Academic words: Printable listing - Alphabetical

abandon [verb]
to leave or give up

 I've decided to abandon the idea of starting writing a

book. I just don't have the time.
 Many people have to abandon their houses when war
breaks out in their country.
 The settlers decided to abandon the settlement and sail
back to Cuba.
 Lispeth took to Christianity readily, and did
not abandon it when she reached womanhood.
Associated: abandonment (noun)
9,00

ability [noun]
ableness to do something; a skill for doing something well

 She has a lot of ability in tennis; in fact she's the best

player in her grade!
 I'm sorry but the school has no ability to educate
children with severe learning problems.
 This finding may explain why increasing numbers of
people in the United States lack the natural ability to regulate
food intake and body weight.
 Strong families possess the ability to manage both daily
stressors and difficult life crises creatively and effectively.
Associated: to be able to (verb); able (adjective)
Antonym: inability
Note: A disability is (permanent) physical inability. People
who cannot see have a disability. A near synonym
of ability is capability .
126,20

abnormal [adjective]
not normal, unusual
  Is there anything wrong with him? His behaviour has been
very abnormal recently.
 We got some very abnormal results in our science
experiment. I think the thermometer was not working correctly.
 Abnormal results do not diagnose birth defects, they just
suggest that follow-up tests are necessary for further
clarification.
 Drug abusers also show prefrontal cortex abnormalities; it
is possible that abnormal behaviour may be linked to drug
use.
Associated: abnormality (noun)
Antonym: normal
7,90

absent [adjective]
being not there; missing

 If you are absent much more often, you are in danger of

failing the class.
 What is absent in your essay is any reference to the
source of your ideas
 Groups should advise the instructor if a member is
unexpectedly absent and try to save materials for that person.
 Curiously absent from the report is any mention of the
type of action that the State would have taken against the
diverse sources of TCE.
Associated: absence (noun)
Antonym: present
16,40

absolutely [adverb]
completely; 100%

 Are you absolutely sure that you gave me your

homework?
 The employees are absolutely opposed to the
management's plans to increase working hours.
 Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of people who
are absolutely convinced you can do anything.
 How did you decide that some items
were absolutely necessary?
Associated: absolute (adjective)
15,40

absorb [verb]
to take in; to take up

 The teacher spoke so fast that it was difficult

to absorb all the information he was giving.
 The high price of oil will absorb much of the company's
profits this year.
 The World Bank said China has the capacity
to absorb the impact of the recent international financial
market fluctuations.
 He claimed that Arab countries could
not absorb Palestinians.
Associated: absorption (noun)
Note: Note how the b of the verb changes to a p in the noun.
10,20

abstract [adjective]
not specific or concrete

 Infinity is an abstract idea that many students find

difficult to understand.
 I find your arguments too abstract. Can you give me
some specific examples of what you mean?
 Audio software can help students to record their spoken
words describing an abstract concept or how to perform a
computation.
 The book is at its best when it delves energetically into
some particular event, and draws out its abstract meaning
with reference to the grand themes.
Associated: abstraction (noun)
Note: An abstract painting is one without an obvious
subject. Another common meaning of abstract (noun) is a short
summary of a written article (usually an academic article).
84,20

abundant [adjective]
existing in large quantities
  You have had abundant chances to improve your
behaviour. Now it's too late.
 Some scientists believe that there is an abundant supply
of oil waiting to be discovered at the bottom of deep oceans.
 Given the abundance of oxygen and silicon in the crust, it
should not be surprising that the most abundant minerals in
the earth's crust are the silicates.
 A student seeking a career in this field of study will
have abundant opportunities to develop personal and
professional skills.
Associated: abundance (noun)
Antonym: scarce
8,20

abuse [verb]
to treat someone or something badly

 If you abuse your calculator like that, you'll break it.

 Parents who abuse by their children have often been
abused by their own parents.
 TSU Employees who abuse University network and
computing resources may be subject to disciplinary action.
 Government troops continued to abuse human rights.
Clashes between security and rebel forces caused civilian
deaths.
Associated: abuse (noun)
Note: Abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs is called substance
abuse
57,90

accelerate [verb]
to get or make faster

 If you push down on the right pedal in your car, you

will accelerate.
 The rise in the price of oil is set to accelerate in future
years due to increased demand in countries such as China and
India.
 The xenon atoms need to accelerate to a speed of 30
km/s.
  This program will accelerate entry to the field and to
advanced study of nutrition.
Associated: acceleration (noun)
Antonym: decelerate
10,30

accept [verb]
to agree (to have)

 I don't accept your conclusion. I think you have made a

mistake.
 Germany had to accept a harsh peace treaty after being
defeated in the first world war.
 If you accept a housing assignment in the Summer
Allocation and subsequently cancel it or fail to move in you are
charged an administrative fee.
 Assad did not want to accept a cease-fire until Israel
evacuated at least those parts of the Golan Heights occupied in
the October war.
Associated: acceptance (noun)
Antonym: reject
Note: Acceptable means ok, permissible . Example: Your
behaviour is not acceptable .
85,20

access [noun]
the right to enter or use

 There will be no access to the school on Saturday

morning. The fire alarms are being tested.
 I didn't have my identity card with me so I was not
allowed access to the building.
 Students must have access to a PC that has at least a
700 MHz processor.
 The pharmacy does not have access to your medical
record, thus is unable to obtain insurance information from the
health forms.
Associated: accessible (adjective); access (verb)
258,00
accompany [verb]
to go with someone or something; to exist together

 Mike is feeling very unwell. Can you

please accompany him to the nurse?
 Problems in school often accompany problems at home.
 If submitted in other languages, an English version
must accompany the submission.
 All the forms below can be electronically filled and
submitted with the exception of Form B, which
must accompany personal copies of material.
Associated: accompaniment (noun)
19,30

accomplish [verb]
to do or achieve

 It is surprising what you can accomplish if you make an

effort.
 The government failed to accomplish its goal of reducing
unemployment among young people.
 The union was not able to accomplish all of its goals in
this budget session.
 What did Louis XIV hope to accomplish in his domestic
and foreign policies?
Associated: accomplishment (noun)
37,80

accordingly [adverb]
appropriate to; in compliance with

 Those are the rules of the school and I expect you to

behave accordingly.
 If you change your address or place of study, please
amend your log-in details accordingly.
 This page has moved. Please update your
bookmark accordingly!
 The procession enters the arena promptly at 9:30 a.m.,
so plan your time accordingly.
16,80
account [noun]
a written or spoken report of a happening

 Can you please give me an account of what happened

while I was out of the classroom?
 Different newspapers will often have a
different account of the same event - especially newspapers
from different parts of the world.
 Chapter 6 gives a sketchy and rather
incomplete account of molecular genetics.
 This book provides the definitive account of the origins of
coffee drinking.
Note: Another common meaning of account is in connection
with money and business , as in I have an account with the
Deutsche Bank. The preposition on account of means because
of , as inShe was late tto school on account of the heavy
traffic.
157,00

accumulate [verb]
to grow; to gather together

 If you learn a few new words every day, your vocabulary

will soon accumulate.
 The only goal of some people is to accumulate as much
money as possible.
 Under the new programme, employees will continue
to accumulate the same amount of paid time off as they did
in the old programme.
 Because of their mobile lifestyle, they did
not accumulate many objects.
Associated: accumulation (noun)
11,20

accurate [adjective]
exact, containing no mistakes

 Your writing is very accurate; in fact, it contains no

mistakes at all.
  If you want to make an accurate measurement of the
weight of very small objects, you will need a special electronic
balance.
 The evidence is overwhelming that prediction markets
provide a more accurate prediction than polls.
 Some tests may be very accurate but too costly to run,
while others are less costly but not as precise.
Associated: accurately (adverb); accuracy (noun)
Antonym: inaccurate
40,80

accuse [verb]
to blame

 If you accuse a student of plagiarism, you must have

strong evidence.
 Some people accuse the USA of starting the war in Iraq
in order to gain control of its oilfields.
 Students should not accuse others of cheating unless
there is clear evidence.
 From then on, the government tried to accuse the
communists of being enemies of the fatherland.
Associated: accusation (noun)
2,30

achieve [verb]
to gain or get something (often academic success)

 If you worked hard you would achieve a better grade.

 It is difficult to achieve success in school if you are
absent so often.
 Girls and boys achieve at similar levels in mathematics
through school and at the undergraduate level.
 To achieve this goal, planning must apply the best
available scientific information and analysis.
Associated: achievement (noun)
105,00

acknowledge [verb]
to agree with; admit to; give credit to
  He had to acknowledge the fact that teaching was not
the right job for him.
 The government had to acknowledge that it had not
succeeded in its plans to reduce child poverty.
 I would set my classes up for failure if I did
not acknowledge this very clear, but often overlooked, fact.
 She claimed, furthermore, that the item did
not acknowledge the positive developments in the industry
since the turn of the century.
Associated: acknowledgement (noun)
28,80

acquire [verb]
to get or obtain

 Where did you acquire your knowledge of ocean ecology?.

 I tried to acquire the information on the internet, but
could find nothing useful.
 We designed an experiment to acquire blood from
embryonic rats.
 The course aims at helping students acquire a working
familiarity with the Federal Rules of Evidence.
Associated: acquisition (noun)
38,10

actual [adjective]
real

 The new teacher looks quite young but his actual age is
55.
 There are a few meetings next week but
the actual conference doesn't start until on Monday 23.
 In the event of an actual disaster a new virtual bulletin
board will help the campus take roll.
 Class data will be collected to compare perceived
overweight and attempt at dieting with actual weight risk
classification.
Associated: actually (adverb)
59,70
adapt [verb]
to change (often in response to a changed situation)

 Some students find it difficult to adapt to a new school in

a new country.
 It is possible to adapt cars so that they can be driven by
people who have lost an arm or a leg.
 If you choose to do nothing to adapt to the changing
conditions, you will probably make yourself miserable.
 The monks found it difficult to adapt to changes in
society and in the economy, and they also found it difficult to
adapt to challenges presented by the new learning made
available through translations of ancient Greek texts by way of
Arabic.
Associated: adaptation (noun)
25,20

add [verb]
to include; to give or say extra

 Your report is good, but you need to add a paragraph on

the causes of the accident.
 Please add Einstein to your list of famous scientists.
 This means that you will be able to add money from your
bank account to your StanfordCardPlan using this new online
service.
 This form is to be used by students who seek to add or
drop a course during the first two weeks of the trimester.
Associated: addition (noun); additional (adjective)
Antonym: subtract
269,10

address [verb]
to give attention to (an issue)

 The school needs to address the serious problem of

bullying among grade 7 students.
 Some people are unwilling to address the issue of global
warming. They claim it is not happening.
  We need to address the issue of absenteeism and lower
productivity among working parents who worry that their kids
are not safe.
 Although the amendment claimed to reduce opportunities
for voter fraud, it did not address the more common problems
of fraudulent voter registration.
Note: Another common meaning of address is, of
course, house number, street, etc. , as in My address
402,00

adequate [adjective]
(good) enough; ok

 Your work is adequate, but I think you can do a better

job next time.
 Many schools in poorer parts of the world do not
have adequate books and computers to give their students a
good education.
 Everyone has the right to a standard of
living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of
his family, including food, clothing, and shelter.
 Therefore, if a calf has not received an adequate amount
of quality colostrum, the calf may not be able to resist disease.
Associated: adequately (adverb); adequacy (adverb)
Antonym: inadequate
28,20

adhere [verb]
to keep to; to follow

 If you do not adhere to the rules of the school, you will

be asked to leave.
 Because of the increase in the price of oil the company
was unable to adhere to its plans to employ new workers.
 Media center users must adhere to the same standards
of behavior expected of other library visitors.
 He did not adhere to one set of religious beliefs and
pioneered a new artistic style known today as symbolism.
Associated: adherence (noun)
16,00
adjacent [adjective]
next to

 The computer lab is adjacent to the library.

 You will find reference books on this shelf and
the adjacent ones.
 Bradley Hall provides backyard access to the lakeshore
path, and tennis courts are adjacent to the building for your
recreational enjoyment.
 To accurately determine mass balance, stakes were
placed in the adjacent clean ice areas of the glacier.
Note: In sentences 2 and 4 below adjacent is being used as
an adjective; in sentences 1 and 3 it is used as a preposition
and must be followed by the word to.
17,80

adjust [verb]
to change (often in order to make something work properly)

 If the picture on your TV is not very clear, you need

to adjust the controls.
 It took the Brazilian football player a little while
to adjust to the speed and hardness of the English football
league.
 Photoshop provides you with techniques used
to adjust the quality of graphics and photographs.
 Most older cultures seem to accept volcanoes as a natural
part of life and adjust their habits accordingly.
Associated: adjustment (noun)
33,90

administration [noun]
the people responsible for running an organization such as the
government or a school

 The administration is planning to extend the school day

until 4pm.
 Not all the decisions of the administration have been
welcomed by the workers.
 Such web content does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the University administration.
  The Bush administration has failed to address the
matter urgently, spending only €1.3 billion per year.
Associated: administer (verb); administrator (noun)
228,00

admit [verb]
to allow to enter

 After much debate the school has decided

to admit students with physical disabilities.
 The government does not plan to admit any more
immigrants unless they can prove that their life is in danger in
their own country.
 Each graduate receives three tickets that
will admit guests into the auditorium.
 In fact, most nations do not admit immigrants for
permanent settlement.
Associated: admittance (noun); admission (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of admit is to accept guilt or
responsibility , as in She admitted plagiarzing her report.
24,10

adopt [verb]
to take in; to start

 The school decided to adopt the plan after a meeting with

the parents.
 We need to adopt a new strategy. This one isn't working.
 It is never too late to adopt healthy habits! American
Institute for Cancer Research.
 Banks that adopt the Equator Principles apply them
globally to project financing in all industry sectors including
mining, oil and gas, and forestry.
Associated: adoption (noun)
Note: Another common use of adopt is in connection with a
baby or child , as in They cannot have children of their own so
they have decided to adopt a Romanian orphan.
33,90

advance [verb]
to go or move forward; to get better
  The German army planned to advance as far as Moscow,
but were then stopped by the severe Russian winter.
 You will advance more rapidly if you make more effort.
 Here you can recommend areas for investment of
resources to advance the University in its health sciences,
education, research, service and outreach missions.
 The goals are to answer some of the most urgent
questions to advance significantly our scientific knowledge
about Mars.
Associated: advance (noun); advanced (adjective)
Antonym: retreat
Note: A common use of advance is in the expression in
advance which means ahead of time. For example: I booked
my plan ticket well in advance.
113,70

advantage [noun]
benefit

 The most important advantage of living near the school

is that I can go home for lunch every day.
 If you want to be successful in business, it is certainly
an advantage to be able to speak more than one language.
 Humor can be advantage in politics.
 Previous experience in such areas, especially microscopy,
would be an advantage but is not essential.
Associated: advantageous (adjective)
Antonym: disadvantage
73,40

advise [verb]
to say what someone should do; to give advice

 I advise you to prepare more carefully for tests.

 The government can advise people to save money for old
age, but it cannot force them to do it.
 Tilghman has appointed a group of faculty members
to advise her on how the University can best respond to the
challenges and opportunities in the international arena.
 What would you advise the patient so that the injury not
recur?
Associated: advice (noun); adviser (noun)
Note: Adviser can also be spelled advisor
24,40

advocate [verb]
to speak or write on behalf of someone or something

 Part of the job of an ESL teacher in an international school

is to advocate the need to make work comprehensible to non-
native speakers.
 Some people advocate government elections every four
years instead of every five as at present.
 We do not advocate a unilateral ban on cosmetic testing
on animals, nor do we reject the use of animals in biomedical
research.
 People with mental disabilities are so marginalized that
even human rights activists have failed to advocate for them.
Associated: advocacy (noun); advocate (noun)
Note: A lawyer who defends someone in court is sometimes
called an advocate (= barrister in British courts).
28,20

affair [noun]
an event or series of events

 Several students are suspected of sending offensive

emails to teachers. The school is investigating the affair.
 World leaders met in Bali to discuss global warming. Many
people say that the whole affair was a waste of time and
money.
 The writer Emile Zola exposed the affair to the general
public in the literary newspaper L'Aurore (The Dawn) in a
famous open letter to the President.
 Its president tried to play down the affair, saying that
what is going on is probably illegal, but that an international
agreement was allowing the practice.
Note: Another meaning of affair is sexual relationship with
someone who is not your spouse, as in He's having
an affair with his secretary.
6,70
affect [verb]
to have an influence on

 If you fail the last test, this will seriously affect your
overall grade for the year.
 Even very low temperatures do not affect the strength of
this material.
 Because of the interactive nature of the classroom,
absences will significantly affect your performance in the
course.
 Color did not affect the perceived sweetness of the drink
and did not affect the drink's ability to quench thirst.
Associated: effect (noun)
113,70

afford [verb]
to be able to pay for something

 My family can't afford a new house. They're so expensive

in Germany.
 Due to the recent increase in student numbers, the school
can now afford to build a new science laboratory.
 The monthly mortgage payment is just one of the costs to
consider when deciding if you can afford a home.
 What we are really discussing is whether the
industrialized countries can afford the pensions promised by
their respective governments.
Note: Afford can have a more general meaning , as in There
is only one month until the exam. You cannot afford to take it
easy.
27,50

against [preposition]
opposed to; not for or in favour

 The head teacher is thinking of introducing a school

uniform. Most students are against the idea.
 Although nuclear power does not pollute the air, many
people are against it because they fear an accident or
terrorist attack on a nuclear power station.
  I think this the first time that the administration has done
something almost totally against student interest.
 The majority of American voters have turned against the
war in Iraq but not against the American troops and not
against patriotism.
Associated:
Antonym: for, in favour of
74,20

agent [noun]
a person who is paid to do a job for someone

 Most people employ an agent when they want to buy or

sell a house.
 Most famous footballers and film stars need an agent to
take care of their contracts.
 The United Mine Workers was the recognized
bargaining agent for the coal miners in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
and Pennsylvania.
 FLO plays the key role as an agent for ethically sensitive
consumers.
Associated: agency (noun)
42,60

aid [noun]
help (often financial help)

 The government decided to increase its aid to the

countries of eastern Africa.
 You should contact the office to see if you can get aid.
 Financial aid is the term we use to describe a variety of
funds available to help students and their families finance the
cost of a Berry College education.
 Evidently both species can discriminate depth by
differential motion alone, with no aid from texture density and
probably little help from other cues.
Associated: aid (verb)
196,60

aim [noun]
goal or intention
  The main aim of teaching should be to teach the students
how to teach themselves.
 The company's aim in the second half of the year is to
increase its export business.
 Our aim was to determine whether the association
between HPV infection and cervical cancer is consistent
worldwide.
 This political biography has fully succeeded in its aim of
restoring Shevardnadze's place in history.
Associated: aim (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of aim is to point a gun etc.
at a target , as in Wilhem Tell aimed at the apple of his son's
head.
31,40

albeit [conjuntion]
although, but

 She works well, albeit very slowly.

 The government has had some success in reducing
unemployment, albeit not as much as it had promised.
 He was a visual thinker and an artist, albeit a rather
unsuccessful one.
 Many of the research questions involved are similar to
more mainstream systems research, albeit larger in scale.
3,70

align [verb]
to bring into line with; to make similar

 Frankfurt International School needs to align its

curriculum with that of German state schools.
 The European Union attempts to align commercial and
financial practices in its member countries.
 If UVA is to increase level of satisfaction among junior
faculty, it must make an effort to align its policies and
practices more closely with the needs and expectations of the
faculty.
 He was unable to align the methods and texts advocated
by these educators with the powerful ideas of the critical
pedagogues shaping his opinions.
Associated: alignment (noun)
14,60

allege [verb]
to claim or state

 The teachers allege that the school administration is

secretly planning to increase working hours.
 Some people allege that the reasons for invading Iraq
were to gain control of its oil.
 Specifically, you allege that you were not provided with
academic adjustments and auxiliary aids, and were not
provided access to other services and programs at the College.
 Unilateralism may not be destroying American foreign
policy as some allege. But it does have its price.
Associated: allegation (noun)
1,90

allocate [verb]
to give to (to promise to give)

 The school plans to allocate €10,000 to buy new

computers next year for the science lab.
 It is difficult for the government to allocate money fairly
to all the organizations that need financial help.
 The website shows how schools allocate and use their
resources.
 The points that you allocate should be proportional to
the individual's contribution to your team for the quarter to
date.
Associated: allocation (noun)
12,20

alter [verb]
to change

 The government decided to alter its economic policy after

three years of very slow growth.
 In the next 50 years the world's weather
could alter significantly if the polar ice continues to melt.
  These budgets must be very carefully designed as it is
extremely difficult, if not impossible, to alter the amount of
the award once it has been granted.
 The significant differences between the traditional and
non-traditional student has prompted the question whether
institutions need to alter their teaching methods to fit the
needs of the non-traditional student.
Associated: alteration (noun)
32,70

alternative [noun]
other possibility

 Sorry, you have no alternative. You must do the work

and you must do it by Friday.
 For the last 30 years scientists have been searching for a
good alternative to gasoline (petrol) as a fuel to run cars.
 If breastfeeding is not possible, commercial infant milk
formulas are a good alternative.
 This section is not an alternative to reading course
materials or attending lectures, but rather an opportunity
explore topics in greater detail.
Associated: alternative (adjective);
alternatively (adverb)
97,00

ambiguous [adjective]
not clear; open to more than one interpretation

 The sentence "I saw a man with a telescope"

is ambiguous. Was the telescope used to see the man or was
the man carrying a telescope?
 The minister gave an ambiguous answer when asked if
the government intended to raise taxes.
 This also helps you determine which variables it is
essential to control to avoid an ambiguous answer.
 The data is ambiguous as some analysts measure this
figure according to different moments of the year, geographic
regions and other variables.
Associated: ambiguity (noun)
Antonym: unambiguous
6,30

ambitious [adjective]
having high goals (especially in a career; challenging

 In my opinion you are being too ambitious if you think

you can learn a language in less than a year.
 The government has set the ambitious target of halving
child poverty by the year 2020.
 The Director develops and oversees
an ambitious program of professional development and
leadership training for history and social science teachers.
 My overall impression is that this plan describes a
very ambitious attempt to address an important issue in a
scientifically credible manner.
Associated: ambition (noun)
Antonym: unambitious
6,70

amend [verb]
to change (usually to improve something)

 If he doesn't start to amend his behaviour, he is in

danger of being asked to leave the school.
 The company had to amend their profit predictions after
the cost of oil doubled within 6 months.
 If we accept your request to amend the information, we
will make reasonable efforts to inform others, including people
you have authorized, of the amendment.
 It is unclear why the Massachusetts legislature has
refused to amend the Zoning Act.
Associated: amendment (noun)
8,60

among [preposition]
in, between

 There have been problems in the school among students

of different nationalities.
  The decision on whether to shut down its nuclear power
stations is among the most serious issues facing the
government.
 The report was designed to measure computer and
Internet use among people with disabilities.
 Human rights activist John Prendergast, who will present
the lecture "Stopping Genocide", is among the notable
speakers coming to campus.
Note: This word is sometimes spelled amongst .
99,40

amount [noun]
how much there is of something

 You have to measure the amount of salt in the water.

 The government has given €10 million to fight AidS in
Africa, but some people believe that this amount is not
sufficient.
 Little association is found between the amount of
homework young students complete and achievement.
 Participants donate a small amount of blood or saliva,
which will be used as a comparison to blood from children with
genetic diseases.
Associated: amount (verb)
123,00

analyze [verb]
to look at something in detail in order to understand it

 If you analyze the figures carefully, you will see some

strong patterns.
 Modern computers can analyze huge amounts of
information every second.
 When you analyze a primary source, you are undertaking
the most important job of the historian.
 Critical thinking is the ability of students
to analyze carefully and logically information and ideas from
multiple perspectives.
Associated: analysis (noun)
Note: Analyze is the typical American English spelling. In
British English analyse is more likely.
74,40

ancient [adjective]
very old

 In history lessons we learn about many ancient peoples

such as the Egyptians who built the pyramids, and Roman
emperors like Julius Caesar.
 This page unites the texts on various aspects of the
history of law in the ancient world.
 As ancient pottery workers experimented with the effects
of higher temperatures on ceramics, they began to develop
methods to produce a high enough temperature that copper
could be melted.
 This course traces the ancient concept of the hero by
reading selected works by authors such as Homer, Plutarch
and Caesar,
Associated:
Antonym: modern
26,60

annotate [verb]
to make notes on a piece of writing

 Using a computer program makes it easier

to annotate long pieces of writing.
 The author had failed to annotate his report, so it was
impossible to check the truth of his claims.
 Many students who receive a grade lower than they want,
do so because they fail to annotate their texts.
 You will need to annotate the images and present them
as a narrative or the story of destruction in New Orleans after
Katrina.
Associated: annotation (noun)
3,10

announce [verb]
to state (often in an official way)
  The teacher thought about the best opportunity
to announce that she was leaving to have a baby.
 The prime minister is today expected to announce the
date of the next election.
 The instructor is expected to announce his or her grading
policy at the beginning of the course.
 We held that the entry was illegal because police failed
to announce their purpose before using the crowbar to pry
the door open.
Associated: announcement (noun); announcer (noun)
28,10

annual [adjective]
yearly

 The government will today publish its annual report on

crime statistics.
 The Tour de France is an annual bike race that is
watched by millions of people on the roads and on TV.
 At our 10th annual symposium in late 2005, we posed
this set of questions about Space Exploration: Who, What,
When, Where, Why?
 Typically held the 3rd week of February, this is
an annual event that helps College of Fine Arts students
explore careers, develop strategies to pursue career and
artistic goals successfully.
Associated: annually (adverb)
138,20

anomaly [noun]
an unexpected happening or piece of data

 Women often earn less money that men doing the same
job. This anomaly must be stopped.
 The business manager could not explain the anomaly in
the company's finances, and was asked to resign.
 Mathews touches on an anomaly that has puzzled
students of American regional religious history.
 Worse yet, 1992 was no anomaly but the culmination of
bad trends, most of them directly related to the company's
lack of focus.
Associated: anomalous (adjective)
4,10

anonymous [adjective]
having no name or known author

 The school received an anonymous email with

complaints against one of the teachers.
 In all democratic countries voting in government elections
is anonymous.
 Many of the faculty and students we talked with wanted
to remain anonymous and asked that they not be listed by
name in our report.
 On December 4, 1955, the anonymous decision was
made to boycott the bus system until they were treated with
courtesy and black drivers could be hired.
Associated: anonymity (noun)
15,60

anticipate [verb]
to expect

 The government does not anticipate an improvement in

unemployment figures until the beginning of the new year.
 The number of refugees rose faster than anyone
could anticipate.
 The construction of the Interstate Highway System ran
into serious financial problems because Congress did
not anticipate the cost of inflation.
 Because multicultural audiences will likely become more
and more common, you will need to anticipate cultural
differences when you analyze your audience.
Associated: anticipation (noun)
20,00

apart [adjective]
not together, separate

 People who love each other do not like to be apart.

 The house was built so carelessly that it began to
fall apart after only a couple of years.
  It was in 1827, near the beginning of his time apart from
the Allan family, that Poe witnessed his first collection of
poetry.
 The United States is a nation pulling apart to a degree
unknown in the last 25 years.
Associated:
Antonym: together
Note: Another common meaning of apart is in the
expression apart from meaning except for, as in Everyone was
there apart from me!
22,20

apparatus [noun]
equipment; things you need to do a job

 At the end of the lesson please put the apparatus back in

the storeroom.
 In Iraq the whole apparatus of government was
destroyed and had to be rebuilt.
 He both provided a message service and
the apparatus needed to send and receive wireless messages.
 In the 20th century, if you wanted to kill lots of people,
you needed a government apparatus to do it.
9,50

apparent [adjective]
clear; obvious

 It is apparent that you made no effort to learn the words

for the test.
 The soldier shot the dog for no apparent reason.
 The need for regulation is quite evident today but was
not apparent before the early years of the 20th century.
 Kaiya reminds him that they have never been apart
before, and it is apparent that Willow is experiencing feelings
of guilt.
Note: Apparently means it seems, it appears; it is said, as
in Apparently she has left her husband.
23,20
appeal [verb]
to complain against an official judgment; to make a strong
request

 The parents decided to appeal against the school's

expulsion their son.
 Radio and TV stations often appeal for money from their
audience in order to help people suffering from disasters.
 Students are strongly recommended to seek assistance
from the Student Rights Officer at their campus should they
decide to appeal against exclusion.
 It has no alternative but to appeal to more sources and
additional help from all those who are keen to support
Palestinian education.
Associated: appeal (noun)
Note: If something appeals to you you like it or like the idea
of it. Example: Lying for hours in the sun does not
really appeal to me.
44,40

appear [verb]
to come, be seen

 The President will appear on TV this evening to talk

about the riots in the capital city.
 Venus will next appear in the night sky in August 2007.
 Study suggests macroscopic bilaterian animals did
not appear until 555 million years ago.
 A new class of antibiotic drugs is not expected
to appear in the immediate future.
Associated: appearance (noun)
Antonym: disappear, vanish
Note: Another common meaning of appear is to seem, as
in It appears that he has been lying. or It doesn't appear that
he's coming. (Someone's appearance is the way they look.)
148,50

append [verb]
to add to the end (of a piece of writing)
  You must append a bibliography to all reports that are
based on information found in books or on the internet.
 The chairman forgot to append a list of election
regulations as promised.
 You must append copies of the primary literature that
you are citing to your paper, and you should highlight the
pertinent sections.
 However, because The Dream intends to interest both lay
and professional readers, it is unfortunate that she failed
to append a glossary of significant terms.
Associated: appendix (noun)
5,20

apply [verb]
to be relevant (to)

 The advice does not apply to adults, only to children.

 The new rules will apply to anyone who has come to
Germany in the last 10 years.
 The decision does not usually apply to aliens who are
under mandatory detention.
 They argued that the law did not apply to Cheney's task
force, since all of its members were government officials, not
outsiders.
Associated: application (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of apply is to make a formal
request for something ( especially jobs or college admission ),
as in I have applied to study physics at Harvard.
354,00

appoint [verb]
to give a job to someone

 Due to a rapid increase in the number of students the

school needs to appoint 4 new teachers.
 If you appoint someone who is not qualified for the job,
you cannot be surprised if they have problems.
 Dr. Potts announced that he planned to appoint a
broadly based committee of representatives to study the
Indian issue.
  Sunnis believe that the Prophet Mohammed did
not appoint a successor and therefore gave permission to
Muslims to elect or choose their own leader after his death.
Associated: appointment (noun)
Antonym: dismiss
Note: Another common meaning of appointment is an
arranged time to see someone, as in I have an appointment to
see the doctor at 9:30.
10,80

appreciate [verb]
to understand (the value of someone or something)

 I appreciate the reasons for your failure to hand in the

work on time. Nevertheless, our policy requires me to give you
a zero.
 Some parents do not appreciate how difficult it is to
provide an education that will meet the needs of all students.
 Students will learn to appreciate what epidemiologists
mean when they say that an exposure and an outcome are
associated.
 She was raised by a family that did not appreciate the
significance of racial differences and the importance of
developing a positive racial identity.
Associated: appreciation (noun); appreciative(adjective)
39,90

approach [verb]
to near; to get closer

 When you approach the city, you will notice the many
disused factories.
 As we approach the end of the school year, it's time you
started to work a little harder!
 Be sure to ask if this is a good time to approach the
professor for your specific need.
 Despite his success, Salieri's musical talent did
not approach that of Mozart.
Associated: approach (noun)
Note: A common meaning of the noun approach is a way of
looking at or doing something, as in I don't like his approach to
teaching.
216,00

appropriate [adjective]
right (for the occasion; suitable

 Sorry but low-cut T-shirts are not appropriate clothes for

school.
 This is not an appropriate test for ESL beginners. It is
far too difficult.
 The CLAS Institute identifies, evaluates, and promotes
effective and appropriate early intervention and preschool
practices that are sensitive to diverse cultural and linguistic
backgrounds.
 Having a primarily peasant background, their training was
not appropriate to more skilled positions in an industrial city.
Associated: appropriately (adverb)
Antonym: inappropriate
122,40

approve [verb]
to agree to

 Do you think that the school will approve the suggestion

to increase the number of holidays?
 The boss decided not to approve her employee's request
to leave work early.
 The Board of Trustees met in April 2006 to discuss this
report, and decided to approve the construction of a 500 kW
turbine.
 Unfortunately NIH did not approve the funding request.
Associated: approval (noun)
Antonym: disapprove
25,60

approximately [adverb]
about; not exactly

 There are approximately 350 students in high school.

I'm not sure of the exact number.
  Prices have risen by approximately 4% over the last 10
years.
 The professor meets with each student for a half-hour
private tutorial approximately three times during the
semester.
 In 1996, approximately 805 million Smart cards were
issued, with an estimated 2.8 billion to be distributed in 2000.
Associated: approximate (adjective); approximation (noun)
Antonym: exactly
66,90

arbitrary [adjective]
not planned or thought-out; not considering the wishes of
others

 The pass / fail grade is not arbitrary. It was set at 45%

after much thought and discussion.
 The boss took the arbitrary decision to close the factory
for a week.
 The Tower of Hanoi is an ancient puzzle involving three
pegs, and an arbitrary number of circular discs, each of a
different size, and with holes in their centers.
 For my next step I would propose to the students certain
distinctions that might at first glance seem to be
completely arbitrary or valueless.
Associated: arbitrarily (adverb)
16,40

area [noun]
field, sphere

 Religion is an area in which many people have very

strong feelings.
 I don't have very much knowledge in the area of
electronics.
 Though this is not an area where government can go it
alone, it can and must set a good example.
 The book is an educational and approachable reference in
a difficult area of medicine where clinicians often feel
uncertain.
Note: Another common meaning of area is to refer to
the physical space taken up by a large object, as in A
huge area of the rainforest has been cleared.
288,00

argument [noun]
justification or reason (for an idea)

 His argument is that if we don't cut taxes, then

unemployment will rise.
 In my opinion the government's argument for banning
smoking is very weak. Surely they don't expect people to
agree!
 A thought- provoking argument suggests we should
expect the extinction of intelligent life on Earth soon.
 This is, once again, not an argument against bilingual
education, because studies have shown that children in well-
designed bilingual programs do well.
Associated: argue (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of argument is word fight, as
in I had a huge argument with my boss yesterday.
45,00

arise [verb]
to happen

 His problems at school started to arise when he began

spending hours on the internet every evening.
 The difficulties that arise from time to time in the
business can be solved by good management.
 The latest problems to arise with the red maple tree are
a result of the extreme weather patterns and environmental
stress.
 Bodde's main concern, it turns out, is to elucidate why
modern science did not arise in China as it did in Europe.
45,60

arrange [verb]
to plan to happen; to group together
  Please arrange yourselves in groups of 3 or 4, and then
do the problem in the middle of the table.
 The chairman needs to arrange a better meeting next
time. The last one was very disorganized.
 If you are accepted you will need to arrange to have an
official copy of your scores sent to the Program address below.
 He flew in with 500 rolls of film and 1400 pounds of
provisions but forgot to arrange for the pilot to pick him up
again.
Associated: arrangement (noun)
Note: You make an arrangement when you agree with a
friend when and where to meet, etc.
31,80

artificial [adjective]
not real or natural

 People who suffer from hay fever cannot have real flowers
in their house. They have artificial ones instead.
 The study of how computers are similar to human brains
is called artificial intelligence or AI.
 In the heat of election campaigning, it is in no-one's
interest to impose an artificial crisis upon the economy.
 This is an artificial example to illustrate how the method
works. In real data, the sequences are much longer, and
there's no mistaking a match.
 Samuel Huang, a professor of chemistry and materials
science, has created an artificial tendon out of biodegradable
materials.
Associated: artificially (adverb)
Antonym: real
17,80

aspect [noun]
feature, part of

 An aspect of English that many learners find difficult is

verb grammar.
 One aspect of the problem that no-one has yet
considered is: Who is going to pay?
  "In the modern business world, the most
important aspect of leadership is the ability to create an
environment that lifts people up," says Jain.
 Freedom of speech is not the only aspect of democracy.
41,80

assemble [verb]
to get, put or bring together

 Please assemble in the cafeteria after lunch.

 In most modern car factories robots assemble the larger
parts.
 In order to claim a project, you must assemble a team of
3 to 6 people within a class and get verbal approval from your
professor.
 Due to the severe shortage of highly trained nursing staff,
Hopkins was unable to assemble a full team of qualified
personnel.
Associated: assembly (noun)
11,30

assent [noun]
agreement

 You will need to get your parents' assent for your

attendance at the sex education classes.
 Governments cannot govern without the broad assent of
the people.
 Counselors will begin on-going sessions with a student
only after having obtained signed assent of the student and
signed consent of the parent.
 If children of seven years and older will be included in the
study, an assent agreement is necessary.
Associated: assent (verb)
Antonym: dissent
1,70

assert [verb]
to claim, to say strongly
  The students assert that I promised to show a DVD on in
class today, but I cannot remember doing so.
 Insurance salesmen often assert profits that they know
are very unlikely.
 In closing, I want to assert that I know that our
community is up to meeting these challenges and I know that
the bold and inspiring decisions that will be made.
 We sat at dinner and talked about Twain, and Hawthorne,
and Robert Frost, but I could not assert that every American
would know these poets.
Associated: assertion (noun)
12,10

assess [verb]
to judge or test

 Most students agree that teachers need assess them on

how much they have learned.
 It is still too soon to assess how important this invention
will be.
 Imagine a bridge that can self - diagnose cracks or a
building able to assess its own health after an earthquake
without any help from humans.
 If the adult victim acknowledges having experienced
abuse, it is important to assess the potential for future
violence, as well as the danger involved.
Associated: assessment (noun)
69,00

asset [noun]
advantage

 Your ability to speak 4 languages will be an asset when

you try to find well-paid work.
 It is an asset to live in a house near to one's work and
the shops.
 Note that undergraduate research experience is not
an asset for many programs, it is a requirement.
 Nowadays, knowledge is viewed as a significant asset for
organizations.
Note: Another common meaning of asset is the things that
belong to you, as in If you are so short of money, you should
sell some of your assets.
19,70

assignment [noun]
a task; the giving of a task

 This assignment is due on September 23.

 Not everyone approved of the
government's assignment of the important position to a
former sports star.
 The research addresses teacher attitudes toward
the assignment of homework.
 I am an American clergywoman with the
unusual assignment of teaching these young people the
Hebrew language, in Arabic.
Associated: assign (verb)
65,40

assimilate [verb]
to take in

 On your first day in a new school it is difficult

to assimilate all the information that you are given.
 The government should do more
to assimilate immigrants who do not speak English.
 You need to assimilate the material covered by the
homework problems in order to pass the quizzes and final
examination.
 Yet there were conflicts there too, and the immigrants did
not assimilate easily and completely into Israeli culture.
Associated: assimilation (noun)
3,00

assist [verb]
to help

 If you can't do your homework, you should ask your

parents to assist you.
  The government has set up a programme
to assist refugees on entry to the country.
 The data center will assist researchers through the
application of mathematics and computer science to biological
problems.
 If you cannot obtain such a statement, you must verify
that you have contacted your employer and that the employer
was unable to assist you with the refund.
Associated: assistance (noun)
118,20

associate [verb]
to link to; to make a connection to

 Many economists associate the rise in prices with the

government's decision to tax imports.
 Even today some Russian people refuse
to associate Stalin with the terrible crimes that were
committed when he was Russian leader.
 Many people do not associate a top engineering
education with a liberal arts setting.
 It is often necessary to associate a complex set of
"metadata" with each data point in order to make that datum
useful.
Associated: association (noun); associate(noun)
Note: An associate is someone you know (especially at work).
210,90

assume [verb]
to believe to be true; to presume or predict

 I assume his strange behaviour recently is the result of

his parents' divorce.
 The boss was right to assume that his workers would
return to work once it was clear that they would otherwise lose
their jobs.
 You should not assume that the test questions this
semester will be on the same topics.
 However, it would be foolish to assume that our planet
has seen the last of this powerful and frightening virus.
Associated: assumption (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of assume is to take on, as
in I assume responsibility for what happened.
91,80

assure [verb]
to make sure; to say that something will certainly happen

 The head teacher could not assure parents that there

would be no increase in school fees.
 This famous victory will assure her place in the history of
sport.
 Students must assure that at least one of the three
courses they take to satisfy the general and school cores is a
Humanities course.
 They were unable to assure the distribution of food
supplies because of the deteriorating security situation.
Associated: assurance (noun)
26,10

atmosphere [noun]
mood among people or groups

 It is important for teachers to create a positive

learning atmosphere in the classroom.
 The atmosphere between the workers and the
management improved when flexible working time was
introduced.
 How the atmosphere changed when he entered a room:
it was warm, electric, somehow bigger.
 Rexhepi said the incident damaged the atmosphere for
the upcoming talks on practical matters between Kosovar and
Serbian officials.
Note: Another common meaning of atmosphere is the layer of
air above the earth, as in The atmosphere around the Olympic
stadium was very polluted.
30,40

attach [verb]
to put together with
  Many people attach pictures to the emails they send.
 Most employers expect you to attach a photograph when
you apply for a job.
 Computer viruses attach themselves to documents such
as word processing files and spreadsheets.
 Unlike normal children she cannot attach its ordinary
meaning to the word "blue", so she cannot fully understand
basic sentences.
Associated: attachment (noun)
Antonym: detach
29,60

attack [noun]
to criticize; to attempt to harm or damage

 The administration's proposal to extend the school day

came under attack from the teachers.
 The government must be prepared for an attack from
people who oppose its decision.
 It's a serious attack on any community's authority to
develop and implement housing policies without consultation.
 We had to make sure that our customers in China knew
that what we were doing was not an attack on Chinese
industry, but a dispute over a legitimate issue.
Associated: attack (verb)
Antonym: defence
33,00

attain [verb]
to get, achieve

 If you work harder, you will attain a better grade next

term.
 To attain the highest positions in American politics it is
necessary to come from a rich family.
 What skills did you attain in the process of completing
your course?
 Unfortunately, some states will not be able to attain the
new ozone standard, partly because of pollution not originating
in their state.
Associated: attainment (noun)
16,70

attempt [verb]
to try

 If you don't make the basketball team this year, you

should attempt it again next year when you are in grade 8.
 The President accepts full responsibility for the decision
to attempt the rescue.
 Despite the fact that this was a simple questionnaire, the
researchers did not even attempt to translate it for use with
less educated deaf people.
 The student was hardly active with the experiment and
did not attempt to contribute.
Associated: attempt (noun)
93,00

attend [verb]
to go to, to be present at

 Did you attend the meeting after school yesterday?

 The government's plan is for at least 50% of school
leavers to attend a university or college.
 If you are unable to attend a class for any reason, and
would prefer to work directly from the student guide, please
contact the Training Coordinator.
 As a general rule, all persons wishing to attend the
conference must register and pay for participation.
Associated: attendance (noun)
135,60

attention [noun]
focus

 A common teacher request to students who are not

listening in class is: Pay attention.
 Once the conference is over the government will turn
its attention to the problems of urban crime.
 If there is a group that we have paid no attention to, it's
old women, says Hawkes.
  After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Pat Cornell
turned her attention to detecting and preventing terrorism.
Associated: attend (verb)
103,20

attitude [noun]
what someone thinks about something (and how their
behaviour is influenced by their thinking)

 The government has changed its attitude to nuclear

power now that the cost of oil has been so high for the past
few years.
 What is your attitude to paying higher taxes in order that
more schools and hospitals can be built?
 A negative attitude toward yourself as a writer can make
you anxious and lead you to "block."
 This is the wrong attitude to have when considering the
true dangers the culture of alcohol presents to the campus.
22,80

attract [verb]
to be interesting; to cause to like

 His new book is sure to attract a lot of attention.

 Many stores have special offers to attract new customers.
 There are many attempts to attract more women and
minorities to the field, but people's perceptions must be
altered before changes can happen.
 The paper was unable to attract sufficient support and
ceased publication after a few months.
Associated: attraction (noun)
Antonym: repel
Note: Attract is what two magnets do when the negative pole
of one approaches the positive pole of the other.
27,70

attribute [noun]
characteristic; property

 The main attribute of a good teacher is knowledge of his

or her subject.
  Honesty is not an attribute that most people associate
with occupations such as politician or used-car salesman.
 While mastery of both written and spoken English is
considered to be an essential attribute, students with
documented hearing, speech and other disabilities will be
reasonably accommodated in accordance with law.
 Ambition was not an attribute of the female characters in
his earlier films.
Note: As a noun attribute is stressed on the first syllable. The
word also exists as a verb (stressed on the second syllable)
and means to say who or what you think is the cause of
something, as in I attribute his poor behaviour to current
problems at home.
15,60

authentic [adjective]
real, genuine; not made-up or artificial

 Many language teachers believe that their learners should

use only authentic materials, not ones especially made for
ESL students.
 These documents have an official stamp, but I'm not
convinced they are authentic.
 This past summer, after a vacation to Japan, I realized
that what I had been eating in America was
not authentic Japanese food.
 In order to make student learning relevant to real life
experiences, learning environments must be authentic.
Associated: authenticity (noun)
Antonym: inauthentic
7,10

authority [noun]
control (right to control)

 Parents have authority over their children until the

children leave home.
 The government has no authority to tell people how to
live.
 The owner of the organization has the authority to make
decisions.
  The Department Coordinator, elected by peers, has the
same one vote as the others and has no authority over her
peers.
Associated: authorize (verb)
Note: The expression the authorities is used to refer to people
in power such as the police, the government, etc..
Example: It's time the the authorities did something about
drinking on the streets.
54,20

automatic [adjective]
happening by itself; happening naturally or usually

 Many shops these days have automatic doors. They

open as soon as you approach.
 If you are caught drinking and driving, this results in
an automatic driving ban of at least 3 months.
 In this article I will discuss the possible use
of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for training students to
improve their accents in a foreign language.
 At no point in our deliberations are numbers employed in
a way that would trigger an automatic decision to offer or
deny admission.
Associated: automatically (adverb)
23,80

available [adjective]
can be had (bought or obtained)

 Microsoft's new operating system will not

be available until the beginning of September.
 Digital television is not yet available in many parts of the
country.
 The practice test materials will become available just
prior to the class.
 Certain items are not available at this time since the
originals have been put into storage for the duration of the
construction.
Associated: availability (noun)
Antonym: unavailable
306,00
average [adjective]
ordinary, typical

 The average student at our school spends about 90

minutes doing homework every evening.
 The average German family has 1.8 children.
 Each section of the book, is represented by a family,
which was chosen as an average family representing that
country.
 What's the average time needed to finish a course?
Associated: average (noun)
90,90

averse [adjective]
against

 Most teachers are averse to students wearing hats or

chewing gum in the classroom.
 Doctors these days are not averse to advising patients
about poor lifestyle choices such as smoking or lack of exercise.
 While I am not in favor of teaching creationism in public
schools, I am also not averse to having it presented and
examined.
 The bulk of the urban districts, particularly in the
Northern states, were totally averse to this development.
Associated: aversion (noun)
Note: Do not confuse averse with adverse (noun:
adversity) which means negative. Example; The high cost of oil
is sure to have an adverse effect on profits.
1,20

avoid [verb]
to not do something or go somewhere

 I avoid the cafeteria at lunchtime. It's too crowded and

noisy.
 The government should avoid making promises that it
cannot keep.
 To prevent this from happening, it is very helpful for
patients to avoid talking unless absolutely necessary for three
days following surgery.
  Those who will be attending the event should try to make
it to the Speedway early to avoid the rush hour traffic.
Associated: avoidance (noun)
108,60

aware [adjective]
knowing

 I am aware of her problems at home, but this doesn't

mean that she can be rude and disruptive in school.
 The workers were not aware of the management's plans
to relocate the factory.
 A high percentage of students are not aware of tutoring
services offered by the College of Engineering.
 While you may not admit to political pressure, you must
be aware of its almost constant presence; and you must
recognize it and be prepared to deal with it.
Associated: awareness (noun)
42,30

background [noun]
family experiences; circumstances

 With her background it is not surprising that she has had

problems in her new school.
 You need to know a little more about
the background before you criticize the government's
decision.
 Furthermore, as an educational institution, the College
cannot ignore the background and perspectives of its
students and must attempt to promote teaching practices and
a campus atmosphere that benefits and ensures the success of
all of its learners.
 These questions are meant to help you research
the background information you will need to evaluate some
of the water quality issues in NYC
Associated: journey (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of background is associated
with what you can see behind or at the back of something.
Example: It is not easy to read webpages with green writing on
a purplebackground.
111,60

balance [noun]
equalness

 You must try to achieve a balance between work and

play. At the moment it's too much play!
 Good teaching is a balance of fairness, firmness and
friendliness.
 Below are some suggestions for achieving
a balance between your work and personal life.
 The idea that there is balance in nature is part of most
world views.
Associated: balance (verb)
Antonym: imbalance
Note: A balance is an object used for weighing things, as
in We used the balance to determine the weight of the rock.
59,60

ban [verb]
to prohibit or forbid

 My parents have decided to ban me from eating in my

room.
 The government is considering whether to ban smoking
in all public places.
 Certain questions must be answered before it becomes
politically feasible, or even necessary, to ban cellular phones.
 Schwarzenegger said he wanted to ban junk food from
school vending machines.
Associated: ban (noun)
Antonym: permit
13,60

barely [adverb]
not very much; hardly

 It's no surprise that she is so quiet in class. She

can barely speak a word of English.
  The government has made barely any progress towards
reducing environmental pollution.
 The B grade had come to signify work that
was barely acceptable.
 San Francisco's justice reform program is barely alive,
says a UC Berkeley report.
6,70

base [verb]
to use as a way of doing or deciding something

 School need to base their curricula on the needs of the

students who attend them.
 The government should not base its tax policies on what
newspaper editors tell it to do.
 You are being quizzed on how well you understand the
information in your required readings, so base your answers
on what is written in the Hunt textbook.
 We did not base our selections on an author's nationality,
religion, politics, or field of study; nor on an author's race or
gender.
Associated: basis (noun)
Note: A common meaning of base (used as a noun) is the foot
or bottom of something, as in We had our picture taken at
the base of the pyramid.
141,00

basic [adjective]
first or easy

 You have not yet mastered basic grammar. You still

make mistakes like "he go" or she don't".
 The basic problem is that we don't have enough money.
 The most basic technique to develop is observational
drawing skills.
 The basic issue is, and always has been, one of parenting.
128,20

battle [noun]
fight, part of a war
  I'm in a battle with John's parents. They want me to give
him more homework, but I know he won't do it.
 The government will never win the battle against drug-
taking.
 They are currently involved in a battle against Occidental
Petroleum to save their land and their way of life.
 A battle to save life has recently been waged at the
Kwangtze Hospital in Shanghai. This battle is not yet over, but
it has already caused a great sensation.
Associated: battle (verb)
25,80

behalf [noun]
as a representative of; for the benefit of

 Mrs Cho spoke on behalf of the Korean Parents Group

and thanked the school for buying Korean books for the library.
 The lawyer was acting on behalf of the two children who
had lost their parents in a car accident.
 Some information is collected on our behalf by outside
agencies in order to provide services to our visitors.
 Erving Goffman pointed out that when one person speaks
on behalf of another, the former steals the latter's
conversational role.
Note: Behalf must be preceded by the word on, as in on her
behalf or on behalf of the teachers
28,20

behave [verb]
to act or do things in a certain way

 Standing on the table is certainly no way to behave in

the cafeteria!
 One of the most important jobs of a parent is to teach the
child how to behave in different situations.
 What might cause my computer to behave oddly and
even insult me, and how can I fix it?
 His research helped establish that identical DNA
sequences may behave differently depending on context and
condition.
Associated: behaviour (noun)
16,60

belief [noun]
what you think; what you believe in

 It is my belief that he copied large parts of your writing

from the internet.
 Many people who are old and sick are comforted by
their belief in God.
 They have developed a strong belief in themselves which
provides them with the energy, the drive, and the tools they
need to face challenges.
 The result of such abuse was increased poverty in Russia
and lost belief in the fairness of governmental institutions.
Associated: believe (verb)
28,00

belong [verb]
to be part of something or owned by someone

 Almost all of the world's countries belong to the United

Nations organization.
 The sports hall is on the school grounds but it
doesn't belong to the school.
 This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man
belongs to the earth.
 He may belong to any political party he pleases, or he
may belong to none.
Associated: belonging (noun)
27,20

beneath [preposition]
below

 Archaeologists found some Roman coins beneath the

town wall.
 There is land beneath the ice in Antarctica, but water
beneath it at the North Pole.
  Spending months at a time in orbit, the scientists will be
able to observe changes on the earth beneath them from day
to day.
 The men searched the entire camp, digging beneath the
snow and even into the earth, but no paper was found, no
diaries and no documents.
Associated:
Antonym: above
6,20

benefit [noun]
advantage

 With her good grades she is now getting the benefit of all
her hard work.
 I know the disadvantages of living far from the city and
my work, but there is an important benefit: fresh air!
 Customers found no benefit in comparison -shopping,
since price uniformity was nearly absolute.
 Janice Walker wanted to examine further ways to
continue this great benefit to the company's staff as well as
the company's productivity.
Associated: benefit (verb)
84,00

besides [preposition]
in addition to; as well as

 I was surprised that besides me there were only about

three or four people in favour of the proposal.
 And besides failing to reduce unemployment, the
government has also increased the tax on food.
 These two-word verbs present one other
problem, besides not appearing as separate entries in the
dictionary.
 What do western Louisville and the Appalachian region
have in common besides being two of the poorest areas in
Kentucky?
Note: Do not confuse this word with beside which means next
to , as in I live beside the school.
12,00
beyond [preposition]
further than: past

 She always goes beyond what is expected of her. No

wonder she gets such good grades.
 The school is constructing a new science
block beyond the sports field.
 Many new astronomy learners, students and adults alike,
are unfamiliar with the universe beyond the solar system.
 Art is every artist's attempt to communicate in a
way beyond words what they feel, see, and think about life.
Note: Sometimes beyond functions as an adverb, as in The
spaceship went as far as Mars and beyond.
58,50

bias [noun]
favouring one more than another, prejudice

 Her family were persecuted by the Nazis, so it's no

surprise that she shows bias against the Germans.
 He has a strong bias against religion since suffering badly
as a child in a strictly religious school.
 APA offers specific recommendations for
eliminating bias in language concerning race, disability, and
sexuality.
 Recent research shows bias against African American
mothers of any class who don't work.
Associated: bias (verb); biased(adjective)
22,60

blame [verb]
to accuse

 I blame my teacher for not preparing us properly for the

test.
 It's too easy to blame all of the country's problems on
the government.
 The media and the public should not blame the music
industry for the jobs that parents are not fulfilling.
 I blame the linguists, for not insisting that anyone who
claims to be an educated person needs elementary
competence in describing and analyzing the sound, form and
meaning of human language.
Associated: blame (noun)
14,30

block [verb]
to not allow; to stop or prevent

 After listening to the students' assurance, the principal

decided not to block their plan for a sleepover in the school
gym.
 The government has decided to block financial aid to the
African country until the civil war is over.
 The king could delay implementing a new law, but could
not block it entirely.
 The filter must block out all but about one part in a
million of the light that hits it, and must do so all across the
spectrum.
Associated: block (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of block as a noun is a large
piece or collection of , as in a block of wood or .. a block of
houses
81,60

bold [adjective]
brave

 The government took the bold decision to decrease tax.

