Whatever 2 Flashcards
completion
com‧ple‧tion /kəmˈpliːʃən/ ●○○ noun [uncountable]
1 the state of being finished
The house is nearing completion (=almost finished).
The project has a completion date of December 22nd.
2 the act of finishing something
completion of
The job is subject to your satisfactory completion of the training course.
on completion (of something)
On completion of the building, they make a final inspection.
compilation
com‧pi‧la‧tion /ˌkɒmpəˈleɪʃən $ ˌkɑːm-/ AWL noun
1 [countable] a book, list, record etc which consists of different pieces of information, songs etc
compilation of
a compilation of love songs
compilation CD/album/tape
2 [uncountable] the process of making a book, list, record etc from different pieces of information, songs etc
dictionary compilation
liaise
li‧aise /liˈeɪz/ verb [intransitive]
to exchange information with someone who works in another organization or department so that you can both be more effective
liaise with
Council officers are liaising closely with local groups.
liaise between
The education officer liaises between students, schools and colleges.
coincide
co‧in‧cide /ˌkəʊənˈsaɪd $ ˌkoʊ-/ ●●○ AWL verb [intransitive]
1 to happen at the same time as something else, especially by chance → coincidence
coincide with
His entry to the party coincided with his marriage.
When our vacations coincided, we often holidayed together.
planned/timed/arranged to coincide
The show is timed to coincide with the launch of a new book.
2 [not in progressive] if two people’s ideas, opinions etc coincide, they are the same → coincidence
The interests of the US and those of the islanders may not coincide.
coincide with
The cloth had a natural look which coincided perfectly with the image Laura sought.
3 to meet or be in the same place
The journey coincides in part with the Pennine Way.
comprise
com‧prise /kəmˈpraɪz/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb formal
1 [linking verb] to consist of particular parts, groups etc
The house comprises two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room.
be comprised of somebody/something
The committee is comprised of well-known mountaineers.
► see thesaurus at consist
2 [transitive] to form part of a larger group of people or things SYN constitute, make up
Women comprise a high proportion of part-time workers.
Grammar
* Comprise is not used in the progressive. You say:
The exam comprises four questions.
✗Don’t say: The exam is comprising four questions.
* The participle form comprising is often used:
Food exports are very important, comprising 74% of the total.
* Comprise is often used in the passive with of:
The organization is comprised of four parts.
✗Don’t say: The organization comprises of four parts.
crisis
cri‧sis /ˈkraɪsɪs/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun (plural crises /-siːz/) [countable, uncountable]
1 a situation in which there are a lot of problems that must be dealt with quickly so that the situation does not get worse or more dangerous → emergency
The country now faces an economic crisis.
The prime minister was criticized for the way in which he handled the crisis.
body double
ˈbody ˌdouble noun [countable]
someone whose body appears instead of an actor’s or actress’s in a film, especially in scenes where they are not wearing any clothes → double
doppelganger
dop‧pel‧gang‧er /ˈdɒpəlɡæŋə, -ɡeŋ- $ ˈdɑːpəlɡæŋər/ noun [countable]
1 → somebody’s doppelganger
2 an imaginary spirit that looks exactly like a living person
missile
mis‧sile /ˈmɪsaɪl $ ˈmɪsəl/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 a weapon that can fly over long distances and that explodes when it hits the thing it has been aimed at
a nuclear missile
a missile attack
2 an object that is thrown at someone in order to hurt them
Demonstrators threw missiles at the police.
→ ballistic missile, cruise missile, guided missile
body dysmorphia
body dys‧morph‧ic dis‧or‧der /ˌbɒdi dɪsˈmɔːfɪk dɪsˌɔːdə $ ˌbɑːdi dɪsˈmɔːrfɪk dɪsˌɔːrdər/ (also body dysmorphia /-ˈmɔːfiə $ -ˈmɔːr-/) noun [uncountable]
(abbreviation BDD) a mental condition in which someone wrongly believes that part of their body is very ugly or not normal
anthropomorphism
an‧thro‧po‧mor‧phis‧m /ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːfɪzəm $ -ɔːr-/ noun [uncountable]
1 the belief that animals or objects have the same feelings and qualities as humans
2 technical the belief that God can appear in a human or animal form
—anthropomorphic adjective
persistent
per‧sis‧tent /pəˈsɪstənt $ pər-/ ●○○ AWL adjective
1 [usually before noun] continuing to exist or happen, especially for longer than is usual or desirable
persistent rumours
persistent headaches
a persistent problem
persistent rain
2 continuing to do something, although this is difficult, or other people warn you not to do it
If she hadn’t been so persistent she might not have gotten the job.
persistent efforts
Persistent offenders (=people who often break the law) face a prison sentence.
—persistently adverb
persistently low rainfall
tartar
tar‧tar /ˈtɑːtə $ ˈtɑːrtər/ noun
1 [uncountable] a hard substance that forms on your teeth
2 [countable] British English informal someone who has a violent temper
She’s a real tartar.
orthodontist
or‧tho‧don‧tist /ˌɔːrθəˈdɑːntɪst / noun [countable]
a dentist whose job is to help teeth to grow straight when they have not been growing correctly
molar
mo‧lar /ˈməʊlə $ ˈmoʊlər/ noun [countable]
one of the large teeth at the back of the mouth that are used for breaking up food → incisor
—molar adjective
chopping block
chopping board (BrE)
rolling pin
ˈrolling pin noun [countable]
a long tube-shaped piece of wood used for making pastry flat and thin before you cook it
widely
wide‧ly /ˈwaɪdli/ ●●● W2 adverb
1 in a lot of different places or by a lot of people
Organic food is now widely available.
an author who had travelled widely in the Far East
a widely used method
These laws were widely regarded as too strict.
This view was not widely held.
2 to a large degree – used when talking about differences
The quality of the applicants varies widely.
3 → widely read
curriculum
cur‧ric‧u‧lum /kəˈrɪkjələm/ ●○○ noun (plural curricula /-lə/ or curriculums) [countable]
the subjects that are taught by a school, college etc, or the things that are studied in a particular subject
Languages are an essential part of the school curriculum.
curriculum planning
on the curriculum British English
IT is now on the curriculum in most schools.
in the curriculum American English
Students are exempt from some classes in the curriculum for religious reasons.
curricular
cur‧ric‧u‧lar /kəˈrɪkjələr/ adjective [only before noun]
relating to the curriculum of a school
curricular changes
concise
con‧cise /kənˈsaɪs/ ●○○ adjective
1 short, with no unnecessary words SYN brief
Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible.
2 [only before noun] shorter than the original book on which something is based
the ‘Concise Dictionary of Spoken Chinese’
—concisely adverb
—conciseness noun [uncountable]
succinct
suc‧cinct /səkˈsɪŋkt/ adjective
clearly expressed in a few words – use this to show approval SYN concise
a succinct explanation
—succinctly adverb
Anderson put the same point more succinctly.
—succinctness noun [uncountable]
be on the cusp of something
be on the cusp /kʌsp/ of something
[singular] to be at the time when a situation or state is going to change
The country was on the cusp of economic expansion.
→ cusp
mix-up
mix-up noun [countable]
informal a mistake that causes confusion about details or arrangements
mix-up in
Geoffrey rushed in late pleading a mix-up in his diary.
mix-up between
A council official blamed a mix-up between departments.
mix-up over
There was a mix-up over the hotel booking.
mistake
generic
ge‧ner‧ic /dʒəˈnerɪk/ ●○○ adjective [usually before noun]
1 relating to a whole group of things rather than to one thing
generic term/name (for something)
Fine Arts is a generic term for subjects such as painting, music, and sculpture.
2 a generic product does not have a special name to show that it is made by a particular company
generic drugs
—generically /-kli/ adverb
misunderstanding synonyms
Strongest matches
confusion
error
misconception
misinterpretation
misjudgment
mistake
mix up
Strong matches
confounding
delusion
misapprehension
misconstruction
misreckoning
participle
par‧ti‧ci‧ple /ˈpɑːtəsɪpəl, pɑːˈtɪsəpəl $ ˈpɑːr-/ ●●○ noun [countable]
technical one of the forms of a verb that are used to make tenses. In English, present participles end in -ing and past participles usually end in -ed or -en.
magnum opus
ˌmagnum ˈopus /~ˈoʊpəs/
noun [singular]
the most important piece of work by a writer, composer or artist
ubiquitous
u‧biq‧ui‧tous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ ●○○ adjective formal
seeming to be everywhere – sometimes used humorously
Coffee shops are ubiquitous these days.
a French film, starring the ubiquitous Gérard Depardieu
► see thesaurus at common
—ubiquitously adverb
—ubiquity noun [uncountable]
om‧ni‧pres‧ent /ˌɒmnɪˈprezənt◂ $ ˌɑːm-/ adjective formal
present everywhere at all times
—omnipresence noun [uncountable]
the omnipresence of God
Catseye
Cats‧eye /ˈkætsaɪ/ noun [countable] trademark British English
one of a line of small flat objects fixed in the middle of the road that shine when lit by car lights and guide traffic in the dark
precarious
pre‧car‧i‧ous /prɪˈkeəriəs $ -ˈker-/ adjective
1 a precarious situation or state is one which may very easily or quickly become worse
Her health remained precarious, despite the treatment.
the company’s precarious financial position
2 likely to fall, or likely to cause someone to fall
a precarious mountain trail
—precariously adverb
a cup of tea balanced precariously on her knee
—precariousness noun [uncountable]
spectacular
spec‧tac‧u‧lar1 /spekˈtækjələ $ -ər/ ●●○ adjective
1 very impressive
a mountainous area with spectacular scenery
a spectacular success
2 very sudden, unexpected, or extreme
The news caused a spectacular fall in the stock market.
—spectacularly adverb
indistinct
in‧dis‧tinct /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt◂/ AWL adjective
an indistinct sound, image, or memory cannot be seen, heard, or remembered clearly OPP distinct
She muttered something indistinct.
My memory of what happened next is indistinct.
—indistinctly adverb
reminiscent
rem‧i‧nis‧cent /ˌreməˈnɪsənt/ ●○○ adjective
1 → reminiscent of something
2 literary thinking about the past
Her face wore a reminiscent smile.
clichéd
cli‧ché /ˈkliːʃeɪ $ kliːˈʃeɪ/ ●○○ noun [countable]
an idea or phrase that has been used so much that it is not effective or does not have any meaning any longer
There is plenty of truth in the cliché that a trouble shared is a trouble halved.
► see thesaurus at phrase, word
—clichéd adjective
slavish
slav‧ish /ˈsleɪvɪʃ/ adjective
obeying, supporting, or copying someone completely – used to show disapproval
a slavish adherence to the rules
—slavishly adverb
not a rule to be slavishly followed in every instance
—slavishness noun [uncountable]
mundane
mun‧dane /mʌnˈdeɪn/ ●○○ adjective
1 ordinary and not interesting or exciting SYN boring
Initially, the work was pretty mundane.
The mundane task of setting the table can be fun on holidays.
► see thesaurus at boring
2 literary concerned with ordinary daily life rather than religious matters SYN worldly
tranquil
tran‧quil /ˈtræŋkwəl/ adjective
pleasantly calm, quiet, and peaceful
a small tranquil village
► see thesaurus at quiet
—tranquilly adverb
—tranquillity British English, tranquility American English /træŋˈkwɪləti/ noun [uncountable]
the tranquillity of the Tuscan countryside
pester
pes‧ter /ˈpestə $ -ər/ verb [intransitive, transitive]
to annoy someone, especially by asking them many times to do something → harass
She’d been pestered by reporters for days.
pester somebody for something
I can’t even walk down the street without being continually pestered for money.
pester somebody to do something
The kids have been pestering me to buy them new trainers.
► see thesaurus at ask
→ See Verb table
whim
whim /wɪm/ noun [countable usually singular]
a sudden feeling that you would like to do or have something, especially when there is no important or good reason
on a whim
I didn’t leave just on a whim (=for no good reason).
at the whim of somebody
At work they are at the whim of the boss.
somebody’s every whim
Their father had always indulged her every whim.
at whim
He appeared and disappeared at whim.
mean
—meanly adverb
—meanness noun [uncountable]
obsoleteness (abstract noun)
ob‧so‧lete /ˈɒbsəliːtˌɑːbsəˈliːt/ adjective
if something is obsolete, it is old-fashioned and no longer useful, because something newer or better has been invented
Will handheld computers make books obsolete?
companies burdened with obsolete equipment
fossil
spelling
thoroughly
spelling
initiative
spelling
impoverishment
spelling
unforeseeable
spelling
hypothesis
hy‧poth‧e‧sis /haɪˈpɑːθəsɪs/ ●○○ AWL noun (plural hypotheses /-siːz/)
1 [countable] an idea that is suggested as an explanation for something, but that has not yet been proved to be true SYN theory
One hypothesis is that the victim fell asleep while driving.
prove/test/support etc a hypothesis
We hope that further research will confirm our hypothesis.
hypothesis about
The authors reject the hypothesis about unemployment contributing to crime.
2 [uncountable] ideas or guesses, rather than facts SYN speculation
All this is mere hypothesis.
implication
im‧pli‧ca‧tion /ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃən/ ●●○ W2 AWL noun
1 [countable usually plural] a possible future effect or result of an action, event, decision etc
implication of
What are the implications of these proposals?
This election has profound implications for the future of U.S. democracy.
consider/discuss/examine the implications
His talk will examine the wider implications of the Internet revolution.
practical/financial/political etc implications
2 [uncountable] a situation in which it is shown or suggested that someone or something is involved in a crime or a dishonest act → implicate
the implication of somebody (in something)
the implication of the former Chief of Staff in a major scandal
3 [countable, uncountable] a suggestion that is not made directly but that people are expected to understand or accept → imply
They are called ‘Supertrams’, the implication being that (=which is meant to suggest that) they are more advanced than earlier models.
by implication
The law bans organized protests and, by implication, any form of opposition.
imply
im‧ply /ɪmˈplaɪ/ ●●○ W2 AWL verb (implied, implying, implies) [transitive]
1 to suggest that something is true, without saying this directly → infer, implication
imply (that)
Cleo blushed. She had not meant to imply that he was lying.
an implied threat
2 if a fact, event etc implies something, it shows that it is likely to be true SYN suggest
imply (that)
The high level of radiation in the rocks implies that they are volcanic in origin.
3 if one thing implies another, it proves that the second thing exists
Democracy implies a respect for individual liberties.
High profits do not necessarily imply efficiency.
impose
im‧pose /ɪmˈpəʊz $ -ˈpoʊz/ ●●○ W2 AWL verb
1 [transitive] if someone in authority imposes a rule, punishment, tax etc, they force people to accept it
The court can impose a fine.
impose something on something/somebody
The government imposed a ban on the sale of ivory.
2 [transitive] to force someone to have the same ideas, beliefs etc as you
impose something on somebody
parents who impose their own moral values on their children
3 [intransitive] formal to expect or ask someone to do something for you when this is not convenient for them
impose on/upon
We could ask to stay the night, but I don’t want to impose on them.
