International Politics 1C - 2B Flashcards
to experience sth. bad
[phrasal verb] to run into
/rʌn ˈɪntu/
- Be careful not to run into debt.*
- to run into danger/trouble/difficulties*
- They agreed to sell last year after they ran into financial problems.*
- The government’s plans have run into strong opposition from civil rights campaigners.*
the view or belief that most people hold
also: 2
[uncountable] conventional wisdom
/kənˈvenʃənl ˈwɪzdəm/
also: received wisdom, popular wisdom
/rɪˈsiːvd ˈwɪzdəm/ , /ˈpɒpjələ(r) ˈwɪzdəm/
- the conventional wisdom that soccer is a minor sport in America*
- Conventional wisdom has it that riots only ever happen in cities.*
- Contrary to conventional wisdom, stress is not a bad thing.*
to make sth. higher or stronger than it was before
[phrasal verb] to build up
/bɪld ‘ʌp/
- I saw social construction workers building up a shelter.*
- The sea defences have been built up to ensure that such a disaster will not strike again.*
to resist sb.; to not accept bad treatment from sb. without complaining
[phrasal verb] to stand up to sb.
/’stænd ʌp tu/
- It was brave of her to stand up to those bullies.*
- He hit me, so I hit him back–the first time in my life I’d stood up to him.*
- Women are now aware of their rights and are prepared to stand up to their employers.*
to mention sth. that you think is important and/or the reason why a particular situation exists
[phrasal verb] to point to sth.
/pɔɪnt tu/
- The board of directors pointed to falling productivity to justify their decision.*
- Pointing to the results of a recent survey, he claimed voters were most interested in education and unemployment.*
- She points to the fact that organic wine won’t give you a headache.*
in a way that is certain or that shows that you are certain
definitely
/ˈdefɪnətli/
- I’m definitely going to get in touch with these people.*
- Please say definitely whether you will be coming or not.*
- The date of the move has not been definitely decided yet* (= it may change).
work that involves studying sth. and trying to discover facts about it
[uncountable] research
/rɪˈsɜːtʃ/
They are raising money for cancer research.
research into sth. He has carried out extensive research into renewable energy sources.
research on sth./sb. Research on animals has led to some important medical advances.
according to research. According to recent research, more people are going to the movies than ever before.
(formal) a long and serious treatment or discussion of a subject in speech or writing
[countable, uncount.] discourse
/ˈdɪskɔːs/
- a tradition of political discourse*
- He was hoping for some lively political discourse at the meeting.*
discourse on sth. a discourse on issues of gender and sexuality
that can be believed or trusted
syn.: ?
credible
/ˈkredəbl/
syn.: convincing
/kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
- a credible explanation/witness*
- It is just not credible that she would cheat.*
- You need imagination to make what you write fully credible.*
evidence that helps to show that sth. is true or correct
[uncountable] support
/səˈpɔːt/
This suggestion lacks convincing experimental support.
support for sth.The statistics offer further support for our theory.
in support of sth. There is little evidence in support of this hypothesis.
an official process to find out the cause of sth. or to find out information about sth.
(especially British English) also: ?
plural: ?
[countable] inquiry
/ɪnˈkwaɪəri/
(especially British English) also: enquiry
plural: inquiries, enquiries
- a murder enquiry*
- to hold/conduct/launch an enquiry into the affair*
enquiry about sth. a public (br.) enquiry into the environmental effects of the proposed new road
to give sb. the wrong idea or impression and make them believe sth. that is not true
syn.: ?
[transitive, intr.] to mislead
/ˌmɪsˈliːd/
syn.: to deceive
/dɪˈsiːv/
- They were naive and easily misled.*
- Misleading the court in a trial is a serious offence.*
- Statistics taken on their own are liable to mislead.*
to mislead (sb.) (about sth.) He deliberately misled us about the nature of their relationship.
to mislead sb. into doing sth. The company misled hundreds of people into investing their money unwisely.
(especially North American English) a telephone that does not have wires and works by radio, that you can carry with you and use anywhere
also: ?
(informal) also: ?
(usually) British English: 2
cell phone
/ˈsel fəʊn/
also: cellular phone
/ˈseljələ(r) fəʊn/
(informal) also: cell
/ˈsel/
(usually) British English: mobile phone, mobile
/ˈməʊbaɪl fəʊn/ , /ˈməʊbaɪl/
- I talked to her on my cell phone.*
- I called his cell phone and then his home phone.*
- The use of cellular phones is not permitted on most aircraft.*
similar to sb./sth. else
comparable
/ˈkɒmpərəbl/
A comparable house in the south of the city would cost twice as much.
comparable to/with sb./sth. The situation in the US is not directly comparable to that in the UK.