 It was bold of him to criticize the boss in front of all the
workers.
 It was a bold move, but frankly we didn't have a choice.
 A group of artists who were working and teaching in the
Boston area had a bold idea: to create a new kind of school
for professional education in the visual arts.
Associated: boldly (adverb); boldness (noun)
Antonym: cautious
Note: When you make typed writing bold you make it darker.
12,50

bond [noun]
link; tie
  There is usually a close bond between students of the
same nationality at an international school.
 The bond between mother and child is said to be the
strongest of any personal relationships.
 Most simply, the strength of a bond is measured by
determining how much energy is required to break the bond.
 Its plot centers on how the bond between two female
"mates" is almost broken because both love the same man.
Associated: bond (verb)
25,60

boundary [noun]
limit, extent

 The boundary to the school grounds is the stream. You

must not cross it.
 Children who have no boundary to their behaviour are
often unhappy.
 The boundary between the United States and Mexico
represents one of the greatest divisions of wealth on Earth.
 We are often right on the boundary of warm and cold or
moist and dry air masses. So we get some very difficult
weather conditions to try to forecast.
26,40

brief [adjective]
short

 Please write a brief summary of the causes of the first

world war. Write no more than 300 words.
 Give me a brief explanation of how the accident
happened.
 These notes are intended as a brief introduction to some
of the main ideas and methods of calculus.
 Since most employers spend less than a minute scanning
a resume, it is necessary to be brief and to highlight all that is
important.
Associated: briefly (adverb); brevity (noun)
Antonym: lengthy
60,40
broad [adjective]
wide, extensive

 He has a broad knowledge of computer technology.

 The Mississippi is a broad river.
 The two scholars are impressed with the broad audience
of readers their blog drew after their first three postings on
Dec. 5, 2004.
 The goal is to produce world-class scholars with
capabilities in research, teaching, and service within
the broad area of Information and Decision Sciences.
Associated: broadly (adverb); breadth (noun)
Antonym: narrow
55,20

broadcast [verb]
to tell or transmit (often by means of a television programme)

 The school chose not to broadcast news of the teacher's

accident.
 The government broadcast a warning about the dangers
of terrorist attack in the capital city.
 He was highly confidential and did not broadcast his
(personal) accomplishments.
 We also want to speak openly about the question of
whether the German radio should broadcast so-called jazz
music.
Associated: broadcast (noun)
40,50

bulk [noun]
majority; largest part

 The bulk of doctors are hard-working and competent, but

there are some who are not.
 The bulk of the aid money that has been allocated to
Afghanistan has been wasted.
 The bulk of the students' time is spent performing
experiments, with required one-on-one mentorship by a
graduate student, fellow, or faculty member.
  On the whole the great bulk of Canadian immigration of
the past generation has been drawn from the English-speaking
countries.
19,00

cancel [verb]
to cut or stop from happening

 The director had to cancel the school play when 4 of the

cast fell ill the day before the first performance.
 The prime minister has decided to cancel the planned
visit to Batavia in view of the outbreak of war in the country.
 If the student contacts you before or after the experiment
with a valid excuse, you can cancel the appointment without
penalty.
 With regret, we have had to cancel the upcoming
program on "The Nervous System" due to an unavoidable
change in schedules.
Associated: cancellation (noun)
19,70

capable [adjective]
able

 You are capable of much better grades if you make more

effort.
 The police were not capable of controlling the street
demonstrations. They had to call in the army.
 Open Office Writer is capable of saving documents in
many different formats.
 So when Solomon died (sometime around 920 BC) he left
a vacuum of power which his weak son Rehoboam was
not capable of filling.
Associated: capability (noun); capably (adverb)
Antonym: incapable
27,40

career [noun]
a long-term job

 Teaching is the career of the people who work at FIS.

  A career in science or engineering usually pays more
than one in manufacturing.
 Our primary mission is to help you identify, plan for, and
achieve your career goals.
 Preparing yourself for a career in oceanography is
probably one of the most interesting and rewarding (yet
difficult) paths to travel.
222,00

case [conjuntion]
.. for the event that, because maybe .. will

 I always take my dictionary to class in case I have to look

up a word.
 The weather forecast warned people to stay at home
in case the storm got even worse.
 In case of an emergency, leave your classroom as quickly
as possible and follow the Exit signs to the nearest exit.
 A back-up plan is recommended in case the system fails
to operate as expected.
Note: With this meaning case must be preceded by in (in
case) . The noun case has several meanings. (Use your
dictionary to look them up!)
118,00

category [noun]
group of similar items

 Run, eat and think are words in the

same category, namely: verbs.
 Illegal drugs are grouped into one or
other category according to how dangerous they are
considered.
 A link is provided in case the visitor wishes to return to
the Search page to review other products in the
same category.
 He is an American citizen which obviously puts him in a
different category from the kinds of individuals that the
president has suggested might be suitable.
Associated: categorize (verb)
83,60
cause [noun]
the reason why something happens

 The main cause of her poor grades are her frequent

absences from school.
 It is a well-known fact that smoking is a cause of lung
cancer.
 Poor diet itself is not a cause of scoliosis, but maintaining
a healthy diet can diminish the symptoms of scoliosis.
 It should be obvious that the consumption habits of the
wealthy countries are the prime cause of environmental
problems.
Associated: cause (verb)
100,80

cautious [adjective]
careful

 We must be cautious in how we interpret the data. It

would be easy to draw false conclusions.
 It is a fact that cautious drivers have fewer accidents
than reckless ones.
 Congress seems to have taken a cautious approach to
regulating a technology that is reinventing the very manner in
which ideas are expressed.
 If a person tends to be cautious in relationships or at
work, it is likely that her investment decisions will also be
cautious.
Associated: caution (noun); cautiously (adverb)
Antonym: bold, incautious
3,50

cease [verb]
to stop

 If your disruptive behaviour does not cease, you are in

danger of being expelled.
 The fighting is expected to cease when the United
Nations sends in its observers.
 All campus party noise must cease by 12:00 Midnight.
  In proof of this, we may note that slavery did
not cease immediately on the reception of Christianity.
Associated: cessation (noun)
Note: A ceasefire is an agreement to stop fighting
10,40

certain [adjective]
sure

 You are certain to fail unless you put in more effort.

 The professor was not certain that the work contained
the student's own ideas.
 Be certain to answer the question in its entirety. Be
certain to explain how and why you came to a particular
conclusion.
 Since the U.S. flu vaccine supply was cut in half early this
month, shots are scarce, lines long and some people
are certain to miss out.
Associated: certainty (noun); certainly (adverb)
Antonym: uncertain
Note: Another very common use of certain can be seen in the
following examples, where it has the broad meaning of some.
Examples: There are certain problems with your
writing. Certainpeople are unhappy with the plans.
95,60

challenge [noun]
difficult situation; problem

 The school faces a real challenge in educating students

from poor backgrounds.
 The greatest challenge that we face is to reduce global
warming.
 The University of California library system faces
a challenge in relation to the costs of online journal
subscriptions.
 Delivery of safe and timely care is a
huge challenge given the complexities of modern medicine.
Associated: challenge (verb); challenging (adjective)
74,00
characteristic [adjective]
typical

 It was characteristic of him to fail to prepare properly

for the test.
 Headaches and sleeplessness are characteristic of
someone suffering from culture shock.
 The siting and design are a typical characteristic of
ancient buildings that belong to a self-enclosed precinct.
 This was not characteristic of Serbia alone; the
population felt similar frustration in other parts of Yugoslavia
and in Eastern Europe.
Associated: characteristic (noun)
Antonym: uncharacteristic
19,80

chief [adjective]
most important

 Our chief problem is how to convince the governors that

we are right.
 The chief danger to the soldiers is suicide bombers at the
checkpoints.
 As large and difficult as it was, it was not
the chief problem. The deeper problem was conceptual.
 A half century ago the conflict over state regulation of
railroads was the chief issue in Alabama politics.
Associated: chiefly (adverb)
Note: Your chief is the person you work for. Much more usual,
however, is to refer to him or her as your boss
45,00

choice [noun]
decision, selection

 Younger students usually have no choice in what they

study.
 Should the government invest more in solar energy or
nuclear energy? It's a difficult choice.
  Their research draws a connection between
school choice and segregation, but hasn't yet tackled the
"whys."
 To use or not use alcohol is a personal choice.
Associated: choose (verb)
101,00

circulate [verb]
to move from one place or person to another (often in a circle)

 Rumours about teachers circulate quickly through

schools.
 It is possible to circulate the world by boat in about
three days.
 You are recommended to circulate quickly throughout
the classroom to make sure that everyone understands the
task, then return to help students who are having difficulty.
 In the 1850s, texts did not circulate widely enough to
provoke a revolution.
Associated: circulation (noun)
5,10

circumstances [noun]
situation

 The circumstances that led to the train crash are being

investigated by the police.
 With his difficult family circumstances it is not really
surprising that he's having trouble in school.
 We recognize that circumstances beyond a family's
control may inhibit a family's ability to contribute to
educational expenses.
 The role of doctors as a conscience of the community
deserves more consideration in times of stress and under
difficult circumstances such as war.
Note: This word is possible in the singular (Google: 13 million
hits) but much more common in the plural (90 million hits).
50,20

citizen [noun]
person (member of a country)
  In Ancient Rome not every citizen had equal rights.
 A foreigner who wants to become a citizen of the USA
cannot have a criminal record.
 Various approaches to environmental justice are
discussed, along with steps in the planning process
when citizen involvement is particularly effective.
 In this way, Cohen embodies the ideal student and
model citizen; he speaks up when he perceives injustice
regardless of the consequences.
Associated: citizenship (noun)
26,60

claim [verb]
to state to be true

 They claim that they did the work independently of each,

but I don't believe them.
 The cyclist tried to claim that he had not used drugs, but
the blood tests proved the opposite.
 The Committee determines, in its sole discretion, whether
the College is entitled to claim ownership of the invention.
 Some Western scholars have erroneously tried
to claim that Theravada is primarily a monastic religion.
Associated: claim (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of claim is to ask for or take
something (as a right) , as in Travellers claim their baggage at
the baggage claim carousel.
65,40

clarify [verb]
to make something clear, explain

 Could you please clarify the homework for me? I'm not
sure I understand.
 The government needs to clarify its tax proposals. They
are less than clear to most people.
 The syllabus must clarify how attendance and
participation affect, if at all, the student's course grade.
 Your supervisor has been provided with the above
information and should be able to clarify any questions you
may have.
Associated: clarification (noun); clarity (noun)
22,30

classic [adjective]
very good, the best or most used

 A classic method of learning vocabulary is to write words

and their translations in a small notebook.
 The government's election defeat is a classic case of
failure to learn from past mistakes.
 A classic example of ambiguity is the sentence: "I do not
like visiting aunts."
 The classic way of attacking the security of computer
programs is to feed them unexpected and deceptive inputs.
27,20

classify [verb]
to put into a category or class

 A common task in the English classroom is to classify the

parts of speech into nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc.
 There are many small organisms that scientists find
difficult to classify.
 Starting during the 18th century, attempts have been
made to classify the world's languages into one
comprehensive genetic system of families.
 Therefore, it is important to classify low birth weight
infants according to their weight for their gestational age.
Associated: classification (noun)
13,00

code [noun]
a set of rules

 The UK Highway code is the book of road rules that must

be learned by new drivers.
 Most countries have a code by which parents can decide
if a film is suitable for their children.
 D. perceives this as deviation from what she considers the
traditional code of behaviour of Greek women.
  Princeton University computer scientist Edward Felton has
decided not to publish a paper on how his research team broke
the code of copyright protection.
Note: Computer code is the text written in a computer
programming language.
180,20

coincidence [noun]
an uncommon happening of two things

 Three people in my class were born on the same day.

That's quite a coincidence!
 Some people think it was no coincidence that there was
a terror alarm two days before the election.
 It is no coincidence that the early proponents of so-
called public education were socialists.
 Luckily, due to total coincidence, the men's and
women's basketball teams started most of their games on the
road.
Associated: coincide (verb); coincidently (adverb)
3,80

collaborate [verb]
to work together

 Some new students to the school find it unusual that

teachers expect them to collaborate with other students to
complete homework assignments.
 European countries have decided to collaborate in an
effect to reduce illegal immigration.
 We need to put our minds together and decide if we need
to collaborate among our institutions to provide a new
service.
 The two departments have failed to collaborate and
coordinate their efforts in implementing the laws and
regulations on the use of wetland areas.
Associated: collaboration (noun)
22,30

collapse [verb]
to fall down completely and heavily; to fail
  Many buildings collapse during earthquakes and kill the
people inside.
 The computer system did not collapse, even though
more than a million people tried to access the website at the
same time.
 The debate over whether North Korea will collapse and
whether the United States should promote its collapse has
paralyzed American policymaking.
 The regime, which is bound to collapse under the
deadweight of its own internal contradictions, is going to
collapse on our heads.
Associated: collapse (noun)
21,40

combine [verb]
to put or go together

 When two atoms of hydrogen combine with one of

oxygen, then the result is H2O, water.
 If you can combine your intelligence with hard work, you
have a good chance of success.
 Click here to review the rules of comma usage when
you combine two independent clauses.
 The UCLA Philharmonia, however, is bridging the gap
between North and South campuses with two concerts
that combine symphony with science and history.
Associated: combination (noun)
42,60

command [noun]
control

 He will never be a good teacher. He has no command of

the class.
 The UN soldiers lost command of the village when it was
invaded by terrorist fighters.
 Even the older generation does have some command of
the Indonesian language.
 In his view, the Empire was less a place where England
exerted control than where it lost command of its own
identity.
Associated: command (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of command is order, as
in She gave the command to advance on the enemy.
38,80

commence [verb]
to start

 The meeting will commence at 8.30.

 The company's problems did not commence until the
price of oil increased.
 Their acquaintance, therefore, it may be presumed, did
not commence till towards the end of this year 1754.
 The journey to peace and prosperity in the region can
only commence when the civic authority is brought back in.
Associated: commencement (noun)
5,70

comment [noun]
a short written or spoken statement or opinion

 The principal made no comment on the reasons for

asking the student to leave the school.
 The government minister expressed regret at her
thoughtless comment about 'lazy incompetent teachers'.
 She listened attentively, but made no comment.
 That's probably the most fatuous comment I've read on
this website.
Associated: comment (verb)
96,60

commercial [adjective]
to do with business

 The commercial area of Frankfurt is to the south east of

the city center.
 Some people say that there were commercial reasons
for the invasion of Iraq.
 Many of these strategies have already been adopted by
the commercial airlines, which operate in an intensely
competitive environment.
  But when planned and deliberate policy forces the price of
oil down without good commercial reasons, then that means
another war against Iraq.
Associated: commerce (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of commercial is television
advertisement, as in I saw a funny commercial on TV last
night.
56,60

commit [verb]
to do (often an offense)

 Do not commit the serious error of believing you can

pass the course without doing the coursework.
 The pressure of examinations leads some young people
to commit suicide.
 The most significant risk factor in predicting whether a
person will commit a violent crime in the future is whether the
person has previous offenses.
 When all the edits are done, click the button
to commit the changes to the database.
Note: Another common meaning of commit is to make a
commitment to, as in Mary was not ready to marry
and commit herself to John for the rest of her life.
25,70

committee [noun]
a group of people meeting to discuss an issue

 The school established a committee to discuss the

introduction of a bilingual programme.
 The government set up a committee to investigate the
reasons for the riots.
 He reported that the presidential search committee has
been formed and thanked some groups for forwarding diverse
nominees.
 The current timing left the committee with only one
working week to review the applications.
154,00
commodity [noun]
a product; something you can buy

 Respect is not a commodity. You have to earn it; you

cannot buy it.
 Most economists believe that oil is the most
important commodity in today's world.
 Water is a useful and necessary thing, but it is not
a commodity until someone builds a fence around the water
source.
 Vegetable crops are the most
important commodity group for small farms in southern
states and their importance is expected to increase.
 When parents decide to send their children to a fee -
paying school, education becomes a commodity.
9,90

common [adjective]
often seen or happening

 Volkswagen is a very common car in Germany.

 Graffiti is common on the buildings in big German cities.
 In fact, most of the errors discussed on this site
are common in the writing of privileged middle-class
Americans.
 Plants that possess certain traits or characteristics
not common to the entire species are referred to as biotypes.
Associated: commonly (adverb); commonality (adverb)
Antonym: uncommon
Note: Another meaning of common is shared, as in We soon
found that we have common interests. or We soon found that
we have a lot in common.
131,60

communicate [verb]
to convey information

 In an international school it is important

to communicate to the parents in their own languages.
 The government is having difficulty trying
to communicate the reasons for its change of policy.
  This illustrated publication introduces the different ways
deaf people can communicate, including gestures and facial
expressions, speechreading, etc.
 Even though the right hemisphere could
not communicate to observers what stimuli it had been
presented with, it did show some verbal comprehension.
Associated: communication (noun)
60,30

community [noun]
a group of people

 Frankfurt International School has invited the

local community to its Open Day.
 The internet has made it possible for a community of
people with similar interests to get together online, even if
they don't live close to each other.
 Unidata is a diverse community of education and
research institutions vested in the common goal of sharing
data, tools to access the data, and software to use and
visualize the data.
 The situation is such that not only is the
Muslim community conflicted with the outside pressures to
conform, but it is conflicted within itself.
Associated: communal (adjective)
424,00

comparison [noun]
a statement of how two things are similar or different

 In this report you must write a comparison of FIS and

your previous school.
 If I make a comparison of England and Germany, I have
to say I prefer Germany. The weather is better and the people
are more friendly.
 There have been several reviews done regarding
the comparison of online course delivery tools that are on the
market today.
 What is the comparison between continental and oceanic
volcanic eruptions?
Associated: compare (verb)
69,20

compatible [adjective]
able to work with someone or something else

 The school made a mistake when buying new computers.

They are not compatible with the printers we have.
 If you have an aquarium you must be careful to ensure
that you stock it with fish that are compatible.
 Factory farming is just not compatible with animal
welfare.
 In order to match you up with the
most compatible roommate we can, please fill out the
Housing Intake Questionaire.
Associated: compatibility (noun)
Antonym: incompatible
15,40

compel [verb]
to force or make happen

 I cannot compel you to listen, but I will ask you to leave

the room if you talk while I do.
 I don't really like science but my parents decided
to compel me to take biology and chemistry in grade 10.
 Most programs have experienced the need to develop
mechanisms to compel involvement of parents and/or
guardians in the juvenile drug court process.
 But you are forgetting one thing, gentlemen of the law,
you are driving a horse to water but you cannot compel him
to drink.
Associated: compulsion (noun)
4,10

compensation [noun]
money (or some other reward) given to someone who has
suffered a loss or injustice

 The factory worker was awarded

€30,000 compensation for losing his arm in an accident.
  Victims of terrorist attacks are usually
given compensation by the government.
 An employee is entitled to no compensation for the first
seven calendar days of disability unless the disability continues
for more than 21 days.
 Historically, there was compensation for crop and
livestock losses, but the problem of estimating the damage
and lack of funds for compensation programs has been
significant.
Associated: compensate (verb)
30,00

compete [verb]
to try and win against someone or something

 This is an activity in which I expect you to work together.

Do not try to compete with each other.
 Many Western businesses are finding it difficult
to compete with Asian companies which pay their workers far
less money.
 An athlete may begin training at age 6 but
cannot compete until age 8.
 The U.S. firms selling steel in India
must compete against the firms from not merely India but
Europe, Japan, Korea and China as well.
Associated: competition (noun)
37,20

competent [adjective]
good at something (often a job)

 When you employ an electrician to do a job in your house,

you hope they will be competent at their job.
 The new government has not yet proved
itself competent of making the right decisions in its foreign
policy.
 I experienced her as a very competent teacher who had
empathy for her students.
 It is especially important to remember that parents as a
group have not usually taken the riding lessons and are
not competent to supervise their children.
Associated: competence (noun); competently (adverb)
Antonym: incompetent
9,30

compile [verb]
to put together (often in a list

 The school plans to compile a list of the local doctors

who can speak English.
 The committee was asked to compile a report listing the
reasons in favour of invading Iraq.
 Students will undertake comprehensive analysis of several
works and will compile a database of quality literature.
 If you decide to apply, you will need to compile a full
application including: cover sheet, goals and plan letter, and
project statement.
Associated: compilation (noun)
17,40

complete [adjective]
full or finished

 The list of students who have signed up for the ski trip is
now complete. There are no places left.
 Your report is not complete. You have failed to include a
bibliography.
 The Iowa State Theater group will present
"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" five times
during the festival.
 Unfortunately, the data was not complete and often
inaccurate.
Associated: completion (noun)
Antonym: incomplete
Note: The adverb completely means totally, as in The
instructions were not completely clear to me.
183,00

complex [adjective]
difficult, complicated
  This is a very complex problem. We need more time to
think of a good solution.
 This issue is more complex than we expected; we're
going to need some outside help.
 You either are or are not married; it's not
a complex question.
 This is especially true in the environmental sciences
where many of the systems are dynamic and
extremely complex.
Associated: complexity (noun)
Antonym: simple
Note: Another common meaning of complex as a noun
is personality problem, as in She has a complex about people
watching her when she eats.
94,60

complicate [verb]
to make things more complex or difficult

 The fact that she doesn't speak English did much

to complicate the situation.
 The German government should have realized that it
would complicate matters by allowing the different German
states to have their own regulations about smoking in public
buildings.
 We conclude the year with a story that shows how
severance from one's cultural past can complicate the search
for a sense of self.
 Including future irrelevant costs generally will not lead to
a poor choice; it will only complicate the analysis.
Associated: complication (noun); complicated (adjective)
Antonym: simplify
4,60

comply [verb]
to do what someone asks or orders

 The government has banned smoking in public places, but

not all smokers are going to comply.
 I would be more prepared to comply with the rules if I
understood the reasons for them.
  Administrators and supervisors are expected to see that
those who report to them are informed about, understand
and comply with regulations.
 She receives so many requests similar to yours that she
finds it impossible to comply with all of them, much as she
would like to do so.
Associated: compliance (noun)
27,30

component [noun]
part of; an element of

 A sound card is an essential component of a games

computer.
 An important component of the course is the unit on
grammar.
 Iron is a major component of hemoglobin that carries
oxygen to all parts of the body.
 While the Spartans were principally responsible for the
victory, the Athenian fleet was probably the most
important component of that victory.
71,40

comprehend [verb]
to understand

 It's difficult to comprehend why he made such a foolish

decision.
 If you want to comprehend what is happening in
Afghanistan, it is necessary to go there yourself.
 The human mind cannot comprehend the true nature of
God, nor can the angels.
 As migration is a spatial choice process, it is important
to comprehend how migrants perceive space and choose a
destination in the space.
Associated: comprehension (noun)
8,20

comprehensive [adjective]
full, complete
  You have written a very clear and comprehensive report.
Well done!
 The company has comprehensive plans to increase its
business by 50% in the next two years.
 This guide is not comprehensive; it does not list all of
the resources covering Endangered Species.
 The Catherwood Library is the
most comprehensive resource of its type in North America.
Associated: comprehensively (adverb)
Note: A comprehensive school in the UK is one which all
students attend regardless of their ability.
65,80

comprise [verb]
to be made up of; to include

 Your composition must comprise an introduction, a

conclusion and three body paragraphs.
 Immigrants comprise more than 20% of the total
population.
 The project itself may grow out of course work, but it
must comprise achievement that is over and above regular
course activities.
 The document was intended to comprise everything from
minerals, through the kingdom of plants, to the highest
animals.
17,50

compulsory [adjective]
required, must be done

 In most countries of the world education

is compulsory for all children.
 Israel and Korea are two countries that
have compulsory military service for their male citizens.
 Working with the Teacher Assistant is
not compulsory but recommended.
 Although the agreement was compulsory rather than
voluntary, it led to substantial military reforms along French
lines.
Associated: compulsion (noun)
Antonym: voluntary
2,50

conceal [verb]
to hide

 She was unable to conceal her sadness when she only

came third in the music competition.
 Many students doing an important test try
to conceal their answers with their hand or a book. They don't
want their neighbour seeing what they have written.
 The White House has been engaged in an image war,
trying to conceal the motives and strategies of the real war on
Iraq.
 But his son, who had hoped to occupy the throne of
Armenia, could not conceal his discontent.
Associated: concealment (noun)
Antonym: reveal
4,00

concept [noun]
idea; understanding

 Some students may find it difficult to understand

the concept of democracy.
 You have no concept how difficult this problem is.
 In any economy in which individuals, firms and
governments have the time preference, the time value of
money is an important concept.
 The proponents of disability rights and design
professionals have come to realize that the concept of
accessible design has to be rethought.
Associated: conceive (verb)
68,00

concern [noun]
worry, fear

 My concern is that she has started working too late to

pass her examinations.
  As the number of old people increases, so has
the concern that there is not enough money in the health
system to take proper care of them.
 If a child consistently begs to stay home from school, has
extreme fear of being away from a parent etc., there may be a
cause for concern about the child.
 Computer disk drives have been known to suffer from
power cycle failure, but this is not a concern for broadband
modems.
Associated: concern (verb); concerned (adjective)
Note: A common expression is as far as .. concerned, as in As
far as I am concerned you can go now.
58,20

concise [adjective]
short, not detailed

 I asked for a concise summary of what happened. So

why have you given me a 20-page report?
 It is an advantage for a politician to be able to give a clear
but concise statement of what he or she believes in.
 Good writing is concise. A sentence should contain no
unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.
 There is not a concise answer to your question. The most
complete explanation I have found is at the Howstuffworks site.
Associated: concisely (adverb); conciseness (noun)
Antonym: verbose
8,40

conclude [verb]
to finish; to make a judgment

 I will conclude my presentation with an example of sea

pollution.
 Since you have not attended class for the last seven
weeks, I conclude that you are not interested in graduating.
 Since the discovery of cave paintings, we
can conclude what animals looked like thousands of years ago.
 Although two weeks are dedicated to its development at
the end of the semester you should not conclude that this is
enough time for the entire project.
Associated: conclusion (noun)
39,90

condemn [verb]
to express strong disapproval

 European governments strongly condemn the kidnapping

of a German aid worker in Afghanistan.
 I condemn the way that animals are used in medical
experiments.
 Plagiarism is easy to condemn but often hard to define.
This is partly because the legal rules differ sharply from the
ethical ones.
 The Bible laid down some rules for the humane treatment
of slaves but did not condemn the practice.
Associated: condemnation (noun)
3,30

condition [noun]
state

 Look at the condition of your homework planner! You will

have to buy a new one.
 The company was in a very strong condition after
winning a million dollar contract to build its machines.
 The libraries are in a poor condition and are in urgent
need of restocking with new books and journals in both Arabic
and English.
 Applying the engineering feedback concept, we can search
and reach the optimum condition with a very small number of
tests.
Note: Another important use of the word condition is to
express what must happen before something else can be done.
Examples: I'll lend you my iPod on condition that you return it
tomorrow.- or - A condition of releasing you from prison is that
you must report to the police once a week.
69,80

conduct [verb]
to do or perform; to behave
  That is no way to conduct yourself in the library.
 Researchers at the university plan to conduct a survey
into what makes people over-drink.
 The United Nations Commission of Human Rights did
not conduct an investigation.
 This document explains why it is important to conduct a
community assessment during a sustainability project.
Associated: conduct (noun)
Note: The noun conduct is most often used as a synonym
for behaviour . [As a noun conduct is stressed on the first
syllable, as a verb it is stressed on the second.]
116,40

confident [adjective]
sure that something will happen

 I am confident that you will do well in the examinations.

 The company directors are confident that business will
improve in the new year.
 We are not confident that those who do less well on
high-stakes tests in fact do worse in school or on the job.
 Dr. Pruitt said that he was very confident that all aspects
of the law, as well as any other concerns, would be closely
looked at prior to any deal being made.
Associated: confidence (noun); confidently (adverb)
Note: Self-confidence is feeling good about yourself.
10,20

confine [verb]
to limit

 Please confine your answer to a maximum of 100 words.

 Many parents confine their children to the bedroom when
they behave badly.
 One factor was political: because we had decided
to confine the project at first to the six northernmost counties
in our region
 But he did not confine himself to theoretical matters
alone. He now drew attention to the lack of American minority
students on campus.
3,00
confirm [verb]
to agree that something is correct

 Can you please confirm that you will be at the school

next year?
 The government official wrote to confirm that the new
law applied only to people born after the year 1990.
 Lebanese security officials said the soldiers' tank drove
over a mine, but Israel said it could not confirm that.
 We wanted to confirm that the resonators worked, and
our major theoretical assumptions were correct.
Associated: confirmation (noun)
33,00

conflict [noun]
problem, struggle or battle

 She was in conflict with her parents at home and this

was having a negative effect on her schoolwork.
 The most serious kind of conflict is war. Many people die
when countries have problems that cannot be solved in
peaceful ways.
 We are in the middle of the most serious conflict with the
governments of these peoples and nations.
 The conflict ended with a rebellion against the East India
Company in 1857, and the firm eventually was nationalized.
Associated: conflict (verb); conflicting (adjective)
52,40

conform [verb]
to do what is required

 If you wish to remain at this school, you will have

to conform to its rules.
 Every new car that is produced must conform to
standards that minimize pollution.
 The format for references must conform to the guidelines
in the approved style manual.
 He came to the conclusion that Mexico's constitutions did
not last because they simply did not conform to Mexico's
customs and traditions.
Associated: conformity (noun)
15,00

confront [verb]
to deal with someone or something (often a problem or
unpleasant situation)

 Teachers do not always immediately confront bad

behaviour in class. Sometimes it is better to have a quiet talk
with the student at the end of the lesson.
 How to increase employment and reduce crime are the
two most serious problems that confront the new government.
 Testing personnel will not confront any tester who is
cheating, but will complete the Testing Incident Report and
submit to the supervisor.
 Bailey decided to confront the problem head-on by
scheduling an open public meeting.
Associated: confrontation (noun)
11,90

connect [verb]
to bring or put together

 No wonder your computer doesn't work. You

must connect it to the monitor!
 The government needs to do more to connect people
without jobs to business that are looking for workers.
 As each hydrogen only has one electron to share in the
formation of chemical bonds, it is impossible to connect more
than two hydrogen atoms to each other.
 When they did investigations after 9-11, one of the major
things that they came up with was that the various
government agencies did not connect the dots.
Associated: connection (noun)
Antonym: disconnect
74,10

conscious [adjective]
aware, knowing
  Are you conscious of the fact that you may fail the
course?
 People today have become more conscious of their
individual responsibility to protect the environment.
 Emma was conscious of these various and strongly held
opinions, through professional periodicals.
 The writer was not careful when taking notes because he
does not understand what plagiarism is, or because he is
not conscious of what he is doing.
Associated: consciously (adverb); consciousness (noun)
Antonym: unconscious
Note: When someone is knocked out this means that they
are unconscious. You are unconscious when you are asleep.
9,90

consent [verb]
to agree

 In most school parents are asked to consent to their

child participating in sex education lessons.
 The employee requested a day off to take his cat to the
vet, but his manager did not consent.
 The principle behind this policy is that the rights of the
individuals should be respected; subjects must consent to
participation in research.
 Before having a major surgical procedure patients must
always consent.
Associated: consent (noun)
41,40

consequence [noun]
result

 The consequence of all your hard work is an excellent

exam score. Well done!
 She stopped smoking and started exercising. As
a consequence her health improved considerably.
 Unless we reverse the trend, the consequence will be a
sustained contraction in the number and quality of staff
scientists and research faculty.
  All this progress was a consequence of the advance of
technology and also of advances in government and other
social organizations in capitalist society.
Associated: consequent (adjective); consequently (adverb)
22,60

conserve [verb]
to preserve; to not use

 In sports events it is a good idea at the start of the game

to conserve energy that you are going to need later.
 The blue whale may be extinct by the end of the century
unless we do all we can to conserve it.
 By signing the pledge, students make a personal
commitment to conserve energy and help contribute to Yale's
goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 10 percent.
 In many cases print journals are disappearing as
librarians strive to conserve money and shelf space.
Associated: conservation (noun)
7,20

consider [verb]
to think

 You must consider how much it is going to cost and

whether you really need it
 The government should consider the effects of its
proposal on poor people.
 What do I need to consider in deciding if this course is
right for me?
 Adults who did not consider nutrition very important
when buying food, as compared to adults who considered
nutrition very important, were less likely to eat a good quality
diet.
Associated: consideration (noun)
187,80

considerable [adjective]
very big; very much
  If you want to start a business you need
a considerable amount of money.
 It took him a considerable time to finish the project.
 We have a considerable amount of information about
the National Forests in North Carolina on this web site.
 Individuals with communication disorders
have considerable difficulty making themselves clearly
understood.
Associated: considerably (adverb)
23,70

consist [verb]
to have in it; to have as part of it

 The cakes consist of flour, sugar, eggs and milk.

 The committee needs to consist of both teachers and
parents.
 The documentation must consist of a comprehensive,
typed report that states a specific, current diagnosis.
 The problem for France was that the population did
not consist of responsible citizens which were necessary for
the desired liberal system.
45,90

consistent [adjective]
regular or predictable; remaining the same

 Her behaviour is not very consistent. Sometimes she

works hard in class and gets good grades, but quite often she
can be rude and disruptive.
 Performance in the money markets has
been consistent in recent months, but prices are expected to
fluctuate in the near future.
 This review found that some guidelines and standards for
reprocessing rigid laryngoscopes are incomplete, inadequate,
and not consistent with one another.
 It was found that only 10 of these comparisons were
acceptably consistent, meaning that their inconsistency ratio
exceeded 35%.
Associated: consistency (noun)
Antonym: inconsistent
49,00

constant [adjective]
not changing; long-lasting

 There was a constant noise coming from the classroom

above.
 The athlete was in constant pain from the metal plate in
her leg.
 She resisted the constant pressure to take a husband
because she regarded marriage as fundamentally incompatible
with the objectives of her reign.
 While it is true that as people get older, their taste buds
are not as sensitive, this does not usually result in
a constant bad taste in your mouth.
Associated: constantly (adverb)
Antonym: intermittent
43,00

constitute [verb]
to be; to make up

 Two grade B's and three grade A's constitute an

excellent set of scores for the trimester.
 The scientists that constitute the committee all work in
the field of cancer research.
 The set of elective courses must constitute a well-
defined focus and must be approved by the student's advisor.
 The immigrants probably did not constitute more than
ten per cent of the population.
Associated: constitution (noun)
Note: A common meaning of constitution is formal regulations
of a country. The American Constitution was adopted in 1787.
38,10

constraint [noun]
to hold back; to prevent
  There is no constraint upon her behaviour at home. She
is allowed to do whatever she wants.
 Lack of financial aid is a significant constraint on the
chances of success in Afghanistan.
 Shortage of research space remains a
significant constraint for future development.
 More than 70 percent of the surveyed firms said that the
lack of housing was not a constraint on their ability to expand.
Associated: constrain (verb)
15,70

construct [verb]
to make

 They are planning to construct a new bridge behind the

school.
 Children like to construct cars or buildings from plastic
bricks.
 Each student must construct a Web site based upon his
or her major research project.
 Despite the enormous amount of effort invested in her
language teaching she was not able to construct grammatical
sentences.
Associated: construction (noun)
53,40

consult [verb]
to get the advice of someone ( often an expert)

 If you are in constant pain you should consult a doctor.

 Before buying a new house you need to consult a tax
advisor.
 Please consult the Timetable for class times and locations.
 Government agencies and aid organizations often failed
to consult people in affected communities about aid
distribution and reconstruction.
Associated: consultation (noun)
57,90

consume [verb]
to use, or use up
  The new Smartboard in my classroom must consume a
lot of energy. I've already had to change the bulb 3 times.
 If we do not start to consume less oil, there is likely to
be none left by the end of the century.
 Occasional personal use of university computing resources
for other purposes is permitted when it does not consume a
significant amount of those resources.
 As long as the person did not consume large amounts of
protein and carbohydrates, the effect on fat digestion was
negated.
Associated: consumption (noun); consumer (noun)
12,80

contact [verb]
to get in touch (e.g. by phone or email)

 Please contact me by email if you need help

understanding your assignment.
 The police would like to contact everyone who was in the
area when the accident happened.
 All students whose college/university will be forwarding
tuition payments will need to contact the OSA to find out the
exact procedure.
 He claimed that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre knew
about the tsunami ahead of time but failed to contact affected
countries.
Associated: contact (noun)
1284,00

contain [verb]
to have in it; to hold inside

 The test will contain all of the topics that we have

covered this trimester.
 Your password should contain only letters or numbers.
 The ethnographic reports were clear and did
not contain conflicting information.
 The text should contain a concise description of the aims
and scope of your thesis.
Associated: content (noun)
103,50

contemplate [verb]
to think about; to consider

 You need to contemplate the reasons for your lack of

success.
 It is not pleasant to contemplate the results of a German
victory in World War II.
 History is filled with examples of military leaders who
have suffered at the mercy of climate conditions that they
failed to contemplate adequately.
 It is a truism that death - not just our own - affects all of
us, even if it is a topic most people do not want
to contemplate for long.
Associated: contemplation (noun)
3,90

contemporary [adjective]
of this time, happening now

 I cannot think of any contemporary writers who are

better than her.
 A popular type of TV programme shows people who
escape the contemporary world and pretend to live as
farmers did 100 years ago.
 Students who take the class are expected to choose
a contemporary problem they would like to address and
collaborate with each other in researching it.
 This irregularity strongly suggests that the two
constructions are not contemporary, but rather that one was
constructed later.
Associated: contemporary (noun)
50,00

context [noun]
the place or situation in which something is found

 A good way to guess the meaning of a new word is to

examine its context in the sentence.
  It is essential to consider her difficulties at school in
the context of her chaotic home life.
 Ever since 9/11, the word "terrorist" has been thrown
around so much that it is being used way too much out
of context.
 Game reasoning is simply moral reasoning that occurs in
the context of competitive sports, and perhaps elsewhere as
well.
95,60

continue [verb]
to carry on, not stop

 When you get to the end of the page, do not stop.

Please continue reading on the next side.
 The government must continue to make every effort to
prevent young people from becoming addicted to drugs.
 The review of applications will continue until all positions
are filled.
 Martin Luther King was killed simply for insisting that
America could not continue with people isolated on lonely
islands of poverty.
Associated: continuation (noun); continual (adjective);
continually (adverb); continuous (adjective)
200,10

contract [noun]
a written agreement, binding in law

 Any student who continues to do poor work or show a bad

attitude is put on a contract. If the contract is broken, then
the student is asked to leave the school.
 The company won the contract to supply the government
with 30,000 special computers for primary schools
 Ordinarily, physicians cannot legally make
a contract with a patient that excuses the physician from
performing his legal duties to the patient.
 The court also held that because of the contract between
the classification society and the shipyard, the owners
operated the ship under the French flag.
Note: The verb contract means to get smaller, as in Metals
expand when it is hot and contract when it is cold.
55,80

contradict [verb]
to say or show that what someone has said is wrong

 Please do not contradict me. I know what I said is

correct.
 The latest employment figures contradict the
government's recent claim that more people now have jobs
than for many years.
 The findings directly contradict the assertion that some
verbal areas of the brain are larger in women than in men.
 During various stages of a planning process, review and
crosscheck the goals and objectives in the plan elements so
that they do not contradict one another.
Associated: contradiction (noun)
4,70

contrary [noun]
opposite

 She says she's not a very good pianist, but I know that
the contrary is true and she's just being modest.
 The director was not prepared to even listen to
ideas contrary to his own.
 The results on the tests are contrary to expectations.
 A wife's going out to work is not deemed a violation of her
marital obligations if her working is not contrary to her
family's interests.
Associated: contrary (adjective)
Note: A useful expression is on the contrary as in I thought
you didn't like German food. - On the contrary. I think it's
delicious.
20,20

contrast [noun]
difference
  You have not made a clear enough contrast between the
causes and effects of the disaster.
 There is a strong contrast between what the government
promised to do and what it has actually achieved.
 You do not need to consider the whole of human
psychology, but you should make a contrast between good
excuses and bad excuses.
 Though all of them are presented in English, there is a
significant contrast in clarity between the various reports.
Associated: contrast (verb)
Note: A common academic essay title is Compare and
contrast .. , as in Compare and contrast the origins of the First
and Second World Wars.
52,00

contribute [verb]
to give (for example: money, help or ideas); to play a part in

 Could you please contribute to our Christmas collection

for flood victims in Bangladesh?
 They sit there in every meeting but they
never contribute their own ideas.
 If you wish to contribute material that is copyrighted by
someone besides yourself, then you will need to document that
the copyright holder has agreed.
 It is during adolescence that clear gender differences
arise which might contribute to the varying rates of
depression.
Associated: contribution (noun)
94,80

control [verb]
to have and exercise power over something or someone

 The new teacher found it difficult to control the class.

 Terrorists control large areas of the country outside of
the main towns.
 You can't always control what happens to you, but you
can always control how you react to what happens to you.
 While most adults with phobias know that these fears are
extreme and irrational, they are unable to control them.
Associated: control (noun)
312,00

controversy [noun]
an issue on which their are strong and conflicting opinions

 The expulsion of a student for smoking in the toilets

caused a big controversy in the school.
 A controversy in the USA at the moment is whether to
allow illegal immigrants to stay or not.
 This page includes materials relating to the
continuing controversy over the teaching of evolution and
creationism in schools.
 The controversy resulted from the fact that the Jews
agreed to the resolution but the local Arabs refused to
acknowledge the Israeli State.
Associated: controversial (adjective)
14,20

convenient [adjective]
easy, not causing problems

 Electronic dictionaries are very convenient. They are

much smaller than paper dictionaries with the same number of
entries, and can even pronounce the words.
 It was difficult for the two sides in the dispute to find
a convenient time to meet.
 If the departure times are not convenient for you, there
is a list of recommended car and taxi services available as well.
 Burning of coal is a convenient way to obtain energy,
but it creates a serious amount of pollution.
Associated: convenience (noun); conveniently (adverb)
Antonym: inconvenient
Note: In Britain a public convenience is public toilet .
8,50

conversely [adverb]
opposite to what was just said; on the other hand

 He works very hard; his sister, conversely, never makes

an effort.
  The government has succeeded in reducing
unemployment among older people; conversely, young
people are having ever more difficulty finding a job.
 The contributors examine the impact of rivers on humans
and, conversely, the impact of humans on rivers.
 His concerts in the U.S. often include works by
Scandinavian composers; conversely, he introduces American
organ works to Scandinavian audiences.
Associated: converse (adjective)
7,20

convert [verb]
to change from one thing to another

 Can you convert these dollars to Yen for me?

 When he left home he planned to convert from
Christianity to Buddhism, but then he decided he didn't believe
in any god.
 The technology to convert carbon monoxide into liquid
fuel has been around a long time.
 The Wildcats, however, were unable to convert the
scoring opportunities into points.
Associated: conversion (noun)
31,80

convey [verb]
to pass on to another person (often by speaking)

 Can you please convey this letter to your parents?

 The director planned to convey the information to the
workforce at the next general assembly.
 In general, when you paraphrase, you use about the
same number of words to convey the idea that the writer uses
in the text.
 However, the video does not convey much real
information; it was also not very emotionally compelling.
18,30

convince [verb]
to (try and) get someone to believe something
  It's no use trying to convince me that your father speaks
10 languages. I just don't believe you.
 She wanted to expand and to reorganize the
departmental program but was not able to convince the
school administration.
 Austen does not convince us that a woman with Jane's
mind, integrity, emotional intensity could fall and remain in
love with such a dubious character.
 Engineers were deeply concerned about the O-ring design
on the booster rocket before the launch, but were unable
to convince managers at NASA of the importance of that
problem.
Associated: conviction (noun); convincing (adjective)
Note: A conviction is a strong belief , as in It is
my conviction that Bush knew Hussaein did not have chemical
weapons.
12,90

cooperate [verb]
to work (well) with another person

 In this next task you need to cooperate with the person

sitting next to you.
 The council has put out containers for recycled glass and
paper. Some people do not cooperate, however, and leave
their rubbish on the street.
 Why do some children seem willing to cooperate while
others do not?
 Many British citizens and their political and military
leaders were suspicious of Napoleon's motives and would
not cooperate, so the tunnel project was abandoned.
Associated: cooperation (noun)
11,50

coordinate [verb]
to bring things or people together so that they work well

 If we want this plan to be a success, we need

to coordinate our resources very carefully.
 It is the job of the brain to coordinate all the body
systems.
  The naval and air forces failed to coordinate their
schedules and the carrier planes arrived a half hour later than
expected.
 It is extremely important to coordinate the installation
with all parties involved.
Associated: coordination (noun)
45,90

correlate [verb]
to have a close connection

 Your final writing must correlate to your research notes,

otherwise you risk being accused of plagiarism.
 Research shows that earnings correlate strongly with IQ
levels.
 The applicant's qualifications must correlate to the
qualifications required to perform the duties of the position as
indicated in the job description.
 It is well-known that knowledge of formal grammar rules
does always not correlate with the ability to teach the
language.
Associated: correlation (noun)
5,00

correspond [verb]
to be related to

 I don't understand it. His test scores do

not correspond to what I know he knows
 Cor-----nd: The dashes correspond to the number of
letters missing from the word.
 Furthermore, the text of the paragraph
should correspond to the topic sentence.
 If the number of sections to be taught does
not correspond to the number of students, you need to
explain the reason.
Associated: correspondence (noun)
29,80

counsel [noun]
advice; advisor
  Students who have problems at home often seek
the counsel of a trusted teacher at school.
 It is essential that governments take counsel before
making the decision to go to war.
 The OCC provides counsel and legal advice in the
development of policy, procedures, and strategy related to the
management and operation of the UC Riverside campus.
 We engage outside counsel to work on particular matters
when considerations such as cost and highly specialized
subject matter make it appropriate to do so.
Associated: counsel (verb); counselor (noun)
21,80

course [noun]
a subject or period of study

 This year you cannot choose which science course to do,

but when you are in grade 9 you can select chemistry, physics
or biology.
 The government has introduced a compulsory
language course for immigrants who cannot speak English.
 If you fail the midterm exam and the first homework then
you fail the course.
 After an initial period of introduction and practice, the
German course begins with Chapter 1 in the text Deutsch: Na
klar!
410,00

cover [verb]
to do; to complete

 In history class this year, we will cover the French and

Russian revolutions.
 The meeting ended very late but the administration still
did not have time to cover all the issues it wanted to.
 The unit did not cover nuclear weapons in as much detail
as some of my students would have liked.
 Biology courses will cover all major human or animal
body systems.
Associated: coverage (noun)
158,40
create [verb]
to make; to use your imagination to make something new

 Many scientists are working hard to create a robot that

can understand spoken language and do jobs around the
house.
 We must face the reality that we will have
to create systems out of components that are far less than
perfect.
 The developing world does not create many industrial
wastes; thus it has had little opportunity to develop proper
disposal techniques.
 Most recently, he has focused on discarded metal objects,
hundreds or even thousands of which are joined together
to create remarkable works of art.
Associated: creation (noun); creativity (noun);
creative (adjective)
257,10

credible [adjective]
believable

 It is not credible that he could have gained such a good

grade without help from someone else.
 As yet there has been no credible example of the
sighting of a spacecraft from another world.
 Beyond this, if you have a credible reason for absence or
coming in late, such as a documented medical excuse, you
should provide that information to the instructor.
 The first of the allegations came from a woman who, in
the opinion of the Committee, was not a credible witness.
Associated:
Antonym: incredible
Note: incredibly means very, very, as in She
is incredibly intelligent.
4,50

credit [noun]
.. gained on completing a course of study; praise
  You will gain no credit for work that has simply been
copied from the internet.
 It is to the government's credit that they refused to
participate in the invasion of Iraq.
 Students with Advanced Placement scores of 4 or 5 in
English Language receive a credit toward graduation but not
toward the English major.
 As a simple soldier he gained much credit by conducting
a retreat after all the superior officers had been killed or
wounded.
Associated: credit (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of credit is money loaned
(by a bank) , as in We are buying our house on credit.
159,20

crisis [noun]
very dangerous situation, catastrophe

 There was a crisis in the cafeteria at lunch today. The oil

for cooking French fries ignited and set fire to the wooden
ceiling.
 Yes, it is quite a dangerous situation, but I wouldn't call it
a crisis.
 We are heading for a crisis in our health system. Not
enough people want to be doctors.
 The government met this morning to debate how to help
people who have been hit by the flood crisis.
Associated: critical (adjective)
35,80

criterion [noun]
a way to judge the value or importance of something

 What is your main criterion for a happy life? - Good

health!
 The essential criterion for successful teaching is the
ability to interest the students.
 The most important criterion for selecting a research
topic is that you are really interested in it!
  You are advised to undertake serious language study both
before and during the course of the program but prior
language study is not a criterion for selection.
Note: The plural of criterion is criteria.
14,50

criticize [verb]
to express disapproval; to say what you don't like or think is
good about something or someone

 Parents often criticize their children's choice of clothes or

music..
 It is easy to criticize the government for its failures, but
no-one has come up with any better ideas.
 Bernstein thinks the survey is very important to students
and that schools should not criticize it.
 Compliment employees in public but
always criticize them in private; this shows your respect for
them and avoids embarrassment.
Associated: criticism (noun)
Note: Criticize can also be spelled criticise.
5,30

crucial [adjective]
extremely important

 It is crucial that you hand in the essay on time. If you

don't, you will fail the course.
 There is a crucial difference between the sports of
mountain-climbing and table tennis. In the first you can get
killed; in the second usually not.
 TOEFL is not the most crucial part of the application, but
it is an unavoidable part, which sometimes can be quite painful
and time- consuming.
 One crucial reason for this persistent problem is that
Europe is trailing behind the US in labour productivity growth.
Associated: crucially (adverb)
23,10

culminate [verb]
to end
  This project will culminate in a major research essay of
2000 words.
 Sports events such as the World Cup or the Olympic
Games often culminate in an enormous firework display.
 The group work done during these workshops
will culminate in a series of papers, presented by project
participants, at a one-day conference.
 The first effort to produce a revised policy started during
the mid-1980s and failed to culminate in a new agreement.
Associated: culmination (noun)
2,90

current [adjective]
happening now

 The current prediction is that there will be no more oil by

the end of the century.
 The director has called a meeting to
discuss current problems in the computer labs.
 Parental assistance should be just sufficient to get the
learner past his current difficulties.
 The aim of the course is to have students
discuss current events in Germany.
Associated: currently (adverb)
340,50

custom [noun]
a habit (often particular to a culture)

 It is a custom at our school to have a pizza party for the

new students.
 Some families who emigrate to Germany are surprised at
the custom of sweeping the street in front of your house
every Saturday morning.
 It is not our custom to send guests away without offering
them something to eat.
 The custom was abandoned in 1842 because the
speeches had become too long and because students refused
to shorten them.
Associated: customary (adjective); accustomed (adjective)
27,00

cycle [noun]
a complete series of events or processes

 The water cycle is one of the natural processes that are

familiar to most students.
 The government is finding it difficult to break the cycle of
poverty and poor school performance.
 The comprehensive and multidisciplinary International
Lincoln Center for American Studies offers a year-
round cycle of events to students and the community.
 Users are guided through a complete cycle of statistical
computing: preparing data, performing analysis, viewing
output.
Associated: cyclical (adjective)
Note: To recycle something is to use it again, as in In
Germany most household products such as bottles or yoghurt
pots can be recycled.
49,20

damage [verb]
to spoil or break

 If you damage a computer, you will not be allowed to use

the lab.
 It is feared that disagreement about what to do in Iraq
will damage the relationship between the USA and the UK.
 The radioactivity in the drugs works to destroy the tumor
but usually does not damage healthy organs.
 Not any of these persons shall perform or permit any
practice that may damage the reputation of the university.
Associated: damage (noun)
59,40

deal [noun]
agreement

 The students made a deal that they would speak to each

other only in English.
  The government has done a deal with the nurses union in
order to avoid strikes in hospitals.
 China won't take strong action against Iran's nuclear
program because China just made a deal to buy lots of Iranian
oil.
 The Hershey Corporation, however, already had a deal to
provide chocolate for the troops.
Associated: deal (verb)
Note: The phrasal verb to deal with means to address an
issue or difficulty, as in I've never had this problem before. I
don't know how to deal with it.
76,00

debate [noun]
formal discussion

 The students took part in a debate to decide whether

Germany should continue to use nuclear power to generate
electricity.
 There is a lively debate in the country at the moment on
whether cannabis should be made legal or not.
 One of the earliest uses of coffee was actually as a
medicine, although there was also a debate as to whether it
was helpful or harmful.
 For the second meeting of the Forum, we have arranged
a debate between two legal professionals who must struggle
with the death penalty regularly.
Associated: debate (verb)
40,00

debt [noun]
something owed to another person (often money)

 Thank you for helping me. I shall forever be in your debt.