4 [transitive] to have a bad effect on something or someone and to cause problems for them
impose a burden/hardship etc (on somebody/something)
Military spending imposes a huge strain on the economy.
indicate
in‧di‧cate /ˈɪndɪkeɪt/ ●●● S3 W1 AWL verb
1 [transitive] to show that a particular situation exists, or that something is likely to be true
indicate (that)
in‧di‧ca‧tor /ˈɪndəkeɪtə $ -ər/ ●○○ AWL noun [countable]
infant
/ˈɪnfənt/ ●●○ W3
ingredient
in‧gre‧di‧ent /ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/ ●●○
initial
i‧ni‧tial1 /ɪˈnɪʃəl/
initiative
i‧ni‧tia‧tive /ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/
inside
insight
/in’said/
/ˈɪnsaɪt/ ●○○
install
in‧stall /ɪnˈstɒːl/ ●●○
internship
in‧tern‧ship /ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp $ -ɜːrn-/ noun [countable] American English
research
re‧search1 /rɪˈsɜːtʃ, ˈriːsɜːtʃ $ -ɜːr-/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun [uncountable] (also researches [plural] formal)
instance
in‧stance1 /ˈɪnstəns/ ●●○
inflation
in‧fla‧tion /ɪnˈfleɪʃən/ ●●○ W3 noun [uncountable]
individual
in‧di‧vid‧u‧al1 /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒuəl◂/ ●●○
industrial
in‧dus‧tri‧al /ɪnˈdʌstriəl/ ●●● S3 W1
in‧dus‧try /ˈɪndəstri/ ●●●
influence
in‧flu‧ence1 /ˈɪnfluəns/ ●●● S3 W1 noun
injury
in‧ju‧ry /ˈɪndʒəri/ ●●● S3 W2 AWL noun (plural injuries)
innocent
in‧no‧cent1 /ˈɪnəsənt/ ●●○ W3 adjective
inquiry
in‧quir‧y, enquiry /ɪnˈkwaɪəri $ ɪnˈkwaɪri, ˈɪŋkwəri/ ●●○ S3 W2 noun (plural inquiries)
prospect
pros‧pect1 /ˈprɒspekt $ ˈprɑː-/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun
1 [countable, uncountable] the possibility that something will happen
prospect of doing something
I see no prospect of things improving here.
There is every prospect (=a strong possibility) of the weather remaining dry this week.
prospect for
There are good prospects for growth in the retail sector.
prospect that
There’s a real prospect that England will not qualify for the World Cup.
► see thesaurus at future
2 [singular] a particular event which will probably or definitely happen in the future – used especially when you want to talk about how you feel about it
prospect of
The prospect of marriage terrified Alice.
Greeks face the prospect of new general elections next month.
He relishes the prospect of a fight.
daunting/exciting etc prospect
be excited/alarmed/concerned etc at the prospect (of something)
She wasn’t exactly overjoyed at the prospect of looking after her niece.
3 → prospects
4 [countable] a person, job, plan etc that has a good chance of success in the future
5 → in prospect
6 [countable usually singular] formal a view of a wide area of land, especially from a high place
acclimatize
ac‧cli‧ma‧tize (also acclimatise British English) /əˈklaɪmətaɪz/ (also acclimate /əˈklaɪmət $ ˈækləmeɪt, əˈklaɪmət/ American English) verb [intransitive, transitive]
to become used to a new place, situation, or type of weather, or to make someone become used to it
acclimatize to
Runners had to acclimatize to the humid tropical conditions.
acclimatize yourself (to something)
I found it hard to acclimatize myself to working at weekends.
—acclimatization /əˌklaɪmətaɪˈzeɪʃən $ -tə-/ noun [uncountable]
→ See Verb table
prowess
prow‧ess /ˈpraʊɪs/ noun [uncountable]
formal great skill at doing something
his physical prowess
military prowess
baccalaureate
bac‧ca‧lau‧re‧ate /ˌbækəˈlɔːriət/ noun [countable]
1 an examination in a range of subjects that students do in their final school year in France and some other countries, and in some international schools
2 American English formal a bachelor’s degree
crokery
crock‧e‧ry /ˈkrɒkəri $ ˈkrɑː-/ noun [uncountable] British English
cups, dishes, plates etc → cutlery
a stack of dirty crockery
symmetrical
sym‧met‧ri‧cal /sɪˈmetrɪkəl/ ●○○ (also symmetric /sɪˈmetrɪk/) adjective
an object or design that is symmetrical has two halves that are exactly the same shape and size OPP asymmetrical
The pattern was perfectly symmetrical.
—symmetrically /-kli/ adverb
asymmetrical
a‧sym‧met‧ri‧cal /ˌeɪsəˈmetrɪkəl/ (also asymmetric /-ˈmetrɪk◂/) adjective
1 having two sides that are different in shape OPP symmetrical
asymmetrical patterns
2 formal not equal OPP symmetrical
—asymmetrically /-kli/ adverb
—asymmetry /eɪˈsɪmətri/ noun [uncountable]
instead
in‧stead /ɪnˈsted/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb
1 → instead of somebody/something
institution
in‧sti‧tu‧tion /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən $ -ˈtuː-/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun
instruction
in‧struc‧tion /ɪnˈstrʌkʃən/ ●●● S3 W2 AWL noun
1 → instructions
2 [countable usually plural] a statement telling someone what they must do → orders
instructions to do something
instrument
in‧stru‧ment /ˈɪnstrəmənt/ ●●● W2 noun [countable]
instrumental
in‧stru‧men‧tal1 /ˌɪnstrəˈmentl◂/ adjective
1 → be instrumental in (doing) something
2 instrumental music is for instruments, not for voices
—instrumentally adverb
intuition
in‧tu‧i‧tion /ˌɪntjuˈɪʃən $ -tu-, -tju-/ ●○○ noun
1 [uncountable] the ability to understand or know something because of a feeling rather than by considering the facts SYN instinct
feminine intuition
Intuition told her it was unwise to argue.
2 [countable] an idea about what is true in a particular situation based on a feeling rather than facts
intuition (that)
He had an intuition there was trouble brewing.
We should trust our intuitions.
feminine
masculine
tuition
tu‧i‧tion /tjuˈɪʃən $ tu-/ ●●○ noun [uncountable]
1 teaching, especially in small groups
I had to have extra tuition in maths.
2 American English, tuition fees British English the money you pay for being taught
When I started college, tuition was $350 a quarter
tutor
tu‧tor1 /ˈtjuːtə $ ˈtuːtər/ ●●○ noun [countable]
1 someone who gives private lessons to one student or a small group, and is paid directly by them
The children were educated at home by a succession of tutors.
► see thesaurus at teacher
2 a teacher in a British university or college → tutorial
She was my tutor at Durham.
tutotial
tu‧to‧ri‧al1 /tjuːˈtɔːriəl $ tuː-/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 a period of teaching and discussion with a tutor, especially in a British university
the tutorial system
2 a computer program that is designed to teach you how to use another program
insurance
in‧sur‧ance /ɪnˈʃʊərəns $ -ˈʃʊr-/ ●●● S2 W2 noun
guarantee
guar‧an‧tee1 /ˌɡærənˈtiː/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL verb [transitive]
1
guarantee2 ●●○ AWL noun [countable]
1 a formal written promise to repair or replace a product if it breaks within a specific period of time SYN warranty
warranty
war‧ran‧ty /ˈwɒrənti $ ˈwɔː-, ˈwɑː-/ ●○○ noun (plural warranties) [countable]
war‧ran‧tee /ˌwɒrənˈtiːˌwɔː-, ˌwɑː-/ noun [countable]
a person who is given a warranty
intellectual
in‧tel‧lec‧tu·al1 /ˌɪntəˈlektʃuəl◂/ ●●○ W3 adjective
1 relating to the ability to understand things and think intelligently → mental
intellectual development/ability/activity etc
a job that requires considerable intellectual effort
2 an intellectual person is well-educated and interested in serious ideas and subjects such as science, literature etc → academic
Mark’s very intellectual.
3 needing serious thought in order to be understood
an intellectual film
intelligence
in‧tel‧li‧gence /ɪnˈtelədʒəns/ ●●● S3 W3 AWL noun [uncountable]
1
a) the ability to learn, understand, and think about things
To be good at the game, you need a reasonable level of intelligence.
high/low intelligence
John showed high intelligence from an early age.
b) a high level of this ability
a woman who had both beauty and intelligence
→ artificial intelligence
2
a) information about the secret activities of foreign governments, the military plans of an enemy etc
According to our intelligence, further attacks were planned.
intelligence operations/sources/reports etc
Intelligence sources denied the reports.
b) a group of people or an organization that gathers this information for their government
intelligence agencies/services etc
In Britain there are three main intelligence organizations.
US Military Intelligence
intent
in‧tend /ɪnˈtend/ ●●● S2 W1 verb [transitive]
1 to have something in your mind as a plan or purpose → intention
intend to do something
I intend to spend the night there.
intend somebody/something to do something
I didn’t intend her to see the painting until it was finished.
I never intended things to turn out the way they did.
intend that
It is intended that these meetings will become a regular event.
intend doing something
We intend looking at the situation again.
I fully intend (=definitely intend) to return home next year.
Register
In everyday English, people usually say plan to do something or plan on doing something, rather than intend to do something or intend doing something:
I plan to spend the night there.
I didn’t plan on things taking so long. OR I didn’t plan for things to take so long.
2 → be intended for somebody/something
3 → intended target/victim/destination etc
intent
in‧tent1 /ɪnˈtent/ ●○○ adjective
1 → be intent on/upon (doing) something
2 giving careful attention to something so that you think about nothing else
his intent gaze
intent on/upon
Intent upon her work, she didn’t notice the cold.
—intently adverb
Jake listened intently.
have sth in mind (think about it)
have th on mind (worry about it)
Do you have anything in mind? = do you have a thought / suggestion?
on your/somebody’s mind
a) if something is on your mind, you keep thinking or worrying about it
He looked as though he had something on his mind.
Sorry I forgot. I’ve got a lot on my mind (=a lot of problems to worry about) at the moment.
b) if something is on your mind, that is what you are thinking about
She’s the type of person who just says what’s on her mind.
thought
/θɒːt/
intensity
in‧ten‧si‧ty /ɪnˈtensəti/ ●○○
intention
in‧ten‧tion /ɪnˈtenʃən/ ●●● S3 W2 noun [countable, uncountable]
interest
in‧terest1 /ˈɪntrɪst/ ●●● S2 W1 noun
1 [singular, uncountable] if you have an interest in something or someone, you want to know or learn more about them
interest in
interesting
in‧terest‧ed /ˈɪntrɪstɪd/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective
in‧terest‧ing /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective
excited
exciting
ex‧cit‧ing /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/ ●●● S2 W3 adjective
internal
in‧ter‧nal /ɪnˈtɜːnl $ -ɜːr-/ ●●○ W2 AWL adjective [usually before noun]
international
in‧ter‧na‧tion‧al /ˌɪntərˈnæʃənəl/ ●●● S2 W1 adjective
internet
In‧ter‧net, internet /ˈɪntərnet/ ●●● S2 W2 noun
GRAMMAR: Patterns with Internet
* You do something on the Internet:
We do most of our shopping on the Internet.
They met on the Internet.
✗Don’t say: We do most of our shopping by Internet. | They met by Internet.
* You usually say the Internet:
I often use the Internet to find out information.
✗Don’t say: I often use Internet to find out information.
interpret
in‧ter‧pret /ɪnˈtɜːrprɪt/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb
1 [intransitive, transitive] to translate spoken words from one language into another
They spoke good Spanish, and promised to interpret for me.
2 [transitive] to believe that something someone does or something that happens has a particular meaning
interpret something as something
His refusal to work late was interpreted as a lack of commitment to the company.
3 [transitive] to explain the meaning of something
Freud’s attempts to interpret the meaning of dreams
interview
in‧ter‧view1 /ˈɪntərvjuː/ ●●● S2 W1 noun
1 Image of interview[countable, uncountable]
into
in‧to /ˈɪntə; before vowels ˈɪntʊ; strong ˈɪntuː/ ●●● S1 W1 preposition
intro
int‧ro /ˈɪntrəʊ $ -troʊ/ noun (plural intros) [countable] informal
a short part at the beginning of a song, piece of writing etc → introduction
introduce
in‧tro‧duce /ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs $ -ˈduːs/ ●●● S2 W1 verb [transitive]
introduction
in‧tro‧duc‧tion /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/ ●●● S3 W2 noun
1 NEW SYSTEM/PRODUCT [uncountable] the act of bringing something into use for the first time
introduction of
invasion
/ɪnˈveɪʒən/ ●●○ noun
in‧vade /ɪnˈveɪd/ ●●○ verb
in‧va‧sive /ɪnˈveɪsɪv/ adjective
invest
in‧vest /ɪnˈvest/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL verb
investigate
investigator
in‧ves‧ti‧gate /ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt/ ●●● W2
in‧ves‧ti‧ga‧tor /ɪnˈvestəɡeɪtər/ ●●○ AWL noun [countable]
someone who investigates things, especially crimes
police investigators
detector
de‧tec‧tor /dɪˈtektə $ -ər/ ●○○ AWL noun
a machine that . . .
de‧tec‧tive /dɪˈtektɪv/ ●●○ AWL noun [countable]
1 a police officer whose job is to discover information about crimes and catch criminals → store detective
2 (also private detective) someone who is paid to discover information about someone or something
She hired a detective to find out if her husband was having an affair.
3 → detective work
4 → detective story/novel etc
Israeli
Is‧rae‧li1 /ɪzˈreɪli/ adjective
relating to Israel or its people
the Israeli government
expedition
ex‧pe‧di‧tion /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/ ●●○ noun
1 [countable] a long and carefully organized journey, especially to a dangerous or unfamiliar place, or the people that make this journey
an expedition to the North Pole
be on par with
be on a par /pɑːr/ (with something)
to be at the same level or standard
The wages of clerks were on a par with those of manual workers.
We will have Christmas decorations on a par with anything on show at the Metro Centre.
immerse
im‧merse /ɪˈmɜːrs/ verb [transitive]
immersion
immersing
justify
justified
jus‧ti‧fy /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/ ●●○ S3 W3
/’dʒʌstɪfaɪd/
laboratory
la‧bor‧a‧tory /ˈlæbrətɔːri/ ●●● W3 noun (plural laboratories) [countable]
landscape
land‧scape1 /ˈlændskeɪp/ ●●● W3 noun
1 [countable]
legislation
le‧gis‧la‧tion /ˌledʒəˈsleɪʃən/ ●●○ W3 noun [uncountable]
a law or set of laws
legitimate
le‧git‧i‧mate1 /ləˈdʒɪtəmət/ ●●○ adjective
1 fair or reasonable
That’s a perfectly legitimate question.
Most scientists believe it is legitimate to use animals in medical research.
2 acceptable or allowed by law
Their business operations are perfectly legitimate.
3 a legitimate child is born to parents who are legally married to each other OPP illegitimate
—legitimately adverb
a legitimately elected government
He complained quite legitimately about his treatment.
—legitimacy noun [uncountable]
Opponents have questioned the legitimacy of the ruling.
magazine
mag‧a‧zine /ˌmæɡəˈziːn $ ˈmæɡəziːn/ ●●● S2 W2
manufacturer
man‧u‧fac‧tur‧er /ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərə $ -ər/ ●●○ W2 noun [countable]
material
ma‧te‧ri‧al1 /məˈtɪriəl/ ●●● S1 W1 noun
1 [countable, uncountable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc SYN fabric
mayor
mayor /ˈmeɪər/ ●●● W2 noun
measurement
mea‧sure‧ment /ˈmeʒəmənt $ -ʒər-/ ●●● W3 noun
medium
me‧di‧um1 /ˈmiːdiəm/ ●●● S3 AWL adjective
menu
men‧u /ˈmenjuː/ ●●● S3 noun [countable]
mere
mere1 /mɪə $ mɪr/ ●○○ adjective (superlative merest) [only before noun, no comparative]
1 used to emphasize how small or unimportant something or someone is
She lost the election by a mere 20 votes.