Inflation is now at a rate comparable with that in other European countries.
comparable in sth. The two machines are comparable in size.
not needed; more than is needed
syn: ?
opp.: ?
unnecessary
/ʌnˈnesəsəri/
syn.: unjustified
/ˌʌnˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/
opp.: necessary
/ˈnesəsəri/
They were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
it is unnecessary to do sth. It was unnecessary to carry out more stringent safety testing.
it is unnecessary for sb./sth. to do sth. They argued that it was unnecessary for government to regulate the industry.
in a very direct way, without trying to be polite or kind
bluntly
/ˈblʌntli/
- To put it bluntly, I want a divorce.*
- ‘Is she dead?’ he asked bluntly.*
- Put bluntly, many countries must dedicate substantially more funds from national budgets - or increasingly suffer the consequences.*
(not used with a negative) to some degree
syn.: ?
(rather informal) syn.: ?
quite
/kwaɪt/
syn.: fairly
/ˈfeəli/
(rather informal) syn.: pretty
/ˈprɪti/
- He plays quite well.*
- I quite enjoyed the film to be honest.*
quite a… He’s quite a good player.
the act or process of making sth. such as a law or a political or religious system less strict
(US English) also: ?
[uncountable] liberalisation
/ˌlɪbrəlaɪˈzeɪʃn/
(US English) also: liberalization
- The group is pushing the liberalisation of drug laws.*
- Some progress has been made with regard to privatisation and liberalisation.*
- Political reform and economic liberalization don’t always go together.*
(of a person or an organization with authority) to say what should be done or how sth. should be done
(formal) syn.: ?
to prescribe
/prɪˈskraɪb/
(formal) syn.: to stipulate
/ˈstɪpjuleɪt/
to prescribe sth. The prescribed form must be completed and returned to this office.
to prescribe that… Police regulations prescribe that an officer’s number must be clearly visible.
to prescribe which, what, etc… The syllabus prescribes precisely which books should be studied.
(formal) describing or setting standards or rules of behaviour
normative
/ˈnɔːmətɪv/
- Human rights are thematic, systematic and, above all, normative.*
- The banks defined a regulatory framework for payments.*
- The struggle for justice is a moral, ethical, social and normative struggle.*
giving the reasons for sth.; intended to describe how sth. works or to make sth. easier to understand
[usually before noun] explanatory
/ɪkˈsplænətri/
- An explanatory statement by the Commission.*
- There are explanatory notes at the back of the book.*
- The explanatory texts have been specially adapted for young people.*
an opinion about sth.; sth. that you think is true
[singular, uncountable] belief
/bɪˈliːf/
Contrary to popular belief (= in spite of what people may think), he was not responsible for the tragedy.
belief that… There is a general belief that things will soon get better.
in the belief that… She acted in the belief that she was doing good.
to have the most influence or importance
to predominate (over sb./sth.)
/prɪˈdɒmɪneɪt/
- Private interest was not allowed to predominate over the public good.*
- Sometimes there is the impression that regional interests predominate over common interests.*
- Much sociological research on religion was based on societies in which a single religion overwhelmingly predominated.*
about sth. happening or being true on some occasions or at some moments
at times
/æt taɪmz/
- He can be rather moody at times.*
- The rain will become heavy at times in the afternoon.*
- He can be really bad-tempered at times. At other times* (= le reste du temps), he’s nice.
(formal) to make sth. clearer or easier to understand
syn.: ?
to illuminate
/ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/
syn.: to clarify
/ˈklærəfaɪ/
- This text illuminates the philosopher’s early thinking.*
- These confessions serve to illuminate his argument.*
- His explanation obscured more than it illuminated.*
a general study, view or description of sth.; a description of the whole of a subject
[countable] survey
/ˈsɜːveɪ/
- a comprehensive survey of modern music*
- a historical survey of children’s clothing*
- A survey of the literature on substitution of homecare services for hospital services identified 14 projects*
to find out information and facts about a subject or problem by study or research
[transitive] to investigate
/ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt/
to investigate sth. Scientists are investigating the effects of diet on fighting cancer.