 The company was heavily in debt after investing a lot of
money in new machinery.
 A student who is in debt to the University at the end of
any academic term shall not be permitted to register in the
University again
  We southerners, and especially we white southerners,
owe a huge debt to valiant civil rights leaders like Martin
Luther King.
Note: The b in debt is silent. The word is pronounced det.
12,60

decade [noun]
a period of ten years

 It can take as much as a decade or more of hard study in

a foreign language to become as fluent as a native speaker of
that language.
 The last decade of the twentieth century started in 1990
and ended on 31 December 1999.
 The most powerful typhoon in over a decade should
break south of Shanghai early on Wednesday.
 The industry will move to a 42-volt electrical system
within this decade.
30,80

decision [noun]
intention to do something, choice

 The school has made the difficult decision to ban the

wearing of religious symbols in the classroom.
 Because of massive protest, the government had to go
back on its decision to put up the tax on petrol.
 This illustrates the variety of rational choices that a
criminal would make in the decision to commit a crime.
 The recent switch from Webmail to the express mail
interface was a poor decision.
Associated: decide (verb)
114,20

declare [verb]
to state

 All students must declare at the beginning of the school

year that they understand and will follow the plagiarism policy.
  In tomorrow's TV broadcast the government
will declare its intention to reduce taxes during its time in
office.
 A student should declare a Literature minor by the first
semester of his or her junior year.
 Under these treaties, US warships did not have
to declare the nature of the weapons they carried.
Associated: declaration (noun)
8,70

decline [verb]
to go down or get worse

 The number of students at the school with learning

difficulties has begun to decline in the last few years.
 Smoking will probably decline in popularity in most
western countries now that smoking bans are in force.
 Production of oil and gas will decline unless new reserves
of oil and gas are discovered and developed.
 Strauss said his health started to decline and he was
placed on the transplant recipient waiting list.
Associated: decline (noun)
Note: Another meaning of decline is to refuse or reject , as
in She declined the invitation to make a presentation to the
whole faculty.
39,00

decrease [verb]
to get smaller, to go down

 His grades have started to decrease since he has missed

so much school.
 The population of a country will decrease if more people
die than are born.
 Since the early 1990s, the number of smokers has
continued to decrease but at the more gradual rate of 5.2%
annually.
 Employees' levels of intrinsic motivation will decrease if
they feel they are being controlled by their employers through
extrinsic rewards.
Associated: decrease (noun)
Antonym: increase
Note: In the noun decrease the first syllable is stressed. In
the verb decrease the second syllable is stressed.
55,50

dedicate [verb]
to devote (time and attention)

 You need to dedicate a little more time to your studies

and a little less time to your sports.
 The government should dedicate all its energy to
reducing unemployment.
 We dedicate all our efforts and resources to the
education and preparation of all students.
 Once Grace Albee arrived in New York City in 1933, she
was able to dedicate herself to full-time printmaking and her
art began to command serious national attention.
Associated: dedication (noun)
5,00

deduce [verb]
to come to a conclusion about someone or something

 You should be able to deduce the answer if you think

carefully enough.
 The detective was able to deduce from the size of the
footprints that the thief was probably a woman or child.
 The pictures presented aspects of the objects they could
not deduce from the equations alone.
 Using computer modeling, he was able to deduce the
relationship between the strength of a stellar wind and the age
of a star.
Associated: deduction (noun)
4,40

deed [noun]
an action

 Helping the new student on her first day at the school was
a good deed.
  It was not a deed of which he was particularly proud.
 This is the single most important deed a district judge
can perform in the administration of his duties.
 It was not a deed that anybody in the world would
consider wise.
4,80

defeat [noun]
a loss (often in a battle or sports event)

 There is no shame in defeat if you have tried your best.

 The government blamed its defeat in the elections on
failure to communicate its policies clearly enough.
 The Soviet workers have suffered a terrible defeat of a
world-historical significance.
 Rubin did not suffer defeat but learned to use anger and
pride to fight for what was right.
Associated: defeat (verb)
Antonym: victory
9,80

defect [noun]
problem; mistake

 She has a defect in one eye that makes it difficult for her
to read from the board.
 A major defect in the proposal is that there is not
sufficient money to finance it.
 This is not a defect in the notion of economic
development as much as it is a problem with the fiscal
structure of Alaska.
 Hacking's book suffers from a serious defect, namely he
does not understand the nature of hypnosis.
Associated: defective (adjective)
6,80

defend [verb]
to give reasons for

 The headmaster was unable to defend his proposal to

lengthen the school day.
  It is difficult to defend the government's decision to
invade Iraq.
 The student must defend the thesis before a committee
of three or more faculty members.
 Aschoff's trip failed because he was unable to defend his
concept against the competitive approach favored by German
and Russian scientists.
Associated: defence (noun)
Antonym: attack
Note: Defence is spelled defense in American English (and
stressed on the first syllable).
21,30

deficient [adjective]
poor, lacking in quantity or quality

 This work is deficient. I don't think you spent very much

time on it.
 The city's public transportation system is becoming more
and more deficient.
 The department may admit students of superior promise
but deficient preparation, provided that such students correct
their deficiencies.
 Oddly, however, the book is almost
completely deficient in fictional representations of invalids.
Associated: deficiency (noun)
3,90

define [verb]
to state what something is or means

 ESL teachers often ask their students to define words in

class.
 Many arguments would not develop if people
would define the words they use.
 I'm not sure how to define any of these abstract terms,
and yet I recognize some of the components of forgiveness.
 If you try to define something that is beyond the
comprehension of your paper or your own experience, the task
will become overwhelming.
Associated: definition (noun)
79,50

definitely [adverb]
certainly; without doubt

 I'm sorry, but I will definitely not be able to come to the

meeting next week.
 You are definitely going to fail the course unless you
start working harder.
 A student enrolled in these types of courses really didn't
get to know the instructor well and definitely did not feel any
sense of community.
 Attendance will not constitute a specific percentage of
your final grade, but if you miss more than two classes you
will definitely fail this course.
Associated: definite (adjective)
13,30

degenerate [verb]
to get worse

 Her work has continued to degenerate since the divorce

of her parents.
 Muscles degenerate unless they are exercised; just like
the brain!
 The value of books would certainly degenerate if they
could simply be produced and reproduced in cyberspace at an
extremely minimal cost.
 The political system must not be allowed
to degenerate into unlimited majority rule, which could result
in the erosion of individual liberty.
Associated: degeneration (noun)
4,70

degree [noun]
amount

 To a certain degree I think you are right, but not 100%.

 To what degree do you believe that the government has
made the right decision?
  Most of Africa suffers to some degree from similar issues:
weak institutions, stagnant economies, ethnic conflict, etc.
 The hypothesis put forward in this paper depends in
no degree upon the completeness of our knowledge of the
former condition of the organic world.
Note: Another common meaning of degree is an educational
award, as in I am studying for a degree in linguistics.
250,00

delay [noun]
lateness

 You must turn in the assignment by next Friday. There

can be no delay.
 Because of computer problems there will be a delay in
the announcement of the winner.
 If the applicant waits until the time of decision to
complete this form, it can cause a serious delay in obtaining
the visa document.
 If you submit your application in person, there will be
a delay of up to 48 hours following receipt of your application
before you can enroll for classes.
Associated: delay (verb)
28,40

deliberate [adjective]
intentional, not by accident

 He was expelled from school for a deliberate attempt to

cheat in the end of year exams.
 She broke the classroom clock, but I don't believe it
was deliberate.
 A student who fails to cite sources in
a deliberate attempt to conceal the source of the work should
be considered to be cheating.
 The government of Israel again stated that the attack was
not deliberate and that it would be investigated.
Associated: deliberately (adverb)
Antonym: accidental
Note: To deliberate is to think long and hard (before doing
something).
5,10

deliver [verb]
to provide (often by bringing to people)

 The school needs to deliver the students' project work to

the examination board before the end of the month.
 The new government plans to deliver the best possible
health service for all of its citizens.
 This certificate program is a series of fully online courses
that will show you how to design and deliver a quality course
via the Internet.
 Bali has failed to deliver a proposed ten year program to
work on sustainable production and consumption.
Associated: delivery (noun)
47,10

demand [noun]
a need or desire for

 The school offers Latin but there is no demand for the

subject among teachers and parents.
 The demand for oil is likely to increase as people in
developing countries such as China and India acquire cars.
 Simply exporting surplus graduates is not itself a policy
problem if there is a demand for those graduates.
 The new economies of Chile and Costa Rica have
little demand for poor, unskilled and uneducated workers.
Associated: demand (verb)
Note: A common meaning of the verb to demand is to insist,
as in I demand to see the headmaster!
55,60

demonstrate [verb]
to show

 The science teacher planned to demonstrate how water

evaporates more quickly in hot temperatures.
  Can you please demonstrate how to make a table in
Microsoft Word. I've read the instructions but don't understand
them.
 Candidates must demonstrate a high level of
responsibility, the ability to work independently, and a strong
commitment to customer service.
 We were not able to demonstrate statistically significant
differences in performance or quality.
Associated: demonstration (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of demonstration is street
gathering of people protesting about something, as in There
was a large demonstration outside Parliament
yesterday. A demonstratoris someone who takes part in a
street demonstration.
92,70

denote [verb]
to mean; to be a sign of

 It is not clear what these symbols at the end of the

webpage denote.
 The word 'gay' did not come to denote 'homosexual' until
quite recently.
 These grades denote that the student has attained an
acceptable level of competence.
 The use of this seemingly simple system does
not denote an undeveloped technological ability on the part of
9th century Hindus.
Associated: denotation (verb)
22,30

dense [adjective]
thick; full; detailed

 This book has much dense text that will make it difficult
for ESL students.
 Before the ban on smoking in public places there was
usually a dense cloud of smoke at the end of the evening in
bars and restaurants.
  Obviously the result of many years of reading and
reflection, this dense study contains detailed summaries of
dozens of works, both major and minor.
 When the moisture condenses, heat is released into the
air, making it warmer and less dense than its surroundings.
Associated: density (noun)
9,60

deny [verb]
to refuse ( responsibility for doing or saying something); to say
that something is not correct

 They still deny copying the work from the internet, but I
ran a Google search and found it immediately.
 The government was unable to deny that it was
considering invading North Korea.
 He certainly could not deny the existence of major
problems.
 The Committee will deny the request for disability
payment if the disability is not adequately documented.
Associated: denial (noun)
17,80

depart [verb]
to leave; to be different from

 The late bus will depart at 5:30 today, not at 5:15 as

usual.
 It is important that the government does
not depart significantly from what it promised during the
elections.
 The court concluded that the order did not depart from
the essential requirements of law.
 The tour bus will depart from Eisenstadt to travel over
the border to Hungary to visit the summer palace built by
Prince Nicolaus.
Associated: departure (noun)
Antonym: arrive
13,80
depend [verb]
be influenced (by)

 Do you think I will pass the test? - It will depend how

hard you work from now until the day of the examination.
 The profits of most industrial companies depend on the
price of oil.
 Your final course grade will depend on your grades in the
3 trimester exams.
 A company's success or continuation should
not depend on the service of outside independent contractors.
Associated: dependence (noun)
55,50

deprive [verb]
to take away (the opportunity)

 Your low grades will deprive you of the chance of taking

part in sports trips.
 The aim of the proposal is to deprive people of the liberty
to download songs and videos from the internet.
 The proposal will not deprive students of the appropriate
protections to which they are entitled.
 It is not in employers' interest to get rid of cheap illegal
immigrants - only to deprive them of any rights.
Associated: deprivation (noun)
3,20

derive [verb]
to come from or get from

 Telephone and telegraph derive from the Greek words

meaning far speak and far write.
 My parents derive a lot of money from their investments
in internet companies.
 They derive their nutrients from the air and not from the
plant on which they are growing.
 This is to be expected, of course, since natural selection is
a natural process, and one cannot derive moral principles
from scientific findings.
Associated: derivation (noun)
25,90

descend [verb]
to go down

 If you descend the stairs by the nurse's office, you will

see the cafeteria in front of you.
 Scientists are working on a robot that can descend to the
deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean.
 When a block of wood is gently put into still water, it
will descend by the force of gravity, until it has displaced a
quantity of water, equal to its own.
 Although the mountain was not steep, the raging river
could not descend with sufficient rapidity to prevent its
overflowing its banks.
Associated: descent (noun)
Antonym: ascend
3,30

description [noun]
an account of what something is like or looks like

 Thanks to the accurate description of the witnesses, the

police were able to identify the bank robbers.
 You will see the description of the problem on the left
and the solution on the right.
 Newton's Laws provide a good description of the flight of
a baseball.
 The lesson plans contained an incomplete description of
learners, their background and prior knowledge.
Associated: describe (verb)
364,00

deserve [verb]
to have the right to something

 These poems deserve a good grade, but because you

gave them in late I have to give you a 0.
 The workers did not deserve to lose their jobs. It was the
managers who made the mistakes, not them.
  They will have to live without their family member for the
rest of their life due to this terrible form of cancer and they
will deserve to be compensated.
 Al Gore absolutely did not deserve the Nobel peace prize.
On a personal level, he has not reduced his own carbon dioxide
emissions.
Associated: deserving (adjective)
13,70

design [noun]
planning (drawing)

 Students have been invited to comment on the design of

the school's new sports facility.
 For some people the design of a car is more important
than its price or performance.
 Poor web page design occurs when a writer does not
follow accepted standards.
 After the war, Turing joined the National Physical
Laboratory to work on the design of a computer.
Associated: design (verb)
244,00

desire [noun]
a want or wish for something

 Which do you desire the more: health or wealth?

 It's not enough to desire something; you have to work
hard to achieve it.
 Humans have a strong desire to help each other, but is
spite also part of the human condition?
 He has lost the desire to consider what is right and
wrong because he was hurt, indeed devastated, when the love
of his life disappeared.
Associated: desire (verb)
41,40

despite [preposition]
although

 She came to school yesterday despite feeling very unwell.

  The government has failed to reduce
unemployment despite all its efforts over the last 5 years.
 Dairy farmers have led the latest in a long series of
protests by agricultural associations, despite the record high
prices for farm products.
 The Bush administration will not back down on pursuing
new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear
program despite questions about their effectiveness.
Note: A synonym for despite is in spite of, as in There were
many demonstrators on the streets in spite of the freezing
rain.
28,90

destroy [verb]
to break or damage completely

 Some young people destroy their lives when they

become addicted to drugs..
 She will destroy her chances of attending university if
she doesn't start working harder.
 Major Smith occupied the city as ordered but was unable
to destroy the bridge, lacking both a drill and powder.
 Melting glaciers will destroy Alpine ski resorts within 45
years, says report.
Associated: destruction (noun)
20,30

detail [noun]
a small piece of information

 This is an excellent piece of work. You forgot just

one detail - your name at the top!
 We should agree on our general plan first. We can talk
later about the important detail of who will pay.
 You are recommended to record every
significant detail about each of your customers.
 She found that the document had no detail and conflicted
with the assessments of military intelligence.
Associated: detailed (adjective)
Note:
84,80
detect [verb]
to see, find or notice

 All around the school are small white boxes which

can detect smoke and set off the fire alarm.
 The computer manager is trying to detect who has been
sending email spam to all the teachers and students.
 We could not detect any significant effect of our dietary
recommendations in terms of birth weight and duration of
pregnancy.
 When traveling off-road, the car sensors must be able
to detect negative obstacles such as holes and ditches as well
as positive ones such as trees or other cars.
Associated: detection (noun); detective (noun)
Note: Every house needs a smoke detector in case of fire.
35,40

deteriorate [verb]
to get worse

 Your grades will continue to deteriorate unless you start

working harder.
 The government has invested little money in the health
system. The quality of hospital care is sure
to deteriorate more and more.
 Over the past 30 years, the environment in Africa has
continued to deteriorate.
 The interpretation fits well with the fact that his mental
health did not deteriorate.
Associated: deterioration (noun)
Antonym: improve
2,40

determine [verb]
to find out; to establish or identify; state

 There are two possible answers to this question. You have

to determine which one makes more sense in the world of
today.
  The intelligence service is finding it very difficult
to determine which young men are likely to become terrorists
and which are not.
 Then you will need to determine the selection criteria
you want to use.
 The Coroner who made the investigation, was unable
to determine whether it was suicide or accidental death.
Note: If you are determined to do something, you will do
everything to make sure you do it. Example: I
am determined to learn all these words by the end of the year.
190,50

detriment [noun]
disadvantage

 We must hope that her heavy involvement in the school's

sporting programme will not be to the detriment of her
studies.
 Some people claim that the growth of the internet has
been to the detriment of students' ability and willingness to
read.
 The lack of available parking spaces is a
significant detriment to faculty and students.
 This could substantially change the nature of the Internet
we have come to know, to the detriment of both the
consumers and the providers of information.
Associated: detrimental (adjective)
Note: The most common use of this word is in the
expression to the detriment of ..
1,90

develop [verb]
to grow or improve

 If you learn 6 or 7 words a day, your vocabulary

will develop very quickly.
 Most car companies are putting money into research into
alternative forms of fuel. It will take a number of years,
however, before anyone can develop a car that runs on water.
 Why have these countries failed to develop despite
receiving billions of dollars in assistance?
  The best assurance that Iran will not develop nuclear
weapons is to allow it to have a full civilian nuclear program
under IAEA supervision.
Associated: development (noun)
238,80

deviate [verb]
to be different

 How could his final test scores deviate so strongly from

the predictions we made?
 It would not be wise to deviate from our planned course
of action.
 We will deviate from this schedule throughout the
semester, but the hand-out gives a good impression of our
general focus.
 Rarely do any of the numbers in any of the four
columns deviate by more than five.
Associated: deviation (noun)
4,60

device [noun]
object; method

 The Smartboard is an excellent device for teaching

language.
 The government needs to find a better device for
restricting the enormous amounts of money earned by top
directors.
 The University of Maryland team is particularly focused on
using their device to test drugs that may block cell-to-cell
"quorum-sensing".
 This is just a device to get your attention.
Associated: devise (verb)
39,20

devise [verb]
to create or think up

 She is trying to devise a new way to open tin cans.

  We need to devise a test to measure the improvement in
ESL students' English from one year to the next.
 The winner of the competition must devise a plan to
remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere without
creating adverse effects.
 Newspaper headline: MIT scientists devise a new way to
deliver gene therapy.
Associated: device (noun)
8,40

devote [verb]
to give (time) to

 The twins devote most of the weekend to their fishing

hobby.
 The company has decided to devote its main attention to
increasing business in the developing Chinese market.
 Students needed to devote considerable time to
recognizing the three basic tenses (past, present, and future)
and using the appropriate tense in their own writing.
 They have other business interests to which
they devote their attention, and they may be expected to
continue to do so.
Associated: devotion (noun); devoted (adjective)
11,10

diagnosis [noun]
assessment of a situation (particularly of a problem)

 It is too early to make an accurate diagnosis of her

problems in learning English.
 A doctor will usually ask her patient many questions in
order to make a diagnosis of the illness.
 In order to self-correct your writing, you need to get an
accurate diagnosis of your problems.
 A poorly selected specimen or inaccurate information may
result in an erroneous diagnosis or an inappropriate control
recommendation.
Associated: diagnose (verb)
25,40
diagram [noun]
a type of picture or chart

 The diagram was unclear. It had been hand-drawn and

then copied using weak ink.
 If you are trying to understand the instructions of a new
piece of equipment like a camera, it helps to have
a diagram to look at.
 Visit our web page Phases of the Moon for a more detailed
explanation and a clear diagram that shows the phases of our
moon.
 The study included a diagram of the main concepts of
the authors' model on connecting children with nature and
community.
20,60

dictate [verb]
to tell someone what to do

 Teachers can suggest that students get a minimum of 8

hours sleep per night, but they cannot dictate it.
 The government has no right to dictate how much people
should or should not drink.
 I do not feel that the possible applications of a line of
research should be allowed to dictate the directions of
research in my laboratory.
 The government has no right to dictate what a woman
should do with her body.
Associated: dictator (noun); dictation (noun)
Note: When a boss dictates to her secretary, the secretary
writes down what the boss says (e.g. a letter).
7,60

differentiate [verb]
to make different; to see the difference

 It is not always easy for teachers to differentiate poor

work that is due to laziness and poor work that is due to
inability.
 People with eye problems often cannot differentiate the
colors red and green.
  In my school district it is emphasized that teachers
must differentiate instruction for students.
 I think Kerry's biggest error, as a politician, is that he
failed to differentiate himself from Bush in any meaningful
way.
Associated: differentiation (noun)
13,10

dimension [noun]
importance; amount

 The issue is of a dimension that cannot be solved by the

school alone.
 The government failed to recognize the dimension of the
public's unhappiness with the new law.
 If we assume that the dimension of a hydrogen atom is
about 0.2 nm, then the corresponding confinement energy is
about 38 eV.
 The Euro has taken on a dimension far greater than its
economic substance.
Note: Another common meaning
of dimension is measurement . So a piece of paper is a two-
dimensional object and a box is a three-dimensional (3D)
object.
11,50

diminish [verb]
to get smaller or less important

 Her efforts have continued to diminish in the last few

months. I think she may be having problems at home.
 The amount of time that policeman spend on the streets
must not diminish.
 The cost of establishing links will diminish as
improvements are made to the underlying communication
infrastructure.
 Although Katrina affected the material environment of
Louisiana, it did not diminish the great spirit of the people
here.
Associated: diminution (noun)
8,10
directions [noun]
instructions

 I gave him clear directions how to do the experiment,

but he obviously wasn't listening.
 You should follow the directions that the doctor has
given you.
 She did not follow the directions on the label, despite
carefully reading it.
 While this was a great idea, the directions were unclear
about the requirements and how it would be graded.
Note: When directions is in the plural, it has the meaning
of instructions . In the singular it has to do with north, south
etc.
78,40

disaster [noun]
a huge problem or failure

 Most people agree that the government's decision to

invade Iraq has ended in disaster.
 The festival was a complete disaster: there was no food,
no medical assistance, the rain and overpopulation made the
place a living hell.
 For some observers, globalization is a
terrible disaster and for others a wonderful world of
possibilities and innovation.
 Bogart and Methot got married and the result was
total disaster for both of them.
Associated: disastrous (adjective)
18,80

discern [verb]
to see; to perceive

 It is usually easy for teachers to discern if an ESL

student has copied text from a webpage.
 Her parents failed to discern the bad influence of her new
friends until it was too late.
  Upon completion of the course, students will be able
to discern how grammar and usage errors can interfere with
meaning.
 The links between commodity price declines and food
prices are not easy to discern.
6,60

discover [verb]
to find out; to find something for the first time (esp. land or
scientific knowledge)

 Who was the first person to discover America? Most

people say it was Columbus.
 The government will discover in the coming election how
unpopular its politics have been.
 Through the exhibit and its constant updating, people will
be able to discover new, thought- provoking works of art from
around the globe.
 I was unable to discover the reason for Angelica's
sudden departure at the beginning of the second trimester.
 The study did not discover any significant relationship
between the type of music and the amount of stress.
Associated: discovery (noun)
63,90

discrete [adjective]
separate

 Your answer should include three discrete causes of the

disaster.
 Not all scientists agree that thought disorder and
language disorder are discrete problems.
 Discussion and analysis in this area has covered a number
of discrete issues, including the effect of shifting trade
patterns on employment levels.
 Hopkins argues that the district court committed
three discrete errors in determining his sentence.
18,00

discuss [verb]
to talk about
  Can I come and see you after school today? I would like
to discuss my math project.
 He said that he did not want to discuss the issue until the
committee meeting.
 Students should discuss appropriate options with their
academic advisor.
 Lilly initiated a conversation with Smith in an attempt to
resolve the conflict, but Smith did not wish to discuss the
issues.
Associated: discussion (noun)
169,20

dismiss [verb]
to reject, to treat as unimportant

 The teacher did not completely dismiss the students'

suggestion, but she first needed to discuss it with the principal.
 The US government plan to develop weapons that can be
used from space. Many scientists, however, dismiss the
proposals as unworkable.
 We cannot dismiss the traditions and experiences which
in many cases date back thousands of years.
 Let's dismiss the idea that you can actually teach critical
thinking skills to primary school children.
Associated: dismissal (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of dismiss is to fire an
employee, as in The company was losing money and had
to dismiss 20% of its workforce..
7,60

disperse [verb]
to spread out; to move apart

 At lunchtime students disperse to all parts of the school

building and play areas.
 The police had difficulty in trying to disperse the
enormous crowd after the pop concert.
 Very often, in the early summer, the hills are covered
during the night by clouds, which do not always disperse until
the sun has risen.
  Students and non-students alike can be criminally
charged if they don't comply with police orders
to disperse from riot or crowd situations.
Associated: dispersal (noun)
3,10

displace [verb]
to push out or take the place of something or someone

 The new swimming facility for the 2008 Olympics in

Peking will displace many people from their current homes.
 The amount of water that you displace when you get into
the bath is equal to the mass of your body.
 By performing better than humanly possible, the robots
will displace humans from essential roles.
 This is principally because they displace the church and
family as sources of emotional support.
Associated: displacement (noun); displaced (adjective)
3,50

display [noun]
a show, demonstration, illustration

 There is a display of student work in the corridor outside

of the cafeteria.
 Many people like to change the display on their computer
desktop.
 There will be a display of Chinese art, literature,
instruments, calligraphy, and fashion from noon to 4 p.m. on
Wednesday, February 27.
 Based on his research, Healey developed a system that
combined the display of multiple values into a single visual
element.
Associated: display (verb)
94,20

dispose [verb]
to get rid of

 You can dispose of old batteries in the container outside

the cafeteria.
  A serious problem of nuclear power is where and how
to dispose of the radioactive waste.
 We have never in history needed to dispose of so much
waste as we do today.
 Despite the fact that there was a stream on the land, he
could not dispose of the property at any price.
Associated: disposal (noun)
Note: Dispose does not take a direct object. It must be
dispose of
7,00

dispute [noun]
argument; conflict

 A common cause of dispute between the teacher and a

student, when the student comes late to class for no good
reason.
 The police arrested two men last night after
a dispute outside a bar.
 The two companies have settled their dispute over
patent issues and dropped legal actions.
 Facts surrounding the diagnosis of the child's condition
are in serious dispute.
Associated: dispute (verb)
14,60

disrupt [verb]
to interrupt an event; to damage

 The student was reported to the headmaster for

continually trying to disrupt the class.
 This unnecessary war will disrupt the government plans
to reduce tax.
 Students, staff and faculty have a right to privacy and
neither reporters nor the public should be allowed
to disrupt classroom instruction.
 The protests failed to disrupt Castro's arrival.
Associated: disruption (noun); disruptive (adjective)
7,60
distance [noun]
how far it is from one place to another

 The distance from Frankfurt to Oberursel is about 12

kilometers.
 When the earth is closest to the sun,
the distance between the earth and sun is 147000000k.
 The eagle is capable of carrying animals nearly as heavy
as itself a great distance.
 Over the course of her journey in the program she has
come a great distance from her primary focus as an agent for
FEMA.
Associated: distant (adjective)
109,20

distinct [adjective]
clear and strong

 There is a distinct difference between learning your first

language and learning a second one.
 There is a distinct possibility that she will lose her job
unless she becomes more reliable.
 Students gain professional experience before graduation
so that they enter the job market with a distinct advantage.
 With noise levels of this magnitude, hearing damage is
a distinct problem unless some sort of hearing protection is
used.
Associated: distinctly (adverb)
30,00

distinguish [verb]
to make clear the differences between two things

 Exam question: Distinguish between the function of the

iris and the function of the cornea.
 It is not always possible to distinguish a cause of a
conflict from a consequence of that conflict.
 The Latin alphabet did not distinguish between the
vowel and consonant sounds of i and u.
  Children are able to distinguish between reality and
fantasy between the ages of 3 and 5, according to new
research.
Associated: distinction (noun)
37,50

distort [verb]
to change or affect something (negatively)

 If you talk through a cloth it will distort the sound of

your voice.
 The conclusion did not distort the truth of the situation
even though the student distorted some of the data that he
collected.
 Omitting the transportation costs would distort the
company's financial position.
 She claimed that the disproportionate number of non-
native speakers in the survey did not distort the results.
Associated: distortion (noun)
3,70

distribute [verb]
to give out

 Please distribute these papers - two sheets to each

student.
 The army sent 2,000 of its soldiers to distribute clothing
to the refugees driven out of their homes by fighting.
 They distribute the food directly to needy families and
individuals.
 We will not be able to distribute additional copies of the
guide until the printers strike is ended.
Associated: distribution (noun)
28,80

district [noun]
region of a city

 The banking district of Frankfurt is right in the city centre.

 The district of most big cities around the main train
station is often a dangerous place to be at night.
  The government district was cleared of protesters by riot
police and police horses.
 He also was able to assist in identifying outstanding
science curriculum materials for the teachers in the district to
review.
71,40

disturb [verb]
to interrupt, stop from working

 This will be a reading lesson. Please do not disturb it by

trying to talk.
 The angry shouts from demonstrators at the back of the
hall did not disturb the politician in his speech.
 Doubt and mistakes must not be allowed to disturb us
because it is from them that we learn.
 They further alleged that the removal of the soil
would disturb the quality of the district's drinking water.
Associated: disturbance (noun)
1,20

diverge [verb]
to move apart; to be different from

 Parents and children often diverge in their opinions on

the importance of keeping bedrooms clean and tidy.
 The government refused to diverge from its plan to ban
smoking in public places.
 The tax system must not discourage economic activity
and it must not diverge from the tax systems in other
countries.
 For reasons that are not yet completely clear, practice
and theory usually diverge at this point.
Associated: divergence (noun)
3,50

diverse [adjective]
many and different

 There are diverse reasons for his academic success. The

most important one is his willingness to work very hard.
  The most diverse animal class is the insect. Insects come
in thousands of shapes and colors.
 These instruction and assessment strategies meet the
needs of learners who are diverse (e.g., in culture, ethnicity,
race, language, special needs).
 Children behave aggressively in a variety of ways,
for diverse reasons, and with varying outcomes.
Associated: diversity (noun)
52,50

domain [noun]
area (of interest)

 Educational websites have the domain suffix: .edu. For

example, the URL of this website is: esl.fis.edu.
 Government ministers should not comment on matters
outside of their own domain; they often do not know enough
about such topics.
 The images in this collection are in the
public domain. You do not need to ask for permission to use
them.
 They all use tools from well outside the natural domain of
the problem.
50,60

domestic [adjective]
home

 Most children take a share of domestic duties such as

washing the dishes.
 Instead of getting involved in the affairs of other countries,
the government should concentrate on its domestic problems.
 It is hardly a surprise that national governments have
failed to solve global problems, since they have also failed to
solve their own domestic problems.
 While we are less concerned with the politics of Nigeria,
we understand that a stable domestic situation would be to
our advantage.
Associated: domesticity (noun)
30,60
dominate [verb]
to be much better, to play the most important part

 John has many strong opinions. You have to be sure not

to let him dominate groupwork in class.
 The basketball team was easily the strongest in the
league. They were able to dominate all the other teams.
 Teachers should not dominate the discussion or act as
the last word on a student's artwork.
 Asian companies are good at building small cars but will
never dominate the mainstream US car market.
Associated: domination (noun); dominant (adjective)
13,90

donate [verb]
to give (usually money)

 The World Bank plans to donate 50% more money to

developing countries in the new year.
 If you don't need your old furniture, you could donate it
to the youth club.
 We hoped to find relevant data on why certain
people donate time and money and others don't.
 As a result of the efforts over this last year, SAGE was
able to donate books to more than 30 deserving schools in
Illinois.
Associated: donation (noun)
46,80

doubt [noun]
a feeling of uncertainty (whether something is true)

 There is some doubt that she will turn in her work on

time. She's not very reliable.
 There was little doubt that the government's plans to
increase taxes would be very unpopular.
 Kennan had no doubt that the Soviets had regional, if not
global, ambitions.
 The outcome of the conflict remains very much in doubt.
Associated: doubt (verb)
27,60
drain [verb]
to take away; to get rid of

 You will drain students of their ability to think for

themselves if you never set them challenging questions.
 The proposed changes to the new law will drain it of all
its power.
 Use positive words and phrases; don't drain the energy
of the interview by focusing on the negative.
 Through appointments and legislation the President was
able to drain the Constitution of much of its meaning, with no
public reaction.
Associated: drain (noun)
Note: A drain on the street is the metal object where the rain
water disappears.
10,20

dramatically [adverb]
very strongly, significantly

 She will dramatically reduce her chances of success if

she continues to drink so much.
 The government are concerned about
the dramatically small number of people who voted in the
last election.
 Colorado State University scientists have found a way
to dramatically improve the quality of laser light at extremely
short wavelengths.
 The numbers of overweight and obese children worldwide
are expected to climb dramatically by 2010.
Associated: dramatic (adjective)
14,20

drastic [adjective]
severe; great

 She is going to fail the course unless there is

a drastic improvement in her efforts.
 The company directors made a drastic attempt to save
the business by dismissing half the workforce.
  The State Department has seen a drastic increase in
passport applications being filed since a recent change in policy.
 Before economists implement drastic measures to reduce
population growth, further studies should be performed.
Associated: drastically (adverb)
2,90

drawback [noun]
disadvantage, problem

 The only drawback of having computers in the classroom

is that they are loud and make the room hot.
 A significant drawback of winning the bid for the next
Olympic Games is that it will cost the country an enormous
amount of money.
 This method is simple but has a significant drawback.
 They simply decided for various reasons that his age was
not a drawback, that perhaps (at that time and for that
position) it was an advantage.
Associated:
Antonym: benefit
2,90

due [preposition]
as a result of, because of

 She will not be in school tomorrow due to an appointment

at the dentist.
 Profits have declined due to the massive increase in the
cost of oil.
 Campus schedules change due to snow.
 The dramatic drop in teen smoking is due to the N.C.
Health and Wellness tobacco program.
Note: When due is used as a preposition in this way, it must
be followed by to. An exact synonym is span
class="extraFullWord">owing to .. .
Another common meaning of due is the date on something has
to be done, as in Don't forget. Your project is due tomorrow.
102,00
duration [noun]
period of time

 Most of the families at our international school are here

for a duration of 2-3 years
 The duration of the Earth's orbit around the sun is 365
days.
 Successful applicants will have to provide evidence of
medical insurance for the duration of their stay in the Ukraine.
 The Board will consider a leave for a President for
a duration of approximately one month for each two years of
service.
Associated: during (preposition)
32,80

duty [noun]
responsibility, or job that you are required to do

 It is the duty of every teacher to be prepared for class

and to do everything he or she can to help the students learn.
 The government has the duty of protecting its citizens
from terrorist attack, but many people do not agree with the
way it is trying to do this.
 It is the duty of educators to prepare themselves
carefully for each and every lesson.
 The ambassador seems to have failed in his duty to
correctly inform the government he serves.
28,00

dynamic [adjective]
changing; growing; energetic

 Not everyone likes dynamic webpages with lots of

movement and sound.
 China has experienced dynamic growth in the last few
years.
 An exciting and dynamic teacher will receive more
positive results than a teacher who is boring and low key.
 If we want to maintain support for an open
and dynamic economy, our programs need to become as
flexible and adaptable as the economy itself.
Associated: dynamism (noun); dynamically (adverb)
48,40

earn [verb]
to get money or another reward (usually by working for it)

 Many students earn some extra money by working in the

summer vacation.
 The best footballers can earn many thousands of pounds
every day.
 It is impossible to earn a good grade in this course
without reading the material.
 She needed to earn enough money to be able to afford
London's sky-high prices.
Associated: earning (noun)
59,70

economic [adjective]
financial; to do with money

 The economic position of the school has improved since

the government reduced its tax requirements.
 The rising price of oil could result in a
global economic disaster.
 For most children, two parents are better than one for
more than just economic reasons.
 The Seminar is an intensive examination
of economic policy making in Washington.
Associated: economy (noun); economically (adverb)
Note: Economics is the study of finance . The economy is the
total financial transactions of a country.
93,90

edit [verb]
to make changes in a piece of writing

 You need to do a better job when you edit your work.

There are far too many unnecessary spelling and punctuation
errors.
 Newspapers employ people to edit the articles submitted
by their journalists, but not all mistakes are found.
  Someone forgot to edit the book with the result that it
contains serious errors of grammar or punctuation.
 You will have to edit your documents to fit the required
length.
Associated: editor (noun)
Note: An editor is someone who works for a newspaper or
publisher, and is employed to check the writing submitted to
them.
72,90

education [noun]
schooling

 It's very important to have a good education. Then you

have much more chance of getting the job you want.
 The government is thinking of extending
compulsory education by two years.
 The role of public schools in the education of these
disturbed children is controversial.
 She expects to complete her education and earn her
doctorate between 2012 and 2015, after which she intends to
become a mathematics professor.
Associated: educate (verb); educated (adjective)
544,00

effect [noun]
result

 The effect of all your hard work is an excellent score in

your final test. Well done!
 Some people say that the effect of banning smoking in
public places will be that more people will smoke at home. This
will be worse for the children.
 Learners' perception of complexity had a
negative effect on successful problem solving performance.
 Another well-known effect of marijuana is its ability to
increase appetite.
Associated: affect (verb)
127,80
effective [adjective]
good, working well

 A very effective way to check how the use of an English

word is to look in Google for pages that contain it.
 The government's policy of reducing teenage drinking by
raising the price of alcopops has not been very effective.
 It offers an effective solution to a problem based on
good audience analysis, and fulfills minor as well as all major
purposes.
 When used correctly and consistently, condoms are
an effective means of preventing pregnancy.
Associated: effectively (adverb)
Antonym: ineffective
102,80

efficient [adjective]
working quickly and easily

 Your vocabulary test scores are good but you take twice
as long to learn the words as the other students. You need to
use a more efficient method.
 Computers are a much more efficient way of storing and
retrieving large amounts of data than keeping it on paper in
huge cabinets.
 Neither of the two strategies was efficient in terms of
performance.
 The price of stamps will increase only if the total volume
of mail does not decrease and the postal service does not
become more efficient.
Associated: efficiency (noun); efficiently (adverb)
Antonym: inefficient
37,60

effort [noun]
hard work; attempt

 She has not been making much effort in the last few
weeks. I think the counselor should talk to her and find out if
anything is wrong.
  Scientists have so far been unsuccessful in their effort to
find a cure for cancer.
 I expect each student to put significant effort into every
assignment, providing the foundation for rich and engaging
classroom discussions.
 Surprisingly little effort, however, has been devoted to
the scientific study of how to prevent teenage pregnancy.
97,60

elaborate [adjective]
detailed; complex

 There's no need to give an elaborate answer, Two or

three short sentences will be enough.
 The government has announced elaborate plans to
reduce long-term unemployment.
 The former assumes a single step - that life originated on
Earth - ahead of the more elaborate idea that life formed
elsewhere and was subsequently transported to Earth.
 Perhaps the most elaborate example of an arthropod
joint, indeed one of the most complex skeletal structures
known, is the wing hinge of insects.
Associated: elaborately (adverb); elaboration (noun);
elaborate (verb)
Note: When elaborate is used as a verb, its second and last
syllables are sounded strongly. When it is used as an adjective,
only its second syllable is sounded strongly.
8,10

elect [verb]
to choose by voting

 I am hoping that the students will elect a non-native

speaker onto the school council.
 In the USA and Germany the people elect a new
government every four years; in the UK it is every five years.
 During its congress, Committee failed to elect even one
woman to a leading position.
 Students will need to elect a spokesperson to speak for
their group and come to an agreement about their decision.
Associated: election (noun)
Note: An elective is a subject that the student can choose to
take if he or she wishes. It is not compulsory.
25,00

element [noun]
aspect, part

 One element of the problem that we have not yet

considered is: How are we going to pay for it?
 Intelligence is just one element in being a successful
student. You also have to show initiative and perseverance.
 Since it was founded in 1999, the partnership program
has been a key element in the dramatic increase in
applications to the College.
 Transportation is not an important element in the
marketing cost of the new product.
46,60

elementary [adjective]
easy

 It was a very elementary problem. All the students were

able to solve it within 5 minutes.
 A famous saying of Sherlock Holmes
was: " Elementary, my dear Watson! "
 If he is correct this would certainly be
an elementary solution to an ancient problem.
 While the book is not elementary, it is quite readable.
41,00

eligible [adjective]
being entitled or qualified to do something

 Any student who is at least 13 years old on September 30

is eligible to enter the mathematics competition.
 Some people believe that smokers should not
be eligible for free medical treatment.
 That plan specifies that only the top 12.5 percent of
California high school graduates should be
considered eligible for UC admission.
  Edwards ruled on the evidence presented and said Gary
Edwards was not eligible to play.
Associated: eligibility(noun)
Antonym: ineligible
38,20

eliminate [verb]
to dispose of

 If you could eliminate some of the unnecessary spelling

and punctuation errors, your work would be even better.
 The government will never eliminate drug-taking, but it
should do more to reduce the number of school-age drug users.
 The future energy system will need to eliminate the
unacceptable risk that the present system places on the
environment.
 Soviet nationality studies demonstrate that the state was
not able to eliminate discrimination based on ethnicity.
Associated: elimination (noun)
41,70

embody [verb]
to be a good example of ..

 Our teachers embody the school's philosophy that only

excellence is good enough.
 The failures of the national soccer and tennis
teams embody all that is wrong with British sport.
 It is a particular privilege to welcome several San
Francisco State University alumni who embody all that we
commemorate today.
 All of his projects embody the idea of flexibility within
different, changing environments.
Associated: embodiment (noun)
5,00

emerge [verb]
to come out; to become known

 It started to emerge after much questioning that the

reasons for his bad behaviour were problems at home.
  Unfortunately, many drug users emerge from prison only
to find themselves back there a few months later. This is
because they cannot find or keep a job, and need to steal to
finance their drug-taking habits.
 As people are defining a process or a problem, sometimes
solutions emerge in that moment, in the detail of their
description.
 However, continuous and systematic research on the
disaster did not emerge until after World War II.
Associated: emergence (noun)
23,40

emphasize [verb]
to stress, to say something strongly

 I need to emphasize the importance of meeting the

project deadlines.
 Let me emphasize again that you must work alone; you
are not permitted to get help from anyone else.
 Both of these programs can be amended as needed
to emphasize a particular area of vocabulary.
 Army leadership must emphasize the importance of
reducing energy demand to decrease costs.
Associated: emphasis (noun)
Note: Emphasize is also spelled emphasise.
35,10

employ [verb]
to give a job to someone; to use

 His father is going to employ him at the office during the

vacation so that he can make a bit of money.
 German businesses have started to employ an increasing
number of older people. They are often better, more reliable
workers.
 Health care workers should consider all human blood and
body fluids as potentially infectious and
must employ appropriate protective measures.
 You will be required to know the questions and issues that
the various authors raise and the approaches they employ in
their research.
Associated: employment (noun)
Note: Employ is the basis for many useful words such
as employer (boss), employee (worker), unemployment (the
state of having no work), etc.
35,40

enable [verb]
to make something or someone able to do something

 The information that you receive in today's lesson

will enable you to complete your project on nuclear energy.
 Mobile phones enable parents to keep in contact with
their children when they are out with their friends
 Our results did not enable us to determine whether SMR
or MOEE had reached minimum values.
 We are focused on creating the technology and
applications that will enable daily media consumers to become
daily media producers.
Associated:
Antonym: disable
Note: If someone is disabled , it usually means that they have
a disability that prevents them from doing everything that a
healthy person can do; e.g. work, walk around, etc.
87,60

encounter [verb]
to meet or experience

 You will encounter many difficulties but if you persist in

your efforts, you will succeed.
 The government is certain to encounter opposition to its
proposal.
 Some institutions did not encounter these issues
because they predicted them and dealt with them in advance.
 Students are able to use basic communication and
mathematics skills for purposes and situations they
will encounter throughout their lives.
Associated: encounter (noun)
31,20
encourage [verb]
to move someone to do something by positive talk; support or
help

 I encourage you to spend part of the summer vacation

reading. This is an excellent way to improve your English.
 The government wants to encourage young mothers in
poor areas to attend parenting classes.
 How can the traditional classroom and the technology in
it encourage deeper learning?
 It is the president who will need to encourage the
strategic thinking and action necessary to attract and retain
employees of quality.
Associated: encouragement (noun)
Antonym: discourage
96,60

enforce [verb]
to make something happen (particularly a law or regulation)

 The school will always enforce its policy of expelling

students for repeated plagiarism.
 There is no point having a law if the police are not willing
to enforce it.
 We must enforce and strengthen existing laws and
institute new procedures aimed at terrorists and criminals.
 Through much of the War, the U.S. and its Allies could
not enforce a fully effective blockade against Germany.
Associated: enforcement (noun)
19,30

engage [verb]
to participate in; to focus attention on

 She would have a better chance of academic success if

she didn't engage in so many activities outside of school.
 The recent conference about green energy failed
to engage the interest of the British public.
 Future research would need to ensure that participants
did not engage in any other activities immediately prior to the
study at hand.
  Good teachers must engage their students as they find
them, as they present themselves, walking in the door.
Associated: engagement (noun)
Note: To get engaged is to make a promise to marry, often by
exchanging rings. Example: John and Mary got engaged last
week and will marry at the end of September.
63,00

enhance [verb]
to make something better

 Learning lots of academic words will enhance your

chances of success in school.
 Computer scan technology can enhance the diagnosis of
many sports injuries.
 These projects will enhance student learning through the
provision of modern technologies.
 The drugs are used to enhance performance artificially to
the degree that they give athletes a competitive edge.
 This project involves students in the process of learning in
an attempt to enhance their skills and their successes across
all areas of the course.
 The merger of two sellers of that product in the area
could not enhance market power significantly.
Associated: enhancement (noun)
92,40

enlarge [verb]
to make larger

 We are going to enlarge this photograph to poster size

and put it on the classroom wall.
 The university has decided to enlarge its modern
languages department to meet the growing interest.
 The village system made it almost impossible
to enlarge the amount of land available for pasture.
 It was an extremely conservative institution, and did
not enlarge its business to any extent.
Associated: enlargement (noun)
Antonym: reduce
15,70
enormous [adjective]
very big

 She is having enormous difficulties in mathematics. I

think she needs a private tutor to help her understand some of
the basics.
 Teenage alcohol abuse is an enormous problem in some
UK cities.
 Psychologist Peter Wason discovered that we
have enormous difficulty understanding certain sentences
that contradict common sense.
 It has resulted in an enormous improvement in the
accuracy of the measurements.
Associated: enormity (noun); enormously (adverb)
Antonym: tiny
12,90

ensure [verb]
to make sure (of)

 Please ensure that I have your report by next Friday.

 If they want to ensure more business, they will have to
reduce their prices.
 The department must ensure that all students and
faculty members have access to a broad range of learning
resources.
 The organization was facing financial problems since it
was unable to ensure that all the members paid their
subscriptions.
128,70

enter [verb]
to go in or put in

 When you enter the school, turn right and walk along the
corridor. You will find the library on the left-hand side.
 You will need to enter the data in the same order for
every questionnaire.
 Just follow the on-screen instructions as you enter the
discussion forum from within a course.
  You must enter the US using the visa document issued
by the institution you will be attending.
Associated: entry (noun)
Antonym: leave, exit
164,70

entire [adjective]
whole, all

 We spent the entire lesson talking about the past

continuous tense. It was so boring.
 The entire workforce is opposed to the managers' plans
to relocate the factory.
 The entire collection is complete and available for online
access.
 Not all members of the Bush Administration have been
telling the entire truth about their dealing with Iraq.
Associated: entirely (adverb); entirety (noun)
87,40

entitle [verb]
to give the right to do something

 Buying a lunch ticket in advance will entitle you to a free

drink.
 A regular driving license does not entitle the license
holder to drive a bus or a truck.
 This validation will identify him/her as a "special student"
and will entitle him/her to the use of additional university
facilities, such as the union building and the gym, and to free
admissions for selected lectures.
 The Supreme Court held that the free exercise of religion
did not entitle an Orthodox Jew to wear a yarmulke when he
was on duty as an officer of law.
Associated: entitlement (noun); entitled (adjective)
1,80

entity [noun]
thing; body; organization
  When does the unborn baby become an entity separate
from its mother?
 For some people God is an entity that influences every
aspect of their life.
 The Institute itself was an entity separate from the
Chemistry department.
 The powerful hold that the empire of Egypt had on
Palestine at this time would not have permitted the rise of a
significant entity such as Israel.
19,70

enumerate [verb]
to list

 Don't forget to enumerate your research sources at the

end of your writing.
 The number of mistakes that this government has made
is too long to enumerate!
 This course list should enumerate the number of credits
and the grade option (grade, pass/fail, audit) for each enrolled
student.
 There is no need to enumerate in detail the contributions
of science to that war effort.
Associated: enumeration (noun)
2,70

environment [noun]
the world around us

 In each classroom of the school there are 3 recycling bins.

This is a small way to help protect the environment.
 Greenpeace and World Wide Fund are two of the non-
governmental organizations that work to protect
the environment.
 There are a few steps you can take to further ensure that
construction activities do not damage the environment.
 Can we trust the scientists and experts to make the right
decisions to protect the environment?
Associated: environmental (adjective)
184,60
episode [noun]
period of time

 Our teacher showed us an episode of The Simpsons in

ESL class yesterday.
 Many people look back on their years at university as the
happiest episode in their lives.
 Begin your paper with a brief description of the storyline,
or a brief episode from it, that suggests or illustrates your
thesis.
 Above all, World War II was an episode of American
history in which more American people bonded together in a
common cause than ever before or ever since.
10,40

equipment [noun]
the things you need (to do a job or play sport, etc.)

 Can someone please return this science equipment to

the store cupboard?
 The police did not have the necessary equipment to cut
the man free from the crashed car.
 The communication medium is a computer, phone line,
and modem; the student must have access to the
necessary equipment.
 They faced problems for which they did not have
the equipment or the training.
Associated: equip (verb)
93,60

equivalent [adjective]
equal to; the same as

 Take 3 grams of sodium chloride and

an equivalent amount of sugar.
 If men and women do equivalent jobs they should earn
equivalent pay.
 A three-year Indian bachelor's degree is
NOT equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree.
 When two forms of an assessment tool are equivalent, it
should make little difference which one we use.
Associated: equivalence (noun)
48,20

error [noun]
a mistake

 There is only one error in your writing. You put: He play

tennis instead of He plays tennis.
 He found a serious error in the work and did a very
careful study to determine the correct results.
 We should avoid the error of assuming that we will ever
be able to comprehend the causes of his behaviour.
 If authors realize there is a significant error in a
published paper, they may correct their paper by submitting a
short correction notice.
Associated: err (verb)
87,60

especially [adverb]
particularly

 He's having a lot of problems learning

English, especially in grammar and spelling.
 Doctors have found a connection between cannabis use
and mental illness. This is especially a danger for people who
have started taking drugs at an early age.
 Students are encouraged to discuss topics early on with
the instructor, especially in the case of an independent
investigation.
 It's not that the mathematics is especially difficult; the
problem is comprehending the convoluted English.
Associated: especial (adjective)
95,80

essential [adjective]
very important

 It is essential that you try to increase your English

academic vocabulary. And the best way to do this is by lots of
reading of non-fiction.
  If you want to live a long and healthy life, it
is essential that you eat well and take get plenty of exercise.
 Failure is essential to generating new ideas, Premji says.
 The Court determined, however, that evidence concerning
Ms. Lewinsky was not essential to the core issues in this case.
Note: The adverb essentially means really, basically, as
in Essentially she is a kind, cooperative girl but she doesn't
always show it.
57,80

establish [verb]
to begin or set up

 Many large companies are trying to establish operations

in China. This is the key market of the future.
 The university plans to establish a fund so that poorer
students can attend.
 The American colonists did not establish a real
newspaper of their own for another century.
 We wanted to establish a long-term relationship that
could grow with our company.
Associated: establishment (noun)
96,90

estimate [verb]
to make an intelligent guess

 I estimate that at least 80% of the students will pass

with the top grade.
 Scientists estimate that most children born today in First
World countries will see their 75th birthday.
 By studying these financial transactions, it is possible
to estimate the amount of money that people are willing to
pay for the essentials.
 The Commission was unable to estimate the cost of
complying with new requirements regarding data recording.
Associated: estimate (noun)
66,30

evaluate [verb]
to decide on the value, quality or importance of something
  Teachers need to regularly evaluate the quality of their
student's work.
 It is too soon to evaluate the success of the "war on
terror".
 David Malik maintains that most students are not able
to evaluate teaching effectiveness.
 These programs must evaluate factors that may be
affecting profits.
Associated: evaluation (noun)
101,10

event [noun]
a happening

 The death of Princess Diana was an event that shocked

the whole world.
 I believe that the most important event in my generation
is the war in Iraq.
 It was an event that had such a deep effect on me that it
helped me decide to move back to Prague.
 The goal of this unit is to teach students how a seemingly
unimportant event can have a significant effect on their lives.
216,00

eventually [adverb]
in the end

 Trying to water-ski for the first time is difficult but if you

keep practising, you will eventually learn how to do it.
 Developments in computer technology
may eventually make accurate weather forecasting possible.
 He started searching for evidence of Wilson's existence
and eventually succeeded in documenting her life up to 1863.
 This is research that could eventually help in the
treatment of certain kinds of cancer.
Associated: eventual (adjective)
34,40

evidence [noun]
proof, signs
  There is some evidence that she plagiarized her research
essay.
 When police investigate a crime, they look
for evidence such as fingerprints, specks of blood, etc.
 Students must demonstrate evidence of a competent
reading knowledge of a language other than modern English.
 Top American scientists assigned to the weapons hunt in
Iraq found no evidence Saddam Hussein was making chemical
weapons.
106,40

evident [adjective]
clear

 It is evident that she has a talent for languages. She has

learned English very quickly this year.
 It was not evident to many people why the government
had decided to ban smoking in all restaurants but to allow it in
its own buildings.
 How we shall resolve our growing space needs is not yet
completely evident.
 By the late 1960's it was evident that another relocation
of the laboratory was going to be necessary.
Associated: evidently (adverb)
16,50

evolve [verb]
to develop (into something better)

 It is interesting to think about how teaching

will evolve under the influence of digital technologies.
 The new manager needs time to evolve her own style of
leadership.
 Howard has many chances to evolve into a better father
and husband, but he fails to do so.
 While Dr. Robergs and I had a brief discussion early on
about a print copy of the journal, for may different reasons the
idea did not evolve.
Associated: evolution (noun)
Note: Charles Darwin is associated with the theory
of evolution .
17,10

exact [adjective]
precise, opposite of approximate

 We have not yet been able to find out the exact reason
why he attacked the teacher.
 Sometimes it is difficult to find the exact word to convey
an idea. This is particularly true if you are speaking in your
second language.
 This is a project in process, so some details may not
be exact.
 His observations were not exact enough to conclude
anything significant about nocturnal behaviour.
Associated: exactly (adverb); exactness (noun)
Antonym: rough
29,60

exaggerate [verb]
to "overstate" the truth; to say something is bigger or better
than it really is

 Do not exaggerate! You're only 10 years old. You

couldn't have read thousands of books!
 It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of the
internet.
 Advertising marketed directly to the consumer may
minimize the risks and exaggerate the benefits of
medications.
 We should not exaggerate the costs, minimize the
benefits of what we have already achieved, or downplay the
risk of failure to persevere.
Associated: exaggeration (noun)
1,70

examine [verb]
to look at carefully

 If you want to examine very small objects, you will need

a good microscope.
  The government plans to examine the research data
carefully before making an announcement.
 In this class, we will examine the controversy about the
risks generated by the war on terror.
 We have had no chance to examine changes of this sort
systematically, but simply offer them as examples of processes
that we expect to be completed.
Associated: examination (noun)
90,90

exceed [verb]
to be more than or better than

 Your good grades in the report exceed my expectations.