He’s a mere child.
It can’t be a mere coincidence that they left at the same time.
2 used to emphasize that something which is small or not extreme has a big effect or is important
The merest little noise makes him nervous.
The mere thought of food made her feel sick.
The mere fact that the talks are continuing is a positive sign
merely
mere‧ly /ˈmɪəli $ ˈmɪrli/ ●●○ W2 adverb
1 used to emphasize how small or unimportant something or someone is SYN only
He’s merely a boy – you can’t expect him to understand.
2 used to emphasize that nothing more than what you say is involved SYN just
We’re merely good friends.
He merely shrugged and walked away.
3 → not merely/rather than merely
museum
mu‧se‧um /mjʊˈziəm / ●●● S3 W2 noun [countable]
mutual
mu‧tu‧al /ˈmjuːtʃuəl/ ●○○ AWL adjective
1 mutual feelings such as respect, trust, or hatred are feelings that two or more people have for each other → reciprocal
mutual respect/trust/understanding etc
myth
myth /mɪθ/ ●●● S3 W3 noun [countable, uncountable]
narrative
nar‧ra‧tive /ˈnærətɪv/ ●○○ noun formal
1 [countable] a description of events in a story, especially in a novel
At several points in the narrative the two stories cross.
2 [uncountable] the process or skill of telling a story
—narrative adjective
a narrative poem
narrative structure
necessarily
ne‧ces‧sar‧i‧ly /ˈnesəsərəli, ˌnesəˈserəli $ ˌnesəˈserəli/ ●●● S2 W2 adverb
1 → not necessarily
2 formal in a way that cannot be different or be avoided SYN inevitably
The care of old people necessarily involves quite a lot of heavy lifting.
neighborhood
/ˈneɪbəhʊd $ -ər-/ ●●○ S3 W3
object
objective
/’~/
ob‧jec‧tive1 /əbˈdʒektɪv/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL noun [countable]
observation
ob‧ser‧va‧tion /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃən $ ˌɑːbzər-/ ●●○ W3 noun
1 [countable, uncountable]
occupy
oc‧cu‧py /ˈɒkjəpaɪ $ ˈɑːk-/ ●●○ W2 AWL verb (occupied, occupying, occupies) [transitive]
occur
oc‧cur /əˈkɜː $ əˈkɜːr/ ●●● S3 W1 AWL verb (occurred, occurring) [intransitive] formal
1 to happen
A third of accidental deaths occur in the home.
The explosion occurred at 5.30 a.m.
► see thesaurus at happen
Register
In everyday English, people usually say happen rather than occur:
The accident happened while she was at school.
occurrence
oc‧cur‧rence /əˈkʌrəns $ əˈkɜː- / ●○○ AWL noun
1 [countable] something that happens → occur
frequent/rare/common occurrence
Laughter was a rare occurrence in his classroom.
Flooding in the area is a common occurrence.
► see thesaurus at event
2 [singular] the fact of something happening
occurrence of
The frequent occurrence of earthquakes in the area means that the buildings must be specifically designed to withstand the force.
also the spelling
offense
of‧fense1 /əˈfens/ noun [countable, uncountable]
the usual American spelling of offence
offensive
of‧fen‧sive1 /əˈfensɪv/ ●●○ adjective
1 very rude or insulting and likely to upset people OPP inoffensive
I found her remarks deeply offensive.
offensive to
crude jokes that are offensive to women
offensive behaviour
► see thesaurus at rude
2 formal very unpleasant
an offensive smell
official
of‧fi‧cial1 /əˈfɪʃəl/ ●●● S3 W1 noun [countable]
someone who is in a position of authority in an organization
a government official
senior administration officials
onto
on‧to, on to /ˈɒntə; before vowels ˈɒntʊ; strong ˈɒntuː $ ˈɑːn-, ˈɒːn-/ ●●● S1 W2 preposition
1 used to say that someone or something moves to a position on a surface, area, or object
She watched him walk onto the platform.
Don’t jump onto (=into) the bus while it’s moving.
Pour the syrup on to the egg mixture.
The car rolled over onto its side.
down/out/up etc onto something
Let’s get back onto the highway.
2 used to say that a room, door, or window faces towards something or allows movement into another place
The dining room looks out onto a pretty garden.
a gate leading on to a broad track
3 → be onto somebody
4 → be onto something
operator
op‧e‧ra‧tor /ˈɒpəreɪtə $ ˈɑːpəreɪtər/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable]
opinion
o‧pin‧ion /əˈpɪnjən/ ●●● S1 W2 noun
1 [countable, uncountable]
opponent
op‧po‧nent /əˈpəʊnənt $ əˈpoʊ-/ ●●● W3 noun [countable]
1 someone who you try to defeat in a competition, game, fight, or argument
Graf’s opponent in today’s final will be Sukova.
leading/main/chief opponent
During the primary elections, McCain was Bush’s leading opponent.
formidable/worthy opponent
In debate he was a formidable opponent.
He is admired even by his political opponents.
2 someone who disagrees with a plan, idea, or system and wants to try to stop or change it OPP proponent
opponent of
Rodgers was not an opponent of the new airport.
bitter/vocal/outspoken opponent
an outspoken opponent of gun control
opportunity
op‧por‧tu‧ni‧ty /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti $ ˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural opportunities)
1 [countable, uncountable]
oppose
op‧pose /əˈpəʊz $ əˈpoʊz/ ●●○ S3 W3 verb [transitive]
1 to disagree with something such as a plan or idea and try to prevent it from happening or succeeding
Congress is continuing to oppose the president’s health care budget.
2 to fight or compete against another person or group in a battle, competition, or election
He is opposed by two other candidates.
opposite
op‧po‧site1 /ˈɒpəzət $ ˈɑːp-/ ●●● S2 W2 preposition
1 especially British English if one thing or person is opposite another, they are facing each other
The people sitting opposite us looked very familiar.
on the wall opposite the door
► Do not say that one thing is ‘opposite to’ or ‘opposite of’ another. Say that one thing is opposite another: There’s a car park opposite the hotel.
2 → play/star/appear etc opposite somebody
adjective: at the opposite end of the scale/spectrum
two parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum
At the opposite extreme, Ashworth’s style is very simple and modern.
Bob was quicker than Ed? It’s usually the opposite way round.
opposite to
a political philosophy that was opposite to everything she believed in
ordinary
or‧di‧na‧ry /ˈɔːdənəri $ ˈɔːrdəneri/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective
organic
or‧gan‧ic /ɔːrˈɡænɪk / ●●○ W3 adjective
organize
or‧gan‧ize (also organise British English) /ˈɔːɡənaɪz $ ˈɔːr-/ ●●● S1 W2 verb
origin
or‧i‧gin /ˈɒrɪdʒɪn $ ˈɔː-, ˈɑː-/ ●●● W2 noun [countable, uncountable]
original
o‧rig‧i‧nal1 /əˈrɪdʒənəl, -/ ●●● S1 W1 adjectiv
righteous
right‧eous /ˈraɪtʃəs/ adjective
1 → righteous indignation/anger etc
2 formal morally good and fair
a righteous God
—righteously adverb
—righteousness noun [uncountable]
→ self-righteous
ought to
ought to /ˈɒːt tu:/ ●●● S1 W1 modal verb
1 used to say that someone should do something because it is the best or most sensible thing to do SYN should
overlook
o‧ver‧look /ˌəʊvəˈlʊk $ ˌoʊvər-/ ●●○ verb [transitive]
1 to not notice something, or not see how important it is SYN miss
It is easy to overlook a small detail like that.
Nobody could overlook the fact that box office sales were down.
2 to forgive someone’s mistake, bad behaviour etc and take no action
She found him entertaining enough to overlook his faults.
3 if a house, room etc overlooks something, it has a view of it, usually from above
Our room overlooks the ocean.
owe
owe /əʊ $ oʊ/ ●●● S2 W3 verb [transitive]
1 MONEY to need to pay someone for something that they have done for you or sold to you, or to need to give someone back money that they have lent you → borrow, lend
owe somebody money/£10 etc
own
own1 /əʊn $ oʊn/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective, pronoun [always after a possessive]
awe
awe1 /ɔː $ ɒː/ ●○○ noun
ode
ode /əʊd $ oʊd/ noun [countable]
a poem or song written in order to praise a person or thing
ode to
Keats’ ‘Ode to a Nightingale’
participant
par‧tic‧i‧pant /pɑːrˈtɪsəpənt / ●●○ AWL noun [countable]
someone who is taking part in an activity or event
participant in
an active participant in the negotiations
participle
/ˈpɑːrtɪsəpəl/
par‧ti‧ci‧ple /ˈpɑːtəsɪpəl, pɑːˈtɪsəpəl $ ˈpɑːr-/ ●●○ noun [countable]
technical one of the forms of a verb that are used to make tenses. In English, present participles end in -ing and past participles usually end in -ed or -en.
participate
par‧tic‧i‧pate /pɑːˈtɪsəpeɪt $ pɑːr-/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [intransitive]
formal to take part in an activity or event
Some members refused to participate.
participate in
Everyone in the class is expected to participate actively in these discussions.
They welcomed the opportunity to participate fully in the life of the village.
► Participate is never followed immediately by a noun, or by ‘on’ or ‘to’. Say that you participate in something: More people should participate in elections (NOT More people should participate elections).
Register
In everyday English, people usually say take part rather than participate:
She refused to take part in any of the activities.
participation
par‧ti‧ci‧pa‧tion /pɑːˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən $ pɑːr-/ ●●○ AWL noun [uncountable]
the act of taking part in an activity or event SYN involvement
Thank you for your participation.
participation in
We want more participation in the decision-making.
entertainment with plenty of audience participation
particular
par‧tic‧u‧lar1 /pərˈtɪkjələr/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective
1 [only before noun] a particular thing or person is the one that you are talking about, and not any other → certain, specific
particularly
par‧tic‧u‧lar‧ly /pərˈtɪkjələrli/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb
1 more than usual or more than others SYN especially
partnership
/’~/
grace
spelling
obedient
spelling
perceive
per‧ceive /pərˈsiːv/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [transitive]
1 written to understand or think of something or someone in a particular way → perception
percentage
per‧cen‧tage /pərˈsentɪdʒ/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun
1 [countable, uncountable] an amount expressed as if it is part of a total which is 100
perform
per‧form /pərˈfɔːrm/ ●●● S3 W2 verb
1 [intransitive, transitive] to do something to entertain people, for example by acting a play or playing a piece of music
perfume
per‧fume1 /ˈpɜːrfjuːm / ●●○ noun [countable, uncountable]
performance
per‧form‧ance /pərˈfɔːrməns / ●●● S2 W1 noun
1 [countable]
when someone performs a play or a piece of music
performance of
perhaps
per‧haps /pəˈhæps, præps $ pər-, præps/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb
1 used to say that something may be true, but you are not sure SYN maybe
permanent
per‧ma‧nent1 /ˈpɜːrmənənt / ●●● S2 W2 adjective
continuing to exist for a long time or for all the time in the future OPP temporary
permission
per‧mis‧sion /pərˈmɪʃən/ ●●● S2 W3 noun [uncountable]
if you have permission to
permit
per‧mit1 /pərˈmɪt/ ●●○ W3 verb (permitted, permitting) formal
N per‧mit2 /ˈpɜːrmɪt $ ˈpɜːr-, pərˈmɪt/ ●●○ noun [countable]
an official written statement giving you the right to do something
permit for
ethos
e‧thos /ˈiːθɒs $ ˈiːθɑːs/ noun [singular]
the set of ideas and moral attitudes that are typical of a particular group
a community in which people lived according to an ethos of sharing and caring
solidarity
sol‧i‧dar‧i‧ty /ˌsɑːləˈdærəti / ●○○ noun [uncountable]
loyalty and general agreement between all the people in a group, or between different groups, because they all have a shared aim
a gesture of solidarity
an appeal for worker solidarity
show/express/demonstrate your solidarity (with somebody)
I come before you today to express my solidarity with the people of New York.
Boeing
Boe‧ing /ˈbəʊɪŋ/ trademark
oxymoron
ox‧y‧mo‧ron /ˌɒksiˈmɔːrɒn $ ˌɑːksiˈmɔːrɑːn/ noun [countable] technical
a deliberate combination of two words that seem to mean the opposite of each other, such as ‘cruel kindness’
Examples from the Corpus
oxymoron
* This verbal combo is an oxymoron, of course, given all we know about the innately hazardous properties of nicotine.
* Compassionate capitalism is not an oxymoron.
* New public art outside of the gallery is something of an oxymoron since ironically most art collections are public.
* Thursday evening, the work prompted an instant trip to the depths of oxymoron.
* Bear with me while I unravel this seeming oxymoron.
personnel
per‧son‧nel /ˌpɜːsəˈnel $ ˌpɜːr-/ ●●○ W3 noun
1 [plural] the people who work in a company, organization, or military force → staff
military/medical/technical etc personnel
senior military personnel
doctors and other medical personnel
All personnel are to receive security badges.
2 [uncountable] the department in a company that chooses people for jobs and deals with their complaints, problems etc SYN human resources
A copy should then be sent to Personnel for our files.
the personnel department
COLLOCATIONS
ADJECTIVES
military/service personnel
There have been attacks upon US military personnel.
security personnel
Security personnel have become more thorough in checking passengers’ bags.
medical personnel
There is an acute shortage of medical personnel.
technical personnel
800 technical personnel do the design and development of software.
trained/qualified personnel
The unit is staffed by trained personnel.
skilled personnel
Organizations need to be able to attract skilled personnel.
senior personnel
It is crucial that senior personnel be on site from at least 8 am to 8 pm.
key personnel
Many of the key personnel have left.
persuade
per‧suade /pəˈsweɪd $ pər-/ ●●● S3 W2 verb [transitive]
1 to make someone decide to do something, especially by giving them reasons why they should do it, or asking them many times to do it
persuade somebody to do something
I finally managed to persuade her to go out for a drink with me.
persuade somebody into doing something
Don’t let yourself be persuaded into buying things you don’t want.
try/manage/fail to persuade somebody
I’m trying to persuade your dad to buy some shares.
attempt/effort to persuade somebody
Leo wouldn’t agree, despite our efforts to persuade him.
little/a lot of/no persuading
He took a lot of persuading to come out of retirement (=it was hard to persuade him).
He was fairly easily persuaded.
2 to make someone believe something or feel sure about something SYN convince
I am not persuaded by these arguments.
persuade somebody (that)
She’ll only take me back if I can persuade her that I’ve changed.
pursuit
pur‧suit /pəˈsjuːt $ pərˈsuːt/ ●○○ AWL noun
1 [uncountable] when someone tries to get, achieve, or find something in a determined way → pursue
pursuit of
the pursuit of liberty and happiness
the pursuit of war criminals
in (the) pursuit of something
People are having to move to other areas in pursuit of work.
2 [uncountable] when someone chases or follows someone else → pursue
in pursuit
There were four police cars in pursuit.
The quarterback sprinted toward the end zone with Jansen in hot pursuit (=following closely behind).
3 [countable usually plural] formal an activity such as a sport or hobby, which you spend a lot of time doing
pursuits such as swimming and tennis
phenomenon
phe‧nom‧e‧non /fɪˈnɒmənən $ fɪˈnɑːmənɑːn, -nən/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun (plural phenomena /-nə/) [countable]
1 something that happens or exists in society, science, or nature, especially something that is studied because it is difficult to understand
phenomenon of
the growing phenomenon of telecommuting
Homelessness is not a new phenomenon.
natural/historical/social etc phenomenon
Language is a social and cultural phenomenon.
