Word sets: Academic English165 words
- harvestC1verbto gather crops when they are ready; to collect something useful from a natural source
- suicideC1nounthe act of killing yourself on purpose
- habitatB1nounthe natural place where an animal or plant usually lives and grows
- assignmentB1nouna piece of work given to a student or employee as part of their studies or job
- replicateC1verbto do or make something again in exactly the same way, especially a scientific study
- mechanicalB1adjectiveconnected with machines or engines; also done without thinking, like a machine
- disabilityB1nouna physical or mental condition that makes some everyday activities difficult
- cattleB1nouncows and bulls kept on a farm for meat or milk
- purelyB2adverbonly, and not involving anything else
- contradictionB2nouna difference between two facts or statements that means both cannot be true
- scatterB1verbto throw or drop things so they spread over an area, or to move quickly in different directions
- problematicB2adjectivedifficult to deal with, or likely to cause problems
- correctionB2nouna change that makes something right or more accurate
- linguisticsC1nounthe scientific study of language and how it works
- hormoneB2nouna chemical made in the body that controls things like growth, mood and hunger
- primitiveB1adjectivevery simple and basic, or from a very early time in human history
- ethicsB2nounideas about what is right and wrong that guide how people behave
- accumulationC1nounthe gradual gathering of a large amount of something over time
- staticC1adjectivenot moving, changing or developing
- consentB2nounpermission for something to happen, or agreement to do something
- straightforwardB2adjectiveeasy to understand or do, without problems; also honest and direct
- discriminationB2nountreating a person or group unfairly because of their race, sex, age, religion or similar reasons
- separatelyB2adverbapart from other people or things; not together
- randomizeB2verbto arrange or choose things in no fixed order, so that any result is equally likely
- sensoryC1adjectiveconnected with the senses, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell
- confineB2verbto keep something within limits, or to keep someone in a small space they cannot leave
- peripheralC1adjectivenot the main or most important part of something; on or near the outer edge
- mineralB1nouna natural substance in rocks or soil; also a substance like iron that the body needs
- spontaneousC1adjectivehappening naturally and suddenly, without being planned or organized by anyone
- reliabilityB2nounthe quality of being trustworthy or working well every time
- cloningC1nounthe process of making an exact genetic copy of a plant, animal or cell
- orientC1verbto direct something toward a particular goal, or to find your position in a place
- elaborateC1verbto explain something in more detail or add more information to an idea
- nominalC1adjectiveexisting in name or on paper only, or very small in amount
- insertB2verbto put something inside another thing or between things
- reproductionB2nounthe process by which living things produce young, or a copy of something such as a painting
- dominanceC1nounthe position of having more power or influence than others
- allocationC1nounthe act of giving out money, time or resources for a particular use
- lungB1nounone of the two organs in your chest that you use for breathing
- productiveB2adjectivedoing or producing a lot; also giving useful results
- decayB2verbto be slowly destroyed by natural processes, or to become weaker and worse over time
- consciousB1adjectivenoticing or aware of something; also awake and able to think
- thicknessB2nounhow thick something is: the distance between its two opposite sides
- transmitB2verbto send out signals or information, or to pass a disease from one person to another
- conceiveB2verbto think of a new idea or plan, or to imagine something; also to become pregnant
- offspringC1nounthe baby or babies of an animal, or a person's children
- resembleC1verbto look like or be similar to another person or thing
- circulationC1nounthe number of copies of a newspaper or magazine sold; also the movement of something around a system
- necessityB2nounsomething you need; also the fact that something must happen or be done
- metaphorB2nouna way of describing something by calling it something else that has similar qualities
- tractC1nouna large area of land; also a set of connected organs in the body, such as those that digest food
- liverB2nouna large organ in your body that cleans your blood; also this organ from an animal eaten as food
- subjectiveC1adjectivebased on personal feelings, tastes or opinions rather than facts
- accumulateB2verbto slowly increase in amount, or to collect more and more of something over time
- rejectionB2nounrefusing to accept something or someone, or the feeling of not being wanted
- maximizeC1verbto make something as large, good or effective as possible