The board will investigate the project’s feasibility.
to investigate how, what, etc… The research investigates how foreign speakers gain fluency.
We also continue to investigate what other new security measures may be appropriate.
mainly true in a particular situation; mainly
syn.: ?
primarily
/praɪˈmerəli/
syn.: chiefly
/ˈtʃiːfli/
- a course designed primarily for specialists*
- The person primarily responsible is the project manager.*
- Her view is that prejudice is caused primarily by ignorance.*
to buy things in stores
[intransitive] to shop
/ʃɒp/
- He likes to shop at the local market.*
- It is just as cheap to shop at your local village store.*
to shop for sth. If I’m just shopping for food, I tend to go to the local supermarket.
(formal) extremely small
syn.: ?
infinitesimal
/ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtesɪml/
syn.: tiny
/ˈtaɪni/
- an infinitesimal risk*
- infinitesimal traces of poison*
- The difference is infinitesimal.*
(formal) to send or pass goods or information to sb.
to forward
/ˈfɔːwəd/
to forward sth. to sb. We will be forwarding our new catalogue to you next week.
to forward sb. sth. We will be forwarding you our new catalogue next week.
I’m forwarding you this email that I had from Jeff.
to forward sth. to forward a request/complaint/proposal
to have a particular situation affect you or happen to you
to experience
/ɪkˈspɪəriəns/
- Many people have never experienced these difficulties first-hand.*
- The country experienced a foreign currency shortage for several months.*
- Rapid growth has been experienced by over 50% of companies in the sector.*
an increase in the amount or number of sth. that there is, or in the area that is affected by sth.
[uncountable] spread
/spred/
- One disadvantage is the company’s lack of geographical spread.*
- measures to halt the spread of the disease*
- The treaty has proved rather effective at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons.*
B.C.E.
(usually) also: ?
before the Common Era
(= before the birth of Christ, when the Christian calendar starts counting years)
(usually) also: BC
- Lastly, the Iron Age arrived in around 1 100 BCE when humans learned to smelt iron oxide at temperatures higher than the melting point of iron.*
- The brooch dates back to the fourth century BC.*
- In the year 587 before the common era, the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and the Judaeans were deported to Babylon.*
(formal) the presence of a number of competing actors or ideas
[uncountable] pluralism
/ˈplʊərəlɪzəm/
- cultural pluralism*
- Declaration of the Council of Europe: “media pluralism is essential for democracy and cultural diversity”.*
- Democracy, pluralism, respect for human rights, civil liberties, the rule of law and core labour standards are all essential.*
(formal; of the tide in the ocean) to move away from the land
syn.: ?
opp.: ?
[intransitive] to ebb
/eb/
syn.: to go out
/ɡəʊ aʊt/
opp.: to flow
/fləʊ/
A crab was left stranded on the sand as the tide ebbed.
fig. The budget bill the government put forward was one that simply ebbs and flows with the political change of tides that takes place in our country.
(adj.; formal) that represents or is a symbol of sth.
(less formal) s__yn.: ?
emblematic
/ˌembləˈmætɪk/
syn.: representative
/ˌreprɪˈzentətɪv/
- It is emblematic of the problem.*
- According to this interpretation, the most truly emblematic figure of the new Europe was Pope John Paul II.*
- The proper treatment of victims will help destigmatise them and enhance their emblematic role.*
used to express a doubt or choice between two possibilities
whether
/ˈweðə(r)/
- He seemed undecided whether to go or stay.*
- It remains to be seen whether or not this idea can be put into practice.*
- I asked him whether he had done it all himself or whether someone had helped him.*
- I’ll see whether she’s at home* (= or not at home).
to accept and approve of sb./sth. officially
(US English) also: ?
[not used in the progressive tenses] to recognise
/ˈrekəɡnaɪz/
(US English) also: to recognize
to recognise sb./sth. The UK has refused to recognise the new regime.
internationally recognized human rights
to be recognised as sb./sth. The organization has not been officially recognised as a trade union.
to be recognised to be/have sth. He is recognised to be their natural leader.
(formal) to happen after or as a result of another event
syn.: ?
[intransitive] to ensue
/ɪnˈsjuː/
syn.: to follow
/ˈfɒləʊ/
- The riot police swooped in and chaos ensued.*
- Over the ensuing centuries, borders continued to change.*
- The problems that ensue from my mistake are not insurmountable.*