► see thesaurus at event
2 something or someone that is very unusual because of a rare quality or ability that they have
philosophy
phi‧los‧o‧phy /fəˈlɒsəfi $ -ˈlɑː-/ ●●● W3 AWL noun (plural philosophies)
1 [uncountable] the study of the nature and meaning of existence, truth, good and evil etc
Emma studies philosophy at university.
philosophy of
the philosophy of science
2 [countable] the views of a particular philosopher or group of philosophers
philosophy of
the philosophy of Aristotle
3 [countable] the attitude or set of ideas that guides the behaviour of a person or organization
The company explained their management philosophy.
The idea that you should treat others as you would like them to treat you is a fine philosophy of life.
phrase
phrase1 /freɪz/ ●●● S3 W3 noun [countable]
physical
physically
physicality
phys‧i‧cal1 /ˈfɪzɪkəl/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL adjective
phys‧i‧cally /ˈfɪzɪkli/ ●●○ S3 AWL adverb
—physicality /ˌfɪzɪˈkæləti/ noun [uncountable]
physician
phy‧si‧cian /fəˈzɪʃən/ ●●○ noun [countable]
especially American English formal a doctor► see thesaurus at doctor
piano
pi‧an‧o1 /piˈænəʊ $ -noʊ/ ●●● S3 noun (plural pianos) [countable]
pitch
pitch1 /pɪtʃ/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun
1 SPORTS FIELD [countable] British English a marked out area of ground on which a sport is played SYN field
2 STRONG FEELINGS/ACTIVITY [singular, uncountable] a strong level of feeling about something or a high level of an activity or a quality
The controversy reached such a pitch (=become so strong) that the paper devoted a whole page to it.
a pitch of excitement/excellence/perfection etc (=a high level of excitement etc)
He screamed at her in a pitch of fury.
deplatfrom
de‧plat‧form /ˌdiːˈplætfɔːm
political
po‧lit‧i‧cal /pəˈlɪtɪkəl/ ●●● S2 W1 adjective
politics
pol‧i‧tics /ˈpɒlətɪks $ ˈpɑː-/ ●●● S2 W2 noun
1 [uncountable]
politically
po‧lit‧ic‧ally /pəˈlɪtɪkli/ ●●○ adverb
in a political way
Women were becoming more politically active.
a politically sensitive issue
politician
pol‧i‧ti‧cian /ˌpɒləˈtɪʃən $ ˌpɑː-/ ●●● W2 noun [countable]
poll
poll1 /pəʊl $ poʊl/ ●●○ W3 noun
1 [countable] the process of finding out what people think about something by asking many people the same question, or the record of the result SYN opinion poll, survey
popular
pop‧u‧lar1 /ˈpɑːpjələr/
portrait
portray
por‧trait1 /ˈpɔːtrɪt $ ˈpɔːr-/ ●●○ noun [countable]
por‧tray /pɔːˈtreɪ $ pɔːr-/ ●●○ verb [transitive]
1 → portray somebody/something as something
2 to describe or represent something or someone SYN depict
His most famous painting portrayed the death of Nelson.
Religion was portrayed in a negative way.
portray
por‧tray /pɔːˈtreɪ $ pɔːr-/ ●●○ verb [transitive]
1 → portray somebody/something as something
2 to describe or represent something or someone SYN depict
position
po‧si‧tion1 /pəˈzɪʃən/ ●●● S1 W1 noun
1 WAY OF STANDING/SITTING ETC [countable]
possess
pos‧sess /pəˈzes/ ●●○ W3 verb [transitive]
1 formal to have a particular quality or ability
Different workers possess different skills.
He no longer possessed the power to frighten her.
possibility
pos‧si‧bil‧i‧ty /ˌpɒsəˈbɪləti $ ˌpɑː-/ ●●● S2 W2 noun (plural possibilities)
possibly
pos‧si‧bly /ˈpɒsəbli $ ˈpɑː-/ ●●● S1 W2 adverb
likely, perhaps, maybe
potato
po‧ta‧to /pəˈteɪtəʊ $ -toʊ/ ●●● S2 noun (plural potatoes)
tomato
to‧ma‧to /təˈmɑːtəʊ $ -ˈmeɪtoʊ/ ●●● S2 noun (plural tomatoes) [countable]
potential
po‧ten‧tial1 /pəˈtenʃəl/ ●●● S3 W2 AWL adjective [only before noun]
potentially
po‧ten‧tial‧ly /pəˈtenʃəli/ ●●○ AWL adverb [+adj/adverb]
pour
pour /pɔː $ pɔːr/ ●●● S2 W3 verb
LIQUID [transitive] to make a liquid or other substance flow out of or into a container by holding it at an angle
practical
practically
prac‧ti‧cal1 /ˈpræktɪkəl/ ●●● S3 W2 adjective
theoretical
precisely
pre‧cise‧ly /prɪˈsaɪsli/ ●●○ W3 AWL adverb
1 exactly and correctly SYN exactly - accurately
militia
mi‧li‧tia /məˈlɪʃə/ ●○○ noun [countable]
a group of people trained as soldiers, who are not part of the permanent army
He joined the local militia as soon as he was 16.
a militia leader
a left-wing militia group
predict
pre‧dict /prɪˈdɪkt/ ●●● W3 AWL verb
prefer
pre‧fer /prɪˈfɜː $ -ˈfɜːr/ ●●● S2 W2 verb (preferred, preferring) [transitive]
preference
pref‧e‧rence /ˈprefərəns/ ●●○ W3 noun
1 [countable, uncountable]
prescription
pre‧scrip‧tion /prɪˈskrɪpʃən/ ●●○ noun [countable]
amalgamation
/əˌmælgəˈmeɪʃən/ noun [countable, uncountable]
when two or more organizations amalgamate, often in order to increase profits by cutting costs
the amalgamation of the regional sales operations into one national salesforce
There are plans for the reorganization of the industry, including amalgamations and some closures.
the action or process of uniting or merging two or more things
Parole
pa‧role1 /pəˈrəʊl $ -ˈroʊl/ noun [uncountable]
permission for someone to leave prison, on the condition that they promise to behave well
on parole
He was released on parole after serving two years.
She will become eligible for parole in 19 months.
parole2 verb [transitive]
to allow someone to leave prison on the condition that they promise to behave well
• The prison governor said projects like this provide an important stepping stone for men shortly to be paroled.
Homicide
hom‧i‧cide /ˈhɒmɪsaɪd $ ˈhɑː-/ ●○○ noun
1 [countable, uncountable] especially American English the crime of murder → manslaughter► see thesaurus at crime
2 [uncountable] American English the police department that deals with murders
Pathological
path‧o‧log‧i‧cal /ˌpæθəˈlɒdʒɪkəl◂ $ -ˈlɑː-/ adjective
1 pathological behaviour or feelings happen regularly, and are strong, unreasonable, and impossible to control
a pathological hatred of women
a pathological liar
2 a mental or physical condition that is pathological is caused by disease
pathological conditions such as cancer
3 relating to pathology
—pathologically /-kli/ adverb
Stephen was almost pathologically jealous of his brother.
Dissent
dis‧sent1 /dɪˈsent/ ●○○ noun
1 [uncountable] refusal to agree with an official decision or accepted opinion SYN opposition, → consent, assent
the ruthless suppression of political dissent
These voices of dissent grew louder.
2 [countable] law a statement by a judge giving their reasons for disagreeing with the other judges in a law case
descendant
de‧scen‧dant /dɪˈsendənt/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 someone who is related to a person who lived a long time ago, or to a family, group of people etc that existed in the past → ancestor
somebody’s descendants/the descendants of somebody
The coastal areas were occupied by the descendants of Greek colonists.
He was a direct descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte.
► see thesaurus at relative
2 something that has developed from something else
descendant of
Quechua is a descendant of the Inca language.
detest
de‧test /dɪˈtest/ verb [transitive]
to hate something or someone very much
The two men detested each other.
► see thesaurus at hate
—detestation /ˌdiːteˈsteɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]
GRAMMAR: Using the progressive
Detest is not used in the progressive. You say:
I detest housework.
✗Don’t say: I am detesting housework
aluminium
al‧u‧min‧i‧um /ˌæləˈmɪniəm/ British English, aluminum /əˈluːmənəm/ American English ●●○ noun [uncountable]
lease
lease1 /liːs/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 a legal agreement which allows you to use a building, car etc for a period of time, in return for rent
lease on
They took out a lease on a seven-acre field.
The landlord refused to renew his lease.
The 99-year lease expired in 1999.
Do you understand all the terms of the lease?
gray
grey1 British English, gray American English /ɡreɪ/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective
1 COLOUR
nosy
nos‧y1, nosey /ˈnəʊzi $ ˈnoʊ-/ ●○○ adjective (comparative nosier, superlative nosiest)
always wanting to find out things that do not concern you, especially other people’s private affairs
Don’t be so nosy!
a nosy neighbor
—nosiness noun [uncountable]
—nosily adverb
fungus / fungi
fun‧gus /ˈfʌŋɡəs/ ●○○ noun (plural fungi /-dʒaɪ, -ɡaɪ/ or funguses)
[countable, uncountable]
recruit
recruitment
re‧cruit1 /rɪˈkruːt/ ●●○ verb
1 [intransitive, transitive] to find new people to work in a company, join an organization, do a job etc
We’re having difficulty recruiting enough qualified staff.
unhinge
un‧hinge /ʌnˈhɪndʒ/ verb [transitive]
to make someone become very upset or mentally ill
The terrible experience seemed to have unhinged him slightly.
—unhinged adjective
obey
o‧bey /əʊˈbeɪ, ə- $ oʊ-, ə-/ ●●● W3 verb [intransitive, transitive]
to do what someone in authority tells you to do, or what a law or rule says you must do OPP disobey
disobedience
multi-
multiple
multiply
multi- /mʌlti/
mul‧ti‧ple1 /ˈmʌltəpəl/ ●●○ adjective [only before noun]
mul‧ti‧ply /ˈmʌltəplaɪ/ ●●○ verb (multiplied, multiplying, multiplies)
1 [intransitive, transitive]
limb
limp
/lim/ an arm or leg
on a limb (alone and without help and support)
/limp/ : not firm or strong
Limb:
3 → strong-limbed/long-limbed etc
4 a large branch of a tree
→ risk life and limb2(1), → tear somebody limb from limb
Cost an arm and a leg
INFORMAL
be extremely expensive.
“the coat had cost him an arm and a leg”
Consecutive
con‧sec‧u‧tive /kənˈsekjətɪv/ ●●○ adjective
consecutive numbers or periods of time follow one after the other without any interruptions OPP non-consecutive
It had rained for four consecutive days.
Can they win the title for the third consecutive season?
—consecutively adverb
Number the pages consecutively.
False dichotomy
False dilemma
di‧chot‧o‧my /daɪˈkɒtəmi $ -ˈkɑː-/ noun (plural dichotomies) [countable] formal
the difference between two things or ideas that are completely opposite
dichotomy between
a dichotomy between his public and private lives
lump
lump1 /lʌmp/ ●●○ noun [countable]
1 a small piece of something solid, without a particular shape
Strain the custard to remove lumps.
lump of
Melt a lump of butter in your frying-pan.
► see thesaurus at piece
2 a small hard swollen area that sticks out from someone’s skin or grows in their body, usually because of an illness
You should never ignore a breast lump.
library
li‧bra‧ry /ˈlaɪbreri/ ●●● S2 W1 noun (plural libraries) [countable]
kilometer
kilogram (kilogramme)
/kɪˈlɑːmɪtər/
/ˈkɪləɡræm/
Oblivion
o‧bliv‧i‧on /əˈblɪviən/ noun [uncountable]
1 when something is completely forgotten or no longer important
sink/slip/pass etc into oblivion
Wind power presents too many advantages to be allowed to sink into oblivion.
The loser’s name has been consigned to oblivion (=completely forgotten).
Imaginary
i‧ma‧gi‧na‧ry /ɪˈmædʒənəri $ -neri/ ●○○ adjective
not real, but produced from pictures or ideas in your mind → fictional
As she listened, she played an imaginary piano on her knees.
We must protect older people from harm, whether it is real or imaginary.
heredity
he‧red‧i‧ty /həˈredəti/ noun [uncountable]
the process by which mental and physical qualities are passed from a parent to a child before the child is born → genetics
indoctrinate
indoctrination
in‧doc‧tri‧nate /ɪnˈdɒktrəneɪt $ ɪnˈdɑːk-/ verb [transitive]
to train someone to accept a particular set of beliefs, especially political or religious ones, and not consider any others
People were indoctrinated not to question their leaders.
—indoctrination /ɪnˌdɒktrəˈneɪʃən $ ɪnˌdɑːk-/ noun [uncountable]
The military in particular were subjected to intense political indoctrination.
→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
indoctrinate
• Citizens were indoctrinated into believing that their leader was the source of all wisdom and goodness.
• Training seminars and retreats are held to indoctrinate recruits.
ideology
i‧de‧ol‧o‧gy /ˌaɪdiˈɒlədʒi $ -ˈɑːl-/ ●○○ AWL noun (plural ideologies) [countable, uncountable]
a set of beliefs on which a political or economic system is based, or which strongly influence the way people behave → philosophy
the ideologies of fascism and communism
a new ideology based on individualism
swastika
hammer and sickle
swas‧ti‧ka /ˈswɒstɪkə $ ˈswɑː-/ noun [countable]
dog‧mat‧ic /dɒɡˈmætɪk $ dɒːɡ-, dɑːɡ-/ adjective
someone who is dogmatic is completely certain of their beliefs and expects other people to accept them without arguing
Her staff find her bossy and dogmatic.
—dogmatically /-kli/ adverb
—dogmatism /ˈdɒɡmətɪzəm $ ˈdɒːɡ-, ˈdɑːɡ-/ noun [uncountable]
the narrow dogmatism of the past
—dogmatist noun [countable]
wither
with‧er /ˈwɪðə $ -ər/ (also wither away) verb
1 [intransitive, transitive] if plants wither, or if something withers them, they become drier and smaller and start to die
2 [intransitive] to gradually become weaker or less successful and then end
His career had withered.
The organization just withered away
scold
scold /skəʊld $ skoʊld/ verb [transitive]
to angrily criticize someone, especially a child, about something they have done SYN tell off
prime minister
min‧is‧ter1 /ˈmɪnɪstə $ -ər/ ●●○ noun [countable]
presidential
pres‧i‧den‧tial /ˌprezɪˈdenʃəl◂/ ●●○ adjective [usually before noun]
unprecedented
un‧pre‧ce‧dent‧ed /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ ●○○ AWL adjective
never having happened before, or never having happened so much
He took the unprecedented step of stating that the rumours were false.
Crime has increased on an unprecedented scale.
unprecedented in
an event that is unprecedented in recent history
► see thesaurus at unusual
—unprecedentedly adverb
predecessor
pre‧de‧ces‧sor /ˈpredəsesər/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 someone who had your job before you started doing it OPP successor (/səkˈsesər/ ●○○ AWL noun [countable]
1 someone who takes a job or position previously held by someone else)
Kennedy’s predecessor as president was the war hero Dwight Eisenhower.