Well done!
 The company's target for the year was to expand sales by
€2 million. Now they expect to exceed this figure by 40%.
 The summary must not exceed three pages in length.
 The substantial advantages of these close personal
relationships far exceed the disadvantages of remaining small.
Associated: excess (noun)
41,70

except [preposition]
(but) not

 You can take any book except this one. I'm reading it.
 The doctor examined the patient carefully, except that he
forgot to check blood pressure.
 The campus will be closed except for needed emergency
services and essential work.
 Even more extraordinary, every child except one was
more than willing to state his or her name to the stranger.
Associated: exception (noun)
Note: In example sentence 2 above except is being used as
a conjunction. Something that is exceptional is extremely good,
outstanding , as in That was an exceptional piece of work. Well
done!
45,10
exchange [verb]
to give or change one thing and get a different thing

 Please exchange your books and check each other's

writing.
 The government is thinking of passing a law that will
require all house owners to exchange their oil heating system
for one that runs on gas.
 Students post messages and exchange ideas through the
bulletin board.
 If you discover that you have the wrong textbook, you
must contact the source from which you purchased the book
and make arrangements to exchange the book.
Associated: exchange (noun)
123,30

exclude [verb]
to leave out; opposite of include

 The new law will exclude unmarried mothers.

 We should not exclude the possibility that house prices
will begin to fall.
 The researchers did not exclude people with known
chronic disease from their study.
 He said the debate now should exclude events of the
past and the focus should be on what the UN, the US and Iraq
could do to achieve the results.
Associated: exclusion (noun)
Antonym: include
17,70

exercise [noun]
a piece of work, activity

 The next exercise will help you learn the difference

between the present simple and present continuous tenses.
 The university's plan to admit more students from poor
backgrounds is an exercise that is not certain to succeed.
 A scholarly essay is an exercise in developing and
defending ideas.
  Do NOT wait until the last minute to try to complete
the exercise. If you wait until the day it is due, there is a
good chance you will not finish on time.
Associated: exercise (verb)
32,00

exert [verb]
to use

 Her work is satisfactory, but she never exerts enough

energy to get top grades.
 Sometimes it is necessary to exert force in order to
achieve peace in a troubled region.
 In an effective group, each person can exert sufficient
influence on the decisions of the group to prevent the group
from setting unattainable goals.
 Costrell also found it disturbing that the administration
failed to exert its responsibility to ensure that the funds were
appropriately spent.
Note: Another common meaning of exert is to make an
effort (noun; exertion), as in She never seems to exert herself,
but she always gets good grades.
7,40

exhaust [verb]
to use up

 Do not exhaust all your energy in the first 20 minutes.

Remember that the game lasts for half an hour!
 The school is overspending and will soon exhaust all the
money set aside for books and other materials.
 Students are encouraged to first exhaust all possibilities
for Federal and state financial aid programs before seeking
alternative loans.
 In about 5 billion years, the sun will exhaust its fuel
supply, and will puff up into a bloated star called a red giant.
Associated: exhaustive (adjective)
Note: Exhausted / exhausting mean very tired / very tiring,
as in I'm exhausted after doing all that exhausting work!
6,40
exhibit [noun]
to show

 Your answers exhibit a lack of care and effort.

 The museum plans to exhibit a collection of late works by
Picasso.
 Students must exhibit a working knowledge of a foreign
language by translating a mathematical passage into English.
 Children in Experiment 2 did not exhibit any evidence of
recognizing the familiarized words in the passages.
Associated: exhibition (noun)
Note: An exhibition is permanent or temporary display of art
or objects in a gallery or museum.
48,60

exist [verb]
to be alive, to be in the world

 Dinosaurs no longer exist - they have been extinct for

millions of years.
 If our planet were much farther from, or much closer to,
the sun, for example, then life might not exist.
 The Birth Control Pill may have modernized society, but it
tore apart a nation and created many social problems that did
not exist before its invention.
 Ventures like Amazon.com will only continue to exist as
long as they make money.
Associated: existence (noun)
84,30

expand [verb]
to get bigger; to move into new areas

 Metals expand when heated.

 The business is hoping to expand into new markets in
Africa.
 Lincoln's early position as president was that slavery could
remain in current slave states but could not expand to new
states or territories.
  This tells us that there is a very large market for us
to expand into, if we take advantage of the opportunities as
they arise.
Associated: expansion (noun)
Antonym: contract
67,20

expel [verb]
to drive or push out

 If a student is caught with drugs in the building, the

school will expel him or her.
 The police were unable to expel the demonstrators from
the town square.
 The court concluded that schools could not expel disabled
students whose disability causes their disruptive conduct.
 His lungs were filled in an instant with a great volume of
driven air which he could not expel.
Associated: expulsion (noun)
1,70

expense [noun]
cost

 The school wanted to set up a new computer lab, but

the expense would have been too high.
 Many people are very concerned about the new identity
card system that the government plans to introduce at
great expense.
 These facilities and supporting resources have been
developed and are maintained at considerable expense to the
University and to the taxpayers of the State.
 The expense was too much for some, and owners were
forced to sell their homes at a reduced price.
Associated: expensive (adjective)
Note: The verb expend has a similar meaning to spend. You
can expend time, energy, money, etc.
25,00

experience [noun]
knowledge and skills gained over a long period of time
  I think the new teacher will do very well. She has a lot
of experience with students whose first language is not
English.
 A typical problem is that many companies will only
employ workers with experience, but how do young people
gain that experience if they are not given a job. This is called a
"vicious circle".
 Many undergraduates have little experience in
organizing tasks and making good use of time.
 Mr. Elliott was at fault for delegating that function to a
person who lacked the experience to perform the job properly.
Associated: experience (verb)
252,00

experiment [noun]
test

 We did an experiment in science class to see if salt

water boils more quickly than fresh water.
 The workers participated in an experiment to see if they
worked harder with music in the background.
 Fortunately, Franklin was not injured by the electrical
shock he received during this dangerous experiment.
 It was an experiment in how new communication
technologies could serve a community's educational goals.
Associated: experiment (verb); experimental (adjective)
52,40

expert [noun]
someone with great knowledge in a particular field

 The school has employed an expert to advise on the best

way to use computer technology in the classroom.
 You do not need to be an expert in computers to make a
web page or send an email.
 Dr. Glick is an expert in community and public health
nursing programs and issues.
 I am no expert in animal behavior, but anyone with even
a slight knowledge of the field must be impressed with their
complex forms of social behavior.
Associated: expertise (noun)
47,40

explain [verb]
to give the reason for something or say how to do something

 I like teachers who can explain clearly what we have to

do.
 The police chief found it difficult to explain why the
wrong man had been arrested.
 When questioned by the instructor, the student was
unable to explain several of the terms and phrases he had
used in his writing.
 You will need to explain your situation as clearly as
possible and provide appropriate supporting documentation.
Associated: explanation (noun)
111,60

explicit [adjective]
clearly and openly expressed

 I gave you explicit instructions not to open the box. Why

did you disobey me?
 She ignored an explicit warning that she would be
expelled if she did not start working harder.
 Of the questions asked in this section of the survey,
having an explicit privacy policy is one of the highest
percentage of responses.
 The more alert you are to the key words used and
the explicit claims made in ads, the more aware you will
become of your own use of words and ideas.
Associated: explicitness (noun); explicitly (adverb)
Antonym: implicit
20,10

exploit [verb]
to use (sometimes in a negative way)

 Some people exploit poor immigrants - employing them

as house cleaners for very low pay.
  Governments are considering how to exploit the vast
mineral resources buried under the ice in Antarctica.
 Library and information science students must be taught
how to exploit the resources that will allow them to anticipate
the future and avoid becoming irrelevant as information
professionals.
 To exploit these opportunities, information systems will
need to sense and act as well as compute.
Associated: exploitation (noun)
17,60

explore [verb]
to look into a place or thing (in order to learn more about it)

 Cats and young children are similar: they both like

to explore new places.
 The USA is designing a spaceship that will land on Mars
and explore its polar regions.
 Students will develop a critical basis for the evaluation of
their use and explore the possibilities of digital tools and
processes.
 Our preliminary surveys did not differentiate between
different types of questions, so we were unable to explore this
issue.
Associated: exploration (noun); explorer (noun)
132,30

exponent [noun]
someone who holds and states an opinion

 The producer of these webpages has long been

an exponent of the value of computers in language teaching.
 The new team coach is an exponent of the view: No pain,
no gain!
 She has been an important exponent, nationally and
internationally, of the view that artists have a critical role to
play in democratic societies.
 Monroe is a well-known exponent of the mechanical
theory of education, with its cult of standardization,
intelligence tests, etc.
3,30
expose [verb]
to uncover, reveal

 Journalists were able to expose the government's secret

plan to raise taxes.
 You expose yourself to unnecessary danger if you drive a
car without wearing a seat belt.
 He uses Blanche White to expose the problems of color
and class difference between blacks and whites.
 He said that any art teacher who did not expose students
to ten thousand years of art was "criminal."
Associated: exposure (noun)
Antonym: conceal
15,90

express [verb]
to say or mean

 This is an excellent piece of work. You express your ideas

very clearly.
 These poems express the poet's feeling of anger at the
evil of war.
 I did not understand what the artist was trying
to express by these two pieces, nor did I see any skill in the
work.
 The word give is substituted for the word deliver
to express more clearly the intent of the section.
Associated: expression (noun)
Note: Another meaning of expression is group of words, as
in I don't like the expression How's tricks? Why can't people
just ask: "How are you?"
88,50

extend [verb]
to make longer in time or space

 The school is planning to extend the school day until

4:30.
 The library is going to extend the space its has made
available for computers and video screens.
  Although we have already received a number of excellent
proposals for papers, it has been decided to extend the
deadline for submissions.
 Entrants in this competition are challenged to use
or extend the building's unique infrastructure in the service of
the people who learn and teach here.
Associated: extension (noun)
64,50

extent [noun]
size, amount

 I'm not sure that his parents realize the extent of the
problems he is having in school.
 The company's business partners are to a
large extent from Asia.
 In response to these events, this study was initiated to
define and investigate the extent of the problem.
 This process is more evident in those sciences in which
the technological requirements have increased to a
significant extent.
Associated: extensive (adjective)
58,40

external [adjective]
outside

 The school is planning to bring in an external tax expert

to analyze its finance methods.
 Some animals, such as the tortoise or snail, have
an external shell rather than an internal skeleton.
 The purpose of this study was to explore the internal
and external factors influencing the career development of
first generation Filipina Americans.
 The main reason for not responding to terrorism was not
an external issue, but an internal one: the government failed
to fulfill its duties.
Associated:
Antonym: internal
62,70
extract [noun]
to remove; to take out and use

 The dentist needed to extract my back tooth. It had

become badly infected.
 You should write this again to extract all the irrelevant
details.
 It seems that the mind cannot extract the necessary
information from what is supplied to it.
 We would probably become engaged in discussions from
which we could not extract ourselves and therefore our
freedom of action would be limited.
Associated: extraction (noun); extract (noun)
Note: An extract is part of a text, as in Please read
the extract on page 22 as homework.
15,50

extraordinary [adjective]
very unusual

 It was an extraordinary idea to allow the students to

write their own test.
 Gandhi, who brought independence to India, was
an extraordinary man.
 The explanation for this extraordinary decision lies in
the immediate circumstances surrounding the creation of the
United Nations.
 It must have been about this time that Stalin took the
most extraordinary decision of his career in order to assure
his political survival.
Associated: extraordinarily (adverb)
Antonym: ordinary
Note: Extraordinarily (adverb) means extremely, as
in He's extraordinarily good at chess.
14,80

extremely [adverb]
very

 Global warming is an extremely serious problem facing

today's word.
  It is extremely important that you don't miss the
deadline.
 Make-up exams will not be given unless the student has
an extremely good reason for missing the exam.
 The Internet is an extremely useful tool to look for
housing, shops, restaurants, etc.
Associated: extreme (adjective)
36,60

facilitate [verb]
to make something easier

 My father's company is going to facilitate our move to

Germany by employing an agent to help us find a house here.
 Web sites such as Wikipedia certainly facilitate the
finding of information, although not all of it is reliable.
 We will facilitate growth and development in our district
communities by serving as a key educational resource.
 Lorelei's fine efforts in starting and maintaining the list
have done much to facilitate group communication and
interaction.
Associated: facilitation (noun)
67,20

facilities [noun]
buildings and other places that can be used by people

 The school's facilities have been improved recently with

the addition of a second library and media centre.
 The town council has been criticized for not providing
enough facilities for young people in the town.
 The construction of new facilities is an opportunity for
any university to make a clear statement about its
environmental concern.
 Many prisons cannot comply with this law due to lack of
space and inadequate facilities.
Note: This word is almost twice as common in the plural as
the singular.
152,60
factor [noun]
an aspect to be considered

 A major factor in our decision is how long it will take.

 Excellent public transportation was an important factor in
the decision to award the 2012 Olympics to London.
 The Waldorf Education method considers the teacher's
own development to be a significant factor in the educational
process of the children.
 He said several times that money was not a factor in the
decision, and it was not about safety alone.
41,20

fade [verb]
to disappear slowly

 Photographs fade if they are left out in bright sunlight.

 Hopes continue to fade that a peace treaty can be
negotiated.
 With the passing of time the details of specific
events fade as they taken from the forefront of our mind and
placed into the mainstream of our memory.
 New challenges, opportunities, and demands are
necessary to ensure that creativity and motivation do
not fade away.
4,90

fail [verb]
to not do something, or not work as expected; to do badly

 Many students do poorly in tests because they fail to

answer the questions. It's as simple as that.
 It is not surprising that so many smokers fail to give up
smoking. Nicotine is a very addictive drug.
 As we have seen in class on multiple occasions, these
students become unmotivated and, as a result,
inevitably fail in school.
 We may disagree with the content of this statement, but
we must not fail to hear the pain that lies behind it.
Associated: failure (noun)
Antonym: succeed
58,50

faint [adjective]
not strong

 You have a faint chance of passing your exams if you

work really hard for the rest of the term.
 The spaceship has been sending back faint images of
Jupiter as it flies past on its way to the edge of the solar
system.
 A lasting peace in Iraq will remain but a faint hope.
 There would seem a faint chance that the United States,
working with the United Nations, will lead a worldwide religious
revival.
Associated:
Antonym: strong
3,30

fairly [adverb]
quite, somewhat

 She has made fairly good progress this year, but I still
think she could have done better if she had tried harder.
 The government was fairly successful in reducing
teenage drinking during its first period in power.
 You can be fairly certain what you read at the
government site is accurate and up-to-date.
 Because of their behavior in protecting food sources, it
is fairly unusual to see two hummingbirds spending time
together.
Associated: fair (adjective)
26,20

fallacy [noun]
mistake; false belief

 It is a fallacy to think that you can put off working until

the week before the exam and still pass it.
  Medical scientists have shown it to be a fallacy that lying
in bed is the best way to heal a bad back.
 It's a total fallacy that young girls are being pressured
into near-starving themselves into being too thin.
 However, his proposal contains a fallacy that is important
to recognize and understand.
Associated: fallacious (adjective)
1,90

familiar [adjective]
known; well-known

 Is anyone in class familiar with the terms 'subject' and

'predicate'?
 Coca Cola is a name that is familiar to most people in the
world.
 The remaining 40 percent said that they were
not familiar with the term 'sustainable agriculture'.
 When societies collapse into violence the result is all
too familiar: the destruction of life and infrastructure, gross
abuses of human rights.
Associated: familiarity (noun)
Antonym: unfamiliar
35,40

fare [verb]
to do or succeed

 ESL students fare better in classrooms where the teacher

is aware of their special needs.
 The government is unpopular and is expected
to fare badly in the forthcoming election.
 She thinks that the homeless children probably
will fare more poorly, educationally, than the children who
come from homes.
 He is learning that treatments that worked fine in cities
don't always fare well here, where patients may drive several
hours to obtain medical care.
Note: The noun fare means 1. food and 2. the money you
must pay to travel by bus or train
9,70
fault [noun]
responsibility for a mistake or other problem

 It is not really her fault that she comes late to school so

often. She lives a long way away, and often gets stuck in a
traffic jam.
 It isn't the government's fault if people ignore advice to
live healthily.
 The accident was clearly not the fault of the employee or
his supervisor.
 So if your flower seeds fail to germinate, you, rather than
the seed, are probably at fault.
Associated: fault (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of fault is mistake, defect ,
as in There's a fault in this computer code, but I just can't find
it.
16,50

fear [verb]
to be concerned or frightened about

 Teachers fear that students will be negatively affected by

the construction of a new road just outside many of the
classrooms.
 Some politicians fear that too much immigration will
result in fewer jobs for the people born in the country.
 The Institute must take greater measures to assure
students that they need not fear consequences when seeking
medical help for substance abuse.
 She did not fear death, but saw it as a welcome release
or respite from earthly existence.
Associated: fear (noun); fearful (adjective)
46,50

feasible [adjective]
possible

 Mobile phones have made it feasible to contact someone

anytime and anywhere.
 His idea is simply not feasible - no one is going to pay
that kind of money.
  We should seriously pursue the idea of the internet
elections, which are a totally feasible option.
 The problem is that parents start to develop the
expectation that we will provide unlimited services - and that's
just not feasible.
Associated: feasibility (noun)
Antonym: unfeasible, infeasible
12,70

feature [noun]
part, aspect

 The best feature of your essay is the fact that it was very
easy to follow your line of argument.
 One feature of the internet that concerns many parents
and teachers is that a huge amount of very offensive material
is just a click away.
 The most important feature of the new design is that it
consumes less power.
 Tobacco smoke was a feature of life up through the
1970s.
Associated: feature (verb)
81,00

fee [noun]
money for a service (e.g. a baking service)

 The school charges a fee for outside clubs to use its

sports facilities.
 The agent's fee for selling a house is usually a percentage
of the sale price.
 Due to the money shortage in schools, teachers are now
being charged a high fee for training.
 The fee was determined by querying the number of
research proposals received by RSPP and the direct costs
associated with reviewing each proposal.
71,20

field [noun]
area of interest or study
  Before becoming a teacher she worked in the field of
green technologies.
 The causes of gun and knife crime among young people is
an important field of inquiry.
 Stephen Krashen, a distinguished scholar and leading
expert in the field of language acquisition, held an open forum
to present his findings on five topics.
 Digital Libraries constitute a relatively young
scientific field, whose life spans roughly the last fifteen years.
Note: The most common meaning of field is area of land, as
in There were more than 100 cows in the field.
262,00

figure [noun]
number

 When I typed in the term 'English as a Second Language'

in Google, I got more than 20 million hits. That's a
huge figure.
 We know it's not 100% correct, but it's the
best figure that we can produce at this time.
 Fully 10 percent of the U.S. population has some form of
learning disability; the true figure may in fact be higher.
 Both Initial and Wokingham now dispute the figure for
the cost of food and say it is lower.
Note: Another common meaning of the noun figure is shape
(person), as in I saw a strange figure standing by the gate.
91,00

final [adjective]
last

 The final question in the test was the most difficult.

 The judge gave the young criminal his final warning. Next
time he stole, he would be sent to prison.
 The final examination shall be designed to cover a period
not to exceed two hours.
 The Iraqi regime failed to take that final opportunity to
cooperate with the United Nations investigation.
Associated: finally (adverb)
Antonym: initial
137,70

finance [noun]
to do with money and payment

 All large companies have departments to take care

of finance.
 He wanted to start a new business but the bank would not
give him enough finance.
 The course will develop the knowledge base regarding
the finance of community education programs.
 These are only a few of the interesting and challenging
situations professionals resolve each day in the world of
business finance.
Associated: finance (verb); financial (adjective)
88,20

firm [adjective]
strong, cannot be changed

 "Be fair, firm and friendly" is the advice often given to

new teachers.
 The incoming president has made a firm promise to
reduce tax in the next period of government.
 Above all, a teacher must be firm when dealing with
requests for grade changes and other related matters.
 His beliefs were not firm enough to withstand the
influence of the people worked with.
Associated: firmness (noun); firmly (adverb)
Antonym: weak
Note: Another common meaning of firm (noun) is company,
business, as in The firm is having financial problems.
32,60

flexible [adjective]
can be changed or bent

 The teacher is not at all flexible. Once she has set the
date of a test, nothing will make her change it.
  Many businesses offer flexible working hours. Employees
can arrive early and leave early or arrive late and leave late.
 She recognized the importance of introducing a plan that
was flexible enough to meet the changing demands of the
university.
 These ever-changing factors necessitate the creation of
a flexible policy that can respond and adapt to the needs of
our library users.
Associated: flexibility (noun)
Antonym: inflexible, rigid
25,00

fluctuate [verb]
to vary; to rise and fall

 His opinions fluctuate; sometimes he thinks science is

the most interesting subject and sometimes the most boring.
 The cost of gas (petrol) will continue to fluctuate as the
price of oil goes up or down.
 This gives the teacher and the class the freedom
to fluctuate between learning styles under the same
assessment method.
 The temperatures did not fluctuate as much this month
as they did last month.
Associated: fluctuation (noun)
2,40

focus [verb]
to direct attention (on an issue)

 The next project that we need to focus on is the school

extension.
 We need to focus on the important issues.
 Students are encouraged to focus not only on the skills
and knowledge related to the high stakes tests but also the
skills and knowledge to perform more authentic tasks.
 During this period she developed her ideas on art, her
main one being that the best art did not focus on reality but
evoked the state of the soul.
Associated: focus (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of focus is to make sharp, as
in This picture is very unclear. Are you sure you know how
to focus your camera?
245,40

force [verb]
to make happen or to make someone do something

 The school cannot force its teachers to give up smoking,

but it can tell them not to smoke inside the building.
 If the demonstrations continue much longer, they
will force the government to change its plans.
 Difficult financial times must not force us to abandon the
integration of teaching and research.
 Congress implemented the draft in January of 1777, but
was unable to force the states to comply.
Associated: force (noun)
142,80

forecast [noun]
prediction

 The weather forecast for tomorrow says that we can

expect showers and a little weak sunshine.
 The company's forecast is that they will increase exports
by 20% next year.
 They felt this was an unreliable forecast due to poor data
and that the harvest could in fact increase.
 The forecast was for travel volume to increase by 1
percent to 2 percent compared to last year.
Associated: forecast (verb)
13,00

forego [verb]
to do without; to give up

 The students had to forego the planned class picnic when

the day started with heavy rain and wind.
 Due to the new law, smokers will now have to forego the
pleasure of a cigarette with their drink in a restaurant or bar.
  Many talented local young people have had
to forego graduate or professional education because of lack
of access to such programs.
 Does anyone really believe that governments
will forego tax incomes on trillions of dollars of e-commerce
sales?
Note: This word is sometimes spelled forgo .
1,90

form [verb]
to make (into a shape)

 Students whose own language does not use the Latin

alphabet may find it difficult at first to form English letters.
 The manager has decided form a committee to
investigate the recent increase in theft from the storeroom.
 You will need to form project teams of two or three
students, and then it will be your responsibility to organize
meetings.
 In fact, Lenin knew that it was impossible to form a
Communist International without the Germans.
Associated: form (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of form is an official
document to be filled out, as in If you want a new passport,
you will need to fill out this application form.
516,00

formal [adjective]
serious, not relaxed or everyday

 The school gave a formal warning to the teacher who had

arrived late to school several times that month.
 Loo (= toilet) is not a word that you should use
in formal situations.
 An employee or University student who wishes the matter
to receive a formal investigation and review should contact
the EEO Officer.
 A person who wishes to bring a complaint has two options:
an informal complaint or a formal complaint.
Associated:
Antonym: informal
48,20

format [noun]
appearance, layout, way of presenting

 My science teacher returned my homework and told me to

do it again. She said I had to use the standard format for lab
reports.
 Most educational institutions have a required format for
citations and references.
 The date of birth that you entered does not match our
records, or was entered in the wrong format.
 I prefer to believe that the quality of my thinking has not
diminished; I simply have chosen a different format to
express my ideas.
Associated: format (verb)
125,40

former [adjective]
previous, the one before, the first of two

 One of the teacher's former students came into the class

yesterday. She had just been offered a teaching job herself.
 The former head of police criticized the government's
changes in drugs policy.
 The grade will be amended but the former grade will
remain on the record with an appropriate notation.
 The former is preferable for a field of inquiry that is still
in its infancy, whereas the latter is suitable for fields that have
a developed theory.
Associated: formerly (adverb)
Antonym: latter
70,50

formula [noun]
a method of doing something

 There is no magic formula for getting better in English,

but lots of reading is an easy and enjoyable way to improve.
  Internet businesses will only be successful if they use
the formula of clear, easy, cheap, safe shopping.
 I think that everyone going for the maximum marks, the
highest grades and the greatest possible output is not the
best formula for a well-rounded individual.
 Eat less, exercise more: the formula for weight loss is so
simple, yet so hard.
Note: Some people use the plural formulae ;
others formulas.
28,80

formulate [verb]
to express

 I often find it difficult to formulate my advice so that the

ESL beginners in the class can understand me.
 You need to try and formulate your thoughts a little
more clearly. This does not make much sense to me.
 This semester-long project begins with an overview in
which students think about how to ask scientific questions
and formulate hypotheses.
 Next you need to formulate a search statement so you
can conduct a database search.
Associated: formulation (noun)
16,50

forthcoming [adjective]
coming soon

 Today we will practise for the forthcoming test.

 Microsoft has promised that the forthcoming operating
system will be more secure than ever before.
 To find out more about a forthcoming event, click on the
event name from the pop-up menu on the left or click on a link
below.
 Results will be published in the forthcoming issue of the
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
12,60

fortunate [adjective]
lucky
  The student who had forgotten his homework
was fortunate that the teacher was absent that day.
 Not everyone is fortunate enough to have internet
access at home.
 One fortunate result of rainy weather is that the dust is
regularly washed off, reducing problems with the machinery.
 Our very privilege makes us aware of our need to do the
utmost toward improving the situation of our not-so-
fortunate neighbors.
Associated: fortune (noun); fortunately (adverb)
Antonym: unfortunate
7,10

found [verb]
to begin (often an organization)

 Frankfurt International School has decided to found a

student-teacher group to help with the education of students
in the Kalahari.
 The government intends to found a new organization to
help young people find suitable jobs.
 The single, vital, principle on which the true republic
must found itself, he insists, is the principle of good-will.
 Wilhelm Wundt began writing on psychology and
psychophysics as early as 1858, even though he did
not found his laboratory until 1879.
Associated: foundation (noun)
Note: To found is a regular verb. Past tense: founded.
411,00

fragment [noun]
part of something

 I found a fragment of her homework on the cafeteria. It

looked like half the school had stepped on it!
 Archaeologists can often come to an understanding of
people who lived long ago just by examining the fragment of
a pot or bone.
 To test for a fragment sentence, see if it can stand alone
and still mean something.
  Van Haarlem also said the team had found a
large fragment of what may have been a ceramic baboon
statue.
Associated: fragment (verb); fragmentary (adjective)
7,90

frequent [adjective]
often

 Her mother is a frequent visitor to the school. In fact she

comes two or three times a week!
 The most frequent problems were inappropriate
vocabulary, comprising 40%. of the total errors.
 Flights from Athens to the island are on small planes
which fill up quickly; they are not very frequent and are often
booked several months in advance.
 A frequent error in editing is to fix a word or phrase at
one part of a sentence and not see that the fix affected
something else in the sentence.
Associated: frequency (noun); frequently (adverb)
Antonym: infrequent
21,30

friction [noun]
problems or arguments between two people or groups

 At first there was a little friction between the Japanese

and Korean students, but this soon passed.
 The shortening of the lunch break
caused friction between the workers and the management.
 Our committee was asked to make recommendations to
reduce the friction between teachers, parents and students,
and improve the three-way partnership.
 Beethoven was not an ideal parent and
enormous friction developed between the two, contributing to
his son's attempted suicide in 1826.
Note: The scientific meaning of friction is the force that stops
two things sliding off each other, as in Bicycle brakes work by
using friction.
5,90
frustrate [verb]
to stop or prevent

 Badly- behaved students often frustrate the learning of

other students in the class.
 Demonstrators tried to frustrate the opening of the new
airport runway.
 She accepted the arduous task of vice president,
according to the papers, saying that she could
not frustrate the will of the people.
 They must not be allowed to frustrate the emergence of
a competitive market economy.
Associated: frustration (noun)
Note: Common derivations of this word are frustrated /
frustrating to describe feelings of not being able to do or have
what you want. Example: My email keeps breaking down. It's
sofrustrating.
1,50

fulfill [verb]
to do; to carry out (completely)

 The school found it impossible to fulfill its promise to

reduce tuition fees.
 It is impossible for the government to fulfill the wishes of
all its citizens.
 Students who are awarded an International Student
Scholarship must fulfill the following requirements each
semester in order to continue receiving this award.
 Even with support, because of his health and limits on the
hours he could work, he was unable to fulfill the duties of the
typical teaching job.
Associated: fulfilment (noun); fulfilling (adjective)
Note: This word is also spelled fulfil .
36,30

function [noun]
job or role

 The function of the arteries is to transport oxygen

around the body.
  The main function of the committee is to recommend a
plan for future development.
 Court asserted that education was perhaps the most
significant function of state and local governments.
 A primary function of the system is to facilitate the
sharing of information with others.
Associated: function (verb)
148,60

fund [noun]
money collected for a particular purpose

 The school has set up a fund so that less wealthy

students can attend.
 The government has cut its fund for research into the
causes of cancer.
 Visit our Student Support page to see how you can set up
a fund to give someone the opportunity to pursue higher
education at Michigan Tech.
 The partners realized that their small fund was not
sufficient to support early stage start-ups in the environment
of the early 2000s.
Associated: fund (verb)
Note: A refund is money returned to the person who paid it
(e.g. because she paid too much or could not be given what
she ordered).
81,40

fundamental [adjective]
very important

 It is of fundamental importance that you learn academic

vocabulary.
 Many people believe that the invasion of Iraq was
a fundamental mistake.
 They have made a fundamental error in the way they
are thinking about the opportunities and problems their
business face.
 Abortion is not a fundamental right; it can be limited if
the state wishes.
Associated: fundamentally (adverb)
43,60

furthermore [adverb]
also, in addition

 Your work is late. Furthermore, it is very short. Please

come after school to do it again.
 Many learners of English have problems with the
spelling. Furthermore, many Asian students find the articles
extremely difficult to use correctly.
 It is our belief that the students were not given a fair
hearing, and furthermore that the punishment was unjust.
 Furthermore, the system can also measure
environmental conditions in the immediate surroundings
including ambient light level, humidity, and temperature.
28,00

gain [noun]
to get; to increase in ..

 I hope to gain a good grade in my grammar test.

 House prices in England have continued to gain in value
every year for the past century.
 Cocaine did not gain much popularity in the United States
until the 1960s.
 Participants will gain in-depth exposure to each topic
through classroom assignments and structured exercises
within team environments.
Associated: gain (verb)
Antonym: lose
Note: A popular athlete's expression about the need for hard
physical work is: No pain, no gain!
75,60

gap [noun]
space, opening or time between

 A common kind of language problem is to fill in the gap in

a sentence with a missing word.
  Many young people fill in the gap between school and
university by travelling around the world for a few months.
 The June 1992 Gender Equity Study found a
significant gap in salaries between men and women.
 The gap between Russia's dominant military power and
our own inferior power could not be bridged overnight.
31,00

gather [verb]
to bring or get together

 It is easy to use the internet to gather a lot of

information. Whether it is of good quality is a different matter!
 The police need to gather more evidence before they can
make any arrests.
 First, you will need to gather background information
about all of the supporting questions.
 After several years of work, the project team was not able
to gather the political support needed to maintain funding for
the integrated service program.
Associated: gathering (noun)
Note: Another meaning of gather (verb) is understand, have
heard, as in I gather your not coming to my party.
35,10

generally [adverb]
usually

 I generally come to school by bus, but my father is

driving me this week.
 It is generally impossible to get into university unless
you have done well in school.
 The government generally did not take steps to
investigate or punish the most serious cases of abuse.
 The method of evaluation used will be determined by the
instructor but will generally include a combination (or all) of
the following: homework, quizzes, exams, and a
comprehensive final exam.
Associated: general (adjective)
Note: A useful alternative expression is in general .
Example In general his work is good, but recently it has
deteriorated.
75,20

generate [verb]
to make or produce

 The bank didn't think that her idea

would generate enough money so they refused to finance it.
 Scientists hope that in the future wind power will be able
to generate 50% of the electricity we need.
 This is a controversial point that will generate much
debate in the classroom, mainly among graduate students.
 These were very industrialized nations but their
economies did not generate the high levels of consumer
spending we see in the First World.
Associated: generation (noun)
Note: A generator is a machine to produce electricity.
73,80

generation [noun]
group of people all born around the same time

 In many families precious objects like jewelry or

photographs are handed down from one generation to the
next.
 The current generation of children is usually thought to
be less polite and hard-working than the previous one.
 We wish to employ women who want to invent, create,
and design the next generation of computers, and computing
methodology.
 The cold, hard truth is that your parents' generation was
more open to experimentation, social change and an overall
'looser' way of life.
67,20

genuine [adjective]
real and authentic

 I don't believe you made a genuine effort to improve.

Your grades certainly have not got better.
 Is this a genuine picture by Picasso or is it a fake?
  You have received this e-mail in the genuine belief that
its contents would be of interest to you.
 DeRosa's success is a genuine example of how the right
environment and excellent faculty really can cause a scholarly
transformation.
Associated: genuinely (adverb)
Antonym: fake
8,30

global [adjective]
world

 Global warming is a problem that we will hear more and

more about.
 The most famous global organization is the United
Nations.
 Pick a global issue and collect a series of newspaper
articles and/or news clips on it during the semester.
 Giuliani's leadership during New York City's darkest hours
of the September 11th terrorist attacks earned
him global praise and admiration.
Associated: globe (noun); globalization (noun)
112,50

goal [noun]
aim or intention

 My goal this term is to improve my mathematics and

science grades.
 The government has set itself the goal of reducing
teenage pregnancy by 20% in the next 10 years.
 A primary goal of teaching is conveying fundamental
knowledge of the subject matter while inculcating curiosity,
generating interest, and developing independence.
 It was not the goal of this book to discuss whether
America can win the war, or whether it must lose it.
Note: Another common meaning of goal , of course, is what
you score in football, as in I scored 3 goals in yesterday's
game.
123,40
govern [verb]
to control or influence

 There are strict laws that govern the trade in rainforest

wood.
 The way that people are raised as children will
usually govern the way that they act as adults.
 The Allies decided that Korea could not govern itself after
so many years of foreign rule.
 In an era of privatisation and market rule we are facing
the fact that governments will have to govern a bit more.
Associated: government (noun); governor (noun)
18,70

gradually [adverb]
slowly; steadily

 Your English is gradually improving, but you'll have to

make greater effort if you want to get better more quickly.
 Food prices are gradually rising again after many months
of no change.
 Instead of quick results, Cronbach (1963) believed that
consistent experiences gradually improve performance over
time.
 The difference between Japanese and Korean
prices gradually decreased until virtually zero where it has
remained over the past few years.
Associated: gradual (adjective)
Antonym: quickly
12,10

grant [noun]
a sum of money given to a person or organization

 A rich parent has made a large grant so that the school

can buy new computers.
 The government reduced its grant to the Arts Council
after it was found that much of the money had been wasted.
 If you come from an EU country and follow a study
programme in the Netherlands, you may be eligible for
a grant for these tuition fees.
  The VFWF reserves the right to seek additional funds if
the amount of the grant is insufficient to fully meet the needs.
Associated: grant (verb)
Note: To grant is to give, as in The fairy granted him 3
wishes.
133,60

greatly [adverb]
very much

 You would greatly improve your chances of success if

you made more effort.
 The company's financial performance has
been greatly affected by the rising cost of oil.
 They found that specific, simple steps can greatly reduce
the number of drivers who drink.
 Studies show that parents greatly influence the
development of their child in all areas.
28,00

growth [noun]
development, increase

 It is very satisfying as a teacher to see the growth in the

ability of your students.
 A common science experiment for young people is to
investigate the growth of plants under different soil, light and
water conditions.
 Recent years have seen significant growth in scholarship
on the history of telecommunications and related technologies.
 This forecast showed much less growth than expected by
the district's officials and residents.
Associated: grow (verb)
117,40

guarantee [noun]
to promise or assure that something will or will not happen

 The teacher said that he could not guarantee to grade all

the papers by the next lesson.
  Most companies guarantee to replace machines, like
refrigerators or computers, if they break down in the first year.
 The district cannot guarantee the accuracy of the
information or the appropriateness of any material that a
student finds.
 We will continue to see new immigrants coming to our
city, and we will need to guarantee their access into the
medical care system.
Associated: guarantee (verb)
Note: All electrical products come with a guarantee that they
will be replaced if they break in the first year.
29,00

guide [noun]
someone or something that helps people (to understand or find
their way)

 This name of this website is 'A guide to learning English.'

 Tourists who visit a foreign city often employ a guide to
show them the most interesting things to see.
 The following information has been prepared to serve as
a guide to assist you in establishing criteria for a successful
teaching practice.
 This makes Kraay's work an unreliable guide to whether
globalisation really is making people in those countries better
off.
Associated: guide (verb); guidelines (noun)
177,60

habit [noun]
something you do regularly

 My teacher has the habit of telling us the homework in

the last minute of the lesson. It's not good.
 It is difficult to change an unhealthy eating habit that has
developed from a very early age.
 When a student comes to a lesson having learned a
poor habit, time and money are lost and progress is
postponed.
  Military historians and other students of international
security, gradually got into the habit of meeting together to
discuss ideas.
Associated: habitual (adjective); habitually (adverb)
10,20

halt [verb]
to stop

 The teacher decided to halt the activity when it became

clear that the students didn't understand what to do.
 The government is taking advice from experts on how
to halt the increase of illegal immigrants.
 Because southern Christian churches benefited financially
from slave-based plantations they did nothing to halt the
practice of slavery
 Why, Graeme Newman asks, has reform after reform
failed to halt the spread of crime?
Associated: halt (noun)
7,40

hardly [adverb]
not very much

 There are hardly any teachers at the school who cannot

speak at least two languages.
 Many people think that there is hardly any chance of
peace in the Middle East. The situation in that part of the world
is just too complex.
 The percentage of online adults who say they hardly ever
or never search for health information has dropped to 39
percent.
 The topic of child deaths in the nineteenth century is one
which could hardly fail to interest any serious scholar of the
period.
Note: A synonym is barely .
10,80

harm [verb]
to damage or injure
  She will harm her chances of graduating unless she starts
to attend school more regularly.
 Some scientists believe that genetically modified food
can harm people's health.
 Turning in work completed by other students will
only harm you when it comes to the exams.
 The Board may presume that those actions created a
hostile or abusive work environment which harms the
efficiency of the service.
Associated: harm (noun); harmful (adjective)
25,30

harsh [adjective]
hard, unfair

 Nobody got more than 60% in the test. I think the

teacher's grading was too harsh.
 In some countries anyone caught taking drugs can expect
a very harsh punishment.
 He reminds us that harsh teaching methods are part of
coming of age in the world of the Japanese performing arts.
 An abundance of research documents the biased
and harsh treatment that Black defendants have received at
the hands of predominantly White jurors.
Associated: harshness (noun); harshly (adverb)
5,30

hence [adverb]
so, therefore

 The student was caught plagiarizing for the third

time. Hence, she was asked to leave the school.
 There was a great risk that the disease would spread to
other farms. Hence all the sick cows had to be killed.
 Please note that section 5 is the most important,
and hence it should constitute the majority of your journal
entry.
 Hence it is a challenging task for the employers to
determine the factors that stimulate job satisfaction in its
employees and act on it.
29,80
hesitate [verb]
to pause before saying or doing something

 Many people hesitate before eating raw fish for the first
time. They are not sure what it will taste like.
 I hesitate to put all of my lecture notes online because I
do want students to attend the lectures.
 Bassett did not hesitate to take on responsibilities
outside the classroom.
 The government must not hesitate in taking harsh
actions against communism and all its supporters.
Associated: hesitation (noun)
11,00

hierarchy [noun]
organizational structure (e.g. showing who works for whom)

 Many teachers are happier at a lower position in the

school hierarchy. They do not want the stress that comes
with the top jobs.
 Some organizations have tried to exist without a
clear hierarchy, but in most cases people want to know who
their boss is.
 He was inspired by the dreams and disappointments of
those individual schoolteachers who dared to challenge
the hierarchy and follow their own visions toward a better
future.
 There is a sharp contrast between Japan's fairly
rigid hierarchy of national and private universities with the
United States, which has a wider variety of institutions.
Associated: hierarchical (adjective)
18,00

highlight [verb]
to show (the important features of something)

 Teachers often highlight student grammar errors with a

yellow marker pen.
 The government needs to do more to highlight its
success in fighting unemployment.
  Job applicants often find that their personal attributes
match what a company values; when this occurs, you
should highlight these attributes in your CV.
 What the headlines failed to highlight was that
democratic parties captured more than 60 percent of the
ballots cast.
Note: A highlight (noun) is the best part of an event or
performance , as in For me the highlight of the show was when
the girl played the piano with a hammer.
37,20

homogeneous [adjective]
having the same qualities or characteristics

 Some teachers believe that it is better to teach language

to a class with students of homogeneous ability.
 Germany is no longer a homogeneous society. Between
15 - 20% of its population is non-German.
 The sorting of students into homogeneous ability and
achievement groups is nearly as old as universal compulsory
education in the United States.
 Most historians agree that Kievan Russia was not
a homogeneous political, cultural, or ethnic entity.
Associated: homogeneity (noun)
Note: This word is also spelled homogenous .
6,60

hostile [adjective]
unfriendly; dangerous; strongly opposed to

 From the beginning he has shown a hostile attitude to

being in Germany and learning the German language.
 Antarctica is a very hostile environment. Many explorers
have lost their lives there.
 Why are most intellectuals and education theorists
so hostile to allowing ordinary parents to choose which school
their children will attend?
 This fact demonstrates that immigrants are not hostile to
learning the language of their new country.
Associated: hostility (noun)
5,80
hypothesis [noun]
idea or prediction

 Frankfurt International School has attracted many more

German students recently. My hypothesis is that parents are
not happy with the education their children are getting in
German public schools.
 Not all scientists agree with the hypothesis that the
earth is getting warmer because of human pollution.
 She chose to reject the hypothesis that there is an
increased risk of having a second child with the same disorder.
 The doctrine of evolution was not considered to be a
serious hypothesis, worthy of investigation and in-depth
study.
Associated: hypothesize (verb)
28,60

ideal [adjective]
best, optimal

 The ideal solution to this problem would be for everyone

to say sorry and then just forget the whole thing.
 Some people think that the ideal way to stop people
smoking is to raise the price of cigarettes sky-high.
 He states in his letter his strong opposition to a monarchy,
which is not an ideal government for independence.
 It is not an ideal solution by any means, as it limits
researchers to a small percentage of the information they
could gain from these archives.
Associated: ideally (adverb); ideal (noun)
26,10

identical [adjective]
exactly the same

 We faced an identical problem over 10 years ago and

couldn't solve it then, either.
 Twins born from the same egg are called identical twins.
They look exactly the same. Fraternal twins look a little
different from each other.
  Although consultation between students in solving
problems is encouraged, identical answers will be considered
plagiarized.
 Dmitrieva and Kuptsova adopt an identical approach and
understand culture as a realm of signs and meanings.
23,40

identify [verb]
to know or say who or what something is

 I can't identify this beetle; I'll have to ask the science

teacher what it is.
 The police are trying to identify the men seen on camera
breaking the bus shelter.
 Should the counselor attempt to identify him and inform
him that there is a risk to his future children?
 The student could not identify the basic factors in a
solution to the problem.
Associated: identification (noun)
155,70

ignorance [noun]
lack of knowledge

 I am often surprised by the ignorance of some high

school students. One of them yesterday did not know the
name of the president of the USA.
 You know that ignorance of a law will not prevent you
from being arrested for breaking it.
 The writer clearly did not perform the experiment, but
gave us what her very great ignorance expected would
happen.
 This widespread ignorance was caused by the insufficient
amount of media coverage on topic.
Associated: ignorant (adjective)
Antonym: knowledge
7,10

ignore [verb]
to take no notice of; to leave out (of consideration)
  I find it very difficult to ignore his bad manners.
 The government raised taxes, deciding to ignore the loud
protests in the media.
 A supervisor must not ignore, delay, or inappropriately
deny an student's request for assistance.
 The best advice I can give is to ignore advice. Life is too
short to be distracted by the opinions of others.
28,20

illuminate [verb]
to show clearly; to light up

 The school plans to illuminate the sports field so that

games can be played after dark.
 The company report did not do much to illuminate the
reasons for the fall in business in the previous year.
 Maharaj says that he did not particularly care for the
Broadway production of Side Show because he felt it failed
to illuminate the writers' true intentions.
 Niehuss does much to illuminate the enormous impact of
consumer culture on West German women's lives.
Associated: illumination (noun)
6,40

illustrate [verb]
to show; to make clear

 You may have learned the steps of the scientific method

but, in your preparation, failed to illustrate each step with an
example.
 The war in Iraq serves to illustrate the government's
unwillingness to listen to the wishes of the majority of its
people.
 These orders do much to illustrate the significant need
for better organization in terms of record-keeping.
 The results from this experimental course illustrate very
clearly that flow visualization can be performed successfully by
a wide range of people.
Associated: illustrative (adverb); illustration(noun)
Note: Another common meaning of illustration is picture, as
in This book has many interesting illustrations.
42,30

image [noun]
picture

 To learn a new word, it often helps to make an image of

it in your mind.
 The terrorist plane crashing into the New York tower is
an image that most people will never forget.
 Keep in mind that Dreamweaver is not an picture editor.
If you need to make major changes in the size or other
attributes of an image, use Photoshop or other graphics
program.
 One danger of any powerful image is that, at the height
of its power, people confuse the image and the thing that is
being compared to it.
146,20

imaginary [adjective]
not real; from the imagination

 The equator is an imaginary line that divides the earth

into a northern and southern hemisphere.
 Doctors say that some of the symptoms that their
patients describe to them are imaginary.
 The imaginary problem results from the authors' basic
misunderstanding of economics and politics.
 The existence of such alternative measures was
not imaginary; the Commission had already suggested
several possibilities.
Associated: imagination (noun); imagine (verb)
Note: The unicorn is an imaginary animal.
4,70

immediate [adjective]
first (without delay)

 My immediate reaction was that something had

happened to him on the way to school.
  On hearing of the terrorist attack the president called
an immediate meeting of his top advisers.
 In 1993 a student wrote an article critical of Martin Luther
King. The response was immediate and negative.
 Most of the time you will get immediate assistance,
unless another emergency has arisen before yours.
Associated: immediately (adverb)
41,70

immense [adjective]
very large

 His written work is actually very good, but he

has immense problems with the difficult English spelling
system.
 There are immense parts of the planet that have not yet
been explored. These are all on the ocean floor.
 People have been trying for decades or maybe even
centuries in an attempt to bring this immense problem to an
end.
 This interesting site offers the student of neuroscience
access to an immense amount of information on the discipline.
Associated: immensely (adverb); immensity (noun)
4,30

impact [noun]
effect

 Do you think the government's decision to raise taxes will

have an impact on the unemployment figures?
 The teacher's threat to give the student a detention had
an immediate impact on his behaviour.
 No consensus exists as to the impact of the Hyde
Amendment on the number of abortions or births.
 My guess is that it had no impact on prices except,
possibly, the very first time, and that this impact would
probably have been very minor.
Associated: impact (verb)
133,40
implement [verb]
to start or put into practice (something that has been planned)

 Next year the school will implement a policy of no

smoking on campus for both teachers and students.
 As a result of the rise in the price of oil, the government
has decided not to implement the proposed tax increase.
 In the Spring semester, CIS faculty plans
to implement three new courses in high demand.
 He was unable to implement his plans for an industrial
area, which he purchased from the Israel Land Administration.
Associated: implementation (noun)
72,00

implication [noun]
result or consequence

 We do not yet know the implication for the government

of the rapid rise in house prices.
 The school's decision to raise the tuition fees will have a
serious implication on the number of students who plan to
attend.
 Numerous policy and programme implications were
derived from the study findings.
 The optical characteristics of the new hardware will have a
profound implication on high-speed networking across the
globe.
9,00

imply [verb]
to mean; to give to understand

 I do not wish to imply that she is lazy, but her work is

often late and of poor quality.
 The good results in recent matches imply that the new
trainer knows what he is doing.
 This statement does not imply that the university will be
responsible for any other expenses of the above-name student.
 To achieve sales success always imply, in every possible
way, that the person you're dealing with is smarter, better-
looking, slimmer, and more successful than they really are.
Associated: implication (noun)
27,20

import [verb]
to bring in (to a country)

 Each year the school has to import many of its textbooks

from the USA or England-
 Germany needs to import more qualified computer
technicians. It has failed to train enough of its own.
 Once Windows Movie Maker has opened, you will need
to import the video clip that you would like to edit.
 It seems natural that we would want to employ nurses
from overseas; after all we import everything else.
Associated: import (noun)
Antonym: export
Note: In the noun import the first syllable is stressed. In the
verb import the second syllable is stressed. The same applies
to export.
26,20

impose [verb]
to force; to require to happen

 The school has decided to impose a ban on smoking

anywhere on campus. This also applies to teachers.
 The government plans to impose heavier punishment for
dropping litter in the streets.
 Sometimes it is necessary to impose a limit on the
number of solutions searched for, since in general the number
of such solutions could be infinite.
 In most of Africa, for example, weaker institutions have
failed to impose restrictions on rulers and undemocratic power
politics has been employed.
Associated: imposition (noun)
20,30

impress [verb]
to create a favourable reaction
  She has continued impress me with her hard work and
positive attitude.
 The company's efforts to increase business over the past
year failed to impress the shareholders.
 Calderone's insistence that sex education should begin as
early as kindergarten did not impress religious conservative
groups.
 Powerpoint presentations do not
always impress, especially if the actual content is poor.
Associated: impression (noun); impressive (adjective)
4,50

improve [verb]
to get better

 I want to improve my ESL grade, so I'm going to try to

read many more books next semester.
 When schools are unable to improve student academic
achievement, districts are responsible for helping those schools
make the necessary changes.
 This situation is certain to improve over the next few
years, given the quantity of research now being done on the
effectiveness of complementary medicine.
 We further believe that the general quality of student
writing will not improve unless we as a department are willing
to state explicitly the standards we require.
Associated: improvement (noun)
Antonym: deteriorate
170,70

impulse [noun]
reason or motivation to do something

 He seems to be lacking the impulse to improve his rather

poor grades.
 The government needs to provide a better impulse for
people to save more of their money.
 Picasso's impulse to draw found expression in a variety
of forms.
 The revolutionary impulse must come from those basic
human needs that are failed by capitalism.
Associated: impel (verb)
5,50

incentive [noun]
reason to do something

 There's no incentive to make an effort if the teacher

never gives you back your work.
 The government plans to introduce an incentive for long-
term unemployed people to start looking for work again.
 For most teachers the cash bonus was a nice
acknowledgment of work well done, but not an incentive that
influenced their behavior.
 Because there was the threat of losing funding if they
failed to participate, there was a strong incentive to do so.
15,30

incident [noun]
happening; event

 There was an unpleasant incident on the playground

yesterday when a fight started between two groups of students.
 A dangerous incident took place on the border between
Israel and Egypt.
 Individuals should report the incident to a faculty or staff
member at the university with whom they are comfortable.
 In the Fall of 1998, there was an incident at a vehicle
manufacturing plant involving a chemical shipment that was
piped into the wrong tank.
21,00

include [verb]
to put in; to have in

 You have forgotten to include an introductory paragraph.

Please do so.
 All new cars have airbags and many include navigation
systems too.
 An assessment report must include a summary of
procedures and instruments.
  The global trade agreements have failed
to include meaningful, enforceable labour or environmental
standards.
Associated: inclusion (noun)
Antonym: exclude
462,00

income [noun]
money earned

 School fees are expensive. Parents who want to send their

children here need a high income.
 The income of a soccer player in one week is many times
higher than what most people earn in a whole year.
 17% reported that their income was not at all adequate.
 Increased income caused consumers to spend more and
firms to invest more.
58,80

incorporate [verb]
to include

 Most language lessons incorporate the chance for the

students to practise speaking.
 The company plans to incorporate training videos on its
intranet website.
 The online instructor must incorporate the best practices
of traditional teaching without the benefit of face-to-face
interaction.
 The results suggest that the best models will almost
always incorporate both vertical and horizontal processes.
Associated: incorporation (noun)
41,10

increase [verb]
to get bigger

 The population of the world is will continue

to increase. It is expected that there will be 7 billion people
on earth in the year 2010.
  Tight budgets made it impossible to increase our faculty
to keep pace with our student growth.
 The number of extremely warm nights and the length of
heat waves will increase significantly over nearly all land
areas across the globe.
 Bernstein argues that progressive reforms not only failed
to increase the power of the people but were conservative
and not innovative.
Associated: increase (noun)
Antonym: decrease
Note: In the noun increase the first syllable is stressed. In the
verb increase the second syllable is stressed. The same applies
to decrease.
200,10

indeed [adverb]
.. used in confirmation or emphasis; really

 The ESL students at this school usually take longer than

native speakers to do the same work. Indeed some of them
regularly work for 3-4 hours every evening.
 I don't believe that the government's plan will be
successful. Indeed I think it will make things worse.
 If he was indeed employed by the Grand Duke, that
would account for his odd behaviour.
 Before this century there was little conflict between
them; indeed, they did not think of themselves as two distinct
kinds of people.
38,80

independent [adjective]
free; not needing anyone or anything else

 The aim of teaching is to help students

become independent learners.
 Greenpeace is an independent organization. It's not part
of any government or the United Nations.
 Both children and adults can be encouraged to
be independent learners, but their needs as language
learners are often different.
  The assessment was not independent of influence by
Coca-Cola (i.e. the final report appeared to have been edited
by Coca-Cola prior to its release.
Associated: independence (noun); independently (adverb)
Antonym: dependent
88,50

indicate [verb]
to show or convey

 You must indicate at the top of the page how many

words you wrote.
 The unemployment figures indicate that the recent
changes in tax have been successful.
 These results indicate that substantial numbers of
students attending the school are not attaining minimum levels
of literacy and mathematical competency.
 You need to indicate on your admissions application that
you will have 24 credits completed at the time of attendance.
Associated: indication (noun)
114,90

indirectly [adverb]
in a indirect way; not straight or immediate

 All the ESL student's teachers can indirectly influence

the speed at which he or she learns English.
 The government hopes that its new tax law will
result indirectly in a reduction in teenage pregnancy.
 California's medical schools and major teaching hospitals
are directly and indirectly responsible for more than 200000
full-time jobs.
 The report shows how the mass media indirectly affect
adolescent smoking rates.
Associated:
Antonym: directly
8,80

individual [noun]
one person
  Every individual in this class has made excellent
progress and passed the final exam.
 No individual can have much effect on the environment,
but people working together can make a big difference.
 There will be no verbal or written personal attacks on
any individual or group of individuals based on age, ancestry,
color, disability or handicap.
 While the individual is not responsible for developing the
disease, he or she is responsible for not passing it on.
Associated: individually (adverb)
208,00

induce [verb]
to make happen; to force

 It seems that nothing will induce her to get to class on

time.
 Sitting too long in front of a computer
may induce headaches or back problems.
 Conversely, rising wage rates often induce workers to try
to work fewer hours as they become rich enough to afford
more leisure.
 He rightly concludes that the end of the Cold War failed
to induce significant changes in the Horn of Africa or to
improve the mutual security of states.
Associated: induction (noun)
17,30

industry [noun]
area of business ( often manufacturing )

 He wants to get a job in the engineering industry when

he leaves school.
 The world's largest film industry is in Hollywood, Los
Angeles.
 The whole new industry of purchasing drugs "on line" is
another area where care and common sense are essential.
 The last decade has seen a major transformation of the
Indian car industry.
Associated: industrial (adjective)
Note: The adjective industrious means hard-working, as
in She is a very industrious student.
120,40

inevitable [adjective]
cannot be changed or avoided; obvious

 He is the inevitable choice for the leading role in the play.

