety inspection had not yet been completed.
99. Variable	a factor or condition that can change	Weather was the main variable affecting attendance at the outdoor event.
100. Verify	check that information or a claim is true or accurate	Before publishing the notice, the editor verified the date with the organiser.

Why Secondary 2 Is the Analysis-and-Explanation Layer

At Secondary 2, knowing a word is no longer enough. Students should increasingly explain why an interpretation fits, how evidence supports a claim, what consequence follows from an action and why one word is more precise than another. The vocabulary therefore includes language for evidence, reasoning, comparison, process, consequence, judgement and response.

Secondary 2 and the New SEC Ecosystem

Secondary 2 is a school year, while G1, G2 and G3 are subject levels. This master remains year-level neutral. When examination-level preparation becomes the focus, students should move into the G1, G2 or G3 English vocabulary system matching their subject level rather than assuming a level from their year. The year lane builds progression; the subject lane builds examination alignment.

Vocabulary by Function

Evidence and reasoning: analyse, assess, assume, claim, conclude, demonstrate, determine, evaluate, evidence, imply, indicate, infer, interpret, justify, logical, reason, relevant, valid, verify. Comparison and distinction: alternative, balance, category, combine, contrast, distinguish, exception, extent, factor, variable. Process and action: approach, clarify, communicate, concentrate, contribute, define, enhance, ensure, expand, maintain, method, obtain, participate, process, progress, reduce, respond, sequence, strategy, summarise, transfer.

Judgement: accurate, adequate, appropriate, crucial, effective, efficient, essential, practical, precise, priority, significant, sufficient, sustainable. People and situations: anticipate, attitude, capacity, circumstance, conflict, consequence, context, decision, environment, influence, intention, motivate, obstacle, opportunity, outcome, overcome, perspective, reluctant, resilient, resolve, resource, tendency.

Secondary 2 Package

This master owns the 100-word inventory. Composition owns writing transfer. Idioms owns fixed and figurative language. Phrasal Verbs owns multi-word grammar and register. Why Learn owns rationale and progression. Learning Methods owns retrieval, spacing, explanation, repair and maintenance.

Deep Connections

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