2 a machine, system etc that existed before another one in a process of development OPP successor
The new BMW has a more powerful engine than its predecessor.
pressure
pres‧sure1 /ˈpreʃə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W1
precious
pre‧cious1 /ˈpreʃəs/ ●●○ adjective
1 something that is precious is valuable and important and should not be wasted or used without care
pretend
pre‧tend1 /prɪˈtend/ ●●● S2 W3 verb
pre‧tend‧er /prɪˈtendə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
someone who claims to have a right to be king, leader etc, when this is not accepted by many people
pretender to
the pretender to the English throne
prevent
pre‧vent /prɪˈvent/ ●●● S2 W1 verb [transitive]
comorbidity
/kəmɔːrˈbɪdəti -/ noun [countable]
In medicine, comorbidity—from Latin morbus, co, -ity—is the presence of one or more additional conditions often co-occurring with a primary condition.
[morbidity]
previous
pre‧vi‧ous /ˈpriːviəs/ ●●● S1 W1 AWL adjective
1 [only before noun] having happened or existed before the event, time, or thing that you are talking about now
= last
pre‧vi‧ous‧ly /ˈpriːviəsli/ ●●● S3 W2 AWL adverb
= before
preview
pre‧view1 /ˈpriːvjuː/ noun & v [countable]
primarily
pri‧ma‧ri‧ly /ˈpraɪmərəli $ praɪˈmerəli/ ●●○ W3 AWL adverb
mainly
The advertisement is aimed primarily at children.
prime
prime1 /praɪm/ ●○○ AWL adjective [only before noun]
main
primary
pri‧ma‧ry1 /ˈpraɪməri $ -meri/ ●●○ W2 AWL adjective
primary objective / aim
education British English → elementary (American English)
principle
prin‧ci‧ple /ˈprɪnsəpəl/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun
1 MORAL RULE [countable, uncountable] a moral rule or belief about what is right and wrong, that influences how you behave
Schools try to teach children a set of principles.
He’s got no principles at all!
It’s against my principles to accept gifts from clients.
2 IDEA BEHIND SOMETHING [countable] the basic idea that a plan or system is based on
The general principle is that education should be available to all children up to the age of 16.
basic/fundamental/guiding principle
the basic principles of business management
principle of
the principles of French law
principle that
Reflexology is based on the principle that specific areas on the feet correspond to different parts of the body.
on a principle
The project worked on the principle that each person’s experience was equally valuable.
principle behind
the principles behind government policies
He called for a return to first principles (=the most important ideas) of road safety for children.
Similar principles apply in the case of older children (=the principles are the same as others that have been mentioned).
principal
prin‧ci‧pal1 /ˈprɪnsəpəl/ ●●○ W2 AWL adjective [only before noun]
most important SYN main
His principal reason for making the journey was to visit his family.
Teaching is her principal source of income.
the principal character in the book
► see thesaurus at important, main
→ principally
Examples from the Corpus
principal
* The principal component, as always, is lack of language proficiency.
* And in fact public shaming was one of the principal functions of police registration and surveillance.
* The principal method of inquiry is analysis of company records and other contemporary sources.
principal2 ●●○ noun
1 SCHOOL [countable] American English someone who is in charge of a school SYN headteacher British English
a small school with just three teachers and the principal
priority
pri‧or‧i‧ty1 /praɪˈɒrəti $ -ˈɔːr-/ ●●○ S3 W2 AWL noun (plural priorities)
prioritize
prioritize /praɪˈɒrətaɪz/
Word family (noun) priority prioritization (verb) prioritize
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
pri‧o‧ri‧tize (also prioritise British English) ●○○ AWL verb [transitive]
1 to put several things, problems etc in order of importance, so that you can deal with the most important ones first
You need to prioritize your tasks.
2 to deal with one thing first, because it is the most important
The public wants to see the fight against crime prioritized.
—prioritization /praɪˌɒrətaɪˈzeɪʃən $ -ˌɔːrətə-/ noun [uncountable]
probably
prob‧a‧bly /ˈprɒbəbli $ ˈprɑː-/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb
used to say that something is likely to happen, likely to be true etc
procedure
pro‧ce‧dure /prəˈsiːdʒə $ -ər/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun [countable, uncountable]
proceed
pro‧ceed /prəˈsiːd/ ●●○ S3 W3
progressive
pro‧gres‧sive1 /prəˈɡresɪv/ ●○○ adjective
1 supporting new or modern ideas and methods, especially in politics and education
a progressive administration
progressive and forward-looking policies
2 happening or developing gradually over a period of time
progressive decline/reduction/increase etc
the progressive increase in population
Britain’s progressive decline as a world power
sworn enemies
(adjective)
sworn1 /swɔːn $ swɔːrn/ verb
the past participle of swear
inadequate
in‧ad‧e‧quate /ɪnˈædəkwət/ ●●○ AWL adjective
1 not good enough, big enough, skilled enough etc for a particular purpose OPP adequate
diligent
diligence
dil‧i‧gent /ˈdɪlədʒənt/ adjective
someone who is diligent works hard and is careful and thorough
a diligent student
—diligently adverb
They worked diligently all morning.
—diligence noun [uncountable]
prominent
prom‧i‧nent /ˈprɒmɪnənt $ ˈprɑː-/ ●○○ adjective
- Important
- Easily seen
- Large (a prominent nose)
promise
prom‧ise1 /ˈprɒmɪs $ ˈprɑː-/ ●●● S2 W2 verb
spelling
promote
pro‧mote /prəˈməʊt $ -ˈmoʊt/ ●●○ W2 AWL verb [transitive]
1 ENCOURAGE to help something to develop or increase
a meeting to promote trade between Taiwan and the UK
Fertilizer promotes leaf growth.
2 BETTER JOB to give someone a better more responsible job in a company OPP demote
promote somebody to something
Helen was promoted to senior manager.
Grammar
Promote is often passive in this meaning.
proof
proof1 /pruːf/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun
1 EVIDENCE [countable, uncountable]
proof2 adjective
→ be proof against something
Related topics: Clothes & fashion
proof3 verb [transitive] British English
1 to treat a material with a substance in order to protect it against water, oil etc
be proofed against something
climbing gear proofed against water
Grammar
Proof is usually passive in this meaning.
2 to proofread something
Do you want me to proof those documents for you?
prove
prove /pruːv/ ●●● S2 W1 verb (past tense proved, past participle proved or proven /ˈpruːvən/ especially American English)
1 SHOW SOMETHING IS TRUE [transitive] to show that something is true by providing facts, information etc → proof
You’re wrong, and I can prove it.
prove (that)
Tests have proved that the system works.
prove something to somebody
I knew he had done it, but there was no way I could prove it to Eddie.
prove somebody’s guilt/innocence
He claims the police destroyed records that could prove the officer’s guilt.
prove somebody wrong/innocent etc
They say I’m too old, but I’m going to prove them all wrong.
To prove his point (=show that he was right), he mentioned several other experiments which had produced similar results.
Grammar
You prove something to someone:
I will prove to you that I’m right.
✗Don’t say: I will prove you that I’m right.
2 BE [linking verb] if someone or something proves difficult, helpful, a problem etc, they are difficult, helpful, a problem etc
The recent revelations may prove embarrassing to the president.
prove to be something
The design proved to be a success.
onset
on‧set /ˈɒnset $ ˈɑːn-, ˈɒːn-/ ●○○ noun
→ the onset of something
COLLOCATIONS
ADJECTIVES
sudden
Consult the doctor if there is a very sudden onset of fever.
abrupt
the abrupt onset of the rainy season in India
(=happening very quickly and suddenly)
rapid
Symptoms may include the rapid onset of nausea and vomiting.
early/late onset (=happening earlier or later than commonly happens – used especially about serious illnesses)
The patient had a family history of early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
VERBS
delay the onset of something
An active and healthy lifestyle can delay the onset of disease in later life.
mark the onset of something
The tradition originates from an old Celtic feast marking the onset of winter.
propose
pro‧pose /prəˈpəʊz $ -ˈpoʊz/ ●●○ W2 verb
1 SUGGEST [transitive] formal to suggest something as a plan or course of action → proposal
onus
o‧nus /ˈəʊnəs $ ˈoʊ-/ noun [singular] formal
the responsibility for something
the onus is on somebody to do something
The onus is on the prosecution to provide proof of guilt.
prosecutor
pros‧e‧cu‧tor /ˈprɑːsɪkjuːtər/ ●○○ noun [countable]
a lawyer who is trying to prove in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime
=/ defense attorney / lawyer
province
prov‧ince /ˈprɒvəns $ ˈprɑː-/ ●●○ noun
1 (also Province) [countable] one of the large areas into which some countries are divided, and which usually has its own local government
a Chinese province
2 → the provinces
3 [singular] formal a subject that someone knows a lot about or something that only they are responsible for
province of
Computers were once the exclusive province of scientists and mathematicians.
discrimination
di‧scrim‧i‧na‧tion /dɪˌskrɪməˈneɪʃən/ ●●○ noun [uncountable]
1 the practice of treating one person or group differently from another in an unfair way
laws to prevent discrimination
discrimination against
widespread discrimination against older people in the job market
discrimination in favour of
discrimination in favour of university graduates
→ positive discrimination, reverse discrimination
prejudice
prej‧u‧dice1 /ˈpredʒədɪs/ ●●○ noun
1 [countable, uncountable] an unreasonable dislike and distrust of people who are different from you in some way, especially because of their race, sex, religion etc – used to show disapproval
Prejudice thesaurus
racial prejudice
prejudice against women
discrimination the practice of treating one group of people differently from another in an unfair way
There is widespread discrimination against older people.
the laws on sex discrimination
intolerance an unreasonable refusal to accept beliefs, customs, and ways of thinking that are different from your own
religious intolerance
There is an atmosphere of intolerance in the media.
bigotry a completely unreasonable hatred for people of a different race, religion etc, based on strong and fixed opinions
religious bigotry
the bigotry directed at Jews and other ethnic groups
racism/racial prejudice unfair treatment of people because they belong to a different race
Many black people have been the victims of racism in Britain.
Some immigrant groups faced racism, for example Jews and Italians, while others, such as Scandinavians, did not.
sexism the belief that one sex, especially women, is weaker, less intelligent etc than the other, especially when this results in someone being treated unfairly
sexism in language
She accused him of sexism.
ageism (also agism American English) unfair treatment of people because they are old
The new law aims to stop ageism in the workplace.
homophobia prejudice towards or hatred of gay people
homophobia in the armed forces
xenophobia /ˌzenəˈfəʊbiə $ -ˈfoʊ-/ hatred and fear of foreigners
the xenophobia of the right-wing press
anti-Semitism a strong feeling of hatred toward Jewish people
Is anti-Semitism on the increase?
Islamophobia hatred and fear of Muslims
the rise of Islamophobia and right-wing extremism in Europe
gay/union/America etc bashing unfair public criticism of gay people, union members, the American government etc
The minister was accused of union bashing.
There’s so much America-bashing in the liberal press.
prejudiced thesaurus
racist
bigot
Islamophobic
white supremacists
thesaurus
the‧sau‧rus /θɪˈsɔːrəs/ noun (plural thesauruses or thesauri /-raɪ/) [countable
digger
a large machine that digs and moves earth
[gold digger]
provision
pro‧vi‧sion1 /prəˈvɪʒən/ ●●○ noun
1 [countable usually singular, uncountable] when you provide something that someone needs now or in the future
provision of
the provision of childcare facilities
provision for
provision for people with disabilities
He made provisions for his wife and his children in his will.
2 → provisions
3 [countable] a condition in an agreement or law
The agreement includes a provision for each side to check the other side’s weapons.
under the provisions of something
Under the provisions of the Act, employers must supply safety equipment.
psychological
psy‧cho‧log‧i‧cal /ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl◂ $ -ˈlɑː-/ ●●○ W3 AWL adjective
1 relating to the way that your mind works and the way that this affects your behaviour SYN mental
publicity
pub‧lic‧i‧ty /pʌˈblɪsəti/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun [uncountable]
1 the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc
Standards in education have received much publicity over the last few years.
bad/good/unwelcome etc publicity
negative press
pull / push
pull1 /pʊl/ ●●● S1 W1 verb
push1 /pʊʃ/ ●●● S1 W1 verb
endeavor
en‧deav‧our1 British English, endeavor American English /ɪnˈdevə $ -ər/ ●○○ verb [intransitive]
formal to try very hard
endeavour to do something
We always endeavor to please our customers.
persistent
per‧sis‧tent /pərˈsɪstənt/ ●○○ AWL adjective
1 [usually before noun] continuing to exist or happen, especially for longer than is usual or desirable
perpetual
per‧pet‧u‧al /pəˈpetʃuəl $ pər-/ ●○○ adjective [usually before noun]
1 continuing all the time without changing or stopping SYN continuous
the perpetual noise of the machines
a little girl with a perpetual smile
► see thesaurus at permanent
endure
en‧dure /ɪnˈdjʊr/ ●○○ verb
1 [transitive] to be in a difficult or painful situation for a long time without complaining
It seemed impossible that anyone could endure such pain.
endure doing something
He can’t endure being apart from me.
Register
In everyday English, people usually say stand rather than endure:
I couldn’t stand the pain.
quarterback
quar‧ter‧back1 /ˈkwɔːtəbæk $ ˈkwɔːrtər-/ noun [countable]
1 the player in American football who directs the team’s attacking play and passes the ball to the other players at the start of each attack
quiet / quite
qui‧et1 /ˈkwaɪət/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective (comparative quieter, superlative quietest)
quite /kwaɪt/ ●●● S1 W1 predeterminer, adverb
1 especially American English very, but not extremely → pretty
radical
rad‧i‧cal1 /ˈrædɪkəl/ ●●○ W3 AWL adjective
1 CHANGE/DIFFERENCE a radical change or difference is very big and important OPP slight
rise / risen / raise
rise1 /raɪz/ ●●● S2 W1 verb (past tense rose /rəʊz $ roʊz/, past participle risen /ˈrɪzən/) [intransitive]
raise1 /reɪz/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [transitive]
1 MOVE HIGHER to move or lift something to a higher position, place, or level
reach / rich
reach1 /riːtʃ/ ●●● S1 W1 verb
1 DEVELOPMENT [transitive]
rich /rɪtʃ/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective (comparative richer, superlative richest)
readily
read‧i‧ly /ˈredəli/ ●●○ W3 adverb
1 quickly and easily
Boats are readily available to visitors.
The information is readily accessible on the Internet.