He's by far the best actor in the school.
 It was inevitable that the business would fail. It was
badly run, and the products it sold were overpriced and of poor
quality.
 Thousands of farm families are being forced off the land,
and we are being told that it is an inevitable consequence of
technological progress.
 It is inevitable that any complex society will have some
sort of taxation system.
Associated: inevitably (adverb); inevitability (noun)
Note: There is no opposite word evitable .
7,30

infer [verb]
to come to a conclusion about something

 From the quality of the writing I can only infer that

someone helped him. His work is usually nowhere near as
good.
 Some scientists claim that we cannot infer global
warming on the basis of a just few years of hot weather.
 It is often impossible to infer the pronunciation of a word
from its spelling alone.
 Since we can't observe it directly, we need to infer it
from the things we can observe.
Associated: inference (noun)
11,50

infinite [adjective]
without an end
  It is a common belief that the universe is infinite. But
who knows? Maybe one day we will discover it has an edge or
end.
 There is not an infinite supply of oil and natural gas.
 Infinite power is so vast and incomprehensible an idea
that the mind of man must necessarily be bewildered in the
contemplation of it.
 In a world of infinite problems but finite resources,
competition for adequate attention and funding is substantial.
Associated: infinity (noun); infinitely (adverb)
Antonym: finite
8,90

influence [noun]
effect

 My teacher will not let me sit near to John any more. She
says he is a bad influence on me.
 Many people become aggressive under the influence of
alcohol.
 Being under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol on
the job may pose serious risks.
 European democratic nation states have increasingly
lost influence over the conduct of their own economies.
Associated: influence (verb); influential (adjective)
70,80

inform [verb]
to say, give information

 I want to inform you that I shall be leaving the school at

the end of the next term.
 All political parties have websites these days
to inform people of their policies.
 The administrative staff will inform the student
supervisor when a student has failed to provide required
documents and other information.
 It quickly became apparent, however, that someone
forgot to inform the president of this decision.
Associated: information (noun)
54,00

inherent [adjective]
part of; a fundamental characteristic of

 A respect for other cultures is inherent in the philosophy

of our international school.
 Questioning the values of parents is inherent in being a
teenager.
 The drive to excel must be inherent in the culture of a
university.
 Patience was not inherent in him, but he developed it
under misfortune and opposition.
Associated: inherently (adverb)
14,70

inhibit [verb]
to prevent or stop

 Being forced to speak before they are ready

can inhibit some adults' enjoyment and success in learning a
language.
 It is important that the government's proposals do
not inhibit the development of small businesses.
 Some people think that electronic toys and
games inhibit children's creativity.
 The two procedures consistently showed that garlic did
not inhibit the growth of oral bacteria.
 The mask must always inhibit the actor in expressing
both joy and grief.
Associated: inhibition (noun)
10,10

initial [adjective]
starting, first

 My initial intention was to resign, but then I changed my

mind.
 Of course she makes grammar mistakes; she is at
the initial stage of learning English.
  This report summarizes our initial findings.
 The student is experiencing initial difficulties with the
reading requirements of the course.
Associated: initially (adverb)
Note: Used as a plural noun initials (noun) refer to the first
letters of each of your names. . The webmaster's initials are
PWS (Paul William Shoebottom).
75,20

innovation [noun]
new object or idea

 Requiring students to leave the school building at

lunchtime is not a very popular innovation from the new
principal.
 Fish farming is an innovation that should go some way
to compensating for the reduction of fish in the oceans.
 Is the Smartboard just the latest
teaching innovation that will be popular for a year or so and
then disappear without trace?
 In many cases what was once an innovation is now
taken for granted. Remarkable inventions, once assimilated
into daily life, become routine.
Associated: innovate (verb)
43,20

inquire [verb]
to ask

 Where can I inquire about the teaching job I saw in the

newspaper?
 The government has set up a committee to inquire why
more young people have started smoking in the last few years.
 Students need to inquire with the department offering
the master's degree to ensure the correct credential courses
are taken.
 If you are interested in checking out any of the books in
the display case, please inquire at Circulation.
Associated: inquiry (noun)
Note: This word is sometimes spelled enquire (enquiry) .
11,20
insert [verb]
to put in

 Please insert your disk, shut the disk drive and then click
on 'Save'.
 To include an image on your website, you will need
to insert the image into your webpage using an HTML editor.
 My biggest regret about the book is that Gruchy did
not insert his personal experiences explicitly into the text.
 We explain that at each movement in the dance there are
endless opportunities to insert new ideas.
Associated: insertion (noun)
Antonym: remove
28,70

insight [noun]
understanding (often of a complex problem)

 She had a flash of insight that she was going to fail her
exams unless she started working.
 The government shows little insight into the reasons why
so many young people become addicted to drugs and alcohol.
 The thesis is unoriginal and lacks insight into the key
issues.
 Another significant insight was provided by the results of
the post-hoc test of Recognition Motivation.
30,60

insist [verb]
to demand; to make a strong claim

 The school can recommend that parents communicate by

email, but they cannot insist on it.
 The police insist that they are doing all they can to find
the missing child.
 Some students will insist that advertising does not
"mean" anything; they may feel that ads have little effect on
the way people think and act.
 The case of Nicaragua demonstrates how the United
States failed to insist on the implementation of democratic
procedures.
Associated: insistence (noun)
9,10

inspect [verb]
to look at carefully

 You need to inspect your work a little more closely for

silly spelling or punctuation errors.
 The doctor had to inspect the x-rays carefully to find any
signs of abnormality.
 If you inspect the data further, you will see that there
are many observations that are larger than 600.
 Please remember to inspect any rented vehicle before
driving it and note any scratches or other damage to the
vehicle on the rental form.
Associated: inspection (noun); inspector (noun)
9,20

install [verb]
to put in (often a machine or new system)

 The school will install a new floor in the sport hall over
the summer vacation.
 The company director decided to install his son as the
new head of marketing.
 This document will explain some of the problems that
could exist because the computer is unable to install updates
for Windows Vista.
 Later in the year they plan to install up to 4000,00 more
solar panels in a student village to be built for the university.
Associated: installation (noun)
32,40

instance [noun]
example

 The latest instance of his bad behaviour was to lock

another student in the toilet.
 There are many things that people can do in the battle
against global warming. For instance, they can turn off lights
when they leave the room.
  During the period of time that a student is on probation,
any further instance of misconduct will cause the Board
seriously to consider requiring the student to withdraw from
the College.
 However, you may also include a citation at a natural
breaking point within the sentence, for instance before a
comma or a conjunction.
50,00

instant [adjective]
immediate

 If you want an instant answer to almost any question

you could ask, then Google will probably give it to you.
 People are right to be suspicious of any diet that
promises instant success.
 Try to communicate that the process is more important
than the answer so that the student learns that it is OK to not
have an instant solution.
 I really need one hundred percent concentration while
performing my duties; I cannot be instant messaging.
Associated: instantly (adverb)
13,80

instead [preposition]
in place of; rather than

 Instead of learning words by saying them aloud, why

don't you write them on cards. This has proved to be a good
method.
 The government should spend money in its own country,
but it chooses to fight wars in other countries instead.
 Examples of everyday fitness programs include walking
during lunch hour, parking farther away from one's place of
work, and taking stairs instead of an elevator.
 There will not be representative democracy in
Iraq. Instead, there will be a long US-led military occupation
that will incite resistance.
Note: Instead can also function as an adverb, as in example
sentences 2 and 4 below. When it is used as a preposition, it
must be followed by of.
52,90

instinct [noun]
natural feeling or reaction

 My instinct tells me that there is more to her learning

problems than the parents are willing to say.
 The university advises female students to follow
their instinct whether it is safe to accept a ride home from a
man they have just met.
 You need to trust your instinct as to whether he is the
right man to marry.
 Again, he followed his instinct. And again, he was
successful.
 Unlike other animals, humans have no instinct for
survival; we often choose to do things that may be detrimental
to our health.
Associated: instinctive (adjective)
2,60

institution [noun]
a large organization; an important system or custom

 Harvard is probably the most famous

education institution in the USA.
 The government is planning to set up an institution to
document climate change.
 Slavery is not an institution which developed itself.
 A recommended visit is to the Spa Town, a
famous institution from Roman times as well as from the
Turkish era.
Note: Institute is a similar word used for a large
organization.
114,80

instruction [noun]
advice or teaching how to do something; an order to do
something

 The school offers basketball instruction in the vacation.

  The teacher left an instruction that no homework was to
be set in her absence.
 How can educators design instruction to maximize the
learning of all students?
 These tips do not relieve you of the obligation to read and
follow the Instruction Booklet which is ONLY available on line
this year!
Associated: instruct (verb); instructor (noun)
88,00

integrate [verb]
to fit into a new situation

 The school does a lot to integrate new families, with

information meetings, translation services, etc.
 A major problem for most western societies is how
to integrate immigrants with different cultures and religious
beliefs.
 Each College or School should integrate the teaching of
basic technology skills at the earliest level possible.
 According to him migrants and refugees do
not integrate enough in Dutch society.
Associated: integration (noun)
41,40

intense [adjective]
strong, extreme

 The sea froze over in the intense cold.

 If you make an intense effort, you still have a chance to
pass your exams.
 Selecting the panelists is no easy task, and is subject
to intense lobbying.
 These interviews are part of an intense effort to discover
our internal best practices and high points.
Associated: intensely (adverb); intensity (noun)
14,60

intention [noun]
plan, aim
  I have no intention of being a teacher when I leave
school. I want to earn more money!
 The company's intention was to increase sales by 20%.
Due to the high cost of oil in the past year, it was not
successful.
 From the outset of the gulf crisis, President George Bush
stated that it was not his intention to harm the Iraqi people.
 It is my firm intention to remain with my department for
at least two years.
Associated: intend (verb)
15,90

interact [verb]
to react, to affect and be affected

 It's good to see students of different

nationalities interact so naturally as they do at our school.
 Medical scientists have done extensive research on
individual drugs but they do not know so much how
drugs interact with each other
 About a quarter of the elementary and secondary
students typically did not interact with the teacher at all
during class.
 Biological processes interact strongly with physical and
chemical processes to create the planetary environment.
Associated: interaction (noun)
51,30

interfere [verb]
to prevent; to harm

 He has a heavy accent but this does not interfere with

understanding what he means.
 Stopping work to look after a new-born child must not be
allowed to interfere with a woman's career chances.
 Storage of personal information not related to university
business must be limited and must not interfere in any way
with the storage and maintenance of university data.
 Errors in grammar and vocabulary may, but do not
always, interfere with comprehensibility.
Associated: interference (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of interfere is to involve
oneself in a situation where one's involvement is unwanted, as
in Please don't interfere. It's none of your business!
17,00

interior [noun]
inside

 The interior of the new science building is not finished

yet, but from the outside it looks great!
 It was not until about 500 years ago that scientists and
doctors began to examine the interior of the human body.
 The Earth's interior is divided into four layers, which is
typical of rocky planets.
 Injuries occur when there is a certain blow or pressure
against the head, damaging the interior of the brain.
Associated: interior (adjective)
Antonym: exterior
30,20

interpretation [noun]
explanation; assessment

 What is your interpretation of his recent odd behaviour?

 This text is open to a variety of interpretations.
 The correct interpretation of this text requires
recovering certain implicit information that relies on
commonsense knowledge.
 The priests of this institution did not give their answers by
inspiration, but occupied themselves chiefly with
the interpretation of dreams
Associated: interpret (verb)
50,60

interrupt [verb]
to stop something from happening

 The demonstrators failed to interrupt the progress of the

Olympic torch through the city streets.
  We cannot allow a few disaffected children to
continually interrupt the education of the majority of the class.
 Toscano, professor of history, talks about the war but
refuses to let it interrupt his curriculum.
 A snowstorm failed to interrupt soccer practice on the
Inlet early last week.
Associated: interruption (noun)
7,40

interval [noun]
a period of time

 There will be an interval of 20 minutes in the middle of

the school play.
 The 7 Harry Potter books have been published at
an interval of about 2-3 years.
 Throughout the day, with a brief interval for lunch, he
stared at the history project which was due the next morning.
 It explores the lives of a group of adolescent boys in
the interval between the departure of the Nazis and the
arrival of the Communists.
23,60

intervene [verb]
to step into a situation (in order to stop or change something)

 There was a loud argument in the cafeteria today. I had

to intervene before it turned into a fight.
 After Iraq some people feel strongly that the USA should
never again intervene in the affairs of other countries
 He told reporters that he did not want to intervene in the
dispute over the prime minister.
 When a government engages in gross and systematic
human-rights violations, the international community
must intervene.
Associated: intervention (noun)
6,60

intrinsic [adjective]
belonging to; inherent in
  A willingness to question what you are told is intrinsic to
the best students.
 Listening to the people is an intrinsic aspect of good
government.
 Teachers identified aspects intrinsic to the task of
teaching, such as their interactions with students and their
capacity to influence student achievement.
 Nature was an intrinsic part of ancient Chinese,
Japanese, and Indian literature.
Associated:
Antonym: extrinsic
8,20

introduce [verb]
to talk about or bring in for the first time

 The library is going to introduce a new electronic system

for checking out books.
 The chairman of the meeting forgot to introduce the
guest speaker.
 This article will only introduce the issues rather than
present a detailed analysis with proofs.
 Columbus did not introduce slavery to the New World;
the practice existed there before his arrival.
Associated: introduction (noun)
Note: Another common use of introduce is when meeting
someone for the first time. Example: Let me introduce Mary.
She's the new science teacher in grade 7.
65,40

invent [verb]
to create (often a new object)

 I'm trying to invent a machine that will do my homework

for me. - Good luck!
 He had no good reason for being late, so he decided
to invent one.
 Indeed, we know that the Fleming, who was first
to invent the telescope, was a simple maker of ordinary
spectacles.
  Clinton certainly did not invent these word games, but in
recent years they have risen to a high art form in Washington.
Associated: invention (noun); inventive (adjective)
6,50

invest [verb]
to put money into something

 The school is planning to invest a lot of money in a new

arts and technology block.
 The company has decided to invest much time and effort
into marketing its new product.
 The PBL method is rather time-consuming and requires
the teacher to invest a lot of effort over an extended period of
time.
 In other words, his father did not invest the level of
resources, whether they be human or monetary, necessary for
success.
Associated: investment (noun); investor (noun)
25,60

investigate [verb]
to find out what has happened or why something has happened

 I'll need to investigate what happened at lunch time.

Someone broke the window in my room but everyone claims to
have seen nothing.
 If your students are not at the level you have planned for
them in the middle of the quarter, you will need
to investigate why this is so.
 Kenya has also used the framework to investigate the
causes and possible solutions to the escalating conflicts
between the different groups.
 Your group will need to investigate the physical
characteristics of your city (such as mountains and lakes).
Associated: investigation (noun)
56,70

invisible [adjective]
cannot be seen
  The air in this room is invisible, but we know it's here
otherwise we'd die.
 Nine tenths of an iceberg is under water and
hence invisible to ships.
 Although most universities say they place a high value on
teaching, faculty often feel that teaching is
somehow invisible to the administration.
 Unlike the clouds on Earth, however, many of the forms of
interstellar clouds are completely invisible to the human eye.
Associated: invisibility (noun)
Antonym: visible
2,30

involve [verb]
to include or mean

 Be warned: Becoming a parent will involve many

sleepless nights and a house full of plastic toys.
 Don't involve me in your plan - I want nothing to do with
it.
 There are so many careers that involve Astronomy.
 The course is intended to involve a lot of class discussion.
 After these two periods of individual work time that did
not involve any teacher instruction, the students presented
their work to the class.
 Typical conversations involve a huge amount of "world
knowledge" or common facts about life which humans
accumulate as they grow.
Associated: involvement (noun)
71,70

isolate [verb]
to separate something or someone from others

 The teacher had to isolate the boy from the rest of the
class. His bad behaviour was disrupting their learning.
 Her writing was poor in every respect; it was difficult
to isolate her biggest problem.
 Each student's experience was so varied that I was unable
to isolate common themes for discussion.
  Be sure to isolate and disinfect feeding equipment and
other objects that may have come in contact with the sick
animals.
Associated: isolation (noun)
10,00

issue [noun]
a matter or problem

 Before making our decision we need to consider

the issue of financial support.
 The most important issue facing the government is
unemployment.
 C. S. Lewis tackled this issue head-on and offered some
good advice that informs how we select our projects.
 The issue of global warming is one of the more
contentious issues in science.
Note: Another common meaning of issue is a particular
edition of a newspaper or magazine, as in Have you seen last
week's issue of Time?
164,00

item [noun]
thing, element

 You can buy each item on the school supplies list from
the bookstore.
 The first item on the agenda is the proposal to increase
working hours to 42 per work.
 "Recommended Changes to Student Handbook" was the
next item for discussion.
 If there is an item that you need quickly, please state the
time frame within which you need it.
73,80

join [verb]
to become a member (of an organization; to get together with
others

 If you want to join the chess club, please sign your name
on the list below.
  Everyone should join together to protect the environment.
 World War II was a turning point because, for the first
time, women were allowed to join the military.
 We have found that students are more likely to complete
a community health project if they join a team.
Note: A joint is part of the body where two bones meet (e.g.
elbow) A junction is where two or more roads meet.
148,50

journey [noun]
a long trip to a different place

 I went on a long journey last year. First I travelled to

Japan, then I flew to Brazil. After that I sailed to California
before coming home.
 It was quite a journey, but he finally found the strength
to give up drugs.
 The tale ends with Gilgamesh, at the end of
his journey standing before the gates of Uruk.
 Although every character goes through a journey, only
Richard truly understands this concept.
Associated: journey (verb)
24,40

judge [verb]
to give an opinion about someone or something

 It is difficult to judge how much her excellent grade is

due to hard work and how much to natural talent.
 It is too early to judge whether the government's plan to
reduce child poverty have been successful or not.
 The university's officials hope that their applications will
not drop significantly, though it is too soon to judge the effect
of the hurricane.
 All of those guidelines put together would make it nearly
impossible to judge a piece of art or literature.
 The supervisor will judge whether the paper is
satisfactory, and thus she or he should make sure the student
has enough preparation.
  People are more likely to take risks they would not take
when sober, and are unable to judge accurately their ability to
drive.
Associated: judgement (noun); judge (noun)
Note: A judge is the person with the power to sentence a
convicted criminal in a law court . ( Judgement can also be
spelled judgment.)
46,50

justice [noun]
fairness in law

 There is no justice. She worked very hard and got poor

grades, whereas he didn't work at all but came top of the class.
 The parents of the innocent man who was shot by police
on the London Underground are fighting for justice.
 There is very little justice of the poor and middle class as
our corrupt judges have developed a system called lawyer
denial.
 Antigone makes it clear that she is willing to meet her
untimely death to gain justice.
Associated: just (adjective)
Antonym: injustice
75,00

justify [verb]
to give a reason for doing something

 She was unable to justify her poor behaviour, but

promised never to repeat it.
 The government tried hard to justify its decision, but
most people believe it was a serious error of judgment.
 Mr. Bush cannot answer Sheehan's question and he
cannot justify the war of aggression against Iraq.
 The fact that speech is likely to result in some violence or
in destruction of property is not enough to justify its
suppression.
Associated: justification (noun)
22,80
key [adjective]
most important

 The key issue is not whether you enjoyed the lesson but
whether you learned anything.
 One of the key problems facing the government is how to
reduce unemployment.
 Education is a key factor in the development of all
countries, regardless of their social, political, economic, or
cultural characteristics.
 The researchers found that some of the key decision
makers lacked the proper knowledge and expertise to handle
the disaster.
Note: The most common meaning of key (noun) , of course,
is metal object used too lock and unlock doors.
128,60

label [verb]
to give a name to someone or something

 You need to label all your PE clothes so that they can

easily be returned to you if you lose them.
 The government is bringing in a new law to require food
manufacturers to label their products as high-, low- or
medium fat.
 The university should not label students who take an
extra year to complete their studies as lazy.
 Some historians still hesitate to label the incidents of
1915 as 'genocide ', choosing to use words like 'massacre ' or
'atrocities ' to describe the events instead.
Associated: label (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of label is the small cloth or
paper tag on clothing or food with information about the item
or the name of the item's manufacturer .
48,60

labour [noun]
work

 Well done. The result of all your labour is an fine grade in

your ESL test.
  Some types of labour are dirty, dangerous or not well-
paid. It is often poor immigrants to a country who take such
jobs.
 It was the result of his labour that Brazil could afford
scientific institutions.
 While the system has offered men the opportunity to
become owners of small factories, this opportunity rests on the
unpaid labour of female family members.
Associated: labour (verb)
Note: In American English labour is spelled labor.
6,40

lack [noun]
absence of a thing

 Your writing shows a basic lack of care or thought.

 Farmers in Germany complain every summer about
the lack of people who are prepared to work in the fields
harvesting asparagus or strawberries.
 The parent appears to have a serious lack of
understanding of child development, resulting in unrealistic
expectations for child that may be harmful.
 There was a lack of consistency in programs at
conferences to develop the adviser's professional skills.
Associated: lack (verb); lacking (adjective)
68,00

largely [adverb]
mostly

 His problems are largely due to poor concentration in

class.
 The public are largely satisfied with the government's
performance.
 Wurtz said that these products are not
just largely unnecessary, they are even potentially dangerous.
 Today the World Bank, which is largely responsible for
the disaster of the last thirty years, acknowledges that the
standards for human development are falling in Africa.
27,90
latter [adjective]
the second of two things mentioned

 Either he is not very clever or he does not work very hard.

I believe it is the latter.
 The government has recently published reports about
farming in the UK and illegal drug-taking. The latter has
created far more interest in the media.
 It was given to the grandmother by her grandfather in
1852, when the latter was a member of the California
assembly.
 In issues of accuracy or speed, the former must always
have priority over the latter.
Associated:
Antonym: former
32,60

launch [verb]
to begin

 The school will launch its new vacation sports and study
program at the beginning of next month.
 The government plans to launch a new campaign to
reduce teenage drinking.
 To launch the project, a special event will commence at
Stanford University's Center for Design Research at 11am
today.
 In August, UMBC will launch a new home page on our
Web site.
Associated: launch (noun)
33,60

layer [noun]
level

 There is a layer of meaning in the story that you have

not written about.
 The new committee just adds another layer to an already
complex decision -making process.
 A new layer of skin replaces the damaged skin during
healing.
  The combination of natural and human systems adds an
additional layer of complexity to the interactions.
29,00

lecture [noun]
a talk on a particular subject; talk criticizing unacceptable
behaviour

 The teacher gave me a lecture about the need to be in

class on time with all my materials.
 The lecture is the most common teaching style at
university. There is not so much question and answer as in
schools.
 Kiewra found that students who did not even attend
the lecture but reviewed the instructor notes performed better
than students who did attend but failed to take notes.
 And, further, he didn't appreciate a lecture from one
whose own morality has been deficient.
Associated: lecture (verb)
112,20

legal [adjective]
acceptable in law (to do with the law)

 The parents took legal advice when the school expelled

their daughter for repeated plagiarism.
 The government wants to make it legal for the police to
keep suspected terrorists in prison for 90 days before bringing
them to trial.
 Click for information about legal drinking ages in the
United States and around the world.
 Make sure you use legal resources to download your
favorite music and other media!
Associated: legally (adverb); legality (noun)
Antonym: illegal
107,40

legislation [noun]
governmental rule; law
  The new legislation will affect all immigrants to the
country.
 The school is likely to lose students if the government
goes ahead with its proposed legislation to reduce tax
benefits for parents.
 This unnecessary legislation would adversely impact the
existing review system that ensures the high quality of
scientific research in the United States.
 Dr. Blumenthal begins by analyzing why health care
reform legislation failed to pass Congress in 1994.
Associated: legislate (verb); legislator (noun)
31,20

legitimate [adjective]
correct; allowed

 If your parents want too take you out of school during

term time, they must have a legitimate reason.
 Many people think that the invasion of Iraq was
not legitimate.
 In order to make up a missed exam, you must produce
written evidence within 48 hours of the exam which shows that
you had a legitimate reason to do so.
 By running these ads, the newspaper is sending the
message that it considers this a legitimate product to sell.
Associated: legitimately (adjective)
Antonym: illegitimate
Note: An illegitimate child is one born to parents who are not
married.
10,90

lessen [verb]
to reduce

 You will lessen your chances of success if you are absent

from school so often.
 You can lessen your risk of getting a cold in the winter if
you avoid others who already have one!
 The proposal is unlikely to lessen the tension between
them.
  Ultimately, this research will lessen the negative health
impact of the hurricanes, which in turn will lessen the
economic burden on society.
Associated: less (adjective)
Antonym: increase
5,50

level [noun]
standard; layer; amount

 You are not yet ready to go to the next level of ESL.

 The government is concerned about the current
high level of unemployment.
 This requires thought, but not at a level which should be
inaccessible to advanced students.
 The department is responsible for notifying the Office of
Compliance & Consultation of the required level of training for
new employees.
Associated: level (verb)
Note: Level is useful word with many shades of meaning. You
are recommended to use your dictionary to find these.
264,00

liable [adjective]
likely to happen; at risk of happening

 You are more liable to get a better grade if you check

your work carefully.
 The government has become unpopular recently and
is liable to lose the coming election.
 A student whose total absences in a course, excused or
unexcused, exceed ten per trimester is liable to fail the course.
 Patients are liable to forget information that is not
written down.
Note: Liable / liability also mean legally responsible / legal
responsibility , as in If a car breaks down in its first few months,
the car dealer is liable to repair or replace it.
6,90

liberty [noun]
freedom
  Until you are an adult you do not have the liberty to do
what you want.
 The company has the liberty to dismiss employees
without giving a reason during the first 6 months of their
employment.
 I think the students enjoy the fact that they have
the liberty to try different things, says Harris. You can ask
them to expand and see which direction they take.
 For republicans since Cicero there can be
no liberty without law, and no valid law or legal system when
liberty is disregarded.
Associated: liberate (verb)
19,20

license [noun]
permission to do something (often an official document)

 In most countries of the world you need to get

a license before you can drive a car.
 The good result in the election does not give the
government license to do whatever it wants.
 Upon completion of your program requirements, you will
need to apply for a license to teach in the state of Ohio.
 She had no license to practice architecture in the District.
Associated: license (verb)
Note: This word can also be spelled licence .
46,40

likely [adjective]
probable

 The likely cause of the accident in the science lab is

errors in labelling the chemicals.
 It is not likely that medical science will find a cure for
cancer in the near future.
 Collecting information with no particular plan or purpose
and then hoping to transform it into a research project is
not likely to succeed.
 Global warming will likely cause big changes in
California's coastal waters.
Associated: likelihood (noun)
Antonym: unlikely
80,40

limit [noun]
extent, boundary

 This line on the playground is the limit to where you are

allowed to go as a grade 7 student.
 The government has set a clear limit on how much
pollution factories are allowed to release into the atmosphere
every year.
 There was no limit, it seemed, to what the terrorists who
target America were prepared to do.
 How much storage space do I get, and what happens if I
go over the limit?
Associated: limit (verb); limitation (noun)
68,40

local [adjective]
in the area where you live or work

 The school has set up many service projects in

the local community; for example at the old people home or
the refugee centre.
 Most people prefer to drive to huge out-of-town stores
than use their local shops which are often much more
expensive.
 The issue is not only a local problem, but must be dealt
with on a national level.
 Individual academies apply the curriculum in the manner
that best fits local facilities and opportunities.
Associated: locality (noun); locally (adverb)
168,00

location [noun]
place, where something or someone is

 The school is in a very good location to the north of

Frankfurt and on the edge of the beautiful Taunus forest.
  Despite looking for Osama Bin Laden for many years, the
USA still do not know his exact location.
 An important clue to understanding volcanoes is knowing
the location of the volcanic bands.
 The Regional Oral History Office has moved to a
temporary location.
Associated: locate (verb)
210,00

logical [adjective]
making sense

 The most logical reason for her poor test scores is that
she didn't prepare herself well enough.
 Doctors can give no logical explanation for the fact that
so many people smoke even though they know how dangerous
it is.
 Matilda Thurston considered who was the
most logical architect to design a proper campus for 200
students.
 So, the possibility of humans bringing about significant
evil is a logical consequence of having free will.
Associated: logic (noun); logically (adverb)
Antonym: illogical
21,20

loose [adjective]
not firm or finished

 He has only loose control of basic verb grammar. He

quite often chooses the wrong tense or forgets the -s ending.
 The government has some loose plans to reduce income
tax in the next 5 years.
 Smith starts out with a loose idea of what she wants to
achieve.
 So maybe people who see media studies as too general,
too loose, too intellectually vague have a point.
Associated: loosely (adverb)
Antonym: firm, tight
10,30
loss [noun]
removal or reduction

 She will be a great loss to the school when she retires

next month. She has been a wonderful teacher here for many
years.
 Most people are shocked by the loss of life in Iraq since
the invasion a few years ago.
 The class learns that Alzheimer's disease is a deterioration
of cells within the brain that leads to loss of memory.
 Some beach systems showed significant loss of sand in
the period from 1964.
Associated: lose (verb)
Antonym: gain
Note: Another common meaning of loss is the result of losing
something, as in I am still sad about the loss of my camera.
89,20

magnify [verb]
to make or show larger

 The fact that he can only speak a little English is sure

to magnify his already severe learning problems.
 The new version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer lets
you magnify pictures by using the mouse ball and the Control
key.
 Therefore, if a farm has efficiency problems, simply
expanding the operation may just magnify the problems.
 Television and the other news media have helped
to magnify the person and the institution of the presidency.
Associated: magnification (noun)
1,80

magnitude [noun]
size; amount

 I don't think she realises the magnitude of the task she

has set herself.
 The government was fully aware of the magnitude of its
decision to go to war.
  Solving a problem of this magnitude will require the
collective will and shared sacrifice of all members of the
university.
 In a densely populated area, an earthquake may do far
more damage than one of greater magnitude that occurs in a
remote area.
26,20

main [adjective]
most important

 You have many small errors in your writing, but

your main problem is that you have not organized your
thoughts clearly enough.
 The main advantage of living in the city is that you are
close to good shopping and entertainment. Of course, city life
has many disadvantages too.
 The main objective of the proposed research is to
investigate the influence of West African languages.
 The main consequence of these wars is the social unrest,
and the increasing economic and social divergence between
the groups of the community.
Associated: mainly (adverb)
246,00

maintain [verb]
to claim or state

 John continue to maintain that he gave me his

homework, but I'm certain he didn't.
 The government politicians maintain that the proposed
tax changes will lift thousands of people out of poverty.
 A verbal contract is impossible to prove, and the
organization will always maintain that it was a
misunderstanding.
 Therefore he was unable to maintain that he was
breaking new methodological ground.
Note: Another common meaning of maintain (noun:
maintenance) is to keep in a good working condition , as
in Some cars are more expensive to maintain than others.
126,00
major [adjective]
important, large

 Unemployment is a major problem in many European

countries.
 A major factor in his success was his willingness to work
very hard.
 Poverty has been a major problem in the United States
for many years.
 Russian is one of the major world languages and is
spoken by over 250 million people.
Associated:
Antonym: minor
Note: A major (noun) is a student's first and most important
subject at college.
201,00

majority [noun]
more than 50%

 The majority of teachers at this school are native

speakers of English.
 A majority of the government ministers was in favour of
invading Iraq.
 A significant majority indicated that they enjoyed
learning the course.
 Lincoln, while receiving a majority vote among
northerners, did not receive a majority of ALL the popular
votes.
Associated:
Antonym: minority
55,00

manage [verb]
to succeed in doing something; to be able to do something

 I don't know how I always manage to get such a good

grade. I never work particularly hard.
 I don't think the government will manage to persuade
many people to recycle more of their garbage.
  He did not manage to develop a particularly good
balance in his own life until he was able to stop worrying about
what others thought of him.
 She should be able to manage to take care of the
children on €200.00 per month.
Note: Another very common meaning of manage is
associated with business, as in manager / management, etc.
78,30

manifest [verb]
show

 Her problems began to manifest themselves after she

was absent for more than a month.
 The government has failed to manifest a willingness to
listen to people's concerns.
 Less educated minority parents are more likely
to manifest a lack of involvement in their child's schooling.
 It would be easy to overlook important biological
information that did not manifest itself in visible symptoms or
test results.
Associated: manifestation (noun)
12,10

manipulate [verb]
to (use and) change

 She was able to manipulate the Smartboard screen

controls so that the presentation was visible to everyone.
 Scientists are hoping that it may soon be possible
to manipulate the weather.
 That means data that is consistent, easy
to manipulate, and repeatable.
 In this assignment, you will need to manipulate an array
of numbers, so that your computer code executes correctly.
Associated: manipulation (noun)
14,70

manner [noun]
way of doing something
  It's not winning or losing that is important in school sport,
but the manner in which you do it.
 Almost everyone believes that terrorism should be fought,
but there is little agreement about the manner in which it
should be done.
 This should be obvious, but many go about studying their
notes in the wrong manner.
 That doesn't mean I have a personality disorder because I
conduct myself in a different manner to different people.
67,00

manufacture [verb]
to produce (with machines)

 The new factory near the school will manufacture parts

for mobile phones.
 China is able to manufacture goods cheaply because
labour costs are low.
 The tree responds this way because the tree needs
to manufacture food again before it starves.
 It is unclear whether this facility will be able
to manufacture complete missiles or only some major
component.
Associated: manufacture (noun); manufacturer (noun)
13,60

margin [noun]
amount; distance

 The margin between success and failure is often very

small.
 The government won the election by a huge margin.
 The faculty is, by a wide margin, the most productive,
widely cited, and influential law faculty in the country.
 President Bush will leave the next president with
absolutely no margin of error in dealing with some of the
most critical challenges this country has faced.
Note: The margin of a piece of paper is the 2-3 centimeter
strip down the left or right side of the paper. Teachers like to
write comments in the margin of students' written work.
16,80
massive [adjective]
very large

 She has massive problems with her spelling. There was

hardly a word she got right in the dictation.
 There was a massive demonstration on the streets of
London to protest the government's plans to go to war in Iraq.
 Ours is the only generation that can prevent
a massive loss of biological diversity.
 As a result of the massive amount of evidence for
evolution accumulated over the last two centuries, we can
safely conclude that evolution has occurred.
Associated: massively (adverb)
14,70

master [verb]
to (gain) control

 She is yet to master basic verb grammar. She often

says He do .. instead of He does ...
 It takes a lot of training to master the skills in
professions such as car mechanics or cooking,
 Teacher trainees will need to master problem-solving
strategies that offer clear practical solutions to issues that
affect those in poverty.
 It was a ridiculous fear, but she was unable to master it.
Associated: mastery (noun)
214,20

materials [noun]
the things you need to do something

 Please bring all your materials to class. That includes

your homework planner and dictionary.
 Many universities make their materials available to
students online.
 Students are responsible for gathering
all materials necessary to support an appeal.
 Individuals are granted the use of the materials on this
website without written permission provided that all of the
following conditions are met.
Note: In the singular material has a broader meaning. For
example: The teacher has given us a lot of material to read by
Monday. (Use your dictionary to find other meanings.)
199,40

means [noun]
way

 She has no means of studying in peace at home. Her

domestic life is too chaotic.
 The company is investigating means of increasing its
business in Asia and Africa.
 Online students need a means of realistically assessing
their readiness for the demands of taking a course in the
online environment.
 At this stage of our research we were unable to find
a means for accessing the actual decisions made in these
cases.
159,20

measure [verb]
to find out how much there is of something

 It is not always easy to measure student progress.

 However, in those studies, he was unable to measure the
campaign's effectiveness in reaching the people of Uganda.
 Tests are valid when they measure what they claim to
measure, and reliable when they measure consistently.
 Over the same period research was unable
to measure significant effects on achievement from readily
available school characteristics.
Associated: measurement (noun)
Note: Another important meaning of measure (noun) is action
taken to achieve a goal , as in The government needs to think
of alternative measures for dealing with the problem. With this
meaning the noun is usually found in the plural.
110,40

mechanism [noun]
procedure, process
  There is a very clear mechanism in the school for
expelling students who do not follow the rules.
 An enormous amount of research has been conducted into
the mechanism by which young children learn to speak.
 There is no mechanism in the master plan to assess
whether or not we are doing what we are supposed to do.
 We still don't know if this is really the
correct mechanism to explain the imbalance between matter
and antimatter that we observe.
45,60

medium [adjective]
in the middle

 In the school cafeteria, you can buy drinks of different

sizes: small, medium and large.
 The police are looking for a woman of medium height,
last seen wearing a red jacket
 The donors specified that they would like to help
hardworking students with medium grades who deserve help.
 The scientists advising EPA said they believe there is
a medium chance that the corn is an allergen.
34,00

member [noun]
a person who is part of a team or other organization

 If you are a member of the school orchestra should have

lunch early and come to the practice at 12.30.
 The police have arrested a man who they say is
a member of a terrorist organization.
 Do I have to be a member of the Society to submit a
paper?
 Nazi paramilitary organization was compulsory, although
he was never a member of the Nazi party and his family
opposed Hitler's regime.
214,00

mental [adjective]
of the brain or mind
  The student was suffering from mental and physical
problems as a result of taking drugs for several months.
 Not all patients with mental disabilities need to stay in
hospital.
 The ASVAB is a mental ability test given to all potential
entrants to the Armed Services.
 Later in 1975, the APA announced that homosexuality was
not a mental disorder and in 1994 they acknowledged that it
was neither a mental illness nor a moral deficiency.
Associated:
Antonym: physical
44,70

mention [verb]
to say; state

 If you are going on the field trip, do not forget

to mention if you need a special diet.
 Children visiting the internet chatrooms are advised not
to mention their real names.
 The 9-11 Commission failed to mention or address the
multiple war game exercises that were being conducted that
day, out of the White House.
 When we ask people to describe their characters when
they are at their best, they mention confident, hopeful,
humorous, optimistic, resourceful.
Associated: mention (noun)
45,90

merely [adverb]
only, just, simply

 She merely has to start attending school regularly. That

will solve all her problems.
 Not many people will change their habits or
lifestyle merely because a government minister tells them it's
a good idea.
 Some assignments will be graded; others
will merely receive a check-mark.
  The trial court noted that the newspaper
articles merely reported events and provided no editorial
comment.
Associated: mere (adjective)
21,00

method [noun]
a way of doing something

 I have a good method of getting my class to be quiet. I

tell them a joke.
 There is more than one successful method to teach and
learn a foreign language.
 It is not the only method of teaching we use at the
university; instead we calibrate our teaching techniques to fit
our abilities.
 Probably every introductory science text in the world
includes a first chapter section on the scientific method.
125,60

migrate [verb]
to go to another place

 Many birds migrate south in the winter to find warmer

temperatures.
 People are more likely to migrate in times of war or
economic poverty.
 Teachers did not migrate because of students behaving
badly but rather because student behavior was not adequately
managed.
 Workers will migrate to where wages are higher.
Associated: migrant (noun); migration (noun)
Note: Migrate is the basis of common words such
as immigrate (come into a country) / immigrant / immigration
- emigrate (leave a country) / emigrant / emigration.
7,10

military [adjective]
to do with army
  The school took the students on a visit to the history
museum to see a special exhibition of
Roman military equipment.
 The government has increased military spending by 50%
in the last two years.
 Arming the Bosnian Serbs was regarded as a political
rather than a military issue.
 The continued presence of a huge military force in the
Gulf area provides the necessary element of pressure to
ensure implementation of obligations.
Associated: military (noun)
48,30

minimum [noun]
the smallest amount; the least

 You must write a minimum of 3 pages for your final

report.
 Many countries have a minimum wage - this is the
smallest amount of money that people may earn for a full-time
job.
 Students may take a longer time to complete this
program, but a minimum of two semesters shall be devoted
to full-time work and normally the program must be completed
within eight calendar years.
 When a satisfactory minimum has been found using
limits, the limits should then be removed if possible, in order
to perform or re-perform the error.
Associated: minimize (verb)
Antonym: maximum
Note: Minimize can also be spelled minimise.
94,20

minor [adjective]
small, not important

 There are one or two minor spelling problems but in

general this is an excellent piece of writing.
 The company does a minor amount of business in the
USA; the majority of its trade is in Europe.
  Studies have proven that taste is only
a minor consideration in the purchase decision for soft drinks.
 Unfortunately, hunger is no minor problem in the United
States, where the disparity between the affluent and the
indigent is considerable.
Associated:
Antonym: major
51,90

mixture [noun]
combination

 The test will be a mixture of reading comprehension

passages and short writing texts.
 In order to get people to change unhealthy habits, the
government needs to use a mixture of the carrot and the stick.
 The results represented an unusual mixture of old and
modern practices.
 The objective is to find the right mixture of materials
that will result in the creation of clear electrical signals.
Associated: mix (verb)
16,90

mobile [adjective]
moving; able to move

 Many families at Frankfurt International School

are mobile. They can expect to leave for a new country after a
year or two.
 In order to get a good job it is important to be mobile.
 A nursing or household robot must be mobile in order to
reach a variety of working sites within the house.
 The North Viet Namese Army was not mobile enough to
outflank southern forces.
Associated: mobility (noun)
Antonym: immobile
28,40

moderate [adjective]
not very much; not very strong; not extreme
  I can survive on a moderate income. I don't need lots of
money.
 The government has only had moderate success in
reducing the number of unemployed people.
 Yet Bush also has adopted other, more moderate policy
positions on guns and gun control.
 Overpraising a person's moderate achievements can be
just as discriminatory as undervaluing them.
Associated: moderately (adverb); moderation (noun)
18,40

modify [verb]
to change

 The government decided to modify their plans after

thousands of people demonstrated on the streets of the capital
city.
 If you want to run this software, you will need
to modify the operating system.
 The new policy means that faculty members can no longer
enter or modify grades for these classes online.
 Sometimes it becomes more important to modify tried-
and-tested methods and habits rather than allocate more
resources.
Associated: modification (noun)
43,80

monitor [verb]
to watch ( someone's or something's behaviour )

 I think we should monitor her work more closely for the

next few weeks. She needs to know that we are concerned
about her progress.
 The government will monitor the situation in Iraq very
carefully, but has not yet made any changes in its policy.
 Another reason to monitor student e-mail and internet
usage is to ensure their safety.
 The robot will monitor medications, and alert help if the
patient falls.
Associated: monitor (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of monitor (noun) is viewing
screen of a computer.
74,70

moreover [adverb]
also .., what is more ..

 You have not really answered the

question. Moreover there is no conclusion to your writing.
 Many people believe that the government made a huge
mistake in invading Iraq, and moreover that they lied about
the reasons.
 Most have concluded that no logic of discovery exists
and, moreover, that a rational model of discovery is
impossible.
 Generic skills cannot be considered as independent of
subject matter. Moreover, a good part of teaching involves
thinking, problem- solving, and decision making.
26,70

motivate [verb]
to get someone interested enough to do something

 Some students are difficult to motivate. You can try

anything in class but they just are not interested.
 The business tried to motivate its employees to work
harder by offering an extra day's holiday to the best
salesperson.
 It's not easy to motivate yourself when you're not going
out and actually preparing for an opponent.
 Let's make it clear from the beginning that there is no one
thing that you can do to motivate everyone, or even to
motivate the same person every time.
Associated: motivation (noun)
14,80

motive [noun]
reason
  Some students see no motive for learning German -
especially if they know they will only be in the country for a
short time.
 The police have not been able to establish a motive for
the brutal killing.
 It is extremely important that you establish a
strong motive to return to your country after you complete
your studies.
 Contrary to what you've been told by Courtney Love and
the manipulated media reports, Kurt Cobain had no motive for
suicide.
4,60

multiply [verb]
to increase greatly

 The number of students in the school will continue

to multiply in the next few years as Frankfurt increases in
popularity.
 The chances of young people becoming
criminal multiply if they live in poor housing with drug-
addicted parents.
 On-line learning applications will continue to multiply as
educational institutions and. business corporations seek new
ways to expand their services.
 China did not multiply nuclear weapons. Having
produced several hundred warheads, China stopped building
up its military potential.
Associated: multiplication (noun)
12,90

namely [adverb]
specifically, that is to say ( .. used to list or explain)

 He has two problems; namely his inability to concentrate

in class and his unwillingness to do homework.
 The government has failed in its primary task, namely to
reduce unemployment.
 During this course you will review your knowledge of
German, by focusing on the four language
skills, namely speaking, listening, reading and writing.
  Most leadership training programs leave out the key
question, namely how leaders actually affect their groups.
15,30

naturally [adverb]
of course, obviously

 She didn't study for the vocabulary test, so naturally she

got a low score.
 The government failed to keep its promises
and naturally was voted out of power at the next election.
 He naturally failed to mention the unfortunate fact that
he had dropped out of college.
 Some solutions exist to improve the performance of these
devices, but naturally there are limitations how accessible
they can be made.
Associated: natural (adjective)
Note: Another common meaning of naturally is in a natural
way , as in Some illnesses heal naturally without advice or
medicine from a doctor.
18,80

necessary [adjective]
needed; very important

 It's not necessary to do all the questions on the sheet.

 If you want to learn a language, it is helpful, but
not necessary, to have a native-speaking teacher.
 The Court did not find it necessary to hear the testimony
of the two forensic experts and did not consider the possibility
of ordering a further investigation.
 Being at least 18 years old is a necessary condition for
being registered to vote.
Associated: necessity (noun); necessarily (adverb)
Antonym: unnecessary, superfluous
134,20

neglect [verb]
to not think about or care for
  Your reading is improving fast, but you should
not neglect your writing. It is through writing that you show
your teachers what you know or have understood.
 Parents who neglect their children were often neglected
themselves.
 The university must not neglect issues which affect staff
and students, in particular graduate students.
 I believe that people often neglect the hardships the
parents experience if their child has a learning disability.
 Parents who are alcoholics often neglect their children
both physically. and emotionally.
Associated: neglect (noun); negligent (adjective)
8,80

negotiate [verb]
to discuss (usually in politics or business)

 It is not usual that students negotiate with their teachers

whether they must do homework or not.
 Most governments refuse to negotiate with kidnappers.
 After the deadline, you will need to negotiate an
extension with the TA regarding such cases, before taking it up
with the professor.
 But, for their part, the Syrian leaders failed
to negotiate for Israel to have rights to some of that water.
Associated: negotiation (noun); negotiator (noun)
14,80

neither [conjuntion]
not one or the other; not either

 Neither of the history classes he teaches this year has

made very good progress.
 The government neither intends to comment on the
event nor even to admit that it actually happened.
 We can say for certain is that neither of the numbers in
the pair is zero.
 It is known that organizations do not adapt readily or
easily; many organizations that change do so in ways that
are neither successful nor effective.
Note: Neither has various functions. It can be used as
a pronoun, adjective, conjunction or adverb. In example
sentence 1 and 3 above neither is a pronoun; in 2 and 4 it is a
conjunction.
25,10

neutral [adjective]
neither for nor against; neither positive nor negative

 Most students are neutral about the suggestion to

replace the blackboards with whiteboards.
 Some countries, such as Switzerland,
remained neutral in the last world war.
 Consequently, the percentages will not sum to 100%
because many students were neutral on the questions in the
survey.
 The use of gender- neutral language may seem
unnecessary to some writers, but the consistent use of
masculine pronouns leaves the impression that women could
not be among the group to which the writer is referring.
Associated: neutrality (noun)
13,30

nevertheless [adverb]
however (although / despite that)

 She has worked very hard. Nevertheless I don't think

she has a chance of passing the course.
 Most people were against the plan to boycott the
Olympics. Nevertheless, the government decided to do so.
 Though Sima and Codreanu both attempted to prevent
the murder, it nevertheless took place, and produced harsh
consequences.
 The treatment has, nevertheless, been very successful
in alleviating the problems of vitamin A deficiency.
Note: A close, but less common, synonym
of nevertheless is nonetheless.
18,60

notice [verb]
to see or realize
  The teacher did not notice that one of the students had
been crying for most of the lesson.
 The government surely cannot fail to notice that its
attempts to reduce teenage pregnancy are not working.
 If you look at the course policies you will notice an item
that accounts for 4% of your grade.
 He did not notice the problem until too late.
Associated: notice (noun)
Note: A notice is a piece of paper put up somewhere with
information for people to read, as in Did you see
the notice outside the library saying that all their computers
are down?.
132,90

notion [noun]
idea; concept

 She has the notion that she can pass the examinations
without doing any work.
 Most people today agree with the notion that men and
women are equal.
 Research strongly supports the notion that publishing
houses lack sufficient diversity in both high and middle-level
staff members.
 The notion that more nuclear weapons lead to a safe
world is irrational.
27,60

novel [adjective]
new

 He came up with a novel excuse for not doing his

homework, but his teacher did not believe him.
 Advertising agencies are always looking for novel ways to
sell boring product like washing powder or packet soups.
 In this article, a novel way of teaching chemistry is
presented that uses contemporary music and chemical lyrics to
educate.
 Rusher readily admitted that his was not a novel idea.
Associated: novelty (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of novel (noun) is a long
fiction story, as in One of the most famous novels in the
English language is Great Expectations.
34,80

numerous [adjective]
very many

 There are numerous students from Korea at Frankfurt

International School.
 There have been numerous attempts to build an
intelligent robot, but so far no-one has been successful.
 The essay asks students to complete several tasks, giving
the students numerous examples of human rights cases.
 Unfortunately, heroines of this sort are not numerous in
oral tales, and do not exist at all in any of the Grimm tales.
51,20

obey [verb]
to do as commanded or expected

 If you do not obey the rules of the classroom, you will be

sent to the headmaster.
 The machine did not work properly because the person
installing it did not obey the instructions.
 The last death occurred on Thursday morning when a deaf
man apparently walking to work did not obey a police order to
halt and was shot.
 As the earthquake waves travel, they obey all of the
principles of other types of wave motion.
Associated: obedience (noun)
Antonym: disobey
8,20

object [noun]
thing

 The one object in the classroom that belongs to me is the

old typewriter.
 Police investigating the scene of the crime have taken
away an object that they have not yet been able to identify.
  It's a bit surprising at first, how easy it is to measure such
a huge object as the earth.
 Since the human body is not an object that can be
disposed of at will, the results of research should be made
available to the whole scientific community.
69,20

objection [noun]
(a statement of) disagreement or disapproval

 I have no objection to students wearing hats in the

classroom, but many teachers do.
 There was little objection to the government's proposals
to reduce child poverty.
 The most serious objection raised against the survey
questions the use of self-report scales to assess prejudice.
 The main objection to such Research & Development
programs is the fact that the market size and the prices of the
new products are unknown.
Associated: object (verb)
5,30

objective [noun]
aim or goal

 The main objective of this ESL course is to improve

students' ability in academic writing.
 The government looks likely to succeed in its objective to
reduce child poverty by the end of the decade.
 The primary objective of the Management Information
Systems Department is to prepare students for exciting and
challenging careers in the information technology.
 It is clear that the Mid-Zambezi Project has failed in
its objective of controlling immigration.
Note: Another common meaning of objective
(adjective) is without bias or prior opinion (opposite of
subjective). Example: He's your son. How can you
be objective about his chances of success?
54,00
obligation [noun]
a requirement to do something

 All children below the age of 16 have the obligation to

attend school.
 The government said that it had no obligation to give
the reasons for its decision.
 The university has no obligation to refund the fee after
the second week of the semester.
 Do we have an obligation to help the poor?
Associated: oblige (verb); obliged (adjective)
16,50

observe [verb]
to watch carefully

 Science teacher: Please observe what happens when I

pour water into the flask.
 If you observe a group of monkeys carefully, you will
soon be able to tell who is the leader.
 Aycock stated that he had looked over the horse before
the purchase and did not observe any marks indicating that
the horse had been cut.
 Both of these deep sky objects are reserved for
telescopes, so be sure to observe them from a dark site.
Associated: observation (noun)
52,80

obsolete [adjective]
not used or needed any more; out of date

 The typewriter is more or less obsolete now that we have

computers and keyboards.
 Progress is so fast these days that some technological
products become obsolete within a very short time.
 The time has come, however, to quit spending time and
money supporting obsolete technologies and to concentrate
on delivering better service.
 His father's ideas were obsolete and out of time. They
were traditional views that were losing much of their appeal.
Associated: obsolescence (noun)
4,30

obstacle [noun]
barrier; problem

 The most important obstacle to her learning is that she

never does her homework.
 A significant obstacle to setting up a new business is the
enormous amount of documentation that has to be completed.
 The most important thing to keep in mind as you begin
working on your assignments is that a philosophy paper is not
an obstacle to be overcome but an opportunity to show what
you have learned.
 The most serious obstacle to implementing the
Convention in Venezuela was clearly the poverty facing a large
proportion of the population.
6,70

obtain [verb]
to get

 You can obtain all the things you need for class at the
school's bookstore.
 Research has demonstrated that good-looking people are
more likely to obtain a job than less good-looking people with
the same qualifications.
 The assignments and quizzes form an integral part of the
course grade and you may not obtain a good grade if you
ignore them.
 If the funding is from personal or family funds, you will
need to obtain a current bank statement showing that you
have enough funds to cover expenses.
126,30

obvious [adjective]
clear, evident

 It was obvious that her parents helped her with the

homework. She could never have written that by herself.
  It is now obvious to almost everyone that the decision to
invade Iraq was a very serious error of judgment.
 It must be obvious what the primary theme of each
section is, and how that theme connects with the paper's
overall theme.
 In those days it was not obvious that the brain operates
on the information it receives, transforming it in such a way as
to make it more useful.
Associated: obviously (adverb)
27,20

occasion [noun]
time (opportunity)

 On the one occasion I got to school early, the building

was closed because of a fire alarm.
 The manager used the occasion of the opening of the
new factory block to make a speech about future
developments.
 Sometimes anger is appropriate, but we must be careful
not to be too angry, or angry with the wrong person, or angry
on the wrong occasion.
 This week's anniversary of the US-led war against Iraq is
an appropriate occasion to ask: Are Americans safer than we
were a year ago?
15,60

occasionally [adverb]
sometimes

 Occasionally I come to school by car, but most often I

take the bus.
 Doctors occasionally make mistakes which can have
serious or even fatal consequences for their patients.
 50% of the students indicated they Rarely, Very Rarely,
or Never ask questions during class with 45% indicating they
only occasionally asked questions.
 The work involves some lifting and bending,
and occasionally requires travel away from the normal duty
station.
Associated: occasional (adjective)
17,20

occupy [verb]
to up space or time

 The unpleasant incident in the computer lab is sure

to occupy my thoughts in the next few days.
 The situation in Iraq continues to occupy the
government's attention.
 The School of Medicine will occupy the buildings in two
phases.
 There was not a big difference in the negative description
of Saddam Hussein among the three newspapers, and these
descriptions did not occupy much space.
Associated: occupation (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of occupation is job, as
in Banking is a popular occupation because you can earn a lot
of money.
12,50

occur [verb]
to happen; take place

 How did the accident occur? - It happened because one

of the cars was travelling too fast and couldn't stop in time at
the traffic lights.
 His examination failure did not occur through lack of
effort or ability but because of serious illness in the weeks
before.
 In many cases, simply stating to the student that the
behavior is unacceptable and must not occur again is
sufficient.
 An error will occur if this software is not installed on the
user's machine.
Associated: occurrence (noun)
118,50

odd [adjective]
strange, unusual
  It was odd that he did not do well in the vocabulary test.
I know he had learned most of the words.
 The man had been reported to the police because of
his odd behaviour over the last few days. He was now under
observation.
 It was an odd thing he noticed when playing around with
his new invention.
 Musicians are listed alphabetically, but for
some odd reason Carter, Benny is listed after Carter, Ron.
Associated: oddly (adverb); oddity (noun)
Note: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 .. are odd numbers. 2, 4, 6, 8 .. are even.
12,00

offend [verb]
to go against; to upset

 If you offend against the school's computer use policy,

you will not be permitted to use the computer labs.
 Some people believe that harsh prison penalties for young
criminals offend natural justice.
 No matter how we talk and discuss normally, we now
have to ensure that the way we talk must not offend any
religious, ethnic, cultural, or political group.
 Perhaps it is unfortunate that humor, by its nature of
being based in ridicule, will always offend someone.
Associated: offence (noun); offender (noun)
Note: Offence can also be spelled offense.
2,60

offer [verb]
to ask if someone would like something (e.g. food or help)

 I would offer to help you, but I've got no time now.