- replacementB2nouna new thing or person that takes the place of another, or the act of replacing
- complicationC1nouna new problem that makes a situation harder to deal with
- valveB2nouna part that opens and closes to control the flow of liquid, gas or air in a pipe
- absorptionC1nounthe process of taking in a liquid, gas or nutrient, or of fully understanding new information
- monetaryC1adjectiverelating to money, especially the money supply of a country
- thermalC1adjectiveconnected with heat, or designed to keep heat in
- likewiseB2adverbin the same way; also used to say you feel the same as someone
- toleranceB2nounwillingness to accept people or ideas that are different from your own; also the ability to endure something
- articulateC2adjectiveable to express ideas and feelings clearly and well in words
- donorB2nouna person or group that gives money, blood or a body part to help others
- mobilityB2nounthe ability to move easily, or to change your job, home or social position
- manipulationC1nounthe act of controlling or influencing people or facts in a clever, unfair or dishonest way
- elevateC1verbto lift something up, or to make it greater, higher or more important
- nationalismC1nounstrong love for your own nation, or the belief that a nation should rule itself; sometimes extreme
- analogyB2nouna comparison between two things that shows how they are similar, used to explain an idea
- adverseB2adjectivehaving a harmful or negative effect; not good for something
- plausibleC1adjectiveseeming likely to be true or reasonable
- nitrogenB2nouna gas with no color or smell that makes up most of the air we breathe
- veinB2nounone of the tubes in your body that carry blood back to the heart
- controversyB2nouna lot of public disagreement or argument about something
- wheatB2nouna type of grain plant whose seeds are made into flour for bread and noodles
- rewriteB1verbto write something again in a different or better way
- manualB2adjectivedone by people using their hands, without help from machines or computers
- strategicB2adjectivecarefully planned to achieve a long-term goal or advantage
- peasantC1nouna poor farmer with a small piece of land, especially in the past or in poor rural areas
- absorbB1verbto take in a liquid, heat or energy; also to take in and understand information
- sketchC1nouna quick, simple drawing; also, a short funny scene in a comedy show, or a short description
- justificationC1nouna good reason or explanation for something that seems wrong or unusual
- lifetimeB2nounthe length of time that someone lives or that something lasts
- binaryB2adjectivemade of two parts or based on two choices, such as 0 and 1 in computers
- definiteB1adjectiveclear, fixed or certain, and not likely to change
- contourC1nounthe outer line or shape of something, or a line on a map joining points of equal height
- executionB2nounthe act of killing someone as an official punishment; also the way a plan is carried out
- ultimateB2adjectivehappening at the end of a long process; also the best or most extreme of its kind
- constitutionB2nounthe set of basic laws and principles that says how a country is governed and what rights people have
- accelerationC1nounan increase in speed, or the rate at which something gets faster
- undermineC1verbto make something or someone gradually weaker or less effective
- disadvantagedC1adjectivehaving fewer chances in life than other people because of being poor or facing other problems
- mythB1nounan idea that many people believe but that is not true; also an ancient traditional story
- strandB2nouna single thin piece of hair or thread; also one part of a story, plan or argument
- unifyC1verbto join people, groups or parts together so that they become one
- randomlyB2adverbin a way that has no plan, pattern or reason
- philosopherC1nouna person who studies or writes about big questions of life, truth and right and wrong
- workshopB1nouna meeting where people learn and practice a skill together; also a room where things are made or repaired
- objectionB2nouna reason why you do not like or agree with something, or a statement of this
- meaningfulB2adjectiveimportant, useful or serious, often in a way that makes you feel something
- wavelengthC1nounthe distance between two peaks of a wave, such as a light wave or a sound wave
- diagnoseB2verbto find out what illness or problem a person or thing has by examining it
- accentB1nounthe way people from a particular place or country pronounce a language
- realmC1nouna field or area of activity, interest or thought; also, in stories, a kingdom
- replicationC1nounthe act of repeating or copying something, such as an experiment or a process
- basinB1nouna large area of land drained by a river; also a bowl for washing
- admissionB2nounbeing allowed to enter a place, join a school or stay in hospital; also the cost of entry
- interestinglyB2adverbused to show that you think a fact is unusual or worth noticing
- clarifyB2verbto make something easier to understand by explaining it more clearly