2 quickly, willingly, and without complaining
Jack readily agreed to help.
realize
rea‧lize (also realise British English) /ˈrɪəlaɪz/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [transitive]
reasonable
rea‧son‧a‧ble /ˈriːzənəbəl/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective
1 fair and sensible OPP unreasonable
deceit
de‧ceit /dɪˈsiːt/ noun [countable, uncountable]
behaviour that is intended to make someone believe something that is not true
an atmosphere of hypocrisy and deceit
deliberate/calculated/outright deceit
deceitful
recall
re‧call1 /rɪˈkɔːl $ ˈriːkɒːl/ ●●○ S3 W3
useful idiot
useful idiot
noun
pluraluseful idiots
: a naive or credulous person who can be manipulated or exploited to advance a cause or political agenda
It is one task of the KGB [in 1982] to apply its skills of secrecy and deception to projecting the Soviet party’s influence.
recent
recognize
/’~/
recovery
/rɪˈkʌvəri/
recommend
rec‧om‧mend /ˌrekəˈmend/ v ●●● S2 W2
reduce
re‧duce /rɪˈdjuːs $ rɪˈduːs/ ●●● S1 W1 verb
1 [transitive] to make something smaller or less in size, amount, or price SYN cut, → reduction /rɪˈdʌkʃən/
refer
re‧fer /rɪˈfɜː $ -ɜːr/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (referred, referring)
→ refer to somebody/something
→ See Verb table
reference
referal
ref‧er‧ence1 /ˈrefərəns/ ●●● S2 W1 noun
re‧fer‧ral /rɪˈfɜːrəl/ noun [countable, uncountable] formal
reform
re‧form1 /rɪˈfɔːm $ -ɔːrm/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable, uncountable]
refuge
refugee
ref‧uge /ˈrefjuːdʒ/ ●○○ noun
ref‧u‧gee /ˌrefjʊˈdʒiː/ ●●○ noun [countable]
refuse
re‧fuse1 /rɪˈfjuːz/ ●●● S2 W1 verb
regard
regarding
regardless
re‧gard1 /rɪˈɡɑːd $ -ɑːrd/ ●●○ W3 noun
1 ADMIRATION/RESPECT [uncountable]
/rɪˈ~/
regime
re‧gime /reˈʒiːm/ ●○○ AWL noun [countable]
controversy
controversial
con‧tro‧ver‧sy /ˈkɒntrəvɜːsi, kənˈtrɒvəsi $ ˈkɑːntrəvɜːrsi/ ●●○ AWL noun (plural controversies) [countable, uncountable]
con‧tro‧ver‧sial /ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl◂ $ ˌkɑːntrəˈvɜːr-/ ●●○ AWL adjective
causing a lot of disagreement, because many people have strong opinions about the subject being discussed
the controversial issue of welfare reform
conspiracy
conspire
con‧spi‧ra‧cy /kənˈspɪrəsi/ ●○○ noun (plural conspiracies) [countable, uncountable]
1 a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal → conspire
conspiracy to do something
He was charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
conspiracy against
a conspiracy against the government
There were many conspiracy theories (=beliefs that something is the result of a conspiracy) surrounding Princess Diana’s death.
► see thesaurus at plan
region
regional
re‧gion /ˈriːdʒən/ ●●● S1 W1 AWL noun [countable]
1 a large area of a country or of the world, usually without exact limits SYN area
re‧gion‧al /ˈriːdʒənəl/ ●●● S1 W2 AWL adjective [usually before noun]
relating to a particular region or area → local
register
register2 ●●○ S3 W3 AWL verb
re‧gis‧ter1 /ˈredʒɪstər/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL noun
regular
reg‧u‧lar1 /ˈreɡjələ $ -ər/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective
1 EVERY HOUR/DAY/WEEK ETC happening every hour, every week, every month etc, usually with the same amount of time in between OPP irregular
reg‧u‧lar‧ly /ˈreɡjələli $ -ərli/ ●●● S3 W3 adverb
regulate
reg‧u‧late /ˈreɡjəleɪt/ ●○○ AWL verb [transitive]
reinforce
re‧in‧force /ˌriːənˈfɔːrs/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [transitive]
relatively
rel‧a‧tive‧ly /ˈrelətɪvli/ ●●○ S3 W2 adverb
relative
/ˈrelətɪv/
relative ˈpronoun noun [countable]
technical a pronoun such as ‘who’, ‘which’, or ‘that’ by which a relative clause is connected to the rest of the sentence
relative ˈclause ●●○ noun [countable]
technical a part of a sentence that has a verb in it, and is joined to the rest of the sentence by ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘where’ etc, for example the phrase ‘who lives next door’ in the sentence ‘The man who lives next door is a doctor.’
pronoun
pro‧noun /ˈprəʊnaʊn $ ˈproʊ-/ ●●● noun [countable]
relax
re‧lax /rɪˈlæks/ ●●● S3 W3 AWL verb
1 REST [intransitive, transitive]
spectacle
spec‧ta‧cle /ˈspektəkəl/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 a very impressive show or scene
a multimedia dance and opera spectacle
2 [usually singular] an unusual or interesting thing or situation that you see or notice – used especially in order to show disapproval
The trial was turned into a public spectacle.
spectacle of
the spectacle of drunken young men on the streets
► see thesaurus at sight
spectacular1 /spekˈtækjələ $ -ər/ ●●○ adjective
relevant
rel‧e‧vant /ˈreləvənt/ ●●● S2 W2
erode
erosion
e‧rode /ɪˈrəʊd $ ɪˈroʊd/ ●○○ AWL (also erode away) verb [intransitive, transitive]
e‧ro‧sion /ɪˈrəʊʒən $ ɪˈroʊ-/ [=e’road] ●○○ AWL noun [uncountable]
1 the process by which rock or soil is gradually destroyed by wind, rain, or the sea
accusation
ac‧cu‧sa‧tion /ˌækjəˈzeɪʃən/ ●○○ noun [countable]
a statement saying that someone is guilty of a crime or of doing something wrong
accusation against
A number of serious accusations have been made against her.
The main accusation levelled against him was that he tried to avoid military service.
accusation of
His administration now faces accusations of corruption.
accusation that
relief
re‧lief /rɪˈliːf/ ●●○ W2 noun
a welcome relief: The holiday was a welcome relief from the pressure of work.
relieve
re‧lieve /rɪˈliːv/ ●●○ S3 verb [transitive]
1 PAIN
relieve yourself
a polite expression meaning to urinate – often used humorously
religious
re‧li‧gion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ ●●● S2 W2 noun
1 [uncountable] a belief in one or more gods
The U.S. Constitution promises freedom of religion.
a course on philosophy and religion
re‧li‧gious /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective
1 relating to religion in general or to a particular religion
I don’t share her religious beliefs.
a religious school
the dates of major religious observances such as Easter or Christmas
rigorous
rig‧or‧ous /ˈrɪɡərəs/ ●○○ adjective
1 careful, thorough, and exact
a rigorous analysis of defence needs
the rigorous standards required by the college
2 very severe or strict
rigorous army training
—rigorously adverb
Gregorian calendar
Gre‧go‧ri‧an cal‧en‧dar /ɡrɪˌɡɔːriən ˈkæləndə $ -dər/ noun [singular]
the system of arranging the 365 days of the year in months and giving numbers to the years from the birth of Christ, used in the West since 1582
Gre·go·ri·an chant /ɡrɪˌɡɔːriən ˈtʃɑːnt $ -ˈtʃænt/ noun [countable, uncountable]
a kind of church music for voices alone
Lunisolar calendar
Lunisolar calendar
A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, incorporating lunar calendars and solar calendars to accommodate seasons as well. The date of lunisolar calendars therefore indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the Sun in the Earth’s sky.
leap month.
The earliest record of the Chinese lunisolar calendar is the Zhou dynasty (1050 BC – 771 BC).
from 1912 the Gregorian calendar is also in use in China
accommodate
spelling
accommodation
chronological
chron‧o‧log‧i‧cal /ˌkrɒnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl◂ $ ˌkrɑːnəˈlɑː-/ adjective
1 arranged according to when things happened or were made
We arranged the documents in chronological order.
2 → chronological age
—chronologically /-kli/ adverb
The paintings are displayed chronologically.
acquisitive
ac‧quis‧i‧tive /əˈkwɪzətɪv/ adjective
wanting to have and keep a lot of possessions
—acquisitiveness noun [uncountable]
acquire
acquisition
compliance
com‧pli‧ance /kəmˈplaɪəns/ noun [uncountable] formal
when someone obeys a rule, agreement, or demand → comply
con‧form /kənˈfɔːm $ -ɔːrm/ ●○○ AWL verb [intransitive]
1 to behave in the way that most other people in your group or society behave → conformist
the pressure on schoolchildren to conform
conform to/with
tough
tough1 /tʌf/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective (comparative tougher, superlative toughest)
1 difficult to do or deal with
orchid
or‧chid /ˈɔːkɪd $ ˈɔːr-/ noun [countable]
Image of orchida plant that has flowers which are brightly coloured and unusually shaped
cactus
cac‧tus /ˈkæktəs/ noun (plural cacti /-taɪ/ or cactuses) [countable]
Image of cactusa desert plant with sharp points instead of leaves
anti-Semitism
anti-Sem‧i‧tis‧m /ˌæntɪ ˈsemətɪzəm/ noun [uncountable]
hatred of Jewish people
the struggle against fascism and anti-Semitism
► see thesaurus at prejudice
colonial
co‧lo‧ni‧al1 /kəˈləʊniəl $ -ˈloʊ-/ ●○○ adjective
1 relating to a country that controls and rules other countries, usually ones that are far away → colony
the struggle against colonial rule
Britain was the largest colonial power.
2 made in a style that was common in the US in the 18th century
a large colonial house
3 relating to the US when it was under British rule
The town was first established in colonial times.
colonialism
co‧lo‧ni‧al‧is‧m /kəˈləʊniəlɪzəm $ -ˈloʊ-/ noun [uncountable]
when a powerful country rules a weaker one, and establishes its own trade and society there → colony, imperialism
a legacy of European colonialism
colony
col‧o‧ny /ˈkɒləni $ ˈkɑː-/ ●●○ noun (plural colonies) [countable]
1 a country or area that is under the political control of a more powerful country, usually one that is far away → colonial, colonize
Algeria was formerly a French colony.
imperialism
im‧pe‧ri‧al‧is‧m /ɪmˈpɪəriəlɪzəm $ -ˈpɪr-/ noun [uncountable]
1 a political system in which one country rules a lot of other countries → colonialism
a book on the history of British imperialism
2 the way in which a rich or powerful country’s way of life, culture, businesses etc influence and change a poorer country’s way of life etc
cultural/economic/social etc imperialism
Small nations resent Western cultural imperialism.
—imperialist noun [countable]
—imperialist, imperialistic adjective
co‧lo‧ni‧al‧is‧m /kəˈləʊniəlɪzəm $ -ˈloʊ-/ noun [uncountable]
when a powerful country rules a weaker one, and establishes its own trade and society there → colony, imperialism
a legacy of European colonialism
col‧o‧nist /ˈkɒlənɪst $ ˈkɑː-/ noun [countable]
someone who settles in a new colony
The colonists struggled through their first winter.
rely
re‧ly /rɪˈlaɪ/ ●●● S3 W2 AWL verb (relied, relying, relies)
→ rely on/upon somebody/something
relay
re‧lay1 /ˈriːleɪ/ ●○○ noun
1 → in relays
2 [countable] a relay race
the 100 metres relay
3 [countable, uncountable] a piece of electrical equipment that receives radio or television signals and sends them on
remaining
re‧main‧ing /rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ/ ●●○ adjective [only before noun]
remain
remarkable
re‧mark‧a‧ble /rɪˈmɑːkəbəl $ -ɑːr-/ ●●○ W3 adjective
unusual or surprising and therefore deserving attention or praise
She has made remarkable progress.
a remarkable coincidence
remarkable feat/achievement/accomplishment
remind
re‧mind /rɪˈmaɪnd/ ●●● S1 W2 verb [transitive]
remote
re‧mote1 /rɪˈməʊt $ -ˈmoʊt/ ●●○ W3 adjective
1 FAR AWAY far from towns or other places where people live SYN isolated
a remote border town
a fire in a remote mountain area
► see thesaurus at far
2 NOT LIKELY if a chance or possibility of something happening is remote, it is not very likely to happen SYN slight
remote chance/possibility
There’s a remote chance that you can catch him before he leaves.
The prospect of peace seems remote.
3 TIME far away in time SYN distant
the remote time when dinosaurs walked the earth
a remote ancestor (=someone related to you, who lived a long time ago)
4 DIFFERENT very different from something
remote from
customary
cus‧tom‧a‧ry /ˈkʌstəməri $ -meri/ ●○○ adjective
1 something that is customary is normal because it is the way something is usually done SYN usual
it is customary (for somebody) to do something
In some cultures it is customary for the bride to wear white.
2 [only before noun] someone’s customary behaviour is the way they usually do things SYN usual
Barbara answered with her customary enthusiasm.
—customarily /ˈkʌstəmərəli $ ˌkʌstəˈmerəli/ adverb
remove
re‧move1 /rɪˈmuːv/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL verb [transitive]
abode
a‧bode1 /əˈbəʊd $ əˈboʊd/ noun [countable]
1 formal someone’s home – sometimes used humorously
Welcome to my humble abode.
a homeless person with no fixed abode (=no permanent home)
2 → right of abode [law] the right to live in a country
Examples from the Corpus
abode
* It was an abode of perfect blessedness.
repeatedly
re‧peat‧ed‧ly /rɪˈpiːtɪdli/ ●●○ adverb
repeat
report
re‧port1 /rɪˈpɔːt $ -ɔːrt/ ●●● S2 W1 noun [countable]
replace
re‧place /rɪˈpleɪs/ ●●● S2 W1 verb [transitive]
represent
rep‧re‧sent /ˌreprɪˈzent/ ●●● S2 W1 verb
1 SPEAK FOR SOMEBODY [transitive]
rep‧re‧sen‧ta‧tive1 /ˌreprɪˈzentətɪv◂/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable]
delegate
republican / democrat
re‧pub‧li‧can1 /rɪˈpʌblɪkən/ noun [countable]
dem‧ocrat /ˈdeməkræt/ noun [countable]
someone who believes in democracy, or works to achieve it
oppression
op‧pres‧sion /əˈpreʃən/ ●○○ noun [uncountable]
when someone treats a group of people unfairly or cruelly and prevents them from having the same rights as other people have → discrimination
political/racial/sexual etc oppression
They suffered years of political oppression.
the struggle against oppression
Caucasian
Cau‧ca‧sian /kɔːˈkeɪziən $ kɒːˈkeɪʒən/ noun [countable]
a member of the race of people with white or pale skin
—Caucasian adjective
bigotry
big‧ot‧ry /ˈbɪɡətri/ noun [uncountable]
bigoted behaviour or beliefs SYN prejudice
sensational news stories that just encourage bigotry
► see thesaurus at prejudice
bigot big‧ot /ˈbɪɡət/ noun [countable]
perverse
per‧verse /pəˈvɜːs $ pərˈvɜːrs/ adjective
behaving in an unreasonable way, especially by deliberately doing the opposite of what people want you to do → bizarre
He gets perverse satisfaction from embarrassing people.
—perversely adverb
Perversely, she was irritated by his kindness.
tribal
spelling
entity
spelling
existence
spelling
occurrences
spelling
phenomenal
phenomenon
spelling
labeling
spelling
invincible
invulnerable
rather
be careful with the usage I would rather (rather is not a verb, it’s an adverb)
surveillance
sur‧veil‧lance /səˈveɪləns $ sər-/ noun [uncountable]
1 when the police, army etc watch a person or place carefully because they may be connected with criminal activities
surveillance of
24-hour surveillance of the building
under surveillance
They were under constant close surveillance day and night.
sanctuary
sanc‧tu‧a‧ry /ˈsæŋktʃuəri, -tʃəri $ -tʃueri/ ●○○ noun (plural sanctuaries)
1 [countable] an area for birds or animals where they are protected and cannot be hunted SYN refuge
bird/wildlife etc sanctuary
affirmative
af‧fir‧ma‧tive1 /əˈfɜːmətɪv $ -ɜːr-/ adjective formal
an affirmative answer or action means ‘yes’ or shows agreement OPP negative
an affirmative nod
—affirmatively adverb
affirmative action
afˌfirmative ˈaction noun [uncountable] especially American English
the practice of choosing people for a job, college etc who are usually treated unfairly because of their race, sex etc SYN positive discrimination British English
reputation
rep‧u‧ta‧tion /ˌrepjəˈteɪʃən/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable]
researcher
re‧search‧er /rɪˈsɜːtʃə $ -ˈsɜːrtʃər/ ●●○ AWL noun [countable]
resemble
re‧sem‧ble /rɪˈzembəl/ ●○○ verb [transitive]
to look like or be similar to someone or something
It’s amazing how closely Brian and Steve resemble each other.