 The directors say they are forced to close the factory, but
they are going to offer the workers jobs in factories in
different parts of the country.
 He also responded that his particular school did
not offer courses in English as a Second Language (ESL).
 In all cases, employers must offer alternative dates for a
second-round interview if the date originally suggested is
inconvenient.
Associated: offer (noun)
182,70

official [adjective]
approved by an authority

 The official language of the school is English but many

documents are also translated into German.
 There has been no official statement about the number
of soldiers who were killed in the fighting.
 If you are applying from a country in which English is not
the official language, you are required to submit evidence of
English language proficiency.
 We will also tell you how the precaution to take if you
decide to use email as an official means of communication.
Associated: officially (adverb); official (noun)
Antonym: unofficial
Note: An official is a person with authority such as a
policeman, as in Government officials are always telling us
what to do.
75,40

omit [verb]
to leave something out or not do something

 Please omit me from the trip list. I will not be able to go.
 In some English reported speech sentences you
can omit the word that. For example, He said (that) he was
sick.
 Do not omit the period after an abbreviation such as in.
(for inch), which could be confused with the word in.
 You should omit your name from the copies of the items
you submit.
Associated: omission (noun)
8,50

operation [noun]
procedure; happening; process

 The opening of the new sports block was the

biggest operation in the school's history.
  Computer hard disk cleaning is not an operation that
many people perform very frequently.
 Odland demonstrated the ability to run a
significant operation with a wide geographical spread.
 Seed cleaning is not an operation that requires a large
amount of labor.
Associated: operate (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of operation is surgery
(cutting into the body) , as in I need to have an operation to
remove the lump on the back of my hand.
71,00

opinion [noun]
view; what you think about someone or something

 In my opinion she is going to fail course unless she

starts making more effort.
 The government is having difficulties getting people to
change their opinion toward use of public transportation.
 This opinion is subject to formal revision before
publication in the university journal.
 The court decided to ignore the opinion of the mental
health specialist.
Associated: opine (verb); opinionated (adjective)
63,60

opportunity [noun]
chance

 You have one last opportunity to show that you can

work hard and behave properly. If you don't take it, you will be
asked to leave the school.
 The doctor took the opportunity to ask her patient if he
had stopped smoking as promised.
 Here is a good opportunity to get paid for conducting
undergraduate research at UH through its Summer Research
Program.
 King Charles not only lost the opportunity to establish
an independent kingdom; he also lost his life.
Associated: opportune (adjective)
195,60
oppose [verb]
to be against or fight against something

 I oppose the idea of having a school uniform. I think it

would cause a lot of unnecessary problems.
 Many people oppose the ban on smoking in public places,
but the majority are in favour of it.
 While we must oppose all terrorism, and we have many
local enemies in various parts of the world.
 The Roman Catholic Church along with the main
Protestant denominations in Europe did not oppose the slave
trade.
Associated: opposition (noun)
Antonym: favour
8,80

optional [adjective]
not necessary or compulsory; can do it if you want

 The last part of the homework is optional. You can do it

if you want but you don't have to.
 The government plans to offer optional parenting classes
for young, unemployed couples.
 Attending lectures is not optional: 100% attendance is
required.
 The final event of the day was an optional tour of the
Single Sisters House, which is in the process of restoration.
Associated: option (noun); optionally (adverb)
Antonym: compulsory
Note: An option is a choice , as in You have two options: you
can be quiet or you can leave the room.
27,40

order [noun]
sequence, place

 You have not got these words in the right order. In

German the main verb must be the second element in the
sentence.
  The company has done things in the wrong order. It
should not have built the next factory before employing people
to work in it, not after.
 Arrange the terms in the correct order from simplest to
most complex.
 The 1970 draft lottery, intended to pick birthdays in
random order, didn't do a very good job of randomization.
Associated: order (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of order (noun and
verb) is command , as in The teacher gave the order to leave
the room. A further common use is in the expression in order
to as in I went to the library in order to use one of the
computers.
312,00

ordinary [adjective]
usual, typical, every day

 She is no ordinary student. She can speak 5 languages

and play the piano to a very high standard.
 A popular kind of literature these days is about the lives
of ordinary people who are caught up in extraordinary events
such as war or terrorism.
 It was not the ordinary noise of the battle-front that
night; every soldier knew that a something different was going
to happen.
 One can fill a small book just describing the
commonsense knowledge needed to solve
an ordinary problem like how to get to the airport.
Associated: ordinarily (adverb)
Antonym: extraordinary
18,80

organize [verb]
to put into (its proper) place

 You need to organize your ideas a little better. It's

difficult to follow what you are trying to say.
 The government minister needed time to organize his
reply to the criticisms made about his department.
  Due to her student teaching commitments Murray was
unable to organize this year's event.
 They must organize their information so that it is easy
for the observer to understand the historical significance of
their event.
Associated: organization (noun)
Note: The most common meaning of organization is a large
group of people working for a common purpose , as
in Greenpeace is an organization that works to protect the
environment.
42,60

original [adjective]
the first of its kind

 This looks like a copy. Can you please give me

the original sheet.
 The company's original plan was to close down only one
of their factories. Because of continuing bad sales, however,
they were forced to close three of them.
 The picture on the left is the original picture. That on the
right is a copy.
 Summarizing or paraphrasing is expressing
the original idea or information in your own words.
Associated: originate (verb); original (adjective);
originally (adverb); origin (noun)
Note: The origin of something is where or how it starts, as
in Can anyone tell me the origin of the word spam (email
spam)?
102,90

otherwise [conjuntion]
or (else)

 The school needs to attract new students otherwise one

or two teachers will have to lose their jobs.
 The store should consider reducing its
prices, otherwise people will just not buy there.
 Please add the missing information before submitting the
form, otherwise it will be returned to you to complete.
  Be prepared each time, otherwise you may be denied
entry.
49,00

outcome [noun]
result

 The outcome of our survey is that most students are

against school uniform.
 The outcome of the government's willingness to pay
kidnappers to release hostages is that now there are more
kidnappings and more hostages.
 An unexpected outcome was that there was also
significant improvement in composition as well as in math for
these students during the academic year.
 Further analysis suggested that the outcome was worse
for women than men.
35,60

outline [noun]
plan or summary

 Before doing a longer piece of writing it is usually a good

idea to make an outline to organize your main ideas.
 The government gave an outline of its plans to change
taxation. The full report will not be ready until next year.
 If your exam is closed book, you will want to prepare
an outline that will assist you in studying until the day of the
exam.
 This is a very brief and inadequate outline of a few of the
leading points in a very large investigation with which I am
occupied.
Associated: outline (verb)
42,20

outstanding [adjective]
excellent

 This is an outstanding piece of work. Well done!

 She will need an outstanding performance to have any
chance of winning the game. Her opponent is much better.
  If you are reliable and flexible, enjoy solving tasks
independently and are committed to
achieving outstanding performance, then this is the job for
you.
 This is yet another outstanding example of the positive
partnership between TMH and the FSU College of Medicine.
Associated: outstandingly (adverb)
45,80

overall [adjective]
general

 My overall opinion of him since he joined the class is very

positive.
 The government has made overall progress towards its
goal of reducing child poverty.
 Think about what you want to describe and
the overall impression you want to give your readers.
 Having access to the laptop does seem to have
substantially increased the overall feeling of having adequate
resources to do the job.
Associated: overall (adverb)
79,00

overcome [verb]
to conquer, defeat

 She was quickly able to overcome the difficulty of

speaking little English, and now she is easily the best student
in the class.
 The government expects to overcome resistance from
some people to the prohibition of smoking in public places.
 What motives have thus incited him to overcome all the
hardships and temptations he encountered on his way from a
miserable life to an honorable one.
 As a child, he began to stutter severely and, despite the
best efforts of his teachers and parents, he was unable
to overcome it.
33,60
overlap [verb]
to have in common; to cover part of

 The picture overlaps the writing, which makes it difficult

to read.
 The last week of the tennis tournament will overlap the
first week of the Olympic Games.
 Check your schedule to be sure that class times do
not overlap.
 Remember that more than one factor may be the cause of
a problem and that symptoms may often overlap in their
appearance.
Associated: overlap (noun)
21,20

overly [adverb]
too

 She is being overly concerned about the exams. She will

certainly pass.
 It is not in the best interests of children if their parents
are overly protective. of them.
 It's always better to be overly cautious and to protect
yourself by asking for a written contract.
 While we were not overly surprised by the answers to our
questions, it was interesting to see the amount of uniformity in
answers.
Note: It is common to just use over and join it to the
adjective with a hyphen: over-protective, over-ambitious, over-
critical , etc.
4,90

override [verb]
to take precedence over; to disregard

 The wishes of parents must not always override the

recommendations of the teachers about the course choices of
the child.
 The referee of a football match can override the offside
flag of his or her linesman.
  Whatever I write on the board in class as the next day's
assignment will always override what is printed in the Class
Schedule below.
 People might be surprised to know that a similar situation
had occurred in the US and that doctors and hospitals were
allowed to override the family's wishes.
7,40

owe [verb]
to be in someone's debt (especially money)

 Remember that you owe me €20.

 The government does not owe its citizens an explanation
for every decision it makes.
 If you are eligible for Financial Aid in excess of your
tuition and fees then you do not owe Ivy Tech Community
College money.
 You owe us all an apology for using this forum for your
personal beliefs when it is a forum for scientific reasoning.
14,10

own [verb]
to have or possess

 The school does not own the sports hall. It belongs to the
local council, which charges the school to use it.
 Many more people own a house in England than in
Germany.
 If you do not own a computer you should not enroll in the
program.
 I believe police agencies have no right to determine who
can or cannot own guns.
Associated: owner (noun)
390,00

participate [verb]
to take part

 You should participate a little more in class discussions.

This will help to improve your spoken English.
  The company directors invited the workers' union
to participate in a meeting to discuss the new factory.
 Each student must participate in a group project during
the second half of the semester.
 She made it clear many times throughout the work that
she did not believe in and did not want to participate in the
concept and institution of marriage.
Associated: participation (noun)
150,30

particular [adjective]
specific

 She has no particular difficulties with English, but she

just seems to be learning very slowly.
 The government should pay particular attention to
reducing unemployment among young people.
 The English writing system itself causes
no particular problems to Spanish learners.
 There was a particular reason for this: psychologically, it
fitted her deeply personal sense of the appropriate relationship
between the sexes.
Associated: particularly (adverb)
Note: Particularly means especially , as in That test was
not particularly difficult.
114,40

passage [noun]
a piece of written or spoken text

 This passage in your writing doesn't make sense. What

are you trying to say?
 There was a passage at the end of Obama's speech that
caused his audience to jump up and start clapping.
 Looking up all the key words in an
important passage should be considered a background check
for all literary analysis.
 The passage was not visible in its entirety on the
computer screen.
20,60
passive [adjective]
not active; unresponsive

 She is so passive in German class. It's no wonder that

she can hardly speak a word of the language.
 The government cannot afford to be passive about the
numbers of young people who fail to find any kind of
employment.
 Student surveys find teaching to be too uniformly didactic,
and their learning too passive. Students report spending
considerable class time just taking notes.
 Desdemona is passive for much of the play and when she
dies at the end, she takes the blame for her death.
Associated:
Antonym: active
10,40

pattern [noun]
clear and consistent behaviour

 There is an obvious pattern to her absences from school:

Monday mornings and Friday afternoons!
 Research into heart disease has revealed a
clear pattern: those who smoke too much, drink too much
and do not exercise enough are the most likely to suffer from
it.
 The more information a sentence carries, the more it
needs an evident pattern that the reader can follow.
 There was no pattern to the spread of the disease.
Note: Pattern also refers to the lines and shapes on a piece of
clothing, as in I like the pattern on your shirt!
54,40

penalty [noun]
negative consequence; punishment

 The penalty for her frequent absences will be a poor

grade in the final exam.
 London is becoming more and more unpleasant. The
government needs to drastically increase the penalty for
dropping litter.
  If you choose not to participate or to withdraw from the
study at any time, there will be no penalty.
 They know, as well, that if they kill anyone without
provocation they will be forced to pay a heavy penalty.
Associated: penalize (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of penalty is from football,
as in Ronaldo missed the penalty.
19,80

perceive [verb]
to see; to become aware of with one of the senses; to think

 If you look carefully, you will perceive that the ice is

starting to melt.
 It is difficult to perceive how the government can hope
to win the forthcoming election.
 Close to 30% of students did not perceive it to be
cheating to lie to an instructor about having an illness or some
other emergency in order to extend a work deadline.
 Many of the students were unable to perceive the
relevance of the mathematics they had learned and so could
not make use of it.
Associated: perception (noun)
15,50

performance [noun]
action or achievement

 Her performance in the band concert was wonderful.

She's probably the best piano player we have ever had at the
school.
 The shareholders were not pleased with the
company's performance in the last quarter of the year.
 List the specific things you did to achieve
strong performance in your project.
 These results suggest that being treated as a sex object
can undermine women's performance in stereotypically
masculine domains.
Associated: perform (verb); performer (noun)
Note: Performance is most commonly used to refer to musical,
theatrical or sporting activities.
178,60

perhaps [adverb]
maybe, possibly

 Maria is not here today. Perhaps she had to go to the

doctor.
 Perhaps the very hot, dry weather we have had for the
last 6 weeks will convince some doubters that global warming
is really happening.
 Perhaps she did not know how to do the math and was
embarrassed that younger kids understood what she could not.
 This is perhaps a reason why the majority of past safety
research has focused on organization and actions.
56,10

period [noun]
a length of time (e.g. a lesson)

 Please don't forget that you have a vocabulary test

next period.
 The time when Hitler was leader of Germany is possibly
the most terrible period in all of history.
 Nevertheless, even within the period 1550-1850 there
was a great deal of temperature variation both in time and
space.
 Adolescents go through a difficult period of separating
from their parents and becoming subject to increasing scrutiny
from their peers.
154,40

permanent [adjective]
lasting for ever or for a very long time

 Do not write on the board with permanent ink. It cannot

be erased.
 The student must also have a permanent address within
the 22 South Texas county area.
 If you are an individual with a permanent disability, you
may be eligible to obtain a discount.
  It is common knowledge that credit cards are a temporary
solution that can snowball into a permanent problem.
Associated: permanence (noun); permanently (adverb)
Antonym: temporary
38,00

permit [verb]
to allow

 Some parents do not permit their daughters to go on

school trips.
 The airport authorities have decided
to permit passengers to carry only very small amounts of
liquid onto the plane.
 The Law School will not permit you to take a course
pass/fail unless you have received written permission.
 As the advisor, you often have other responsibilities that
do not always permit giving undivided attention to the
organization.
Associated: permission (noun)
Antonym: forbid
Note: A permit (noun) is an official piece of paper allowing the
holder to do something (cf. license) , as in You will need
a permit if you want to fish here.
49,80

perpetual [adjective]
continuing for ever; never disappearing

 Her grades are low because of her perpetual inability to

turn work in on time.
 Many people believe that the 'war on terror' will be
a perpetual war.
 In the future, learning must be seen
as perpetual, continuing across an individual's life, and
integrated with all other aspects of living.
 How do we approach the essential
and perpetual problem of dealing with our own waste?
Associated: perpetuity (noun); perpetually (adjective)
3,80
persist [verb]
to continue (often in the face of difficulty)

 He has generally improved his writing but his problems

with spelling persist.
 The government has not been very successful in reducing
teenage drinking, but it must persist in its efforts.
 This emphasis on improving student outcomes
will persist in the immediate future as the dominant factor in
determining the success or failure of education reform
strategies.
 Why do people still persist in living near volcanoes?
Associated: persistence (noun)
10,80

perspective [noun]
view; opinion; way of thinking

 From my perspective as a teacher and parent, I would

say that her difficulties in school are due to problems at home.
 The government's efforts to reduce unemployment are
failing. It needs a new perspective.
 Traveling really gives students a better perspective of
the world.
 Her perspective was that the Korean people believe that
the U.S. policy is to have a divided Korea and that the U.S. is
the reason the two countries are not united.
Note: In art perspective is the term used for how the artist
shows depth. Example: The perspective in this painting is all
wrong. It makes him look like he's bigger than the building!
76,00

persuade [verb]
to try and make someone do something or agree to something

 I tried to persuade the parents to allow their daughter to

go on the school trip, but they said no.
 Doctors often fail in their attempt to persuade patients to
stop smoking. The habit is too addictive.
 The US, which by this time was paying most of France's
war expenses, was unable to persuade the French to fight on.
  Blair will need to persuade the Americans that Europeans
will no longer permit Saddam to play games with the
inspectors.
Associated: persuasion (noun); persuasive (adjective)
8,10

phase [noun]
a (short) period of time; stage

 The final phase of rebuilding the school will be finished by

the end of the vacation.
 Iraq has entered into a critical phase where there is a
great danger of civil war.
 However, the Indian society is passing through a
difficult phase in its history.
 After about a year his family realized that this was not
just a phase and that he was serious about me and that we
really cared about each other.
58,20

phenomenon [noun]
a happening (often unusual or unexpected)

 A phenomenon of nature is the way a stick seems to

break when it is looked at under water.
 It's not difficult to understand the Harry
Potter phenomenon. Children like stories in which good and
evil are clearly identified.
 Distance learning is the most
significant phenomenon occurring in higher education today.
 The phenomenon was first observed in 1911 by Onnes,
who noted that the resistance of a frozen mercury rod abruptly
dropped to zero.
Note: The plural of phenomenon is phenomena.
23,00

phrase [noun]
a few words; a written or spoken saying

 If you want to know whether an phrase is common or not,

look it up in Google.
  Many tourists to foreign countries buy a phrase book to
help them speak a few words of the language.
 "Helpless in the face of terrorism" - that's not
a phrase that University of Cincinnati geography researcher
Richard Beck wants applied to him.
 'At once' is perhaps the wrong phrase; administrators
soon learn that change happens gradually, that one achieves
best success through constantly applied pressure.
Associated: phrase (verb)
25,00

physical [adjective]
of the body

 Not all ESL students know that the subject PE

means physical exercise.
 Many soldiers come home from war with
no physical problems, but often they have psychological
problems that never really disappear.
 Men and women of all ages benefit from a moderate
amount of daily physical activity (for example: 30 minutes of
brisk walking or 15 minutes of jogging).
 If there is any question whether the individual might have
a physical problem, the mental health professional should
recommend a complete examination.
Associated: physically (adverb)
Antonym: mental
126,40

plenty [noun]
many, lots of

 One enjoyable way to improve in English is to

do plenty of reading.
 There are plenty of things that the new government
needs to change when it comes into power.
 There will be plenty of time for questions after each
speaker finishes their presentation.
 Autumn is a time of plenty for home gardeners.
Associated: plentiful (adjective)
15,90
point [noun]
purpose; reason; value

 There is no point in turning on the computer. The

monitor isn't working.
 Many people do not see the point of trying to save
money when interest rates are so low.
 There is really no point in arguing which approach is
better.
 So, what's the point of all this hindsight and what do we
stand to gain from it?
Note: Another meaning of point as a noun is score or mark ,
as in: This question is worth 4 points . A common meaning
of point as a verb is to show with the finger, as in Can
you point to the animal in this picture?
224,00

policy [noun]
formal rules

 The school has a policy of expelling any student who

brings drugs into the building.
 Not everyone agrees with the government's policy of
putting illegal immigrants into prison.
 I have read the terms of the University's Internet
Access Policy and agree to abide by them.
 He alleged that the state had adopted the policy of
attacking the entire independent media rather than targeting
individual journalists as in the past.
336,00

political [adjective]
to do government and politics

 A subject that interests many students at our school

is political history.
 Some government decisions are made
for political reasons and others for economic reasons.
 You will analyze recurrent patterns of
international political conflict, identify underlying issues, and
suggest alternative resolutions.
  Aside from the significant political impact of the bill, it
carries little weight and makes little difference.
Associated: politics (noun); politician (noun)
96,60

poor [adjective]
bad, unsatisfactory

 This work is very poor. How much time did you spend on
it?
 The manager was asked to leave the company after two
years of poor performance.
 The two parties paid for these mistakes through
extremely poor performance in the final national elections.
 The nine women here say the poor treatment of domestic
workers is an apartheid-era relic that has no place in
democratic South Africa.
Associated: poverty (noun); poorly (adverb)
Antonym: good
Note: The most common meaning of poor , of course, is not
rich.
47,60

portion [noun]
part, amount

 One portion of the essay is good, but the rest is of poor

quality.
 A large portion of the country is under water after the
heavy rainfall of the last 2 weeks.
 If a student is not in attendance during the
last portion of a semester, the instructor may report a grade
of zero.
 The only disappointing part of the book is a portion of
the third chapter, which is devoted to an interesting but much
too brief discussion of FDR's foreign policy.
58,40

positive [adjective]
good; optimistic
  I have a positive feeling about the forthcoming exams.
 He did not get a positive response to his request for a
day's absence from work.
 Alumni have expressed much positive reaction to the
Alumni Association's recent initiatives to expand its use of
electronic newsletters and its Web site.
 It is possible this information was ignored because it was
not positive or because it was simply unavailable.
Associated:
Antonym: negative
Note: In maths and science the word positive is associated
with + plus and negative with - minus.
69,90

possess [verb]
to have or own

 Many students now possess an electronic dictionary.

 Many people say that he does not possess the qualities
to become president of this country.
 Do you possess a valid, current driver's licence?
 Large numbers of older adult students do
not possess the basic computer knowledge required to attain
a job.
Associated: possession (noun); possessor (noun)
28,90

postpone [verb]
to put back in time

 The referee decided postpone the game because of the

predicted thunderstorm.
 The government will postpone its announcement until it
has up-to-date information.
 There were complications with the pregnancy, so she had
to postpone starting school for a semester.
 It is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. A decision to cancel
or postpone the match will be made later in the day, if
necessary.
Associated: postponement (noun)
4,10
potential [noun]
good possibility

 He has the potential to be a professional soccer player.

He is only 11 but he is already better than anyone else in the
school.
 China has the potential to become the world's largest
economy with the next decade.
 Hydrogen has the potential to provide a clean, storable,
transportable and renewable source of energy that can meet
the need for power throughout the world.
 It is important to identify possible solutions that hunters
and ranchers feel have no potential to resolve conflicts.
Associated: potential (adjective); potentially (adverb)
143,00

power [noun]
the right or authority to do something

 The student council can offer suggestions, but it has

no power to make changes happen.
 Most people do not like other parking their car outside
their house, but they have no power to stop them.
 You have the power to change the world, Ballam tells
graduates.
 By reason of the duress of mental disease, he has so far
lost the power to choose between right and wrong.
Associated: powerful (adverb); empower (verb)
152,60

practical [adjective]
useful; possible

 In Germany most students have the chance to

gain practical experience in an office or factory, before
deciding what job they would like to do.
 Some doctors have suggested that their training should
be less theoretical and of more practical use.
 The solution must be practical. That is, it must be
implementable with production - quality tools and technologies
available today.
  When dealing with a real, physical system such as a robot,
however, this approach is simply not practical.
Associated:
Antonym: impractical
Note: A synonym of practically is practicable. The
adverb practically means almost, as in I've practically finished
with my research project.
57,20

praise [verb]
to express approval about something someone has done

 Some students feel embarrassed when

teachers praise them for good work in class.
 It is fair to praise the government for their successful
efforts to reduce unemployment among older people.
 Remember to praise your child when he behaves
appropriately.
 We should never praise or blame any person on account
of outward actions that are common to all; but only on account
of their principles.
Associated: praise (noun)
17,20

precaution [noun]
something done to avoid danger, harm or problems

 The school has installed emergency buttons in each

classroom as a precaution against intruders.
 Doctors are advising older patients to have an injection as
a precaution against influenza this winter.
 Even though you may know your housemates well, you
should always take the precaution to lock the door. Windows
should also be secured.
 Every necessary precaution has been taken to provide
up-to-date, accurate information in this website.
Note: It is common to see this word used in the
plural: precautions . Example: The police failed to take the
necessary precautions to prevent fighting between the two
groups of demonstrators .
1,60
precede [verb]
to go or be before someone or something

 The lessons that precede lunch today are cancelled for a

special assembly.
 At weddings the speeches usually precede the food.
 There is evidence that increases in short sale
transactions precede stock price declines.
 Thorough cleaning must always precede chemical
disinfection of any equipment.
Associated: preceding (adjective)
Antonym: succeed
5,00

precise [adjective]
exact

 You need to include more detail. Your report has lots of

general statements but very few precise facts
 Doctors have not been able to establish
the precise cause of the patient's illness.
 Choose active, precise verbs to invigorate your scientific
or engineering professional papers, thesis, and reports.
 His current measurement results are not precise enough
to identify exactly the minimum that the ball is sitting in.
Associated: precisely (adverb); precision (noun)
Antonym: imprecise
18,90

predict [verb]
to say what will happen in the future

 It's usually possible for teachers to predict quite closely

what grades their students are going to get in tests.
 Many scientists predict that the earth will be 3 degrees
warmer by the end of the next century.
 Quaranta envisions a future when computer simulations
like this will be used to predict a tumor's clinical progression.
 Scientists don't know how to predict drought a month or
more in advance for most locations.
  It is virtually impossible to predict which infants in the
latter group will not survive without support.
 When the models incorporate the effects of pollution,
they predict that rainfall will decrease even more in the next
few decades.
Associated: prediction (noun); predictable (adjective)
40,80

predominantly [adverb]
mostly

 She has gained predominantly good grades since she

has started attending school more regularly.
 Politics is still a predominantly male profession.
 The course is predominantly concerned with the social
relations of power that developed along with the major
revolutionary currents of the eighteenth century.
 Despite the overall satisfaction that the program
was predominantly successful, there are several ways in
which the program could have been improved.
Associated: predominant (adjective)
6,90

prefer [verb]
to like better

 What would you prefer to do today? Write a dictation or

watch a video?
 Some people like to get up late and go to work late.
Others prefer to be at work early so they have a long evening
to enjoy.
 Women prefer cats to men.
 Studies have shown that students prefer jobs that they
like to jobs that pay well.
Associated: preference (noun)
45,60

prejudice [noun]
bias, discrimination, beliefs or feelings influenced by one's own
background
  An international school is a place that cannot survive if
there is prejudice that certain groups of students are better
than others.
 The government has passed laws to give equal rights to
minority groups, but it can do nothing to remove
the prejudice that exists inside some people's heads.
 Racism and prejudice continue to be a major problem in
our country.
 The self-hatred that this prejudice inflicted led the
children to attempt to wash their skin white with scouring
powder.
Associated: prejudice (verb); prejudiced (adjective)
7,60

preliminary [adjective]
first; initial

 My preliminary impression of him is that he is very

intelligent and that his poor behaviour is because of boredom.
 The government has made preliminary arrangements to
control the number of demonstrators on the streets.
 If the individual knows in advance when he or she wishes
to apply for time away from the workplace, the individual
should complete the preliminary request form.
 This paper documents preliminary findings from a
nationwide survey that investigates substance abuse.
30,60

prepare [verb]
to get something ready (or to get ready for something)

 If you have to give a speech you must prepare for it

carefully. First write out speech cards, then practise at home
with your parents.
 Are you really doing everything you can to prepare for
tests?
 The US Senate voted yesterday to provide €4 billion for
antiviral drugs and other measures to prepare for a feared
influenza epidemic.
  In the excitement of bringing the Internet into our
classrooms, we sometimes forget to prepare our learners
appropriately.
 With winter weather comes the need to prepare your
home, automobile and family to deal with the colder
temperatures.
Associated: preparation (noun)
Note: If you are prepared to do something, this means that
you are ready and willing to not it. Example: The doctor was
not prepared to give a reason for his decision.
114,60

present [verb]
to give or show; to make a presentation

 Remember that you will present your ecology poster to

the rest of the class in tomorrow's lesson.
 The government plans to present its report on adult
education before the beginning of the summer vacation.
 If you fail to present proper identification you will be
billed €5.00 per test.
 Your work will be penalized if you do not present it by
the assigned deadline.
Associated: presentation (noun); presenter (noun)
Note: Two more common meanings of present : 1. present
(adjective) = here (opposite of absent), and 2. present (noun)
= gift.
336,00

preserve [verb]
to keep (safe)

 It's difficult to preserve your good mood if it's hot and

loud in the classroom, you have a headache, and the work is
very boring.
 Once a language has less than about a hundred speakers,
it is almost impossible to preserve it.
 Richards understood the importance of her position, the
image that she projected and the need to preserve her papers
and records at the Center.
  "We hope to preserve the historic value of these
buildings and encourage serious parties to step forward," said
Michele Gougeon.
Associated: preservation (noun)
36,90

pressure [noun]
force; influence; stress

 Some students work well under pressure; others don't.

 The government has come under pressure to reduce the
tax on petrol because of the high cost of oil.
 Women are not the only ones in American society who
feel pressure to achieve the perfect body.
 We can conclude that China is unlikely to put
significant pressure on Sudan, and that Sudan could and
would easily resist such pressure.
Associated: pressure (verb); pressurize (verb)
59,60

prestige [noun]
fame and respect

 Students who get in the athletic teams enjoy a

high prestige in the school community.
 Most scientists are more interested in the prestige of
winning the Nobel Prize than the money they get for doing so.
 In achievement and prestige, the University of
Wisconsin-Madison has long been recognized as one of
America's great universities.
 Due to its association with the churches and schools, the
Samoan language enjoyed high prestige in Tokelau for a long
time.
Associated: prestigious (adjective)
4,80

presume [verb]
to believe, assume

 He was absent yesterday for the third time this month.

I presume he has been having problems with his back again.
  Most scientists presume that the life expectancy of
people in developed countries will continue to rise.
 If these reports are not returned, we will presume that
you have used all available sick leave for that particular
reporting period.
 How many planet/planet collisions do you presume will
come from the M31 incident - or do you think we will be
smoothly assimilated?
Associated: presumption (noun); presumably (adverb)
4,80

prevail [verb]
to succeed; to overcome

 In a dispute between the school and the parents, it is

usually the school that will prevail.
 Different ideas about what is fashionable - in clothes,
music, etc. - prevail at different times and in different
countries.
 We will not prevail unless some of you not only believe in
the Constitution, but are willing to engage in public service.
 The different religious groups gradually came to realize
that none of them could hope to prevail over all the others.
7,40

prevent [verb]
to stop from doing or happening

 If you want to prevent tooth decay, you need to brush

your teeth properly at least twice a day.
 It will help to prevent the nuclear powers from
developing more advanced and more dangerous weapons.
 Even though the South voted solidly against Lincoln, they
could not prevent his victory.
 China also experienced social upheaval, and was unable
to prevent foreign domination of its trade.
 Dhawan says that he is confident that the summer rate
cuts will prevent the economy from spiraling into a recession.
Associated: prevention (verb); preventative (adjective)
93,90
previous [adjective]
the one before

 The new government has promised not to repeat the

mistakes of the previous one.
 In our previous class on binary counting, we found a way
to represent numbers using just two digits, 0 and 1.
 Yoo Jong-pil, spokesman of the DP, claimed Roh wanted
to further distinguish himself from the previous government
and humiliate the DP.
 Ask the candidate to discuss what they believe to have
been their most significant challenges and accomplishments in
their current job or a previous job.
Associated: previously (adjective)
Antonym: next
204,00

prime [adjective]
most important

 The prime advantage of a strong academic vocabulary is

that it helps you to read school textbooks more efficiently.
 The prime achievement of the government in its 5 years
in office was to reduce child poverty.
 Illegal immigration is not the prime reason so many poor
young blacks are on the streets and why some turn to gangs,
guns and drug dealing.
 The Morningside Heights area in New York is
a prime example of what Jacobs feels should not be done for
city rebuilding.
Associated: primarily (adverb)
Note: A close synonym of prime is primary, as in Passing this
test is my primary concern.
18,00

principal [adjective]
most important

 Her frequent absence from school is the principal reason

for her bad grades in the final exams
  The principal problem facing the world this century is
how to reduce global warming.
 The rat lungworm, is the principal cause of eosinophilic
meningitis worldwide.
 Bush's principal argument for re-election is his war on
terrorism, but in fact that's one of the principal reasons he
should not be re-elected.
Note: Another common meaning of principal (noun) is leader
of a school, as in The principal wants to see you - now!
46,20

principle [noun]
rule

 Can you please explain the principle by which students

are placed in ESL class?
 The first principle of this school is that all nationalities
and cultures are equally important, even if some are more
represented than others among the body of students
 Stated simply, this principle means that averaged over
large enough distances, one part of the Universe looks
approximately like any other part.
 This principle can be applied to various educational and
medical issues.
 The notion of the student as the school's primary
customer provides an important guiding principle for many of
today's school reforms.
 The Information Technology Committee has voted in favor
of the principle of requiring all incoming freshmen to have a
computer.
41,00

prior [preposition]
before

 You should use the bathroom prior to coming to class.

 There are very few people living today who were
born prior to the first world war.
 It is advisable that you put your name on these waiting
lists prior to your arrival.
  Prior to age 5, children have learned a number of things
and developed in a number of ways.
Associated: prior(adjective)
Note: The preposition prior must be followed by to (prior to =
before).
71,00

priority [noun]
first and most important task

 Your priority is to learn the English words that will help

you be successful in your school subjects.
 The government's priority in his second term of office is
to reduce child poverty.
 The "Maximize" position says that we should
give priority to whatever treatment produces the greatest net
health benefit.
 Students engaging in scheduled curricular work
have priority over other students.
Associated: prioritize (verb)
39,20

privilege [noun]
a right (to do something)

 Only seniors have the privilege of using this room. You

will have to wait until you are in grade 12.
 The management is considering removing the
salesmen's privilege to use company cars at the weekend for
private purposes.
 Access to the data network is both an essential tool for
university life and work, and a valuable privilege.
 He has lost the privilege of being himself. Immigration
laws have required him to pretend to be somebody else.
13,30

probable [adjective]
likely

 The most probable reason for the bad test scores is that
the teacher was new and inexperienced.
  The probable cause of the accident is that the driver fell
asleep, but police are investigating the possibility of a terrorist
attack.
 Fire Chief Anthony Yenzer said the probable cause of the
fire was determined shortly afterwards through interviews with
the two male students.
 it is not probable that any thing better will be discovered
than what was known to our fathers.
Associated: probably (adverb); probability (noun)
Antonym: improbable
7,60

procedure [noun]
the way to do something

 The procedure for recording TV programmes onto a

video cassette is often very complicated.
 The procedure for writing such a report consists of the
following steps: Choosing a subject; Finding sources of
materials; Gathering the notes, etc.
 Repeat this procedure until only a small amount of
pressure is released when it is vented.
 This is not the correct procedure to use when comparing
two separate databases.
71,60

proceed [verb]
to go forward (and do ..)

 When you finish unit 1, please do the questions and

then proceed to unit 3. You don't need to do unit 2.
 Many people believe that the government will
not proceed with its plans to decriminalize cannabis.
 Individual investors: proceed with caution.
 The government did not proceed with the
recommendations regarding the disability program and decided
to review changes to the program.
38,70

process [noun]
a series of steps
  A very important way to improve writing is to follow the
writing process: plan, compose, revise, edit, publish.
 Bringing a new medical drug onto the market is
a process that can take several years.
 This page traces the process by which a bill becomes a
law in the United States.
 The committee will investigate the process by which the
decision was made.
282,00

procure [verb]
to get or obtain

 For this year's mathematics course, you will need

to procure a good graphics calculator.
 The internet allows people to procure whatever they
want without needing to go to the shops.
 In addition to paying for the required tuition and fees, you
will need to procure a variety of materials to complete this
class.
 The father stated he was from the neighbourhood of
Bandon, where he had been unable to procure any
employment.
Associated: procurement (noun)
3,80

produce [verb]
to make or create

 The students worked together to produce a poster about

the dangers of nuclear power.
 The government's plan to kill all infected cows in the
region is sure to produce an angry response from the farmers.
 The easiest way to produce documents in .pdf is by using
the Adobe Acrobat software.
 Many spiders can produce seven different kinds of silk.
Associated: product (noun)
130,50

profession [noun]
job; occupation
  The teaching profession is usually not attractive to those
are still pupils themselves. This choice of career is normally
made much later.
 There is a serious shortage of workers in
the profession of computer science. The government is
hoping to attract qualified workers from overseas to fill the
vacancies.
 The profession of social work is based on the values of
service, social and economic justice, dignity and worth of the
person, importance of human relationships, and integrity and
competence in practice.
 The teaching profession is under siege from an
increasing number of social, economic and political factors,
leading to large, unmanageable classrooms.
Associated: professional (adjective)
29,20

profit [noun]
money gained

 The school is not a business. Its goal is not to make a

large profit, but to earn enough money to provide the best
possible education.
 Manufacturing companies are finding it difficult to make
a profit, because of the rise in the price of oil.
 The company yesterday said it made a profit of €217.46
million for the six months to June.
 Homes were built and sold to families in need at
no profit and no interest.
Associated: profit (verb); profitable (adjective)
Antonym: loss
48,60

profound [adjective]
deep; great; serious

 My science teacher has a profound knowledge of nuclear

physics.
 The government's proposals will have a profound effect
on the education of every child in the country.
  The optical characteristics of the new hardware will have
a profound implication on high-speed networking across the
globe.
 For some years in the UK personal computers have been
used to provide sensory stimulation in schools for children
with profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Associated: profundity (noun); profoundly (adverb)
10,20

programme [noun]
a course of lessons; a project

 We have a special programme at this school for students

whose first language is not English and who need some extra
support.
 For financial reasons the government had to cut
the programme to help prisoners on their release from jail.
 Our programme provides professional development in
the field of DNA sequencing and genomics for graduates.
 Each programme is designed to give students the
opportunity to explore significant social, political and
environmental issues using an innovative comparative model.
Note: A television programme is a single broadcast item, such
as The Simspons. ( Programme is spelled program in American
English.)
9,10

progress [noun]
improvement or development

 You have made excellent progress in English this year.

You will soon no longer need to take ESL lessons.
 Little progress has been made in negotiations to free the
Koreans kidnapped in Afghanistan,.
 We have not made much progress toward the fulfillment
of Xabier's dream of finding a solution to world poverty.
 Significant progress has been toward reaching this goal
through the broad workforce planning effort as well as specific
unit managerial decisions.
Associated: progress (verb)
97,00
prohibit [verb]
to ban, disallow

 Strict laws in Germany prohibit the opening of shops on

a Sunday.
 The government is going to introduce a law that
will prohibit smoking in public places.
 Congress is resolved to prohibit online gambling in
America.
 The cost will not prohibit anyone from participating in
the program.
Associated: prohibition (noun)
Antonym: permit
9,70

promote [verb]
to encourage; to raise to a higher position in a job

 The school is trying to promote reading by having a

small library of books in every classroom.
 Advertising often tries to promote the idea that the
customer deserves to buy the product because they are worth
it!
 Could you use informal writing tasks to promote thinking
and learning?
 In the mid-1930s, when she was back at Vogue as fashion
editor, Nast declined to promote her to editor of the magazine,
once again because of the morality issue.
Associated: promotion (noun)
93,00

prompt [adjective]
quick; on or before time

 You will not get a prompt reply to your email. He is very

busy at the moment.
 The government made the prompt decision to kill all
cows in the area before the disease could spread.
 You should expect prompt grading of all assignments.
 The prompt response of the Hu Jintao government has
won widespread praise, both inside and outside China.
Associated: promptly (adverb); promptness (noun)
10,90

propensity [noun]
tendency; desire

 My ESL teacher has the propensity to talk about his own

school days.
 Some doctors have the propensity to use language that
their patients do not understand.
 She had shown no propensity to engage in abusive
conduct.
 Humans have a strong propensity to make inferences
and hold causal beliefs, even though it is not rational.
3,40

proper [adjective]
correct, appropriate

 Can you please use a proper ruler to draw straight lines,

not the side of your book.
 Drivers who do not park in the proper places on city
streets often come back to find their car has been towed away.
 Madam Chair, I move that the matter under discussion is
not the proper business of the Senate.
 English may be a global language but it is not yet
a proper tool for exploring most of the world's societies and
cultures.
Associated: properly (adjective)
Antonym: improper
46,50

property [noun]
the things that belong to someone, especially their home

 This computer is the property of the school.

 Every year in Germany many people lose all
their property when their houses burn down in a fire.
 Our new system for handling lost property makes it
possible for you to report the loss of belongings via Internet,
on the telephone or at the counter.
  In fact, the price of property is €5000 higher if it lies in a
section with the Mississippi river passing.
 You may lose your property, you may become quite a
poor man but, never fear, for sooner or later you will be ten
times richer than you were before.
91,00

proportion [noun]
amount; number; percentage

 What proportion of students at this come comes from

Asia? - About 35% I think!
 A small proportion of the government were against the
Prime Minister's plan, but they were outvoted.
 The reporter is interested in the proportion of
elementary school teachers who have at least 20 years of
experience.
 This policy includes how the instructor arrives at the
semester grade for each student, including the proportion of
grades given for papers, tests, hourly exams.
 A significant proportion of the continent is characterized
by water scarcity.
Associated: proportional (adjective);
proportionately (adverb)
22,00

propose [verb]
to suggest

 Following today's meeting the headmaster

will propose to parents that they do not send their children to
school with junk food.
 I propose that we consider our own faults before we are
too loud about the faults of others.
 Our experience is that small businesses (especially those
newly formed) tend to propose unrealistically low indirect
costs.
 As a solution to this problem I propose that all
negotiation parameters be delimited at the end.
Associated: proposal (noun); proponent (noun)
Note: A proponent is a person who proposes or actively
supports an idea or plan.
39,60

prospect [noun]
chance, likelihood

 There is no prospect of him passing the course. He has

been away too many times this year.
 Despite all the money spend on cancer research there is
little prospect of a cure being found in the near future.
 There seemed to be no prospect of coping with the war
debts that were overwhelming both nation and states.
 Never has the prospect of a stable, prosperous, and
democratic hemisphere seemed so close within reach.
13,10

prosper [verb]
to do well; to become rich

 Children prosper in classes where their teachers care

about each of them as individuals.
 The business will not prosper unless it can win new
customers in foreign countries.
 We believe that individuals who respect and support a
diverse global society will prosper as leaders in schools,
universities, businesses, and human service.
 African-Americans have disproportionately failed
to prosper in American society.
Associated: prosperity (noun); prosperous (adverb)
3,90

protect [verb]
to keep something out of danger

 Important politicians are usually surrounded by

bodyguards whose job is to protect them.
 To protect your head while mountain biking, you should
wear a helmet.
 Some steps you can take to protect yourself and your
property are: Lock your room when sleeping and when you
leave your room.
  This report draws on lessons learned from previous
military deployments to consider strategies to protect the
health of troops in future deployments.
Associated: protection (noun)
79,80

protest [verb]
to express anger or unhappiness about something

 The students began to protest when their teacher told

them they would have a test on the last day before Christmas.
 Hundreds of people gathered outside Parliament
to protest about the government's decision to raise the tax on
cigarettes.
 Over 100 students marched to the Hoover Institution
to protest a possible U.S. war in Iraq.
 I do not protest about your right to an opinion, but I do
protest about your inability to see the truth when it is
explained to you.
Associated: protest (noun); protestor (noun)
15,40

prove [verb]
to show to be true

 In this problem you have to prove that x=7.

 The government is unable to prove that Iran is planning
to build nuclear weapons.
 In this paper we describe simple identification and
signature schemes which enable any user to prove his identity
and the authenticity of his messages.
 Students worked in groups to prove (or disprove) a
series of mathematical statements.
Associated: proof (noun)
Antonym: disprove
55,50

provide [verb]
to give
  Cows provide us with milk; and we get wool from a
sheep.
 The government is planning to provide all new mothers
with a book advising them how to take care of their baby.
 What if a student alleges that she is entitled to a tuition
refund because her instructors failed to provide the required
number of hours of instruction?
 The discovery of a mutant gene in fruit flies will
likely provide scientists with a useful model to study
neurodegenerative diseases in humans.
 The system uses a novel inference engine that does not
require users to explicitly provide information about the start
or ending points of their journeys.
 For your child to be considered your dependent, you
must provide more than half of their support.
Associated: provision (noun)
Note: The expression provided that means on condition that ,
as in You can borrow my iPod provided that you give it back
before I go home.
471,00

province [noun]
area (of interest

 The main province of the school is the teaching of

science and mathematics.
 Not everyone knows that Texas was once a province of
Mexico.
 He was a soldier, and doubtless felt that it was not
his province to volunteer advice to the political department.
 This has been the province of scientists and engineers
for many years and has only recently been considered a hot
research topic with real business potential.
12,20

provoke [verb]
to cause to happen

 The headmaster's decision is sure to provoke much

discussion among teachers and students at the school.
  The government hopes that its new law
will provoke more people to seriously look for work.
 They did not provoke an attack. They responded to an
attack from terrorists.
 Doing so will probably provoke a strong negative
response from the group's normal readership.
Associated: provocation (noun)
4,20

public [adjective]
open to all; not private

 The school sports field is not a public facility. Only

students, parents or teachers are allowed to use it.
 The government has so far refused to make public its
plans for the continued presence of its soldiers in Iraq.
 News digest covers critical public health issues from
around the world.
 How do I find out whether the book is in
the public domain?
Associated:
Antonym: private
Note: The public are the people of a country, as in It's
time the public were told about the proposed tax increases.
309,00

publish [verb]
to make available in paper or online form

 The school has decided from now on to publish its

Teacher-Parent newsletter on the website, and not on paper.
 The government report is set to publish its report on
nuclear energy tomorrow.
 You will not have to seek permission to publish if the
purpose of your work falls under one of the following criteria.
 The School of Medicine provides a Web server for Medical
Center organizations and departments to publish institutional
information.
 Campuses must publish an annual security report
detailing statistics regarding crimes committed on campus and
at affiliated locations.
  Once your webpages look the way you want, and are
ready to publish to the web, click the button located near the
top of the screen.
Associated: publication (noun); publisher (noun)
37,50

purchase [verb]
to buy

 The school plans to purchase a new computer for each of

its teachers.
 It is still somewhat of a risk to purchase things on the
internet.
 The following publications are available
for purchase from the Florida Solar Energy Center.
 In all such cases, we are happy to refund
the purchase price and shipping charges once the prints are
returned to us, at your expense, in good condition.
Associated: purchase (noun)
Antonym: sell
107,10

pure [adjective]
complete, 100%

 It was pure luck that he got a good grade in the test. He

hadn't studied for it at all.
 The doctor's claim was pure hypocrisy. He more
interested in making money than his patient's health.
 Very pure water does not conduct electricity well
compared with contaminated water because it contains no
inorganic ions.
 On the rare occasion when Crockett looks upon Indians
with anything less than pure hatred, his observations continue
to feed upon common stereotypes.
Associated: purely (adverb); purity (noun)
20,00

purpose [noun]
reason, goal
  The purpose of this website is to help ESL students learn
English as enjoyably and effectively as possible.
 This room is now used as a computer lab, but it wasn't
built for that purpose, and it often gets very hot.
 At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is
fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called
educated people do not think logically.
 The purpose of this study is to determine whether
antioxidants (Vitamins C and E) reduce the frequency of
serious illness.
135,40

pursue [verb]
to follow (or do)

 That's the third time she's been late in the last week. I
think I need to pursue the matter with her parents.
 The police plan to pursue their inquiries across the
border in France.
 It is an opportunity to pursue a more demanding
curriculum while having an equal opportunity to share in the
full benefits of university life.
 I did not pursue the issue at the time. It was too big and
I was not sure I would like the answer.
Associated: pursuit (noun)
65,70

qualify [verb]
to become eligible

 Being the best tennis player in grade 7 is not enough

to qualify you for the ISST sports competition. You need to be
at least 14 years old.
 In order to qualify for the Olympic games 100-meter
athletes need to have run under 10.2 seconds at least once
this year.
 FAQ > How do I qualify for free health services?
 To qualify for the credit, fuel cells are required to be 500
watt capacity or greater with a generation efficiency of 30% or
greater.
Associated: qualification (noun)
34,80

quality [noun]
worth or value

 The quality of your work has improved greatly in the last

few weeks.
 Very few companies can manufacture cars of
the quality of German makes such as BMW or Mercedes.
 The main indicator of the sanitary quality of drinking
water is the coliform bacteria count.
 Follow these recommended times for storage in the
freezer to enjoy the best quality in flavor and texture and to
maintain good nutritive value.
Associated: qualitative (adjective)
183,00

quantity [noun]
amount

 The quality of your ideas and organization is much more

important than the quantity of words you write.
 UK airports have increased the quantity of security staff
since the terrorist attacks in London.
 The quantity of happiness will not go on increasing in
anything near the same proportion as the quantity of wealth.
 The price of a raw material for a production process may
be reduced if a sufficiently large quantity is purchased at each
inventory replenishment.
Associated: quantitative (adjective); quantify (verb)
27,20

radical [adjective]
extreme, strong

 Some people have radical ideas about education. For

example, that children should be allowed to choose whether or
not to attend lessons.
  The company made a radical reduction in its workforce in
order to improve its performance in the second part of the
financial year.
 The first radical change in the business model came with
Henry Ford's move toward standardization and applying the
concepts of a production line to the car.
 Marat used his radical ideas to arouse the people, and
set himself apart.
Associated: radically (adverb)
12,30

raise [verb]
to lift; to make higher

 The government plans to raise the money they donate to

poor countries in the Third World.
 The employee asked his boss to raise his salary.
 Dear Alice, Does caffeine raise your blood pressure?
 The Student Activities Committee presented a project
designed to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in the Sudan.
Associated: raise (noun)
Antonym: lower
62,40

random [adjective]
by chance; without any sequence

 When you are doing the lottery, do you pick numbers

at random, or do you have a system?
 The names of new products such as cars are not chosen
at random. A large amount of research goes into choosing the
most suitable name.
 What steps do I take to draw a random sample of a
target audience in my county to do a needs assessment or
gather baseline data?
 To set up a practice test, I'd create a zero point test with
questions from the year before in random order with random
answers.
 Email passwords are now chosen at random.
Associated: randomness (noun); randomly (adverb)
43,20

range [noun]
extent, distance between two points

 Most of the test scores were in the range from 70-80%.

 The government survey produced a wide range of
responses.
 Students successfully completing a family history major
should demonstrate a significant range of skills and abilities in
research and critical thinking.
 A color model is an orderly system for creating a
whole range of colors from a small set of primary colors.
160,20

rank [noun]
position (in a list or hierarchy)

 She is unlikely to rise above the rank of teacher helper;

she is not very hard-working, and too often absent.
 In most companies you have to have a high rank before
you are entitled to a company car.
 When reporting scores, both the student's rank and the
number of students in the class must be stated.
 Among male baboons, dominance rank is independent of
maternal rank, and changes markedly with age; males reach
their highest rank between 8 and 10 years of age.
Associated: rank (verb)
35,40

rapid [adjective]
quick

 You are making very rapid progress in learning English!

You only started learning a year ago, and you can already
speak quite fluently.
 We often hear that now is the period of the
most rapid change. From one perspective, this might be
correct.
  A very rapid response in real time is needed to record the
optical emission while the gamma-ray burst is in progress.
 The past 20 years have seen a rapid increase in our
understanding of the biology of cancer.
 From the end of the Great Depression to the mid-1970s
economic growth was rapid and its benefits were widely
spread throughout the society.
Associated: rapidity (noun); rapidly (adverb)
Antonym: slow
31,50

rare [adjective]
unusual

 It is very rare for a student to learn English so quickly.