He grew up to resemble his father.
reservation
res‧er‧va‧tion /ˌrezəˈveɪʃən $ -zər-/ ●●● S3 W3 noun
resident
res‧i‧dent1 /ˈrezɪdənt/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL noun [countable]
resistance
resist
/ri’~?
resolution
res‧o‧lu‧tion /ˌrezəˈluːʃən/ ●○○ AWL noun
1 DECISION [countable]
irresolute
ir‧res‧o‧lute /ɪˈrezəluːt/ adjective formal
unable to decide what to do SYN uncertain OPP resolute
—irresolution /ɪˌrezəˈluːʃən/ noun [uncountable]
in‧de‧ci‧sive /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪv◂/ ●○○ adjective
1 unable to make clear decisions or choices OPP decisive
a weak and indecisive leader
2 not having a clear result SYN inconclusive
a confused, indecisive battle
—indecisively adverb
—indecisiveness noun [uncountable]
resort
re‧sort1 /rɪˈzɔːt $ -ɔːrt/ ●●○ W3 noun
1 [countable] a place where a lot of people go for holidays
seaside/beach/ski etc resort
Aspen, a ski resort in Colorado
Lagoon Reef is one of the best resort hotels.
2 → last/final resort
3 → first resort
4 → resort to something
formal when you must use or depend on something because nothing better is available
without resort to something
We hope they will be able to resolve the situation without resort to force.
resource
re‧source1 /rɪˈzɔːs, -ˈsɔːs $ ˈriːsɔːrs/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun
1 LAND/OIL/COAL ETC
respect
re‧spect1 /rɪˈspekt/ ●●● S3 W2 noun
1 ADMIRATION
admire /ədˈmaɪər/
admiration /ˌædməˈreɪʃən/
respondent
re‧spon‧dent /rɪˈspɒndənt $ rɪˈspɑːn-/ AWL noun [countable]
1 formal someone who answers questions, especially in a survey
Only 62 percent of respondents said they were satisfied.
respond
response
rɪˈspɑːn~
responsibility
re‧spon‧si‧bil‧i‧ty /rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti $ rɪˌspɑːn-/ ●●● S2 W1 noun (plural responsibilities)
responsible
re‧spon‧si‧ble /rɪˈspɑːnsəbəl / ●●● S2 W2 adjective
1 GUILTY
restore
re‧store /rɪˈstɔːr/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [transitive]
result
re‧sult1 /rɪˈzʌlt/ ●●● S1 W1 noun
revenue
rev‧e‧nue /ˈrevənjuː $ -nuː/ ●○○ AWL noun [uncountable] (also revenues [plural])
revolution
rev‧o‧lu‧tion /ˌrevəˈluːʃən/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun
1 [countable]
rhythm
rhythm rhyth‧m /ˈrɪðəm/ ●●○ W3
rhyme
rhyme
rhyme1 /raɪm/ ●○○ noun
1 [countable] a short poem or song, especially for children, using words that rhyme
a collection of traditional rhymes with illustrations
→ nursery rhyme
2 [countable] a word that rhymes with another word
rhyme for
Can you think of a rhyme for ‘bicycle’?
3 [uncountable] words or lines of poetry that rhyme
I love his use of rhyme and rhythm.
in rhyme
The whole story is written in rhyme.
4. no rhyme or reason
no sensible reason or organization
There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the school’s behaviour.
romantic
ro‧man‧tic1 /rəʊˈmæntɪk, rə- $ roʊ, rə-/ ●●○ adjective
aloft
a‧loft /əˈlɒft $ əˈlɒːft/ adverb formal
high up in the air
hold/bear something aloft
He emerged, holding a baby aloft.
Examples from the Corpus
aloft
* The national flag was flying aloft.
half-ˈmast noun
→ at half-mast
mast /mɑːst $ mæst/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 a tall pole on which the sails or flags on a ship are hung
row
row1 /rəʊ $ roʊ/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable]
1 Image of rowa line of things or people next to each other → column
rural
ru‧ral /ˈrʊrəl/ ●●○ S3 W2 adjective
=/ urban
sacred
sa‧cred /ˈseɪkrɪd/ ●●○ adjective
1 relating to a god or religion
salad
sal‧ad /ˈsæləd/ ●●● S2 noun [countable, uncountable]
1 a mixture of raw vegetables, especially lettuce, cucumber, and tomato
Would you like some salad with your pasta?
a spinach salad
toss a salad (=mix it all together, usually with a dressing) / tɒːs/ ●●○ verb
satellite
sat‧el‧lite /ˈsætəlaɪt/ ●●○ W3 noun
a natural object that moves around a planet
3 a country, area, or organization that is controlled by or is dependent on another larger one
the former Soviet satellite country of Lithuania
4 a town that has developed next to a large city
We stayed in Aurora, a satellite suburb of Chicago.
sanction
sanc‧tion1 /ˈsæŋkʃən/ ●○○ noun
1 → sanctions
2 [uncountable] formal official permission, approval, or acceptance SYN approval
Apparently, the aide had acted without White House sanction.
3 [countable] formal a form of punishment that can be used if someone disobeys a rule or law SYN punishment
the harshest possible sanction which could be imposed
sauce / soap / soup
sauce /sɔːs $ sɒːs/ ●●● S3 noun
soap1 /səʊp $ soʊp/ ●●● S3
soup1 /suːp/ ●●● S3 noun [countable, uncountable]
schedule
sched‧ule1 /ˈʃedjuːl, ˈske- $ ˈskedʒʊl, -dʒəl/ ●●● S2 W3 AWL noun [countable]
scheme
scheme1 /skiːm/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun [countable]
scientific
sci‧en‧tif‧ic /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk◂/ ●●● S3 W2 adjective
secretary
sec‧re‧ta‧ry /ˈsekrətəri /
security
se‧cu‧ri‧ty /sɪˈkjʊərəti $ -ˈkjʊr-/ ●●● W1 AWL noun
seize
seize /siːz/ ●●○ W3 verb
for Ivy
select
se‧lect1 /səˈlekt/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL verb [transitive]
senate
sen‧ate, Senate /ˈsenət/ ●○○ noun
separate
sep‧a‧rate1 /ˈsepərət/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective
sequence
se‧quence /ˈsiːkwəns/ ●●○ AWL noun
serious
se‧ri‧ous /ˈsɪəriəs $ ˈsɪr-/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective
severe
se‧vere /səˈvɪər/ ●●● S3 W3 adjective
1 VERY SERIOUS severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are
► see thesaurus at bad, serious
Register
In everyday English, people usually say an injury, a problem etc is serious rather than severe:
His injuries were quite serious.
shrug
shrug1 /ʃrʌɡ/ ●●○ W3 verb (shrugged, shrugging) [intransitive, transitive]
to raise and then lower your shoulders in order to show that you do not know something or do not care about something
I just shrugged my shoulders and ignored him.
Melanie shrugged and walked away.
significance / significant
sig‧nif‧i‧cance /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ ●●○ noun [singular, uncountable]
silence
si‧lence1 /ˈsaɪləns/ ●●● W2 noun
situation
sit‧u‧a‧tion /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/ ●●● S1 W1 noun [countable
similarly
sim‧i‧lar‧ly /ˈsɪmələli $ -ərli/ ●●○ W3 AWL adverb
in a similar way OPP differently
solar
so‧lar /ˈsəʊlə $ ˈsoʊlər/ ●●○ adjective
sophisticated
so‧phis‧ti‧cat‧ed /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/ ●●○ adjective
specialist
spe‧cial‧ist /ˈspeʃəlɪst/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun [countable]
species
spe‧cies /ˈspiːʃiːz/ ●●○ W3 noun (plural species) [countable]
specific
spe‧cif‧ic1 /spəˈsɪfɪk/ ●●● S1 W1 AWL adjective
spin
spin1 /spɪn/ ●●● S3 verb (past tense and past participle spun /spʌn/, present participle spinning)
1 TURN AROUND [intransitive, transitive] to turn around and around very quickly, or to make something do this
The plane’s propellers were spinning.
spin (something/somebody) around
She grabbed Norm’s arm and spun him around to face her.
2 → somebody’s head is spinning
spirit
spir‧it1 /ˈspɪrɪt/ ●●● S2 W2 noun
spiritual
spir‧i‧tu‧al1 /ˈspɪrətʃuəl/ ●●○ W3 adjective
spokesman
spelling
statistic
sta‧tis‧tic /stəˈtɪstɪk/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun
strategy
strat‧e‧gy /ˈstrætɪdʒi/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun (plural strategies)
strategic
stra‧te‧gic /strəˈtiːdʒɪk/ ●●○ W3 AWL (also strategical /-dʒɪkəl/) adjective
strengthen
strength‧en /ˈstreŋθən, ˈstrenθən/ ●●○ W3 verb
subsequent
sub‧se‧quent /ˈsʌbsəkwənt/ ●●○ W2 AWL adjective formal
consequent
substantial
sub‧stan‧tial /səbˈstænʃəl/ ●●○ adjective
1 large in amount or number SYN considerable
apocalypse
a‧poc‧a‧lypse /əˈpɒkəlɪps $ əˈpɑː-/ noun [countable]
1 → the apocalypse
2 a situation in which a lot of people die or suffer, and a lot of damage is done
A lot of investors now fear a stock market apocalypse.
succeed
suc‧ceed /səkˈsiːd/ ●●● S3 W2 verb
sufficient
suf‧fi‧cient /səˈfɪʃənt/ ●●○ W2 AWL adjective formal
summit
sum‧mit /ˈsʌmɪt/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 an important meeting or set of meetings between the leaders of several governments
the European summit
suicide
su‧i‧cide /ˈsuːəsaɪd/
support
sup‧port1 /səˈpɔːt $ -ɔːrt/ ●●● S2 W1 verb [transitive]
treason
trea‧son /ˈtriːzən/ noun [uncountable]
the crime of being disloyal to your country or its government, especially by helping its enemies or trying to remove the government using violence → treachery
treason against
Richter is accused of committing treason against the state.
The defendant was convicted of high treason (=treason of the worst kind) and sentenced to death.
—treasonable, treasonous adjective
a treasonable act against the head of state
suppose
sup‧pose /səˈpəʊz $ -ˈpoʊz/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [transitive] SPOKEN PHRASES
1 → I suppose
2 → I don’t suppose (that)
3 → do you suppose (that) … ?
4 → what’s that supposed to mean?
5 → suppose/supposing (that)
6 → be supposed to do/be something
7 to think that something is probably true, based on what you know SYN presume
sup‧posed /səˈpəʊzd, səˈpəʊzɪd $ -ˈpoʊzd, -ˈpoʊzɪd/ ●○○ adjective [only before noun]
claimed by other people to be true or real, although you do not think they are right
gossip about Emma’s supposed affair with Peter
supreme
su‧preme /sʊˈpriːm, sjuː- $ sʊ-, suː-/ ●○○ adjective
1 having the highest position of power, importance, or influence
the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe
a country where the car reigns supreme (=is the most important thing)
2 [only before noun] the greatest possible
supreme courage in the face of terrible danger
It required a supreme effort to stay awake.
a matter of supreme importance
3 → make the supreme sacrifice = to die for your country, for a principle etc.
surface
sur‧face1 /ˈsɜːfɪs $ ˈsɜːrfɪs/ ●●● S3 W1 noun [countable]
surprise
sur‧prise1 /səˈpraɪz $ sərˈpraɪz/ ●●● S3 W2 noun
surprised /~’~/
surprising /~’~/ (spelling, be careful with the s/z)
surround
sur‧round1 /səˈraʊnd/ ●●● W2 verb [transitive]
surround is also a noun
surround2 noun [countable]
an area around the edge of something, especially one that is decorated or made of a different material
a solid mahogany fire surround
sur‧round‧ings /səˈraʊndɪŋz/ ●●○ noun [plural]
surrounding adjective
survival
sur‧viv‧al /səˈvaɪvəl $ sər-/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun
survive
survivor spelling
savior
sa‧viour British English, savior American English /ˈseɪvjə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
someone who saves you from a difficult or dangerous situation
saviour of
He was seen by many as the saviour of the organization.
suspect
sus‧pect1 /səˈspekt/ ●●○ W3 verb [transitive]
Suspect is not used in the progressive. You say:
I suspect he’s lying.
✗Don’t say: I am suspecting he’s lying.
sus‧pect2 /ˈsʌspekt/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + SUSPECT
the prime/chief/main suspect
She didn’t realise he was the prime suspect in a murder case.
the number one suspect (=the main suspect)
I was the one who found her. And that makes me the number one suspect for her murder.
a murder/burglary etc suspect
The murder suspect is described as in his early 20s, wearing a baseball type cap and a dark jacket.
a possible suspect
The police drew up a list of possible suspects.
VERBS
arrest/detain a suspect
Detectives arrested the suspect after a five-day undercover operation.
question/interrogate/interview a suspect
Police confirmed that six suspects are being questioned.
burglary
bur‧glar‧y /ˈbɜːɡləri $ ˈbɜːrɡləri/ ●●○ noun (plural burglaries) [countable, uncountable]
the crime of getting into a building to steal things
sustain
sus‧tain /səˈsteɪn/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [transitive]
1 MAKE SOMETHING CONTINUE to make something continue to exist or happen for a period of time SYN maintain
symptom
symp‧tom /ˈsɪmptəm/ ●○○ noun [countable]
tactic
tac‧tic /ˈtæktɪk/ ●●○ noun [countable]
1 a method that you use to achieve something
a tactic employed to speed up the peace process
Republicans accuse Democrats of using delaying tactics (=something you do in order to give yourself more time) to prevent a final vote on the bill.
Shock tactics are being used in an attempt to stop drink drivers.
technical
tech‧ni‧cal /ˈteknɪkəl/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL adjective
technique
tech‧nique /tekˈniːk/ ●●● S3 W1 AWL noun
1 [countable] a special way of doing something → method
technique for
adulterate
a‧dul‧ter‧ate /əˈdʌltəreɪt/ verb [transitive]
to make food or drink less pure by adding another substance of lower quality to it → unadulterated
—adulteration /əˌdʌltəˈreɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]
altercation
al‧ter‧ca‧tion /ˌɔːltəˈkeɪʃən $ ˌɒːltər-/ noun [countable]
formal a short noisy argument
They became involved in an altercation.
adolescent
ad‧o‧les‧cent /ˌædəˈlesənt◂/ ●○○ noun [countable]
a young person, usually between the ages of 12 and 18, who is developing into an adult► see thesaurus at child, young
—adolescent adjective
adolescent girls
telescope
tel‧e‧scope1 /ˈteləskəʊp $ -skoʊp/ ●●○ noun [countable]
patriarchy
pa‧tri‧arch‧y /ˈpeɪtriɑːki $ -ɑːr-/ noun (plural patriarchies) [countable, uncountable]
1 a social system in which men have all the power
2 a social system in which the oldest man rules his family and passes power and possessions on to his sons
→ matriarchy
ma‧tri‧ar‧chy /ˈmeɪtriɑːki $ -ɑːr-/ noun (plural matriarchies) [countable, uncountable]
1 a social system in which the oldest woman controls a family and its possessions → patriarchy
2 a society in which women hold all the power → patriarchy
patriarchal
pa‧tri‧arch‧al /ˌpeɪtriˈɑːkəl◂ $ -ˈɑːr-/ adjective
1 ruled or controlled only by men
a patriarchal society
2 relating to being a patriarch, or typical of a patriarch
temperature
tem‧pera‧ture /ˈtemprətʃə $ -ər/ ●●● S2 W2
[countable, uncountable] a measure of how hot or cold a place or thing is
temperament
tem‧pe‧ra‧ment /ˈtempərəmənt/ ●○○ noun [countable, uncountable]
the emotional part of someone’s character, especially how likely they are to be happy, angry etc
artistic/nervous/good etc temperament
Jill has such a lovely relaxed temperament.
by temperament
Tolkien was, by temperament, a very different man from Lewis.
temporary
tem‧po‧ra‧ry /ˈtempərəri, -pəri $ -pəreri/ ●●● S3 W3 AWL adjective
temporarily /ˈtempərərəli $ ˌtempəˈrerəli/ adverb
Due to a small fire, the office will be closed temporarily.
tendency
ten‧den‧cy /ˈtendənsi/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun (plural tendencies) [countable]
terrible
ter‧ri‧ble /ˈterəbəl/ ●●● S1 W3 adjective
1 extremely severe in a way that causes harm or damage SYN horrible, awful
territory
ter‧ri‧to‧ry /ˈterətəri $ -tɔːri/ ●●○ W3 noun (plural territories)
1 GOVERNMENT/MILITARY [countable, uncountable] land that is owned or controlled by a particular country, ruler, or military force
Hong Kong became Chinese territory in 1997.
occupied/enemy/disputed/hostile territory
The plane was flying over enemy territory.
► see thesaurus at land
2 TYPE OF LAND [uncountable] land of a particular type
uncharted/unexplored territory
terrorism
ter‧ror‧is‧m /ˈterərɪzəm/ ●●○ noun [uncountable]
terrorist
ter‧ror‧ist /ˈterərɪst/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable]
testify
tes‧ti‧fy /ˈtestɪfaɪ/ ●○○ verb (testified, testifying, testifies)
1 [intransitive, transitive] to make a formal statement of what is true, especially in a court of law
Mr Molto has agreed to testify at the trial.
testify against
testimony
tes‧ti‧mo‧ny /ˈtestəməni $ -moʊni/ ●○○ noun (plural testimonies) [countable, uncountable]
1 a formal statement saying that something is true, especially one a witness makes in a court of law
Barker’s testimony is crucial to the prosecution’s case.
In his testimony, he denied that the company had ignored safety procedures.
2 a fact or situation that shows or proves very clearly that something exists or is true
be a testimony to/of something
These results are a testimony to the coach’s skill and hard work.
theatre
thea‧tre British English, theater American English /ˈθɪətə $ -ər/ ●●● S2 W2 noun
1 BUILDING [countable]
theme
theme /θiːm/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL noun [countable]
theory
theo‧ry /ˈθɪəri $ ˈθiːəri/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun (plural theories)
1 [countable] an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain something about life or the world, especially an idea that has not yet been proved to be true → theoretical
theory about/on
different theories about how the brain works
theory of
Darwin’s theory of evolution
theory that
the theory that light is made up of waves
therapy
ther‧a‧py /ˈθerəpi/ ●●○ noun (plural therapies)
1 [countable, uncountable] the treatment of an illness or injury over a fairly long period of time
therefore
there‧fore /ˈðeəfɔː $ ˈðerfɔːr/ ●●● S3 W1 adverb formal
threat
threat /θret/ ●●● S3 W2 noun
threaten
threat‧en /ˈθretn/ ●●● S3 W2 verb
thus
thus /ðʌs/ ●●○ W3 adverb formal
1 [sentence adverb] as a result of something that you have just mentioned
tobacco
to‧bac‧co /təˈbækəʊ $ -koʊ/ ●●○ noun [uncountable]
tomorrow
to‧mor‧row1 /təˈmɒrəʊ $ -ˈmɔːroʊ, -ˈmɑː-/ ●●● S1 W2 adverb
tourist
tour‧ist /ˈtʊərɪst $ ˈtʊr-/ ●●● W3 noun [countable]
touristy (informal)
tournament
tour‧na‧ment /ˈtʊrənəmənt/ ●●○ noun [countable]
tradition
tra‧di‧tion /trəˈdɪʃən/ ●●● S2 W2 noun
1 [countable, uncountable] a belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time, or these beliefs, customs etc in general
tra‧di‧tion‧al /trəˈdɪʃənəl/ ●●● S3 W1 AWL adjective
tragedy
tra‧ge‧dy /ˈtrædʒədi/ ●●○ noun (plural tragedies)
transform
trans‧form /trænsˈfɔːm $ -ˈfɔːrm/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [transitive]
trans‧for‧ma‧tion /ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃən $ -fər-/ ●○○ AWL noun [countable, uncountable]
Word family (noun) form formation transformation reformer reform reformation reformist transformer formlessness (adjective) reformed reformist formless (verb) form reform transform (adverb) formlessly
(noun) transformation (verb) transform
transition
tran‧si‧tion1 /trænˈzɪʃən, -ˈsɪ-/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun [countable, uncountable]
translate
trans‧late /trænsˈleɪt, trænz-/ ●●● S3 verb
transportation
trans‧por‧ta‧tion /ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃən $ trænspərˈteɪʃən/ ●●● W3 AWL noun [uncountable]
treat
treat1 /triːt/ ●●● S2 W1 verb [transitive]
1 BEHAVE TOWARDS SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [always + adverb/preposition] to behave towards someone or something in a particular way → treatment
treaty
treat‧y /ˈtriːti/ ●●○ W3 noun (plural treaties)
[countable] a formal written agreement between two or more countries or governments
Both sides have agreed to sign the treaty.
The peace treaty ends nearly four years of violence.
treaty on
a treaty on political union
tremendous
tre‧men‧dous /trɪˈmendəs/ ●●○ adjective
1 very big, fast, powerful etc
Suddenly, there was a tremendous bang, and the whole station shook.
She was making a tremendous effort to appear calm.
She praised her husband for the tremendous support he had given her.
Sales have been tremendous so far this year.
This plan could save us a tremendous amount of money.
► see thesaurus at big
2 excellent
She’s got a tremendous voice, hasn’t she?
—tremendously adverb
tremendously wealthy
typical
atypical
typically
typ‧i‧cal /ˈtɪpɪkəl/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective
typ‧i‧cally /ˈtɪpɪkli/ ●●○ adverb
a‧typ‧i‧cal /eɪˈtɪpɪkəl/ ●○○ adjective
not typical or usual
ultimate
ul‧ti‧mate1 /ˈʌltəmət/ ●●○ W3 AWL adjective [only before noun]
1 someone’s ultimate aim is their main and most important aim, that they hope to achieve in the future SYN final
ultimate goal/aim/objective etc
ultimately
ul‧ti‧mate‧ly /ˈʌltəmətli/ ●●○ W3 AWL adverb
finally, after everything else has been done or considered
[sentence adverb]
Ultimately, the decision rests with the child’s parents.
a long but ultimately successful campaign
unable
un‧a‧ble /ʌnˈeɪbəl/ ●●● W2 adjective [not before noun]
not able to do something → inability
understanding
un‧der‧stand‧ing1 /ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ $ -ər-/ ●●○ W3 noun
undergo
un‧der‧go /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ $ ˌʌndərˈɡoʊ/ ●●○ AWL verb (past tense underwent /-ˈwent/, past participle undergone /-ˈɡɒn $ -ˈɡɒːn/) [transitive]
unfortunately
un‧for‧tu‧nate‧ly /ʌnˈfɔːtʃənətli $ -ˈfɔːr-/ ●●● S1 W3 adverb [sentence adverb]
used when you are mentioning a fact that you wish was not true
Unfortunately, you were out when we called.
uniform
u‧ni‧form1 /ˈjuːnəfɔːm $ -ɔːrm/ ●●● S3 noun [countable, uncountable]
universal
u‧ni‧ver‧sal /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːsəl◂ $ -ɜːr-/ ●●○ W3 adjective
unknown
un‧known1 /ˌʌnˈnəʊn◂ $ -ˈnoʊn◂/ ●●● W2 adjective, adverb
unlike
un‧like1 /ʌnˈlaɪk/ ●●● W3 preposition
unless
un‧less /ʌnˈles, ən-/ ●●● S1 W1 conjunction
unusual
un‧u‧su‧al /ʌnˈjuːʒuəl, -ʒəl/ ●●● S2 W3 adjective
until
un‧til /ʌnˈtɪl, ən-/ ●●● S1 W1 preposition, conjunction
upon
up‧on /əˈpɒn $ əˈpɑːn/ ●●● S3 W2 preposition formal
utility
u‧til‧i‧ty /juːˈtɪləti/ ●○○ AWL noun (plural utilities)
urban
urban ˈmyth (also urban legend) noun [countable]
a story about an unusual event which happened recently that a lot of people believe, although it is probably not true
vacation
va‧ca‧tion1 /vəˈkeɪʃən $ veɪ-/ ●●● S2 W3 noun
1 [countable, uncountable] especially American English a holiday, or time spent not working
We’re planning a vacation in Europe.
on vacation
He’s on vacation this week.
We’re planning to go on vacation soon.
2 [uncountable] especially American English the number of days, weeks etc that you are allowed as paid holiday by your employer
How much vacation do you get at your new job?
I think I have four vacation days left.
Employees are entitled to four weeks’ paid vacation annually.
3
a) [countable] British English one of the periods of time when a university is closed
the Christmas/Easter/summer/long vacation
b) [countable, uncountable] American English one of the periods of time when a school or university is closed
Christmas/spring/summer vacation
holiday
hol‧i‧day1 /ˈhɒlədi, -deɪ $ ˈhɑːlədeɪ/ ●●● S1 W2 noun
1 [countable, uncountable] British English (also holidays) a time of rest from work, school etc SYN vacation American English
The school holidays start tomorrow.
on holiday
I’m away on holiday until the 1st of June.
in the holidays
He came to stay with us in the school holidays.
holiday from
a holiday from her usual responsibilities
Register
In everyday British English, when someone is temporarily away from their work or studies, people often say they are off, rather than on holiday. Note, however, that off can also mean that someone is away from their work or studies because they are sick:
‘Where’s Kate?’ ‘She’s off this week.’
2 [countable, uncountable] British English (also holidays) a period of time when you travel to another place for pleasure SYN vacation American English
variable
var‧i‧a‧ble1 /ˈveəriəbəl $ ˈver-/ ●●○ AWL adjective
1 likely to change often → vary
variation
var‧i‧a‧tion /ˌveəriˈeɪʃən $ ˌver-/ ●●○ AWL noun
Word family (noun) variable variance variant variety variability variation (adjective) variable ≠ invariable varied various (verb) vary (adverb) variably ≠ invariably variously
variety
va‧ri‧e‧ty /vəˈraɪəti/ ●●● S2 W1 noun (plural varieties)
various
var‧i‧ous /ˈveəriəs $ ˈver-/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective [usually before noun]
vehicle
ve‧hi‧cle /ˈviːɪkəl/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL noun [countable]
1 formal a machine with an engine that is used to take people or things from one place to another, such as a car, bus, or truck → motor vehicle
a description of the stolen vehicle
Have you locked your vehicle?
2 [usually singular] formal something you use to express and spread your ideas, opinions etc SYN medium
vehicle for
venture
ven‧ture1 /ˈventʃə $ -ər/ ●○○ noun [countable]
a new business activity that involves taking risks
business/commercial venture
joint venture (=when two companies do something together)
ˈventure ˌcapital noun [uncountable]
money lent to someone so that they can start a new business
—venture capitalist noun [countable]
version
ver‧sion /ˈvɜːʃən $ ˈvɜːrʒən/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL noun [countable]
vice versa
vice ver‧sa /ˌvaɪs ˈvɜːsə, ˌvaɪsi- $ -ɜːr-/ ●○○ adverb
used to say that the opposite of a situation you have just described is also true
The boys may refuse to play with the girls, and vice versa.
vessel
ves‧sel /ˈvesəl/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 formal a ship or large boat
a fishing vessel
2 technical a vein in your body
a burst blood vessel
veteran
vet‧e‧ran /ˈvetərən/ ●○○ noun [countable]
1 someone who has been a soldier, sailor etc in a war
veteran of
a veteran of the Second World War
a Vietnam veteran
2 someone who has had a lot of experience of a particular activity
veteran of
violate
vi‧o‧late /ˈvaɪəleɪt/ ●○○ AWL verb [transitive]
1 to disobey or do something against an official agreement, law, principle etc
violence
vi‧o‧lence /ˈvaɪələns/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [uncountable]
violent
vi‧o‧lent /ˈvaɪələnt/ ●●● S3 W3 adjective
virtually
vir‧tu‧al‧ly /ˈvɜːtʃuəli $ ˈvɜːr-/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL adverb
1 almost SYN practically
Virtually all the children come to school by bus.
He was virtually unknown before running for office.
virtue
vir‧tue /ˈvɜːtʃuː $ ˈvɜːr-/ ●●○ W3 noun
1 [uncountable] formal moral goodness of character and behaviour OPP vice
visual
vi‧su‧al1 /ˈvɪʒuəl/ ●●○ W3 AWL adjective [usually before noun]
relating to seeing
vision
vi‧sion /ˈvɪʒən/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL noun
1 [uncountable] the ability to see SYN sight, → visual
volume
vol‧ume /ˈvɒljuːm $ ˈvɑːljəm/ ●●● S3 W2 AWL noun
volunteer
vol‧un‧teer1 /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə $ ˌvɑːlənˈtɪr/ ●●○ AWL noun [countable]
vulnerable
vul‧ne‧ra‧ble /ˈvʌlnərəbəl/ ●●○ W3 adjective
1 someone who is vulnerable can be easily harmed or hurt OPP invulnerable
a place, thing, or idea that is vulnerable is easy to attack or criticize OPP invulnerable
vulnerable to
The fort was vulnerable to attack from the north.
Their theories were badly thought out and very vulnerable to ridicule.
—vulnerably adverb
—vulnerability /ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti/ noun [uncountable]
vital
vital
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Related topics: Human
vi‧tal /ˈvaɪtl/ ●●● W2 adjective
1 extremely important and necessary for something to succeed or exist SYN crucial
wander
wan‧der1 /ˈwɒndə $ ˈwɑːndər/ ●●○ S3 verb
1 WITHOUT DIRECTION [intransitive, transitive]
wonder won‧der1 /ˈwʌndə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W2 verb [intransitive, transitive]
weapon
/ˈwepən/
withdraw
with‧draw /wɪðˈdrɔː, wɪθ- $ -ˈdrɒː/ ●●○ W2 verb (past tense withdrew /-ˈdruː/, past participle withdrawn /-ˈdrɔːn $ -ˈdrɒːn/)
1 NOT TAKE PART
withdrawal /wɪðˈdrɔːəl, wɪθ- $ -ˈdrɒːəl/ ●○○ noun
1 ARMY [countable, uncountable]
Impostor syndrom
Impostor syndrome
Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon or impostorism, is a psychological occurrence in which people doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as frauds.
im‧pos‧tor, imposter /ɪmˈpɒstə $ ɪmˈpɑːstər/ noun [countable]
someone who pretends to be someone else in order to trick people
The nurse was soon discovered to be an impostor.
woman
wom‧an /ˈwʊmən/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural women /ˈwɪmɪn/)
wound
wound1 /wuːnd/ ●●○ noun [countable]