But she has!
 This is a rare example of the government passing a law
that everyone was happy with.
 This phenomenon is not rare: 99 percent of patients
experience a phantom pain after an amputation.
 Tai Chi is a rare example of an art of self-defense that
can be used effectively by both women and men.
Associated: rarity (noun); rarely (adverb)
Antonym: frequent, common
30,00

rate [noun]
quantity; proportion; speed

 The dropout rate for high schoolers rose to 3.8 percent

during the last decade.
 Your target heart rate is a useful way of pacing yourself
during exercise.
 This is slightly down from the 19 percent failure rate last
year but still significantly above the failure rate in other
freshmen subjects.
 Education has reduced the rate at which the disease has
spread throughout the population.
Note: Another common meaning of rate (verb) is to judge,
give an opinion about .., as in How did you rate the science
lesson we had yesterday?
132,40

rather [adverb]
instead

 Would you help me with my science homework? - OK, but

I'd rather go out and play basketball.
 Many people would rather drive 500 meters to the shops
than walk there.
 You'll save yourself a lot of work if you concentrate on
creating a healthy lawn, rather than the manicured look.
 Rather than worrying about anthrax, this is the time of
year to make sure that those at high risk for the flu receive
their vaccinations.
Note: Another common meaning of rather is quite, somewhat,
as in I think I did rather well in the test.
102,90

ratio [noun]
mathematical relationship between two amount

 The ratio of native-English speakers and non-native-

English speakers at the school is about 40% : 60%.
 The school has a ratio of approximately one teacher for
every fifteen students.
 We used this information to construct a continuous
measure of the ratio of subject-specific coursework to total
coursework.
 It seems probable that precise measurements of
the ratio of positive to negative responses will help to decide
between the several processes.
43,20

rational [adjective]
base on reason, not on emotion or instinct

 Giving up the course was a rational thing to do. He had

no chance of passing it.
 Everyone knows that smoking and drinking heavily is not
a rational way to live but some are addicted and cannot stop.
  Nugent claimed that how technology is organized is
generally not a rational decision but rather one based on
individuals and history.
 This is the completely rational response of a country that
has no hope of defeating the United States in battle but
nevertheless wants to insure that it isn't attacked.
Associated: rationale (noun); rationally (adverb)
Antonym: irrational
14,50

react [verb]
to respond

 The teacher look like she was going to react angrily when
I came late, but fortunately for me, she didn't!
 Some, but not many, drivers do not react to increases in
the price of petrol by using their car less frequently.
 The women did not react emotionally to the comedy, but
the men did, Filipowicz concludes.
 They knew the phrase was inappropriate, but they were
not sure how to react.
Associated: reaction (noun)
16,00

realize [verb]
to come to know or understand

 I didn't realize that she wasn't English. She spoke so

fluently and accurately.
 The doctor began to realize that her patient was not
telling the whole truth about what was wrong.
 Community service has helped me to realize the
contradictions that we live in.
 The common, misinformed man did not realize that fleas
infected black rats, which in turn bit humans.
Associated: realization (noun)
Note: Realize can also be spelled realise
48,00

reasonable [adjective]
acceptable, quite good
  You have made reasonable progress in English this
trimester.
 The Health Minister has made the reasonable request
that parents make sure their children eat enough fruit and
vegetables.
 Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate
properly documented special needs.
 The suggestion is therefore not reasonable, and the
department need not adopt it.
Associated: reasonably (adverb)
Antonym: unreasonable
38,60

receive [verb]
to get

 Did everyone receive their report card.

 If you order a book from Amazon, you usually receive it
within a few days.
 You will receive an email from the Financial Aid office
when your financial aid eligibility has been determined.
 The U.S. government likely approached China on this
matter prior to the announcement of sanctions, but did
not receive a satisfactory response.
Associated: receipt (noun)
Antonym: give, get
243,00

recently [adverb]
in the near past

 Your work has got much better recently.

 The company has started to do more business in
Asia recently.
 They are quoted at length in Kornbluh's book, The
Pinochet File, and recently cited in the New York Times.
 Until recently there have been few sources of information
about the morphological and syntactic structure of the Kam
language.
Associated: recent (adjective)
88,00

recognize [verb]
to know or understand (who someone is or what something is)

 I did not recognize my ESL teacher. He was wearing a

costume for Renaissance Day.
 Doctors recognize the difficulty of giving up smoking.
That's why they recommend never starting.
 Make sure the people you care about learn
to recognize a stroke and act quickly.
 This brochure was created to help home owners and land
managers recognize hazardous defects in trees and to
suggest possible corrective actions.
Associated: recognition (noun)
Note: Recognize can also be spelled recognise
79,20

recommend [verb]
to suggest something to someone because it is good

 If you want to improve in English, I recommend that you

read plenty of books for pleasure.
 Doctors recommend that people eat 5 fruits or
vegetables every day.
 If you want your letter to be a private communication, I
usually do not recommend sending copies to other people,
since they may decide to act on the matter.
 I thoroughly recommend this book to anybody interest in
the vegetation of North America and to those studying similar
vegetation in other parts of the world.
Associated: recommendation (noun)
66,30

record [noun]
evidence; documentation

 There is no record of you having paid for the trip. Are

you sure?
  The government has a record of everyone who has
travelled to Afghanistan in the last 5 years.
 One particular group of bacteria, the "blue-green algae,"
have left a fossil record that extends far back into the
Precambrian Era.
 Employees must have worked for the State for at least
five years, and have a satisfactory record of sick leave usage
and work performance.
 There was also no apparent record of an attempt to
measure the relationship between individual differences in
facial shape.
Associated: record (verb)
Note: Another common meaning of record (noun) is best
performance , as in The record for the most goals scored in a
professional football match is 36.
139,80

recover [verb]
to get back

 Did you recover the book that was taken from your bag?
 A few years ago a robot was lowered to the seabed
to recover some objects from the wreck of the Titanic.
 One of the major goals of Women's Studies over the past
25 years has been to recover the work of women writers from
past times.
 If you saved a file to a library PC running Windows prior
to a crash or being logged out, you should be able
to recover it.
Associated: recovery (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of recover is to get better
from an illness, as in She has not yet recovered from the fever
she caught last year.
22,40

recur [verb]
to happen again

 Please make sure your dangerous behaviour does

not recur.
  Experts believe that the problem will recur until the
government takes it more seriously.
 The programme will include several basic creative thinking
techniques and this theme will recur in problem-solving mode
in Part 2 of the programme.
 Many people used to believe that if cancer did
not recur within five years, a person was safe.
Associated: recurrence (noun)
2,40

reduce [verb]
to make smaller or shorter

 If you want to do well in tests then you will need

to reduce the amount of time watching TV and spend more
time studying.
 The government is planning a TV campaign in an attempt
to reduce teenage pregnancy,
 Several campus departments have been working
to reduce the number of false alarms that result from
controllable and mechanical factors.
 Simply supplying more protein with alfalfa in the ration
will reduce the need for purchased soybean meal and result in
lower ration P.
 The new procedure should help to reduce the number of
problems resulting from adjustment to semester length.
 Russia was unable to reduce its budget deficit, which
stayed around 5% of GDP.
Associated: reduction (noun)
Antonym: enlarge
119,70

refer [verb]
to direct (attention) to; to mean

 Does this report refer to this year or last year?

 To justify their high salary, top managers like to refer to
the increased risk that they will lose their jobs.
 Refer this page to a friend.
 You may need to refer to the terms and scope of the
permission (i.e., duration, purpose, etc.).
Associated: reference (noun)
97,20

reflect [verb]
to think or consider

 You need to reflect a little more on the books that you

read. It's not enough to just write what happens.
 The government clearly did not reflect carefully enough
on the consequences of its new law.
 If we reflect just a little more, we will see that random is
hardly the right adjective.
 As a teacher educator, I believe that new teachers need
to reflect on, critically analyze, and evaluate their own
teaching.
Associated: reflection (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of reflect / reflection is
connected with mirrors, glass, etc. Example: I saw
my reflection in the shop window as I walked past.
95,70

reform [verb]
to change and improve

 The university has decided to reform its admissions

policy to include more non-native speakers of English.
 The government would like to reform the health service
but the doctors are against their proposals.
 The organizations that take credit for putting ecology first
have failed to reform or develop a system that will allow them
to achieve their goals.
 Elders says that the U.S. must reform its sick health care
system.
Associated: reform (noun)
50,10

refuse [verb]
to not do something that someone wants you to do

 I refuse to sit next to John any more. He never lets me

work.
  The bank did not refuse to make payment but insisted
first on the signature of the husband.
 I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and
jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding
events which surround him.
 The faculty member cannot refuse a reasonable request
for extension of the project due date.
 Why did the Bush Administration refuse to modify its
goals in order to achieve a consensus?
Associated: refusal (noun)
Antonym: agree, comply
16,60

refute [verb]
to prove to be untrue; to deny

 The student said that his dog had eaten his homework.
The teacher did not believe him but could not refute what he
said.
 Nowadays nobody attempts to refute that smoking is bad
for the health.
 McCready said she could not refute anything in the New
York Daily News story about her.
 I find it quite hard to understand why anyone would
attempt to refute or ignore these accomplishments.
Associated: refutation (noun)
2,90

regard [verb]
to think or have an opinion about something or someone

 I regard vocabulary as the single most important aspect

of learning English.
 Although the patient was in pain, the doctor did
not regard the problem as serious.
 Most people who use a wheelchair or mobility devices do
not regard them as confining. They are viewed as liberating; a
means of getting around.
 I regard what people actually do in practice as far more
significant and worthy of formalization than what ivory-tower
logicians prefer in principle.
Associated: regard (noun)
64,20

regarding [preposition]
about, concerning, with respect to

 I need to speak to John's parents regarding his constant

absence.
 The government needs to change its
policies regarding the punishment of young criminals.
 This survey examines attitudes regarding the campus-
area housing market.
 The Dartmouth has received a number of complaints,
specifically regarding their poor fact-checking.
Note: Other forms of regarding are with regard to, as regards ,
as in I need to speak to John's parents as regards / with regard
to his constant absence.
57,90

region [noun]
part of a place

 The school is located in the wooded region to the north

west of Frankfurt.
 The bottom of the Pacific Ocean is the most
remote region on Earth.
 Asia is our closest region and essentially I feel that we
need more understanding and exchange culturally to make
sense of where we all are'.
 The cost of transporting diesel fuel to operate machines in
the arctic region is very high, typically 2-4 times world market
prices.
Associated: regional (adjective)
106,80

regret [verb]
to feel sorry (for doing or saying something)

 Letter from the headmaster to parents: 'We regret that

the school will be closed for the next two days because of
problems with the heating system.
  Most countries that went to war in Iraq now regret their
decision.
 It was a chance to try out something different and
immerse myself completely in another culture and it was a
choice I did not regret.
 She will always regret not going on to college right after
high school, and learned the hard way that the educated get
all the best that life has to offer.
Associated: regret (noun)
7,70

regular [adjective]
predictable, following a pattern; normal

 Her absences from school are very regular. She's away

every Monday morning.
 Doctors advise that the better way to get and stay healthy
is to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and take regular exercise.
 There is very little difference in the quality of learning
received by distance education students and regular students,
according to a study.
 A book published in the regular way must depend mainly
upon its own merits for its success.
Associated: regularly (adverb); regularity (noun)
Antonym: irregular
72,30

regulate [verb]
to control

 We need to regulate entry to the cafeteria so that not all

students are trying to buy a meal at the same time.
 Some people say that drugs like cannabis should be made
legal to allow the government to regulate its sale.
 For the first time in history, the federal government
will regulate college and university admissions.
 We need to regulate access to new lands made possible
by road expansion.
Associated: regulation (noun)
18,20
reinforce [verb]
to make something stronger

 The school is planning to reinforce the classroom doors

to make them less easy to break down.
 The government can reinforce its message about the
dangers of drinking if it increases the price of alcohol.
 This home-school reading program should reinforce the
parent's role as teachers in their children's lives.
 They failed to publicly reinforce the message that
climate change will having a direct negative impact on global
security.
Associated: reinforcement (noun)
14,00

reject [verb]
to refuse

 The school is set to reject the parents' request to extend

their child's vacation by two days.
 It is an insult in some countries to reject an offer of the
local food.
 Sometimes, the author will ask that the decision
to reject a paper be reconsidered.
 Why do anthropologists reject the word 'primitive'?
Associated: rejection (noun)
Antonym: accept
19,50

related [adjective]
connected; having something to do with each other

 I think her problems in school are related to problems at

home.
 Many social scientists believe that poverty and crime
are related.
 Incoming personal mail and packages are not related to
university business and are not permitted.
 Problem behaviors were found to be related to drinking
practices.
Associated: relation (noun); relationship (noun)
Antonym: unrelated
264,00

relationship [noun]
the way to things are connected

 There is a clear relationship between vocabulary and

academic success. The more words you know, the better you
can read. The better you can read, the more successful you
will be in all your subjects.
 There is not always a direct relationship between the
amount of money one spends on a problem and one's ability to
solve it.
 There is no relationship between an individual's
education and their income.
 Wartella speculated that a possible explanation for this
lack of strong relationship in the obesity studies may reside
in the methodological approach.
Note: Another common use of relationship is when referring
to how people get on with each other. Example: She doesn't
have a very good relationship with her parents.
105,00

release [verb]
to let go or let out

 Please release that spider from the box. It will die if you
keep it in there.
 The government has no plans to release the information
that led to its decision to make war on Iraq.
 The service will send the letter of recommendation
directly to the institution, but we cannot release it to the
student without the letter writer's permission.
 The aquarium owner decided sometime in the spring of
1992 to release the animal before any further damage or an
accident with the other dolphins could occur.
 The companies did not release the preliminary results of
the trial until almost two years after the trial was finished.
 They may have been unwilling to release information to
an unknown group with unknown intentions.
Associated: release (noun)
153,90

relevant [adjective]
connected to the topic of discussion or consideration

 The whole of the second paragraph is not relevant to

your topic. You should write it again.
 The government thanked Greenpeace for the information
but said that it wasn't relevant to its decision.
 The search results are likely to include lots of hits that are
not particularly relevant to your topic.
 A geography graduate produces a piece of geographic
research and analyzes, synthesizes, and evaluates
the relevant information.
Associated: relevance (noun)
Antonym: irrelevant
69,40

reliable [adjective]
can be trusted, does not let you down

 My friend is very reliable ; if she says she will do

something she never forgets it.
 The government received information but did not consider
it reliable and therefore decided to ignore it.
 The first and only reliable line of defense against the
acquisition or use of "suitcase nuclear weapons" by terrorists
lies in the countries that possess such devices.
 And finally, these estimates depend to some extent on
those proven numbers and, as we've already seen, those
numbers are not very reliable.
 Do you know of any behavior that suggests that this
student is not reliable, honest, or of good character?
 The secret September 2002 Pentagon intelligence report
concluded that there was "no reliable information" that Iraq
had biological or chemical weapons.
Associated: reliability (noun)
Antonym: unreliable
23,00
reluctance [noun]
unwillingness; hesitation

 I understand her reluctance to speak English in class.

She has only just arrived at the school.
 The government needs to overcome its reluctance to
advising parents how to bring up their children.
 Caesar showed no reluctance to accept the office of
"dictator for life" in February 44 B.C.
 The heroes of the stories in this book are people who
speak only with reluctance about their tragic histories.
Associated: reluctant (adjective); reluctantly (adverb)
Antonym: willingness
3,20

remain [verb]
to stay; still exist

 Please remain after class. I need to talk to you.

 Many questions remain about how humans evolved from
apes.
 Under the new plan, the garden would remain at its
current location on Walnut and Virginia streets and the
pumping station would be built on the northeast.
 Dogs keep dying: Too many owners remain unaware of
toxic dog food.
Associated: remainder (noun)
Note: The remains (noun) of something is what is left of it
after a long time, as in We walked along the remains of the
ancient Roman wall.
115,50

remedy [noun]
cure (often for an illness)

 The nurse gave me a remedy for my headache.

 I don't believe that the government's plan to imprison
more criminals is the best remedy for the problem of rising
crime.
 AOL has said that this is a very dangerous virus and that
there is NO remedy for it at this time.
  The best remedy is to change the nutrient solution every
week instead of every two weeks.
Associated: remedy (verb); remedial(adjective)
9,70

remote [adjective]
far, distant, small

 There is only a remote chance that she will pass her

examinations. She has not been working well at in recent
weeks.
 The plants in many of the world's remote places have not
yet been analysed for their possible medical effects.
 This is the first step to permanently limiting enrollment
growth, something that seemed only a remote possibility
earlier this year.
 For the first time, satellite imagery has allowed scientists
to observe how icebergs in a remote corner of Antarctica can
disrupt an entire marine ecosystem.
Associated: remotely (adverb)
Antonym: close
36,90

remove [verb]
to take away

 Please remove your feet from the table! People have to

eat here!
 This document explains how to remove password
protection from your Web site.
 It is also notable that in Justice Brennan agreement he
commented that the Board could not remove books based on
mere disapproval of their content.
 If the student refuses to leave after being requested to do
so, the instructor may summon University Police
to remove the student.
 The idea was to remove the possibility of a local court or
government treating a foreign investor unfairly.
Associated: removal (noun)
73,80
repeat [verb]
to do or say again

 Could you please repeat the question. I didn't understand

what you said.
 Let us hope that the new government does
not repeat the mistakes of the previous one.
 Very few students are allowed to repeat the course, and
permission is by petition only.
 Based on the results, they will have to repeat the tests
as often as once every three months or as rarely as once every
five years.
 If you get a grade below C-, you will need to repeat the
course for it to count at all on your major.
 She has learned from her mother's experience, however,
and does not repeat the error her mother made.
Associated: repetition (noun); repetitive (adjective)
41,70

replace [verb]
to put in or take the place of ..

 Notebook computers are expected to replace desktop

computers in the next decade.
 The management wanted to dismiss the incompetent
employee but could find no-one better to replace him.
 If it doesn't print clearly after several cleanings, you will
need to replace the print cartridge.
 But please keep in mind that the Internet
doesn't replace career counseling.
Associated: replacement (noun)
56,40

reply [noun]
an answer

 If someone invites you to their party, it's polite to send

them a reply and tell them if you can come or not.
 When the USA expelled two Russian diplomats, the
Russian reply was to do the same.
  Seven years is probably long enough to wait for
a reply to a letter before concluding that there will never be
one.
 If your reply is not relevant at all to the subject line, start
a new thread with a fresh subject line.
Associated: reply (verb)
48,20

represent [verb]
to be; to show or indicate

 These tests represent your last chance to demonstrate

what you have learned in the course.
 It is not easy to represent an abstract idea in picture
form so that ESL students can understand it.
 Social network analysts use two kinds of tools from
mathematics to represent information about patterns of ties
among social actors.
 In decimal notation we represent a negative number by
writing a minus in front of a positive number.
Associated: representation (noun); representative(adjective)
Note: A representative (noun, often shortened to rep) is a
person who works for a company. Example; A rep came to my
house yesterday and tried to sell me a vacuum cleaner.
118,80

request [verb]
to ask politely

 Some students request to go to the bathroom when in

fact all they want to do is escape a boring lesson for a few
minutes.
 The airport authorities request all passengers to keep
their bags in sight at all times.
 You will not be able to request a domain name unless
you provide the following information.
 How do I request that the Libraries purchase a book or
other material?
 You will need to request a formal leave of absence with
USC if you intend to be away from more than 3 days.
  Megan Wood said although students were more educated
on the issues, many did not vote simply because they forgot
to request an application form.
Associated: request (noun)
306,00

require [verb]
to need

 I require your help, please. I can't do this on my own.

 Doctors usually require patients to have some proof of
ability to pay for treatment.
 Prior to the change, students had the option of taking a
track that didn't require language proficiency.
 By the time they reach preschool, about 1 in 3 Odham
children require eyeglasses for astigmatism.
 My research does not require contacting people because
I intend to use existing or archived material.
 It's a complex problem, and its solutions will require new
technology, policy, awareness and education.
Associated: requirement (noun)
185,40

research [noun]
study; the finding of information

 Internet research has become extremely popular, but it's

easy to waste time and find nothing useful.
 The government is going to set up a research laboratory
to investigate the outbreak of the sickness in farm animals.
 The journal publishes scholarly research aimed at
describing and explaining consumer behavior.
 Turkish law requires foreign scholars to obtain formal
permission to carry out research at institutions in Turkey.
Associated: research (verb)
682,00

reserve [verb]
to keep

 Please reserve me a seat at the back of the school bus.

  The government intends to reserve the information for
itself. The public will not have access to it until the end of the
decade.
 Once you've chosen the course or courses you wish to
take, you should contact COM so that we can reserve a place
for you.
 We reserve the right to refuse alcohol service to anyone
who cannot provide proper identification.
Associated: reservation (noun)
74,40

resident [noun]
a person who lives in a place

 Every second resident of Frankfurt is a non-native

speaker of German.
 The last resident of the flooded village was evacuated by
a helicopter.
 If the student is determined to be independent of their
parents, the student must be a resident of Indiana since at
least December 31 of the previous year.
 Miller, long a resident of Switzerland, broke with the
school of traditional psychoanalysis over the issue.
Associated: reside (verb); residence (noun)
39,60

resign [verb]
to give up (one's job)

 The teacher was asked to resign after it was discovered

that he had lied about his absence from school.
 The prime minister has said that he has no plan
to resign over the crisis in Iraq.
 President Tom Gerety announced today that he
will resign on June 30, 2003, after nine years as the head of
the college.
 Lord Wavell had to resign as he could not bring about a
settlement and he was succeeded by Lord Mountbatten.
Associated: resignation (noun)
3,90
resist [verb]
to fight against

 He continues to resist all our efforts to help him.

 If the human body is weak or cold, it is less able
to resist infection.
 His advice was to resist short-term temptation when
investing in stocks.
 It's hard to resist the temptation to buy from an
unknown company when they're advertising low prices for
name brand products.
Associated: resistance (noun)
14,80

resource [noun]
a source of information or material

 Wikipedia is a wonderful resource for high school

students, but the information it contains must be checked for
reliability.
 The ocean floor is the last great resource waiting to be
exploited for its oil and other minerals.
 Forests are both an important part of the global
ecosystem and an important resource of raw materials for
lumber, paper, and fuelwood.
 Business Index provides a one-stop resource of
information on: small business management, foreign trade
opportunities, job hunting strategies.
165,60

respect [verb]
to think positively about someone; to tolerate or avoid
interfering with something

 Please respect my possessions and not use them without

asking permission.
 Most people do not respect politicians who make
promises everyone knows cannot be kept.
 Learning to value and respect the differences of the
people around you is an important part of a liberal arts
education.
  We will not violate the personal property of co-workers
and customers, and will respect their right to privacy.
Associated: respect (noun); respectful (adjective);
respected (adjective)
120,60

respectively [adverb]
.. an expression used to refer to two things, one after the other

 John and Mary gained test scores of 75% and

79% respectively.
 Chelsea and Liverpool are respectively the 2nd and 3rd
most successful football clubs.
 IU finishes in fourth and ninth place, respectively, in
men's and women's cross country at the Sun Belt Conference
Championships.
 The citizens of the two countries, respectively, shall
have liberty, freely and securely, to come with their ships and
cargoes to all places.
Associated: respective (adjective)
38,40

response [noun]
answer or reply; reaction

 Your response was unclear. Could you please repeat it.

 The government's response to the demonstrations was
to promise a public inquiry into the reasons for going to war.
 NOAA is supporting the Coast Guard in the response to
an oil spill in the Calcasieu Ship Channel.
 People with another genetic variant, glycine (Gly-389),
had no response to the drug compared to the placebo.
Associated: respond (verb)
132,00

responsibility [noun]
job, duty to do something

 The main responsibility of a teacher is to teach.

  It is not the government's responsibility to tell people
how they should live and what they should spend their money
on.
 The College will take no responsibility for any actions
taken by students who have been drinking, on or off campus.
 The head of FEMA said that the victims of Hurricane
Katrina who failed to evacuate bore some responsibility for
that failure.
Associated: responsible (adjective)
88,80

restore [verb]
to put back, create again

 Could you please restore this book to its proper place on

the shelf.
 After massive criticism the government has decided
to restore language courses for immigrants to the country.
 Use this form when you need to restore accidentally
deleted files from the network.
 Bone marrow may restore cells lost in vision diseases.
Associated: restoration (noun)
21,60

restrict [verb]
to limit

 After problems in the computer labs the school has

decided to restrict entry to grade 12 students only.
 Doctors advise people to restrict the number of eggs
they eat to 2-3 per week.
 How can I restrict access to my Web pages?
 In infants without a family history of food allergies, there
is no need to restrict or avoid any specific foods.
Associated: restriction (noun); restricted (adjective)
25,80

result [noun]
outcome, effect
  The result of the school's drive to improve student eating
habits is that far fewer plates of French fries are now sold in
the cafeteria.
 The cost of oil has risen sharply this year, with
the result that people are having to pay a lot more to heat
their homes in the winter.
 This is a direct result of how the black hole deforms
space and time, a four-dimensional concept that Einstein called
spacetime.
 The IGH claims that Preval's decrease was the result of
more information coming through.
Associated: result (verb); resulting (adjective)
178,80

retain [verb]
to keep

 You can retain this book until the end of the school year.
 The elders in the village are fighting to retain their
people's traditions, but the younger ones want to join the
modern world of computers and mobile phones.
 In an article in the March 11, 2004 issue of Nature, the
investigators report that female mice retain the ability to
make new egg cells well into adulthood.
 Although there are a number of credible strategies for
trying to retain employees, money appears to be the most
powerful retention tool with regard to top performers.
Associated: retention (noun)
36,90

retire [verb]
to stop working

 Three teachers are going to retire at the end of the

school year.
 In western countries most people retire at the age of 65.
 After 11 years at the helm of the Scientific Computing
Division, Bill Buzbee recently announced his intention
to retire at the end of this year.
  She said she initially had planned to retire earlier, but
that she postponed her departure because of pressing issues
at the hospital.
Associated: retirement (noun)
9,60

retreat [verb]
to go back

 The school decided to retreat when the angry parent said

that he would contact his lawyer.
 The government had to retreat from its starting position
in the face of massive criticism in the newspapers.
 He was not willing to retreat from previous legal
commitments.
 If God is invoked only to explain what science has not yet
been able to explain, then as science advances, God
must retreat.
Associated: retreat (noun)
Antonym: advance
23,40

reveal [verb]
to show or uncover

 She finally was able to reveal her true ability with an

excellent score in the end of year test.
 The police have decided not to reveal the identity of the
men arrested for planting the bombs.
 Sediment cores collected from the seafloor off Southern
California reveal that plankton populations in the Northeastern
Pacific have changed significantly.
 Great Britain, Canada, and the United States do not
intend to reveal the secret until means have been found to
control the bomb.
Associated: revelation (noun)
Antonym: conceal
37,80

revenue [noun]
money, income
  Most of the school's revenue comes from the school fees
paid by the companies who send their employees to work in
Germany.
 Revenue from income tax is expected to be lower this
year than in previous years.
 Some farmers, especially those producing corn, hope that
biofuels have a bright future, both as a new source of cheap
energy and as a new source of revenue.
 Lack of sufficient revenue often prohibits sound
management activities that are necessary to the company's
long-term health and stability.
26,40

reverse [verb]
to turn back or go back

 If you reverse the page, you will see the map I would
like you to copy.
 The government has stated that it will not reverse its
decision to ban smoking in pubs.
 We must reverse the trend of a growing incidence of
campus hate crimes.
 I believe that the DOD (Department of Defense)
should reverse this discriminatory policy.
 If we are to contemplate actions designed to reverse the
pattern of current difficulties in Viet Nam we ought to lay the
groundwork.
 Shonekan was unable to reverse Nigeria's ever-growing
economic problems.
Associated: reverse (noun); reversal (noun)
42,30

review [verb]
to check over (and make changes)

 Be sure to review your writing before you give it to me.

 The government promised to review its policy on drug
criminality.
 If this request is approved by the IRB, the researcher and
his or her clinic staff would be permitted to review the
medical records.
  It is important to review language that reinforces the
dominant culture's attitude to disability.
Associated: review (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of review (noun /
verb) is written or spoken opinion about a book, film, etc., as
in Did you read the review of Madonna's new CD? I thought it
was rather harsh.
360,00

revise [verb]
to change (in order to improve)

 The third stage of the writing process is when

you revise your work. This means that you make any
necessary changes to its structure or content.
 The government has decided to revise it proposals to
increase income tax after massive demonstrations on the
streets of the capital city.
 The committee expects that as NOAA moves forward it
will have to revise the plan on a regular basis to incorporate
new understanding.
 It is often necessary to revise a mathematical model
several times in the course of an urban operations research
study.
Associated: revision (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of revision (for British
students) is the work done in preparation for exams, as
in Sorry, I can't play tennis today. I haven't finished
my revision.
16,90

revive [verb]
to bring back (to life)

 The school is planning to revive its lunchtime sports

program after hearing a request from the student council.
 Doctors were unable to revive the man who was pulled
out of the icy river.
 It is impossible to revive any Yuan play in its original
style because the music is lost and its social context has
changed.
  Perhaps we will have to revive the issue of the 'Child
Friendly City'.
Associated: revival (noun)
3,10

revolution [noun]
(a time of) great change

 The French Revolution is studied in grade 8 history class.

 There was a revolution in language teaching about 40
years ago when the spoken language replaced writing and
grammar as the main focus of teaching.
 The (German) invention of the dynamo brought
a revolution in electrical energy leading to the construction of
power stations serving cities and towns.
 Explain 5 reasons why the Industrial Revolution began in
Great Britain.
Associated: revolt (verb)
28,40

reward [verb]
to give something (e.g. a prize) for good work or behaviour

 If you work hard all lesson, I will reward you by letting

you go to lunch five minutes early.
 The government should not reward young unmarried
mothers by giving them free housing.
 The Program is designed to reward researchers whose
ISBM-supported work appears in the academic literature.
 A close study of this volume will reward any reader.
 The grant is not a sufficient reward for the excellence
and hard work of this faculty and staff.
 High school students who have completed this difficult
novel deserve a reward.
Associated: reward (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of reward (noun) is money
given for help in solving a crime, as in The police are offering
a reward of $10,000 for information in connection with the
disappearance of .. .
20,70
rigid [adjective]
strict, unbending

 We have a rigid policy of no drugs in our school. You will

be expelled if you are caught with them in the building
 Many people have complained about the rigid security
procedures that have been introduced to UK airports.
 Rigid plastics are made of several resin types, but in
agriculture they are mainly high density polyethylene.
 For example, in many manufacturing processes several
nominally rigid bodies undergo multiple, concurrent, dynamic
frictional contacts.
Associated: rigidity (noun); rigidly (adverb)
Antonym: flexible
7,60

rise [noun]
to go up

 If the price of petrol continue to rise, many people will

not be able to use their car so often.
 An aspect of this war is the rise of a large anti-war
movement in the US.
 With an increase in the price of food and necessaries, the
natural price of labor will rise; with the fall in their price, the
natural price of labor will fall.
 Minimum temperatures failed to rise above freezing until
the 26th of the month.
 As life spans increase, the fraction of life spent in
retirement will rise unless we delay our exit from paid work.
Associated: rise (verb)
Antonym: fall, sink
51,60

risk [verb]
to act in a way that might lead to danger or failure

 If you do not start working harder you risk failing the

exams.
 Many athletes who take performance drugs risk serious,
long-term damage to their health.
  The treatment must not risk damage to any personal or
public property.
 They would not fill their barrels when the captain told
them, but instead, ran the risk that there would be water
ahead.
Associated: risk (noun); risky (adjective)
155,10

role [noun]
job or function

 My role is to be your teacher, not to entertain you with

endless youTube clips.
 It is not the government's role to tell its citizens how to
live.
 It only drew more attention to the 13-year-old Robertson
panel report and the CIA's role in the investigation of UFOs.
 Knowledge about hazards plays a central but
curious role in risk perception.
Note: Some people like to spell role with a circonflex rÂle .
166,60

rotate [verb]
to turn or move (around)

 If you rotate the globe by 360°, you will return to your

starting point.
 Farmers rotate their crops. This means that they do not
grow the same thing on the same field for more than one year.
 Assign students to groups; establish rules for participation,
and rotate jobs within each group.
 Volleyball players must rotate in order, and every player
must do this (i.e. a team may NOT have a designated
setter/hitter/etc. who does not rotate out).
Associated: rotation (noun)
10,60

roughly [adverb]
about, approximately
  There are roughly 100 days until your final examination.
It's time you started working.
 The two teams are roughly equal. It's difficult to predict
who is going to win.
 In 2000, over seventy percent of India's population,
and roughly three quarters of its poor, lived in rural areas.
 The New Investigator Competition is an award for the
best paper by a graduate student, carrying with it a prize
valued at roughly €500.
Associated: rough (adjective)
Antonym: exactly
Note: Another common meaning of rough is not smooth, as
in We had a very roughflight to New York.
19,80

route [noun]
the way to get to a place or a thing

 My route to work every day takes me past my old school.

 There is English expression which claims: All roads lead to
Rome. This means that there is more than one route to fame
and success in life.
 The western end of the trade route appears to have
developed earlier than the eastern end, principally because of
the development of the empires in the west.
 The need for an alternative route to teacher certification
has become evident.
Note: Americans pronounce route to rhyme with out.Britons
pronounce route to rhyme with boot.
29,20

royal [adjective]
of kings and queens

 The royal family is expected to drive past the school

tomorrow morning. The children will be standing by the road
waving flags.
 If you read about the Royal Navy you should know that
this probably refers to the navy of England.
 A Parisian mob broke into the palace killing many of the
guards, while searching for the royal family.
  Among other duties, Wren and his team of designers and
builders were responsible for the upkeep or alteration of
all royal buildings.
Associated: royalty (noun)
16,40

ruin [verb]
to spoil or damage

 You will ruin the carpet if you come inside with those
dirty shoes.
 Many students ruin their chances of examination success
because they only start to work hard a few weeks before.
 Mechanisms by which comfrey can ruin the liver are
unclear, but the main injury appears to be destruction of small
veins, leading to cirrhosis.
 Mild pain and inflammation can often ruin an otherwise
rewarding day of skiing.
Associated: ruin (noun)
Note: The ruins (noun) of a building is what remains of it, as
in I love to explore the ancient ruins in Rome.
6,30

sample [noun]
example; a smaller number of a larger collection

 The publishing company brought a sample of its books to

display to teachers.
 You will need to provide a sample of recent writing so
that your English level can be assessed.
 This page contains a sample outline to be used as a
guide for the creation of a strong outline.
 Sample problems are under the links in the "Sample
Problems" column and the corresponding review material is
under the Concepts column.
Associated: sample (verb)
Note: If a doctor asks you for a sample she wants you to give
blood or urine.
98,60
sane [adjective]
reasonable; not mad

 The school cafeteria has made the sane decision not to

offer hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries to the younger
students .
 The government needs to decide on a sane response to
the continuing violent demonstrations.
 When Penn State decided not to cancel classes, it seemed
like a safe and sane decision.
 There were many sane but complex reasons why he gave
up his well-paid job.
Associated: sanity (noun)
Antonym: insane
1,30

satisfactory [adjective]
OK; enough

 Your work is satisfactory but I'm sure you could do

better if you tried harder.
 The patient is making satisfactory progress after the 5-
hour operation.
 The student will have an opportunity to be re-examined if
the initial attempt was not satisfactory.
 To remain eligible for financial aid, recipients are required
to show satisfactory progress toward a degree according to
the guidelines listed below.
 The results are not at all satisfactory, and considerable
discontent has arisen among the Indians on account of the
issues that are being made.
 Previous systems do not provide a satisfactory solution
to these problems.
Associated: satisfaction (noun); satisfy (verb)
Antonym: unsatisfactory
15,30

scale [noun]
extent
  Copying from the internet has grown on a large scale in
recent years.
 From the airplane it was possible to see the scale of the
destruction caused in the earthquake.
 Using this size scale, the table shows how large each
planet is and how far it is from the sun.
 A large scale map shows a small area with a large
amount of detail.
Note: Another common meaning of scale is the key that
shows distances on a map , as in The scale on this map is
1:30,000.
98,20

scarce [adjective]
rare, not abundant

 Water is very scarce in many parts of North Africa.

 Oil is becoming more and more scarce. It is vital that we
find new ways of powering cars and industry
 Economics is the allocation of scarce resources among
competing ends.
 Good jobs are scarce.
Associated: scarcity (noun)
Antonym: common, abundant
Note: The adverb scarcely means barely, hardly , as in She
is scarcely able to speak a word of English.
5,00

schedule [noun]
timetable

 I think your schedule is wrong. You should be in science

class now, not ESL
 The government has announced its schedule for the
introduction of the new tax system over the next 5 years.
 Check the schedule below for specific dates and starting
times.
 She discussed the schedule for implementing the system
through April 2003 and outlined several potential advantages
of the system.
Note: Some people (particularly Britons)
pronounce schedule as shhedule; others (Americans)
as skedule.
240,00

scheme [noun]
plan. idea, project

 The school is working on a scheme to give all students a

portable computer for use in lessons.
 Many people think that the government scheme to
reduce teenage pregnancy will not be successful.
 The Aqaba scheme (see fig. 11.6) would pump sea water
during off-peak periods.
 This note describes a scoring scheme for the co-
reference task in MUC6.
Associated: scheme (verb)
31,20

scope [noun]
extent, range

 I'm not sure he understands the scope of the project. He

will need to spend at least two hours on it every day for the
next 3 weeks.
 An analysis of the historical causes of slavery is beyond
the scope of this course.
 Since that time two major surveys were conducted with
an attempt to define the scope of the problem.
 The scope of the project will include all processes, people,
organizational structures, systems and facilities currently in
place.
48,40

section [noun]
part

 This section of the book has exercises that I expect you

to do as homework every day.
 The government has removed a section of the report
which they said was no longer up-to-date.
  In this section, we first take a closer look at the energy
band diagrams of common semiconductors.
 This section of the GED web site provides several
example questions from each part of the GED Tests.
232,00

sector [noun]
part; area

 The sector of the school behind the car park is for seniors
only.
 The service sector of the UK economy is much more
successful than the manufacturing sector.
 The private sector offers many opportunities for students
with a history or liberal arts background.
 ESS is for students who envision getting involved in the
social sector in any capacity: as volunteer consultants, board
members, managers, or entrepreneurs.
31,80

secure [adjective]
safe

 The school have employed some guards to make the

campus more secure against unannounced visitors.
 In the last few years airports have introduced a number of
measures to make flying more secure.
 The development of secure communication protocols is a
critical issue in today's age of pervasive communication.
 History warns us that until this harsh division has been
resolved, peace in Europe will never be secure.
Associated: security (noun); securely (adverb);
secure (verb)
Antonym: insecure
36,00

seek [verb]
to look for or want

 Students who seek advice about university courses

should make an appointment with the counselor.
  Police are continuing to seek the two men who were seen
behaving suspiciously just before the bomb exploded.
 Knowing when to seek treatment for mental health
disorders is important for parents and families.
 Scientists seek to unwrap the sweet mystery of the sugar
coat on bacteria.
89,40

seldom [adverb]
rare

 She very seldom comes late to class. I hope there is

nothing wrong.
 The police seldom give details of whom they have
arrested until they know that the person will be charged with a
crime.
 These three young women have exhibited the kind of
inner strength, commitment to friendship, patience and self-
control that one seldom sees.
 When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom profit
that loses.
Associated:
Antonym: frequently
6,00

select [verb]
to choose

 Which activity are you going to select next time? - I think

I'll try chess.
 When attempting to select a food service for an on-
campus event, please be sure to ask the following questions.
 There are six categories to select from, each containing
five answers in ascending order of difficulty.
 Students choosing this option must select a faculty
adviser from the departmental faculty who will supervise the
student's program.
 The board was unable to select a candidate in the first
round because of disagreement over candidates' performance.
Associated: selection (noun)
219,90
separate [verb]
to pull or put apart

 If two students are always talking in class, then the

teacher will often separate them and make them sit in
opposite parts of the room
 The police found it difficult to separate the two groups of
opposing demonstrators.
 To separate white light into its component colors with a
prism and use an identical prism to recombine the light.
 Dr. Carpenter told the jury that Hinckley was unable
to separate reality from fiction.
Associated: separation (noun)
Antonym: join
130,50

sequence [noun]
the order in which things are arranged or happen

 What is the correct key sequence on a calculator for

working out a percentage from a fraction?
 What is the next letter in the sequence O, T, F, S, N, E, _?
 The purpose of this tutorial is to give you an idea of
the sequence of events leading up to graduation.
 For this task, instructors present a series of steps in a
mixed order and students are asked to re-order the items into
the correct sequence.
 Notes made by Payne provide a careful study of
the sequence of events leading to the final confrontation
between the National Guard and the students on May 19.
Associated: sequential (adjective)
62,60

series [noun]
a number of things, one after the other

 We will watch a series of films about Ancient Rome. This

first one is about Julius Caesar.
 The managers made a series of errors, which resulted in
the company losing over €2 million..
  Wonderwise is a series of educational packages
introducing you to women who have made science their career.
 A series of accidents and a mounting public demand
resulted in the government licensing of pilots and aircraft.
197,20

serious [adjective]
severe, large

 She is having serious problems in her mathematics class.

She cannot even multiply two numbers using a calculator.
 The government needs to make a more serious effort to
ensure that all school-leavers have a job.
 Survey show that women in American don't recognize
their most serious health risk.
 One study found that anemia was a strong predictor of
other serious problems that were not present at the time
anemia was first detected.
Associated: seriousness (noun); seriously (adverb)
Antonym: trivial
46,40

service [noun]
work done for others; help

 The school offers a free translation service to help

families new to the school and to the country.
 The train service in Germany is much better than that in
England.
 In recognition of your continuous satisfactory service to
the university, you will receive an award at five-year intervals.
 Professor Cowen has a particular interest in
professional service firms and has conducted much of her
research in the investment banking industry.
352,00

settle [verb]
to solve a problem or dispute

 The headmaster called a meeting to try to settle the

dispute between the two teachers.
  Only time will settle the debate about whether the earth
really is warming up or not.
 The University of Washington has agreed to settle a
class-action lawsuit over faculty salaries.
 After several failed attempts to settle the dispute by the
efforts of the local community, the case was transferred to the
City Community Court.
Associated: settlement (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of settle is to remain in a
place, as in We like Germany and have decided to settle here.
15,60

several [adjective]
many (about 6 or seven)

 There are several teachers from Australia in the school

and a few from Canada.
 The company is selecting the best of several names that
have been suggested for its new product.
 It is important to note, however, that rankings are just
one of several tools to use in evaluating the many and varied
educational programs offered.
 Please note that there are several options, including
different connections for viewers at the MU campus and for
viewers outside of the MU campus.
 This is one of several errors that indicate that your
account is not set up properly; this can be corrected only by
University personnel.
 This site provides an overview of several aspects of
Egyptian culture.
175,50

severe [adjective]
serious, harsh

 She has severe problems with her spelling, but the

content of her writing is actually very good.
 The government is introducing severe penalties for
selling alcohol to children.
 In case of severe weather, Phase I may be cancelled.
  Depression can range from sense of tiredness, low
motivation and concentration, to severe difficulties with
managing one's daily life.
Associated: severity (noun); severely (adverb)
Antonym: mild
28,40

share [verb]
to exchange; to give

 It is a tradition at the school for teachers to share a cake

or cookies with their colleagues when it is their birthday.
 Developed countries should share some of their wealth
with poorer nations in Africa.
 Teachers and parents can learn and share ideas for
helping to work for more successful outcomes in the transition
from school to adult life.
 The Madrid attack was like the September 11 attack in
that government agencies failed to share information about a
potential terrorist threat.
Associated: share (noun)
195,30

shift [noun]
change

 There has been a recent shift in language teaching

towards more grammar and vocabulary.
 The decision to make cannabis legal in small amounts is a
significant shift in the government's policy.
 Next, we examine eight aspects of the paradigm shift in
second language teaching.
 To accommodate the great power shift now rapidly
occurring in Asia, the United States needs vigorous preparation
by its executive branch and Congress.
Associated: shift (verb)
40,20

shortage [noun]
lack; an amount which is less than needed
  There is a shortage of toilets in the school. Every time I
want to use one, it is occupied.
 Because of the shortage of wheat, due to persistent wet
weather, the price of bread has risen in the last few weeks.
 Bulgaria is to face a severe shortage of teachers within
the next three years, education experts declared.
 The unexpected shortage of flu vaccine during winter
2004/2005 caused widespread concern.
Associated:
Antonym: surplus
8,30

shrink [verb]
to get smaller

 Her chances of success in the examinations will continue

to shrink unless she starts working harder very soon.
 If mobile phones shrink any further, the keys will be too
small to use.
 It is predicted that Off-campus study programs
will shrink due to the problematic financial situation.
 The Roman Jewish population did not shrink during
Sixtus' reign; indeed, there was always movement of Jews in
and out of the region.
Associated: shrinkage (noun)
6,90

significant [adjective]
important, large

 Your work has shown a significant improvement in

recent weeks.
 Unemployment is a significant problem in Germany.
 Until 30 years ago, this was not a significant problem
because most could work in the agricultural and industrial
economies of the day with little education.
 The results indicated that there was
a significant improvement in fluency, a slight improvement in
accuracy, but no improvement in complexity.
Associated: significance (noun); significantly (adverb)
Antonym: insignificant
89,70

signify [verb]
to mean; to be a sign of

 Poor results in end of year tests often signify that the

teacher has not taught the course very well.
 Government scientists have found some red areas on the
surface of Jupiter, but they do not know yet what
these signify.
 The satellite photographs seem to signify that North
Korea is moving much of its army to the border with China.
 While most people know that chest pain can signify the
presence of heart disease, it is less well known that shortness
of breath can also be a serious cardiac symptom.
 Downloading and reading this letter does
not signify acceptance to the First-Year course.
Associated: sign (noun); signification (noun)
4,50

similar [adjective]
like, almost the same as

 The school had similar exam results to last year, with the
exception except that mathematics scores were a little higher.
 Germany and France have similar problems integrating
their Muslim immigrants.
 A similar study conducted by Dr. Francisco Moreno at the
University of Arizona tested the effects of psilocybin
psychotherapy on patients with obsessive disorders.
 Corms have shapes similar to bulbs, but do not contain
fleshy scales.
 The pattern of weight change through pregnancy
was similar across the 3 projects.
 The study also found that both genders get
a similar benefit from the therapy, which reduced mortality
risk in women by an estimated 43%.
Associated: similarity (noun); similarly (adverb)
Antonym: different
111,80

simply [adverb]
completely; just; only

 She finds it simply impossible to sit still in class.

 There is simply no way to make people believe what they
don't want to believe.
 Students arriving late had simply failed to read the
reminder post card.
 As time went on scientists realized that mixing science
and religion was simply unnecessary and unproductive.
77,80

simultaneously [adverb]
at the same time

 Some students claim that they

can simultaneously watch TV and do their homework.
 It is not clear to me how you can simultaneously make
cannabis legal and expect the consumption of it to go down.
 In this activity, students were able to
see, simultaneously, three different representations (text,
photo, painting) of a specific place in Jerusalem.
 Actually if two pure tones of the same frequency and
intensity are produced simultaneously, they will combine.
Associated: simultaneous (adjective)
22,50

since [conjuntion]
because

 Since you have made such good progress in English this

year, you will not need to continue in ESL class in grade 10.
 Many stores have stopped selling analog
cameras since people only buy digital ones these days.
 We are also interested in the cell biology and genetics of
plasma membrane fusion since these mechanisms are also
important for muscular dystrophy.
  Since Ramadan emphasizes community aspects
and since everyone eats dinner at the same time, Muslims
often invite one another to share in the Ramadan evening.
Note: A more common meaning of since , of course, is in the
time after .., as in I have lived in Germany since 1986.
136,00

site [noun]
place

 The site of the new hotel has been well-chosen: halfway

between the airport and the beach.
 Government ministers laid flowers at the site of the
terrorist explosion.
 Slave remains appeared during an excavation at
the site of these ruins.
 The catheter then deploys a small balloon at the site of
the blood clot.
Associated: site (verb)
666,00

situation [noun]
circumstances

 She lied to the principal and cheated in her test, but

because of her family situation, it was decided to allow her to
stay.
 The situation of the old people in the home was serious.
There was not enough personnel to take care of them.
 Nancy Tsai knew from experience that the
housing situation for graduate students living off campus was
bleak.
 By the middle of May the situation was critical and the
rebellion seemed to get closer daily to the capital.
75,80

skill [noun]
ability (e.g. in sport or music)

 It takes a lot of skill to cook a meal for 20 guests.

  As a musician it is not sufficient to have skill. You must
practise, practise, practise.
 If you currently do not possess the skill to meet this
standard, you are advised to enroll in a class that will provide
you with this capability.
 The beauty of the telephone, and something that the
telegraph lacked, was that it required no skill to operate.
Associated: skilful (adjective)
Note: Skilfull is also spelled skillful.
33,40

slight [adjective]
small

 He has a slight chance of getting in to Oxford University

if he gets top scores in all his exams.
 The government reports a slight decrease in
unemployment in the last month.
 I have been having a slight problem with the trapping of
Control-Y in a subroutine.
 So if they go extinct on one tropical mountain there is
only a slight chance that they will recolonize from a similar
nearby mountain.
Associated: slightly (adverb)
Antonym: considerable
11,60

smooth [adjective]
easy, unproblematic

 He has made smooth progress all year and should have

no trouble passing his exams.
 For some older people the transition to new technologies
has not been very smooth.
 Miller's path to UCSC was far from smooth, but her focus
and determination kept her moving toward her goal.
 The Political Bureau will work to ensure
the smooth progress of the reform of the administrative
system.
Associated: smoothly (adverb)
17,70
society [noun]
a group of people; the entire group of people living in a country

 The United States has a very

cosmopolitan society. People have come from all countries in
the world to live there.
 Many people think that terrorism is the greatest problem
affecting society today.
 While addiction and drugs are serious problems
in society that require a humane approach, there is no room
for nonsense if we want to achieve success.
 Whig-Clio is the oldest political, literary, and
debating society in the United States.
 The older population of the U.S. and the world is growing
rapidly, and these large numbers will represent a major
challenge for society in general.
 Science and technology are driving explosive growth in
the production of new knowledge, often with the power to
induce profound changes in society.
Associated: social (adjective)
204,00

sole [adjective]
only

 She was the sole student to get full marks in the test.
 Some people have claimed that the sole reason for the
invasion of Iraq was to gain control of the oil fields.
 Thus, there is no question but that the donor intends this
gift to be for the sole use of Princeton University.
 However, no one criterion will be the sole reason for lack
of admission to the program.
Associated: solely (adverb)
13,50

solve [verb]
to find an answer

 Did anyone manage to solve question 11?

 Not everyone agrees that the best way to solve the
problem of crime is to put more criminals in prison.
  There is much effort being expended on attempting
to solve this problem.
 A great deal of discussion focused on observations which
could solve the mystery by testing the predictions of the
various hypotheses.
Associated: solution (noun)
Note: A near synonym of solve is resolve (noun: resolution) .
Example: They were able to resolve the conflict by each
making compromises.
68,40

somewhat [adverb]
quite, rather

 I am somewhat surprised I did so well in the test

because I didn't work very hard this term.
 Doctors are somewhat encouraged by the reduction in
the numbers of young people starting to smoke.
 This is somewhat unusual considering the 1997 survey's
response of 41%.
 The strategy used for the actual campaign
was somewhat different.
31,50

sound [adjective]
good; strong

 I hope you have a sound reason for being late!

 It was a sound idea to investigate the problem before
attempting attempt a solution.
 One might argue that this line of reasoning is not
particularly sound.
 The additional time is necessary to enable him to make
a sound decision on an Alaska natural gas transportation
system.
Associated: soundly (adverb)
Note: The most common meaning of sound (noun) is noise,
as in I like to hear sound of birds singing.
55,80
source [noun]
where something begins, where you can find something

 The source of the Urselbach river is high in the Taunus

hills behind the school.
 Insects are an important source of food in many societies
throughout the world.
 GeoRef is the most complete single source of literature
references concerning active volcanoes.
 They have to stop and ask those questions because the
internet is not the best source of all information.
188,40

spare [adjective]
not needed

 Do you have a spare pencil? I forgot to bring mine.

 Every piece of spare ground in the town centre has
already been built on.
 US companies have too often viewed the social sector as
a dumping ground for their spare cash, obsolete equipment,
and tired executives.
 On the ship, every spare room and corner was turned
into dormitory space; cots were set up to accommodate the
overflow.
Associated: spare (noun); spare (verb)
6,30

specify [verb]
to state exactly

 If you can specify the problems you had with your last
history project, I will be able to help you better with your
current one.
 The university intend to make some changes in its
admissions policy, but it cannot yet specify what those
changes will be.
 When faculty members assign an Incomplete grade they
must specify the work required.
  Much of the literature reviewed by the committee failed
to specify in sufficient detail the definition of a medication
error used in the study.
Associated: specification (noun); specifically (adverb);
specific (adjective)
51,00

speculate [verb]
to think and talk about (often future events)

 The new teacher has been away quite often this year.
I speculate that she will not be given a permanent job at the
school.
 The minister was unwilling to speculate on the changes
in the price of oil in the next few months.
 It is not difficult to speculate on what could happen to
these laws if the computer really does change our attitude to
knowledge.
 Thus, while we do not wish to speculate on future
developments, we need to consider the actual and potential
effects of the decision.
Associated: speculation (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of speculate is to gamble
money on the finance markets, as in Many people
who speculated lost all their money in the dot.com bust.
6,10

speed [noun]
how quickly something moves or changes

 The top speed of this car is 230kph.

 In the third example, we see a wind field which changes
direction from north to south but has a constant speed at all
heights.
 This method has many drawbacks including dangers to
workers, low speed, high cost and undesirable environmental
impacts.
 Advances in technology have increased the speed of life
and the speed of change.
  It is important to note that the speed at which refracted
light travels is dependent upon the density of the materials it
is traveling through.
Associated: speed (verb)
60,60

sphere [noun]
area of interest

 The school wanted to attract students from families

outside the usual sphere of business and finance.
 All governments need to keep some information within
their private sphere.
 In this particular poem, Dalton, while asking what
woman's sphere is, also advises man on woman's potential
and her proper place in life.
 The main purpose of the greater study, of which this
paper is a part, is to develop a model of discursive exclusion of
groups of people in the public sphere.
Note: Another common meaning of sphere is ball, as in The
earth is a sphere.
13,00

spontaneous [adjective]
happening without warning or planning

 The teacher made the spontaneous decision to take her

class out to the playground and finish the lesson there.
 There was spontaneous applause from the audience
when the speaker mentioned Mandela's name.
 This was a spontaneous attempt at addressing the issue,
and not a very scholarly or intellectual attempt.
 I often give the impression to my students that the
demonstrations are spontaneous, but of course they are all
prepared in advance.
Associated: spontaneity (noun); spontaneously (adverb)
5,90

spread [verb]
to move (over a wider area)
  A rumour spread around the school that the headmaster
had resigned.
 The Health Department is advertising on TV
to spread the message about the importance of healthy eating
and exercise.
 There are currently no published predictions as to the
likelihood that the disease will spread to other animals or
plant life.
 Despite the political, economic and cultural success of the
Arab city states, Islam for many years did not spread into the
interior of East.
Associated: spread (noun)
63,30

stable [adjective]
not changing; not easy to change

 His behaviour has not been very stable since he returned

from vacation.
 Unemployment rates are currently quite stable. There
have been no major rises or falls in the last two years.
 Importantly, he found that the Wabash River population
appears to be stable.
 One of the great problems in social dynamics is that the
dynamic systems are not stable and are frequently subject to
unpredictable change.
Associated: stability (noun)
Antonym: unstable
Note: Another common meaning of stable is building for
horses, as in She left the stable door open and the horses
escaped.
27,40

staff [noun]
people working at a particular place (particularly an office or
school)

 The school's staff were told that they would not be

getting an increase of pay in the new year.
 There is no point in getting angry with security staff at
airports. They have no choice but to follow orders.
  University staff will notice the new look and feel because
information will be presented on Web pages instead of on
bulletin boards.
 Nadeem has worked with FSU London since early 2004 as
a permanent member of staff managing the Information
Technology Systems.
Associated: staff (verb)
470,00

stage [noun]
period of time, part of a process

 Now that you have revised your work, the next stage of
the writing process is to edit it for errors of grammar or
spelling.
 Reducing taxation is the second stage of the
government's 5-year financial plan.
 This international degree course has been especially
created for international students in their final stage of studies
in Law.
 The Committee is concerned that children dropping out of
school during the compulsory stage of education have
insufficient alternative educational opportunities.
Note: Another common meaning of stage is where a play
takes place, as in The actors ran from the stage when a fire
broke out.
67,60

standard [noun]
quality

 Well done. This writing is of an excellent standard.

 The patient was not at all happy with the standard of
treatment she received while in hospital.
 All new computer purchases by the University, and its
various Auxiliaries, shall meet a minimum standard for both
hardware and operating system.
 Among the issues that may be examined include whether
personal trainers should be held to a higher standard than
other exercise professionals.
133,60
state [noun]
condition, situation

 Look at the state of your book. Did your dog try to eat it?
 Iraq is virtually in a state of civil war.
 As maintenance requirements and costs increase, fewer
aircraft will be in a satisfactory state of readiness or mission-
capable.
 It was found, in a bad state of repair and covered with
moss and rust.
Note: Another common meaning of state is country, nation,
government, as in The state has no right to tell me what to
do. (See also: statement)
580,00

statement [noun]
a spoken sentence or sentences (sometimes prepared in
advance)

 I'm not sure that I agree with your statement.

 The government is planning to make
a statement tomorrow morning on its discussions the doctors'
union.
 On the back of this form or on a separate sheet, write a
thorough statement describing yourself, your interests, and
why you have applied.
 The Board provided an inadequate statement of reasons
for its 1981 decision.
Associated: state (verb)
176,60

statistic [noun]
mathematical number

 Only 45% passed the final examination. That is not a very

impressive statistic.
 The experiment resulted in a statistic that did not seem
correct.
 Some people use unethical methods to create
a statistic that says what they want it to say.
  This is NOT a reliable statistic and you should simply
ignore it.
Associated: statistical (adjective); statistically (adverb)
Note: This word is commonly used in the plural: statistics .
6,70

status [noun]
position, standing

 Some subjects in our school have a higher status than

others. Everyone wants to take science, but few want to study
a second language.
 Today women and men have the same status in western
society. This wasn't always the case.
 The contributors assert that teaching is a gendered
occupation with low status and relatively low pay.
 Over the course of the period there is a steady rise in
the status of the painter, sculptor, and architect and a
growing sympathy expressed for the visual arts.
151,40

steady [adjective]
gradual; without interruptions; firm

 You are making steady progress in learning English.

 The government announced that it was pleased with
the steady fall in unemployment during its term in office
 As a business person who frequently deals with recent
college graduates, I'd say that there has been
a steady deterioration of writing (and speaking) skills.
 The temperature curve shows that the increase was
not steady with time; a fact which could hardly be expected
and is also not observed on other continents.
Associated: steadily (adverb)
13,70

stereotype [noun]
a fixed idea about someone or something (often that is only
partly true)
  It is a stereotype that Japanese girls are quiet. You
should hear them on the bus on a school trip!
 The stereotype of young men who walk around with
large aggressive dogs is that they are from the working class
and are criminals.
 The purpose of this study is to investigate
the stereotype that men are better in mathematics than
women.
 This alone makes the book a worthwhile read for students
whose received knowledge about Africans is often little more
than a stereotype of passive victims.
Associated: stereotype (verb)
2,90

stimulate [verb]
to interest, make grow or encourage

 It's good that the school employs employ new, young

teachers every year. They can stimulate discussions about
teaching methods.
 The reduction in personal tax is intended
to stimulate spending because people will have more money
in their pockets.
 The teacher assistant was unable through various
interactive means to hold class interest, handled questions
poorly, and was generally unable to stimulate discussion.
 Rules do not usually stimulate creativity or passion;
rather they demand conformity and make us fear change.
Associated: stimulation (noun); stimulating (adjective)
19,00

stipulate [verb]
to require

 The rules of the school stipulate that you must leave

your mobile phone in your locker and not bring it to class.
 The new government proposals also stipulate that all
unemployed young people attend a three-week training course
once a year.
  It is noted that the university regulations stipulate that a
course can be offered only if a minimum number of students is
enrolled.
 Although his letter did not stipulate Atlanta as the
location of the new school, the Educational Commission quickly
decided the matter.
Associated: stipulation (noun)
2,00

store [verb]
to put something in a place where it can be found and used
later

 This is the room where we store the science equipment

ready for use in the classroom.
 Modern computers can store the equivalent of many
millions of pages of writing.
 You must remember to store all the images and other
HTML documents you have created and referenced in your
"Public/html" directory.
 Before the accident he did not store his guns locked or
unloaded; now he does.
Associated: store (noun)
108,90

straightforward [adjective]
easy

 It was a very straightforward test. Everyone got 100%.

 Knowing how to prevent young people from starting to
smoke is far from straightforward.
 These calculations are straightforward to perform and
are executed rapidly compared to Monte Carlo.
 The precise answer is not at all straightforward, unless
the uncertainty itself is related in a particular way to the
passage of time.
 Nothing is ever completely straightforward, even in the
best of models.
Associated:
Antonym: difficult
11,00
strain [verb]
to put under stress or make difficult

 Teachers fear that the problems in the Middle East

may strain the relationship between some of the Arab and
Israeli students at the school.
 The Education Department's increased demand for
paperwork will strain the patience and good will of teachers.
 This may strain relationships between children and
parents, and necessitate the involvement of child welfare
services.
 We had disagreed strongly over politics before, and while
these arguments did not strain our friendship in the least, I
wished to avoid potential conflict.
Associated: strain (noun)
20,50

strategy [noun]
a plan for how to achieve a goal

 The best strategy in learning a new language is to find a

girlfriend or boyfriend who speaks it!
 Not everyone agrees with the strategy of reducing drug-
taking by putting more users in prison.
 The strategy failed to persuade workers themselves to
consider domestic service as anything other than a temporary
transition.
 The best survival strategy for one part of the
organization is usually not the best strategy for another.
Associated: strategic (adjective)
67,80

stress [verb]
to emphasize; to say what is important

 I need to stress again that you may not use your

calculator in the examination.
 The airport police always stress the need for everyone to
be vigilant with their suitcases and other bags.
 Next the teacher must stress that nicotine in tobacco
products is addictive.
  However, as a dermatologist I felt the articles did
not stress strongly enough the possible drawbacks of the
treatment.
Associated: stress (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of stress is pressure , as
in She is under a lot of stress at the moment. She has three
important exams next week.
70,50

strict [adjective]
hard, not changeable

 The teacher gave us strict instructions not to leave our

seats while she was out of the room.
 The university follows a strict policy of expelling any
student caught plagiarizing.
 A feeling prevailed that there were no rules at all on a
campus that, only a few years earlier, prided itself on the
implementation of strict regulations.
 The book had arrived in stores by Sunday evening but
store managers were under strict instructions not to even
open the boxes and put it on the shelves.
Associated: strictness (noun)
Antonym: lenient
13,10

strive [verb]
to work or try hard

 She said that she will strive to do better next trimester,

but I'm not sure I believe her.
 The union leaders promised to strive for a longer lunch
break for the employees.
 Our focus is to motivate each student to achieve their full
potential as they strive for success in our five cornerstones of
Academic Excellence.
 There is no place for those who have failed to strive to
better themselves with the opportunity afforded them.
Associated: striving (noun)
20,00
structure [noun]
the way something is made or organized

 The structure of your writing is not at all clear to me.

 The human ear has a very complex structure.
 This research study will focus on the current practice of
web writers and the structure of the web pages they create.
 The loose and often unclear structure of the
organizational responsibilities enabled energetic managers to
network.
Associated: structural (adjective); structurally (adverb);
structure (verb)
148,80

struggle [noun]
a fight, a difficult situation to be overcome

 It was a real struggle at first, but now I've learned some

English, everything has got much easier.
 The government has little chance of success in
its struggle to reduce crime unless it creates more jobs.
 Weight loss is a constant struggle for many Americans.
 It was only one stage in a long struggle that did not
come to a legal end until 1971.
Associated: struggle (verb)
22,60

subjective [adjective]
based on personal opinion or feeling

 How people react to music is subjective. What sounds

good to one person may sound terrible to another.
 Science should be about objective facts,
not subjective opinions.
 Our experiments with SRM 1010a led us to the conclusion
that this was too subjective a method of evaluating results.
 This is a highly subjective view of the symbolic nature of
physical reality.
Associated: subjectivity (noun); subjectively (adverb)
Antonym: objective
7,90
submit [verb]
to give; to send

 If you plan for your child to attend the school, you

must submit an online request.
 Every employee must submit an annual tax declaration
to his or her local tax office.
 You can submit your work at any time prior to the due
date.
 He failed to submit proof that he had completed an
approved substance- abuse program as required.
Associated: submission (noun)
206,10

subsequent [adjective]
next, following

 Your first piece of writing was very good, but

the subsequent ones have been of much lower quality.
 At first it seemed to many like the right idea to invade
Iraq. Subsequent events have shown that it was a serious
error, however.
 The geographer urges upon his students that they first
master those principles and then consider
the subsequent problems.
 Children who are moved more frequently are more likely
to have subsequent problems than children in more stable
placements.
Associated: subsequently (adverb)
35,40

subsidize [verb]
to support financially

 A rich parent has donated money to the school

to subsidize the building of a new sports block.
 The government plans to subsidize farmers who grow
crops that can be used to run cars.
 The University will subsidize the cost of the premiums
for graduate students during the coming academic year.
  It was a time when priests were experiencing financial
crisis and the Church was unable to subsidize many of their
expenses.
Associated: subsidy (noun)
Note: This word can also be spelled subsidise .
2,60

substantial [adjective]
large

 He has made substantial progress this trimester.

 The government is planning to spend
a substantial amount of money on new hospitals next year.
 The result will be an immediate and substantial increase
in the number of faculty of color who are tenured at this
institution.
 Previous studies have shown that children
have substantial difficulties with mathematical equivalence
problems.
Associated: substantially (adverb)
32,70

substitute [noun]
a thing or person to take the place of another

 My regular mathematics teacher is sick so we have had

a substitute for the last 2 weeks.
 Scientists are working very hard to find a substitute for
oil. They hope that one day cars will not pollute the
atmosphere.
 Such activity cannot be considered an
adequate substitute for excellence in teaching and research.
 Food irradiation can be an important tool in the war
against illness and death from foodborne diseases. But it is not
a substitute for comprehensive food safety programs
throughout the food distribution system.
Associated: substitute (verb)
22,80

subtle [adjective]
not clear or strong
  There is a subtle difference between the words
'uninterested ' and 'disinterested'.
 The government needs to use a more subtle approach to
persuading people to eat less and keep fit.
 Traditional social skills strategies (such as board games
about friendships and appropriate classroom behavior) tend to
be too subtle for many children.
 She was making a subtle distinction between causing
something and making something happen.
Associated: subtlety (noun)
9,40

succeed [verb]
to do well

 If you want to succeed in school you will have to study

hard!
 So far scientists have been unable to succeed in their
efforts to find a cure for cancer
 If we are to succeed in creating a true sense of
citizenship in our students, we won't do so by offering an all-
purpose, first-year global civics course.
 You will receive a lengthy, very technical email, which in
short, states that your unsubscribe request did not succeed.
 Design your syllabus so that it communicates to students
what you expect them to learn and also how to succeed in
achieving the learning goals for your course.
Associated: success (noun); successful (adjective)
Antonym: fail
37,80

suffer [verb]
to experience something bad or painful

 Her grades will start to suffer unless she cuts back on the
number of after-school activities she does.
 The government is set to suffer a heavy defeat in the
vote to approve its new tax policy.
 The study finds they are more likely than their non-Latino
white neighbors to suffer another stroke in the first two years
after living through one.
  The study showed that working 25 hours a week appeared
to be the point where students' grades began to suffer.
Associated: suffering (noun)
28,70

sufficient [adjective]
enough

 The school does not have sufficient money to build a

new cafeteria.
 This is not sufficient. I asked you for 600 words and
you've given me less than half of that.
 Is there sufficient proof that there is an ocean floor or is
it just theory?
 Only the one that meets the necessary
and sufficient conditions will win the election.
Associated: sufficiently (adverb)
Antonym: insufficient
37,00

suggest [verb]
to say an idea; to recommend

 The librarian will be able to suggest some good books for

you to read in the summer vacation.
 The government can suggest that people eat more
healthily but it cannot force them to do so.
 If you do not have a particular title in mind, but wish
to suggest that the library purchase more material on a
specific subject, please enter your name.
 I would also suggest that you contact your physician for
further information.
Associated: suggestion (noun)
105,90

suitable [adjective]
good for a particular job or purpose

 An orange pencil is not a suitable tool to do your

homework with.
  A small apartment in the middle of a busy city is not
a suitable place to keep a large dog.
 He also showed conclusively that this was not
a suitable procedure for patients suffering from depression or
anxiety.
 Lack of knowledge is not a suitable reason for failure to
comply with regulations.
Associated: suitability (noun); suit (verb)
24,20

sum [noun]
an amount of money, total

 The school had to pay a small sum to the parents of the

boy who hurt his arm on the ski trip.
 Car companies spend a considerable sum of money
advertising their products.
 Carrying a large sum of money is not a crime.
 He mentioned what seemed like a huge sum. It was
indeed a huge amount for a programme that had only a
skeleton staff and strained budget.
Note: A sum in mathematics class is a simple problem, as
in Some children never really learn to do their sums.
44,40

summary [noun]
a short account of the most important details

 Please write a summary of the most important causes of

the French Revolution
 The organization has published a summary of its history
since it was founded in 1965.
 For a summary of the survey, visit
www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.html, and click on 'Recent
Findings'.
 This document contains a summary of what scientists
think happened at Loihi in the summer of 1996, based upon
geological, geophysical, geochemical and biological evidence.
Associated: summarize (verb)
136,80
superficial [adjective]
done quickly and without enough thought; not thorough; trivial

 He has only a superficial knowledge of English grammar

- not enough to be an ESL teacher.
 Many people think that the government's proposals to
reduce teenage crime are superficial and will not work.
 The student's answer may not address all parts of the
question or may demonstrate an inaccurate
or superficial analysis of the passage.
 The desire to be recognized, to be considered important is
not superficial. It is a basic human drive.
3,00

superior [adjective]
better

 This piece of work is much superior to your last one. I'm

glad to see you are getting better.
 Most doctors consider exercise a superior way to lose
weight than going on a diet.
 Former students say that their supervisors have told them
that their performance is far superior to other employees on
their level.
 In the long run, democratic market capitalism has
proved superior to deterministic, command socialism.
Associated: superiority (noun)
Antonym: inferior
Note: Your superior (noun) is your boss.
22,20

supervise [verb]
to control; to watch over people doing something

 We need one more teacher to supervise the cafeteria at

lunch times.
 It is not the government's role to supervise what people
are doing when they are online.
 Teachers must accompany students
and supervise activities in the computer room.
  Drugs, alcohol, and companions who are substance
abusers are parenting problems that are not easy
to supervise in large households.
Associated: supervision (noun); supervisor (noun)
10,90

supplementary [adjective]
extra; additional

 There will be a supplementary class after school today

for those who want extra practice for the test.
 Many people buy supplementary vitamin pills because
they do not believe that they get enough vitamins from their
regular food.
 Supplementary reading materials will be mailed to each
participant at least two weeks before the broadcast.
 The supplementary information provides details on the
spiking neuron model used in this work.
Associated: supplement (noun); supplement (verb)
7,10

supply [noun]
provision, store

 I usually keep a supply of spare pencils in my desk, so

that I can lend one to any student who comes without.
 The supply of new doctors is getting low. Some remote
parts of the country will be without medical services if this
situation does not change.
 The supply of blue agave (agave azul) cactus in Mexico
has gone from one extreme to another during the past several
years.
 They taste good and supply us with vitamin C, potassium,
and other vitamins and minerals.
Associated: supply (verb)
59,00

support [noun]
help
  Most beginning ESL students need a lot of support from
their teachers and parents before they can start to work more
independently.
 The government needs to offer more financial support to
young married couples who want to buy a house.
 As one of its many uses to support learning, the Internet
is increasingly being used as a forum for students to give
feedback to each other.
 A layer of this cement three tenthousandths of an inch
thick over one square inch will support a weight of 7000
pounds.
Associated: support (verb); supportive (adjective)
398,00

suppose [verb]
to think, imagine

 I suppose we are going to have a test on this. - You are

right!
 Some environmental scientists claim that the dangers of
global warming are even greater than most people suppose.
 Now suppose that a box contains one fair coin and one
coin with a head on each side.
 I suppose one thing I cannot do is review the film as I
wished it had been made.
 Just suppose someone wakes up after sleeping for
thousand years. How might the world look different?
 We can only suppose that Fulton was already too deeply
committed to his own plan to consider alternative ideas.
Associated: supposition (noun)
Note: If you are supposed to do something, then you have
an obligation or duty to do it. Example: She was supposed
to pick me up from the airport, but she forgot.
43,20

suppress [verb]
to hold back; to not allow to happen

 The school tried to suppress the fact that one of its

teachers had a criminal record.
  The government failed to suppress street demonstrations
against its decision to increase petrol tax.
 Do you ever feel like some Asian traditions suppress the
need for communication or being able to freely display your
emotions?
 The government predictably tried to suppress the report,
and when it was released, attacked its author.
Associated: suppression (noun)
9,30

surface [noun]
the outside layer of an object

 Two thirds of the surface of the earth are covered with

water.
 Scientists have found life over a mile below
the surface of the sea, far from the sun.
 Her problems are close to the surface and tend to be
expressed in more direct, less symbolic, behavioral and
emotional terms.
 She was very feminine, yet very strong, very tough under
the surface.
Associated: surface (verb)
72,80

surplus [noun]
an amount that is more than needed or expected

 The school has bought new computers for all the teachers.
We now have a surplus and the old ones will be given to our
partner school in South Africa.
 Europe currently has a surplus of milk. Farmers will be
encouraged to grow crops instead.
 In the teaching field there are positions available, but it
must be admitted that currently there is a surplus of teachers.
 However, there appeared to be a surplus population of
male birds during the breeding season, and hence no shortage
of mates.
Associated:
Antonym: shortage
8,90
surround [verb]
to be, go or make all the way around

 The Roman walls of Oberursel still exist

and surround almost all of the old town center.
 Politicians realize that they can't know everything, so
they surround themselves with people who can advise them.
 The fat cells that surround coronary arteries may play a
central and previously unrecognized role in the development of
cardiovascular disease.
 Most importantly, she was able to surround herself with
friends and acquaintances of similar interests.
 He questioned the security coordination that enabled the
terrorists to accomplish all their preparatory work. The
authorities had failed to surround the school for three days.
Associated: surroundings (noun)
8,00

survey [noun]
questionnaire; information gained by questioning people or
data

 A survey of all students in grade 12 shows that more

than 70% think they are given too much homework.
 Every 10 years the government carries out a
official survey of all households in the country. This is called a
census.
 This survey is being used to gather information about the
current level of frustration with computers and the extent to
which users feel rage.
 A survey of 438 Rhode Island registered voters
conducted August 26-30 also finds nearly half feel the state's
health care system has gotten worse over the last decade.
Associated: survey (verb)
116,00

survive [verb]
to not die

 Many people survive very bad road accidents because

they use a seat belt and their car has an air bag.
  The last victim of the explosion is not expected
to survive his major injuries.
 The Tigua Indians have much to celebrate, however, not
the least being their tenacity and will to survive.
 As incoming college students have arrived, I've compiled
a list of all the truly important things that you need to have
to survive this experience.
 Less than 10% of students who need basic skills
education and don't get it survive in college.
 The best proof of this is that the institutional unity
provided for by the Treaty of Maastricht did not survive for
even one year after the treaty was ratified.
Associated: survival (noun); survivor (noun)
28,30

suspect [verb]
to believe

 I suspect that problems at home are the reason for her

poor performance in school.
 Some people suspect that the US government knew in
advance about the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New
York.
 If faculty suspect that a mental health problem may be
the cause of a student's violation of the Student Code of
Conduct, they should contact the Dean of Students
immediately.
 The supervisor perceived Pullard as an incompetent
employee, but did not suspect that he might be a security
problem.
Note: A suspect (noun) is a person who is believed to have
committed a crime, as in Mr X. is a suspect in the current
murder case. From this meaning the words suspicion,
suspicious are derived.
22,20

suspend [verb]
to stop (often for a short time only)

 The school will suspend use of the library for all students
unless the student who damaged the photocopier is found.
  The medical company decided to suspend production of
its heart drug when it heard reports of the unexplained deaths
of many people who had been taking it.
 With her departure we have decided to suspend teaching
Spanish this fall as we await the committee report.
 Gladwin County decided to suspend the sale of dogs from
its animal shelter in order to give citizens the chance to review
the county's earlier decision.
Associated: suspension (noun)
7,00

sustain [verb]
to keep going; to maintain

 If you sustain your efforts you have a good chance of

exiting ESL at the end of the year.
 The company was unable to sustain its recent good trade
figures.
 It was agriculture that allowed civilizations
to sustain growth.
 We must find a way to sustain the new questioning skills
along with the new curriculum when the funding is gone.
Associated: sustenance (noun); sustainable(adjective);
sustainability (noun)
22,20

symbol [noun]
a picture; the representation of an idea

 The symbol of the Olympic Games is five overlapping

rings.
 In most countries the symbol for the place where you
can get information is the letter 'i'.
 It may well be that the two towers on Boynton Hill will
soon become a familiar symbol of innovation to educators and
students across the country.
 The ocean is a symbol of both freedom and escape.
Associated: symbolize (verb)
23,20
symptom [noun]
sign (often of a disease or other problem)

 The most common symptom of a cold is a runny nose.

 The many demonstrators on the streets of the capital city
were a clear symptom of the government's unpopularity.
 Being overweight is no longer simply a health problem - it
is a symptom of a greater cultural shift that shows no sign of
fading.
 While its lack of clarity was seen by some early critics as a
clear symptom of error and confusion, it was seen by others
as a hallmark of genius.
Associated: symptomatic (adjective); symptomize(verb)
4,80

target [noun]
aim, goal

 I have set myself the target of learning all these 1000

academic words by the end of the school year. That's 8 per
day!
 The government failed to meet its target of reducing
child poverty by 20%.
 Sufficient progress has been made with regard to drinking
water to place within reach the target of halving the
proportion of the population without access to safe drinking
water between 1990 and 2015.
 The proposed system seems an improbable target for the
short-term, given that a half century of work with this goal has
met only limited success.
Associated: target (verb)
Note: The target of someone with a gun or bow and arrow
is what she or she is pointing at. Example: The Olympic
biathlete missed the target by just 0,5mm.
60,00

task [noun]
job

 Your main task for this lesson is to work together to

prepare a presentation on air pollution.
  The police chief set up a committee whose task was to
investigate the reasons for the shooting of the wrong man.
 Without a filter on perceptual input, our brains would
have the impossible task of sifting through an overload of
information to separate important from unimportant
information.
 Students receive feedback from the teacher on their
performance on the interpretative task before they start on
the next one.
82,00

technical [adjective]
to do with machines or the way things work

 My father has a workshop in the garage so I have a lot

of technical knowledge.
 Some people say that there should be technical schools
for students who are not so interested in writing or learning
from books.
 Some of the key personal resources that you will draw
from include your own academic background, teaching style,
life experience, and technical experience.
 Recent government IT initiatives focus narrowly on a
specific technical problem, like enabling mobile data
communication or Web-based transactions.
Associated: technology (noun)
116,80

technique [noun]
a method of doing something

 You should try new technique for learning vocabulary.

Your present one does not seem very successful.
 Medical science now uses a computer
scanning technique to examine the interior of the human
body.
 Using a new technique to trap and measure single
particles with lasers, an international group of researchers
have demonstrated that Brownian motion of a single particle
behaves differently than Einstein theorized one century ago.
  No other technique has been used more often or by
more college teachers than the Minute Paper.
 This technique provides a quick and extremely simple
way to collect written feedback on student learning.
47,20

temporary [adjective]
for a short or limited time

 My stay in Germany will be temporary. I'm am returning

to the UK next month.
 Many students look for temporary work between leaving
school and starting university.
 If your condition is temporary and is impacting only
attendance, make sure you follow up with your professors and
contact the Dean of Students Office.
 She began to notice that being overlooked by her
supervisor was not a temporary problem.
Associated: temporarily (adverb)
Antonym: permanent
Note: A temp (= temporary) is someone who has a job for
only a short time.
24,80

tend [verb]
to often behave in a certain way

 Teachers tend to get annoyed if students do not pay

attention in class.
 The government ministers tend to treat people as
children to be protected from all the ills of the world.
 Successful people tend to have four underlying beliefs: I
choose to succeed. I can succeed. I will succeed. I have
succeeded.
 Carla Santos, a professor of leisure studies, says our
perception of another culture is likely shaped by accounts of
travel writers, who tend to perpetuate cultural stereotypes.
Associated: tendency (noun)
60,30
term [noun]
a word or expression

 What's the meaning of the term hypothesis?

 Hypotenuse is a term that you will normally hear only in
mathematics class.
 Theatre is not the correct term for such a performance,
since it is a matter of the virtual as well as the actual.
 Hmong elders did not have symptoms before coming to
the U.S. and question why diabetes exists in the U.S. There is
no term for diabetes in the Hmong language.
Note: Another common meaning of term is period of time, as
in The government is now entering its last term of office.
194,20

terminate [verb]
to finish or stop

 My father's contract in Germany will terminate at the

end of the year.
 The chairman decided to terminate the meeting when
people started shouting at each other.
 The University may terminate the Contract at any time
by giving thirty (30) days written notice to the Contract.
 If you have the amnio test late in pregnancy and are
carrying a baby with Downs Syndrome, it will be too late
to terminate the pregnancy.
Associated: termination (noun)
Antonym: commence
Note: A terminal is the last stop of a bus or train, as in Kings
Cross is a large terminal in North London.
13,00

territory [noun]
land; area (of interest)

 The last territory on earth to be explored was Antarctica.

 The government is heading into difficult territory with its
plans to ban smoking in all public places.
 I was headed into new territory not in what I was
teaching but in how I was to teach it.
  In this section of the course, we cover less
familiar territory, namely the equations of relativistic
acceleration.
14,60

theory [noun]
idea or hypothesis

 Many a theory that was once believed by everyone later

proves to be false - e.g. that the sun goes around the earth.
 The government's theory is that the bomb was set off by
a recent immigrant.
 Since exactly the same language can be used by those
who disagree with him, the theory is too general to be of any
use.
 The theory was that starving the brain of sugar would kill
marginally functioning brain cells, but the therapy was soon
phased out because it was considered too dangerous.
Associated: theorize (verb); theoretical (adjective)
144,20

thereby [adverb]
by doing this

 She said sorry to the teacher and thereby avoided a

detention.
 The government has increased the tax on
petrol, thereby making itself very unpopular with motorists.
 The study of Growth and Development can help us to
know a person more thoroughly and thereby be better doctors.
 She rejects, thereby, traditional feminine ideals of
marriage and proper behavior.
Note: The adverb *thereby corresponds to the
conjunction whereby. The first example sentence below could
be rewritten, as She said sorry to the teacher whereby she
avoided a detention.
20,80

therefore [adverb]
so, as a result
  You didn't study for the test. Therefore you got a low
grade.
 She had been smoking since the age of 12. It was no real
surprise, therefore, that she developed lung cancer.
 The course is aimed to develop appropriate skills and
will therefore attempt to identify contexts where a traditional
lecture might be required.
 The most we can say with confidence, therefore, is that
CONTU recommended, and Congress adopted, the policy.
86,60

thorough [adjective]
complete and careful

 Older people should have a thorough check-up at the

doctors at least once a year.
 This is an excellent report. The research is thorough and
the writing clear.
 Although we did train the faculty in the revised teaching
methods, in hindsight our training was not thorough enough
to prepare them for the new course.
 Thorough testing based on the test strategies and test
plans created during the design phase will assure that the
clients receive the products they need.
Associated: thoroughness (noun); thoroughly (adverb)
Antonym: superficial
13,70

though [conjuntion]
although, even though, but

 The head teacher decided to push through her

idea though most of the teachers were against it.
 Even though no-one is ignorant about the dangers of
tobacco, many young people start smoking every year.
 These results are interesting, though not straightforward
to interpret.
 She studied history, art history and French, though she
continued to dance all she could.
61,30
threaten [verb]
to warn or show signs of danger

 The problems of drug-taking at the school threaten to

get out of control.
 Global warming and polar melting threaten to raise water
levels and thus flood low-lying cities.
 The requirements threaten to decrease family and
individual student control over the transition process.
 It is less widely recognized, moreover, that growth and
globalization also threaten to accelerate environmental
damage.
Associated: threat (noun); threatening (adjective)
Note: If you threaten someone you say you will harm them in
some way, as in She threatened to hit me if I didn't give her
my iPod.
10,20

thus [adverb]
so

 You have made no effort to learn, thus you will not be

entered for the test.
 The government failed to understand why the people were
so unhappy with its policies, and thus was voted out at the
next election.
 Thus, the results obtained are consistent with the popular
belief that alcohol intoxication causes males to view women as
more attractive.
 It is not necessarily subjected to a thorough
analysis, thus it will need to be evaluated by the user.
93,60

tolerate [verb]
to allow to happen; to bear

 I will not tolerate students laughing at the mistakes of

other students.
 If you move to London you will have to learn
to tolerate noise, crime and high prices.
  They were small-minded people and could
not tolerate students who were superior them.
 We all have to tolerate differences of opinion in the
political world and, in order to do that, we have to understand
that there are real reasons for these differences.
Associated: tolerance(noun); tolerant (adjective)
9,70

tool [noun]
something used to do a job

 The computer is an excellent tool for language learning.

 Force is not always the best tool to get people to change
their behaviour, and especially not their way of thinking.
 Educational research is a useful tool for both practical
and theoretical problem solving.
 Military power is not an appropriate tool to transform the
Middle East.
82,00

topic [noun]
area of interest or discussion

 The topic I liked best in ESL class this year was Cultural
Differences.
 The French Revolution is the main topic to be covered in
History class in grade 8.
 The final topic presents the impact of traditional,
sometimes outdated, teaching methods and their effect on the
participants' learning.
 This is a complex topic, unless you already have some
knowledge of superconductivity.
113,00

tough [adjective]
difficult, strong

 That was a tough question. Let me ask you any easier

one.
 The government faces a tough decision: Does it anger
the USA or does it anger its European allies?
  It was a tough decision, but ultimately I think it was the
student life that had the greatest impact on my decision to
come to Wheaton.
 Tough times for farming can also mean tough times for
marriages.
Associated: toughness (noun)
12,80

trace [noun]
sign; indication; evidence

 There is no trace of an original idea in this essay.

 The police could find no trace of the girl who was
kidnapped from her hotel.
 There is no trace of sentimentality in Weil's notion of the
beauty and order of the world.
 Two thousand years from now, an archaeologist will find
little trace of the millions of web pages that have been
updated in the last hour.
Associated: trace (verb)
Note: To trace something is to describe the development of
something. It also means to look for, as in The police are
desperately trying to trace the missing child.
22,00

trade [verb]
to exchange products or services

 "I'll trade you these 7 Pokemon cards for your 8 Yugioh

cards."
 Most western countries want to trade with China. It's the
largest market in the world and its developing fast.
 The American public seems prepared to trade some
privacy for security.
 When the Powhatans did not want to trade with the
settlers, Smith used force to acquire food.
Associated: trade (noun)
106,50

tradition [noun]
a usual, old-time way of doing things
  It is a tradition in my family for everyone to get together
for Sunday lunch.
 In some businesses it is the tradition that the eldest son
takes over when the father dies.
 The Cole Conservatory evolves from a Music Department
with a long tradition of exceptional training for students from
all backgrounds.
 There was not the tradition of going to school; it was
expected that you'd go to work and contribute to the family.
Associated: traditional (adjective); traditionally (adverb)
44,40

train [verb]
to teach someone how to do a job

 In an international school, it is important to train all the

teachers to help the non-native speakers of English in their
classes.
 The government is thinking about introducing courses
to train young people how to be good parents.
 The goal of the Program is to train students to
investigate significant problems in human physiology using
modern technology.
 Supervisors must train employees in the importance of
safe work practices.
Associated: training (noun); trainer (noun)
53,10

trait [noun]
characteristic; aspect

 Stubbornness is a trait that is sometimes positive and

sometimes negative.
 Musical ability is a trait that some people are born with,
but no-one succeeds as a musician without an enormous
amount of practice.
 In 1986, 23 percent of parents said obedience was the
most important trait they expected from their children.
 Leadership is not a trait that many people have.
5,50
transfer [verb]
to move to a different place or job

 My father is going to transfer to Germany at the end of

2004.
 Many German companies have decided to transfer their
factories to parts of the world where workers are cheaper.
 She was unable to transfer her ability and experience to
this new problem.
 If you are relocating to another U.S. school after your
graduation, we will need to transfer your records to that
school.
Associated: transfer (noun)
193,50

transform [verb]
to change (often completely)

 The reduced rainfall of recent years will transform large

parts of the country into desert.
 The more powerful computers will continue
to transform all aspects of life.
 The college is aggressively working
to transform engineering education and develop leaders for
the 21st century workforce.
 Those who could not transform, chose not to, or who
were considered a threat to the revolution were imprisoned
and eliminated.
Associated: transformation (noun)
33,60

transition [noun]
a move from one (place, time, etc.) to another

 The transition to a new school in a new country is a

difficult one for most students.
 At some time in the future we will need to make a
total transition from fossil fuel power, such as coal and oil, to
renewable fuels such wind or sun energy.
  The book focuses on the key role the family plays as
teenagers navigate the difficult transition from childhood to
adulthood.
 China is, indeed, going through a transition, but it is not
a transition from capitalism to communism.
Associated: transitional (adjective)
53,00

transmit [verb]
to send or convey

 You have learned this lesson that water and other

liquids transmit sound better than air.
 Contact between infected and uninfected people
can transmit disease.
 Each of these mechanisms has been investigated with a
variety of blood sucking insects and the results clearly show
that mosquitoes cannot transmit AidS.
 Weeks were needed to transmit a letter from one coast
to the other. Today, in the developed world, we take it for
granted that transportation is affordable.
Associated: transmission (noun)
15,00

treatment [noun]
way of handing a person, situation or problem (often of illness)

 I don't think that the school's treatment of the students

caught smoking in the toilets was very fair.
 Many people were very unhappy at the
police's treatment of the demonstrators.
 You are encouraged to commit to the therapy group for a
sufficient amount of time before deciding that it is not the
right treatment for you.
 This is an important finding that has implications for the
diagnosis and treatment of children with PTSD.
Associated: treat (verb)
97,60

trend [noun]
pattern of continuing behaviour
  The latest trend among the girls in the school is to wear
different colour socks.
 Many large companies employ people to analyze
a trend such as the way people spend their money on holiday,
etc.
 As a consequence, it often takes many years of regular
water quality data collection to statistically detect a trend.
 There is a growing trend to use the cell phone as the
primary phone, without any need for landlines.
26,80

trigger [verb]
to (cause to) start

 Bright flashing lights trigger headaches in some people.

 The government hopes that its proposals will trigger a
reduction in teenage pregnancy.
 Major life events often trigger changes in financial
planning strategies.
 Too much stress can trigger problems with mental and
physical health, particularly over a prolonged period of time.
Associated: trigger (noun)
Note: The trigger (noun) of a gun the small metal lever that is
pulled to fire the bullet.
16,10

trivial [adjective]
not important

 Excellent writing with just one or two trivial mistakes!

 A headache may seem like a trivial problem, but it could
be the sign of something more serious.
 This is a very trivial example for demonstration purposes.
However, the effect is similar for more complex cases.
 For many persons these are not trivial concerns but
profound and deep beliefs.
Associated: triviality (noun)
8,80
trust [verb]
to believe that someone or something will be or work as
promised

 If she told you she gave you her work, you can trust her.
She is very honest and reliable.
 You need to be careful not to trust people that you meet
on the internet They may not be who they claim to be..
 Some parents or guardians who place their children
temporarily in foster care do so because they
cannot trust their abilities to raise their children.
 We must trust the scientists and experts to make the
right decisions to protect the environment.
Associated: trust (noun); trustworthy (adjective);
trusting (adjective)
Antonym: distrust
72,60

truth [noun]
actual reason or fact

 I would like to know the truth of what happened in the

computer lab at lunchtime.
 Some people think that the USA invaded Iraq because of
oil. The truth is much more complicated than that.
 Tutu's report tells the truth, but not the whole truth.
 They met resistance from Nigerian government officials
who did not welcome change and did not want to hear
the truth about the AidS epidemic in Nigeria.
Associated: truthful (adjective); true(adjective)
37,00

typical [adjective]
usual

 Headaches and sleeplessness are typical problems of a

student who has just moved here from a different country.
 It is typical to do market research before bringing out a
new product.
  But mine was not a typical Negro family. My
grandmother never took in washing or worked in service or
went much to church.
 This standard text contains the typical method of
trisecting a segment.
Associated: typically (adverb); typify (verb)
42,00

ultimate [adjective]
final or most important

 The ultimate goal of teaching is to teach students how to

teach themselves.
 The ultimate authority in the country is the President.
 This position is the ultimate chance to learn about the
many different areas of marketing and business operations in a
hands-on environment.
 While I don't present this as absolutely
the ultimate method that everyone should use, it is important
that a standardized technique be adopted.
Associated: ultimatum (noun); ultimately (adverb)
24,30

undergo [verb]
to receive or experience

 The school is will continue to undergo problems in its

attempt to attract new students unless it reduces its tuition
fees.
 The business has decided to undergo a large
reorganization in the attempt to increase profits.
 But the mice did not undergo thorough cognitive testing,
which requires intact mobility to navigate various mazes.
 All new systems to the data center will need
to undergo a security scan or audit prior to installation.
14,80

underlie [verb]
to be the reason for or cause of something
  I suspect that difficulties at home underlie her recent
poor performance in school.
 Poor diet and drug abuse underlie many serious health
problems.
 Recent research has investigated the traits that
may underlie the development of drug addiction.
 The many hours of practice that
usually underlie exceptional performance remain out of sight
to the casual observer.
6,40

undertake [verb]
to (plan to) do

 Teachers undertake to improve student scores in

standardized tests by doing 5 minutes practice at the start of
every lesson.
 In my opinion the government should undertake more to
prevent young people drinking and driving.
 Students are leaving this week for the Dominican Republic
to undertake extensive nurse practitioner training.
 One of the most common laments we hear from instructor
is that they can't get their students to undertake substantial
revisions.
Associated: undertaking (noun)
16,90

uniform [adjective]
having the same qualities

 A uniform teaching methodology will not be successful in

a class with many different nationalities and abilities.
 Doctors should give uniform advice and treatment to all
patients, whether rich or poor.
 In our society, which is far from uniform in its beliefs and
values, reaching consensus on any issue is significantly difficult.
 While a considerable degree of agreement was attained,
a uniform approach to food policy could not be reached.
Associated: uniformity (noun)
24,30
unique [adjective]
single, unusual, one of a kind

 This is a unique chance to visit South Africa, and at the

same time help build a school in the desert.
 Google uses a unique computer program to generate its
lists of hits within a very short period of time.
 A hunt for hazardous asteroids by University of Hawaii
astronomers who use a unique search strategy has paid off.
 The best way to ensure that your machine has
a unique name is to use your University account name for
your computer name.
Associated: uniquely (adverb); uniqueness (noun)
78,90

unite [verb]
to bring or get together

 The students decided to unite in their attempt to fight

bullying in the school.
 All political parties must unite in their proposals to stamp
out racism.
 German Liberals had tried and failed to unite Germany
during the Revolution of 1848.
 In the face of the success of industrialization, individuals
must unite and form institutions that would be in line with this
task.
Associated: union(noun); unity (noun)
7,70

universally [adverb]
all over the world; by everyone

 The teachers are not universally in favour of the school's

plan to introduce flexible working times.
 Coca-Cola is a drink that is universally popular.
 He is universally considered a pioneer in this field, both
in conducting research and in educating students to assume
key positions in industry.
  No program has developed an approach that
is universally successful in working with the types of
problems that we try to solve.
Associated: universal (adjective)
4,10

unless [conjuntion]
if not

 You will fail the course unless you start working harder.
 Global warming seems certain to increase unless we can
find greener ways of producing energy.
 No matter how good the lawyer's intuition and ability to
express himself or herself, the lawyer will not
succeed unless he or she can analyze logically.
 You have an idea that cannot fail, unless you hire the
wrong people.
44,40

urban [adjective]
of the town or city

 The Ruhrgebiet is a large urban area in north west

Germany.
 People who move from the countryside to a large city
often take time to adjust to urban living.
 The course introduces students to the structure and
function of cities and ways planners solve urban problems.
 The purpose of the study is to examine the hypothesis
that urban life is more stressful than rural life.
Associated:
Antonym: rural
50,10

urgent [adjective]
very important, must be done immediately

 I MUST see the headmaster at once! It's urgent !

 The Prime Minister broke off her visit to China due to
an urgent problem at home.
  If you don't receive search results within that time frame
or if this an urgent request, please contact the reference desk.
 He told the members that he quickly called for a car and
telephoned the White House to set up an urgent meeting in
order to share what he had just learned.
Associated: urgency (noun); urgently (adverb)
7,20

utilize [verb]
to use

 You are recommended to utilize the computer to do your

writing.
 In future we will increasingly need to utilize wind and sun
power as fossil fuels such as coal and oil become more
expensive.
 Research has indicated that the majority of teachers failed
to utilize computers in direct classroom instruction.
 To develop a comprehensive approach to business,
managers must utilize the strengths of their employees in
assigning tasks.
Associated: utilization (noun); utility (noun)
39,90

utter [adjective]
complete, total

 The school wanted to raise money from its ex-students,

but the attempt was an utter failure.
 I am surprised at the directors' utter inability to
understand how the workers are feeling.
 This is especially true from an investing perspective when
repeating the same strategy could be a road to utter disaster.
 It is now clear to me that they shared an utter inability to
view themselves objectively and critically.
Associated: utterly (adjective)
Note: Another meaning of utter (verb) is to say , as in He
didn't utter a word when I said I was leaving him. (noun;
utterance)
2,40
vague [adjective]
not clear or strong

 I have a vague idea why she has been absent, but I'm
not sure.
 The government's new proposals are too vague. They
need to be precise about what they expect people to do.
 Most people have a vague notion of their financial goals
even if they have never written them down.
 A concise and informative email subject line is very
helpful, whereas one that is too vague or too long can get
your email mistaken for something unimportant,
Associated: vagueness (noun); vaguely (adverb)
5,20

valid [adjective]
correct

 If you want to travel at half-price on the trains and buses

in Frankfurt, you need a valid identity card with the school
stamp.
 The government claims that it invaded Iraq to bring
democracy to that country. Many people, however, claim that
this is not a valid reason to go to war.
 How can you tell if the book, article, website, or other
resource you located is a valid, credible source?
 Vehicles that do not display a valid parking permit will be
towed immediately.
Associated: validity (noun)
Antonym: invalid
Note: An invalid (noun) is something who is unable to move
around like healthy people (perhaps they need to be in a
wheelchair).
40,60

valuable [adjective]
worth a lot of money; important

 We have a painting at home that's very valuable. It must

be worth more than a million dollars!
  The most valuable advice that you can give your children
is: Be yourself.
 Users want to maximize their access
to valuable information, without losing sight of the amount of
energy it takes them to get that information.
 The current program review process is not
very valuable because there are neither rewards nor
punishments for outcomes.
Associated: value (noun); value (verb)
40,00

various [adjective]
several, of different kinds

 There are various ways that you can improve your

English. Probably the best is to do plenty of reading.
 This report contains various problems, the most
important of which is that it is not up to date.
 The book provides good documentation of
the various difficulties that confronted West Africans in Britain
during the colonial period.
 You will understand the interactions and contributions of
the various people and cultures that have lived in or migrated
to the area that is now Oregon.
Associated: variety (noun)
147,30

vary [noun]
to change or be different

 If you want to have a more interesting style of

presentation, vary the speed and tone of your voice.
 The government predicts that oil prices will not vary as
much this year as last year.
 These findings suggest that something in the brain's pain-
processing and pain-killing systems may vary by race and
ethnicity.
 The teacher should vary presentation styles and take into
account diverse abilities and interests.
Associated: variation (noun); varied (adjective)
49,60
vast [adjective]
very large

 The internet is a vast resource for today's students.

 There are vast areas under the sea that have not yet
been explored.
 The entire structure of Iraqi military and civil society
collapsed so completely as the war ended, leaving
a vast problem for American troops to handle.
 At a certain point in your journey, you might discover that
the topic you chose is just too vast.
Associated: vastly (adverb); vastness (noun)
Antonym: small
19,80

verbal [adjective]
to do with words and language (especially the spoken language)

 Her verbal skills are very good; she has much more
difficulty with calculation.
 The management has made a verbal promise but now it
needs to be put in writing.
 Mathematics course: Students will read
aloud verbal problems in class and state the meaning in their
own words.
 Normally, disciplinary action begins with a verbal warning
for the first offense.
Associated: verbally (adverb)
15,00

verify [verb]
to prove or claim the truth

 My parents will verify that I did this work without help.

 Scientists have not been able to verify that the fossil is in
fact that of a dinosaur.
 It is important to verify that the information noted on the
sign-off form is correct and that all necessary signatures have
been obtained.
 A records check was unable to verify his claim that he
possessed a valid license.
Associated: verification (noun); veracity (noun)
41,40

version [noun]
form

 Can you please give me the final version of your writing?

This looks like your first draft before you corrected the spelling
and grammar.
 The police chief gave a very different version of the
incident than the TV reporter the previous day.
 The current version of our anatomy information system
has evolved from several previous systems.
 Now retired and free to speak out about the scandal,
Karpinski is devoting herself to publicizing her version of
event.
220,00

victory [noun]
win

 Thanks to his victory in the last Grand Prix of the season,

Michael Schumacher won the World Championship.
 At the same time, we believe that the victory over
prejudice and hatred is achieved one person at a time.
 They are never forgotten, those brief moments of
splendid victory sandwiched between so many slices of rancid
defeat.
 Truman managed to win a narrow victory with 49.5
percent of the popular vote.
 Those who had seen the march in Weimar at the 1926
party rally knew that National Socialism's march
to victory could not be halted.
Associated: victor (noun); victorious (adjective)
Antonym: defeat
22,80

view [verb]
to have an opinion
  I view learning vocabulary as the single most important
thing that ESL students should do.
 Most people view the airport's plans to finger-print all
passengers as an expensive waste of time.
 Mrs. Cassells did not view us as young children in need of
constant guidance, but instead thought we should have the
opportunity to make our own decisions.
 We view his behavior as very serious and we hope this
ban will serve as an example.
Associated: view (noun)
Note: Another common meaning of view (noun) is what you
can see, as in I love the view from my bedroom
window. View is also a simple synonym for look at
570,00

violate [verb]
to spoil or break

 If you violate the rules about downloading internet files,

you will not be allowed to use the computer lab.
 The company was fined a large sum of money for
attempting to violate pollution regulations.
 When a district court heard the case, it found the policy
did not violate students' free-speech rights.
 Students who seriously violate network security or
otherwise misuse the computing facilities will have their
accounts terminated.
Associated: violation (noun)
15,00

virtually [adverb]
almost

 It is virtually impossible to do well in school unless you

are a good reader.
 The government has banned smoking in virtually all
public places.
 Chromatography is a separation technique that is used
in virtually all branches of science and technology.
 There is no doubt about it - the seafloor of Baku harbor
is virtually dead.
Associated: virtual (adjective)
18,90

visual [adjective]
to do with sight and seeing

 Most language teachers use visual aids in the classroom,

such as pictures or objects.
 For some people the visual characteristics of a website
are more important than its content.
 The first section of this course is concerned with
understanding the basic concepts of design: How to analyze
and talk about visual material.
 The committee was tasked to review the tests and criteria
used to determine visual disability for purposes of eligibility
for health Insurance benefits.
Associated: vision (noun); visually (adverb); visualize (verb)
60,80

vital [adjective]
very important

 If you want too be successful in an English language

school or university it is vital that you learn academic words
such as those on this website.
 It is vital that we find better and cheaper ways to create
energy than by burning coal or oil.
 The ability to communicate accurately and effectively is
a vital component of the curriculum.
 The relationship between Christianity and the
Enlightenment remains a vital issue in the history of Western
civilization.
Associated: vitally (adjective)
23,60

volume [noun]
amount

 The volume of business between Europe and Asia has

greatly increased in recent years.
  It is possible to find the volume of an object by
measuring the amount of water that it displaces.
 A simple and often effective means to reduce blood
pressure is to reduce the volume of body fluid with a diuretic.
 What is the exact change in volume of the water when it
freezes as ice?
Note: Another common meaning of volume is sound level , as
in Can you please turn down the volume of the TV. I'm trying
to do my homework.
99,00

voluntary [adjective]
done freely; from personal choice

 The school is looking for students who would like to

do voluntary work at the local old people's home.
 Many of the world-wide organizations such as Greenpeace
and Oxfam depend very heavily on voluntary workers.
 Employees interested in participating in a voluntary tax
sheltered annuity program should contact their personnel
officer.
 There is a widespread belief that scaling up
HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) programs in
Africa will have large prevention benefits.
Associated: volunteer (noun); volunteer (verb);
voluntarily (adverb)obligatory
Antonym: obligatory, compulsory
14,00

warn [verb]
to notify (of possible danger)

 Most schools do a lot to warn their students of the

dangers of smoking.
 It is not enough to warn children not to play with
fireworks. It should be illegal for children to buy them.
 He was also faced with difficult questions about the
university's handling of the emergency and whether it did
enough to warn students.
  These drug companies were extremely negligent in that
they failed to warn consumers of the potential dangers
associated with the use of their products.
Associated: warning (noun)
7,90

whereas [conjuntion]
.. in contrast

 English has simple grammar but complex spelling

rules, whereas in German the opposite is true.
 In some countries smoking in public places is
banned, whereas in other countries it seems that everyone
smokes everywhere.
 It circles the theater so that you can aim projectors at any
spot on the dome, whereas before we were limited to placing
them toward the back of the room.
 Whereas the origin of galactic magnetic fields has long
posed a challenge for astrophysicists to explain, they
nevertheless feel that they can say where they
were not formed.
Note: An synonym for whereas is whilst, as in I like
coffee whilst my husband prefers tea.
18,50

whether [conjuntion]
if

 She cannot remember whether the student gave her the

work or not.
 It is not yet clear whether the decision was correct or
not.
 Check with your academic advisor if you are
uncertain whether this will count as a credit towards your
graduation.
 How can employees determine whether they have a
disability under the new regulations?
80,20

while [conjuntion]
.. used to contrast to people or things; although
  Hannah always tries her best, while her brother never
makes any effort.
 While the company made a small profit, the management
were hoping it would be greater.
 Msall said that while the situation has improved, the
numbers haven't been changing fast enough.
 One group consistently chose cooperation while the other
group chose competition.
Note: An alternative spelling for this meaning
of while is whilst. The most common meaning of while is during
the time that, as in I did my homework while my father cooked
dinner.
158,00

widespread [adjective]
common

 The illegal downloading of music via the internet

is widespread among young people.
 There is a widespread belief among the public that the
government lied about the reason for going to war.
 Among college students, concerns about body image and
weight obsession remain widespread.
 The new technique could lead to widespread use of solar
power.
14,80

willing [adjective]
happy or prepared to do something

 I am very willing to help you after school if you have

problems with your work.
 Most people are aware of the problem of global warming,
but not many are willing to change the way they live.
 The candidate must command clear written and verbal
communication skills, and must be willing to work in a team
project environment.
 If we learn to communicate effectively with others and
are willing to risk sharing our own feelings and respect other's
feelings, many rewards will await us.
Associated: willingness (noun); willingly (adverb)
Antonym: unwilling, reluctant
29,10

wise [adjective]
intelligent; sensible

 That was not a very wise thing to do.

 The government has taken the wise decision to consult
the public before passing the proposed law.
 It was not wise to use the river as the source for your
drinking water before you analyzed it.
 She found, however, that there is no documented process
for achieving a wise response to adversity.
Associated: wisdom (noun)
Antonym: unwise, foolish
18,90

withdraw [verb]
to go back or take away

 If you don't start working harder, we will withdraw your

right to leave the school at lunchtime.
 The US government is considering if it
should withdraw its army from Iraq.
 If you withdraw from the course by February 12, the
course will be deleted from your enrollment record.
 Nevertheless, thirty-three years later, Israel is not willing
to withdraw from the Golan Heights to the 4 June 1967,
prewar border.
Associated: withdrawal (noun)
20,00

worth [preposition]
useful; having a point or purpose

 It's not worth asking him. He doesn't know enough about

computers.
 It is still too soon to say whether the invasion of Iraq
was worth it.
  Describe the study in detail sufficient to convince the
reviewer that the problem is worth investigation.
 It operated below 60%, was generally poorly designed
and therefore not worth considering.
Note: Another common meaning of *worth is having a
(money) value , as in This painting is *worth more money than
I earn in a year.
29,50

yet [conjuntion]
but

 She said she studied hard for the test, yet she got a very
low score.
 Everyone knows the dangers of smoking, yet hundred of
young people start the habit each year..
 Flowering plants have roots, yet the root systems can
vary.
 Lucy has been formed by the West Indies; she still is
deeply influenced, yet she would resist and reject that
heritage.
Note: The most common use of yet is as an adverb , as
in Have you done your homework yet?
66,50

yield [verb]
to produce

 Her consistent efforts throughout the school year are

certain to yield excellent results in her final examinations.
 The management is hoping that its new improved product
will yield increased profits.
 An even number multiplied by an odd number will
always yield an even number.
 For the purposes of this study, then, increasing the
testing strength did not yield more accurate results.
Associated: yield (noun)
50,40

Copyright Paul Shoebottom 2008

http://esl.fis.edu