- gridB2nounthe network of wires and cables that carries electricity across a country or region
- curriculumB1nounall the subjects that are taught in a school or college, or on a particular course
- displacementC1nounthe forced movement of people from their homes, or the moving of something from its usual place
- coherentB2adjectiveclear, logical and well organized, so that all the parts fit together
- standardizeB2verbto make things of the same kind follow the same rules or have the same form
- civilizationB1nouna society with its own culture, government and way of life, especially one from the past
- positivelyB1adverbin a good or hopeful way; also used to make a statement stronger, meaning completely
- bacterialB2adjectivecaused by, containing or relating to bacteria
- deficiencyC1nouna lack of something that is needed, such as a vitamin; also a weakness or fault
- legitimateB2adjectiveallowed by the law or the rules; also fair and reasonable
- sophisticateC2nouna person who knows a lot about fashion, culture and the world, and has refined tastes
- accelerateB2verbto go faster or to make something happen more quickly
- exponentialC1adjectivegrowing faster and faster, in a way that increases by the same multiple each time
- formallyB1adverbofficially, following the correct rules; also in a serious, polite style
- sociallyB1adverbin a way that is connected with society or with meeting other people
- accuratelyB1adverbin a way that is correct and exact, without mistakes
- influentialB2adjectivehaving a strong effect on what people think or do
- progressionC1nouna gradual movement forward or change from one stage to the next
- essenceB2nounthe most important quality or basic nature of something
- cylinderB2nouna shape or container with straight sides and two round, flat ends, like a can
- scholarshipB1nounmoney given to a student to pay for their studies, usually because they are very good
- sodiumB2nouna chemical found in salt, often listed on food labels and linked to high blood pressure
- predominantlyC1adverbmainly; mostly
- impulseB2nouna sudden strong wish to do something without thinking about it first
- theoristB2nouna person who develops ideas to explain something, especially in a subject such as science or politics
- manipulateB2verbto control or influence someone or something in a clever, often unfair way; also to handle something skillfully
- allianceB2nounan agreement between countries, groups or people to work together for shared benefit
- crystalB2nouna small piece of a solid with flat sides, formed naturally; also very clear glass
- stackB2nouna neat pile of things placed one on top of another
- driftB2verbto move slowly without control or a clear direction, or to change gradually without planning
- nestB1nouna place that a bird or other animal builds or finds to lay eggs and raise its young
- fossilC1nounthe shape or remains of a very old animal or plant, kept in rock
- resistantC1adjectivenot harmed or affected by something; or unwilling to accept change
- dimensionalC1adjectivehaving a stated number of dimensions, such as length, width or height; also used in compound words
- punishmentB1nounsomething unpleasant that is done to a person because they have broken a law or rule
- rhetoricC2nounspeech or writing meant to persuade, often sounding impressive but lacking honesty or real meaning
- artifactC2nounan object made by people long ago, especially one that is historically interesting
- carrierC1nouna company that carries passengers or goods, especially an airline; also something that carries a thing
- surgicalB2adjectiverelating to surgery, or done with great precision, like a medical operation
- coordinationB2nounthe organizing of people or things so that they work well together
- turbulentB2adjective(of air or water) moving fast and unevenly; (of a period) full of sudden change and trouble
- quantumC1adjectiverelating to the very small amounts of energy that atoms and particles give off or take in
- sedimentC1nounsmall pieces of sand, mud or stone that sink to the bottom of water and build up there
- conserveC1verbto use something carefully so it lasts longer; to protect something from harm or loss
- graspB2noununderstanding of a subject or situation; also a firm hold with your hand
- bulkC1nounthe main or largest part of something; also the large size or weight of something
- terminologyC1nounthe special words and expressions used in a particular subject, job or field
- vegetationC1nounplants in general, especially those growing in a particular area
- triangleB2nouna flat shape with three straight sides and three angles
- traditionallyB1adverbaccording to customs or ways of doing things that have existed for a long time
- executeB2verbto carry out a plan or task; also to kill someone as an official punishment
- intensiveB2adjectiveinvolving a lot of work or activity in a short time
- reconstructC1verbto build or put something together again, or to work out how an event happened
- broadlyB2adverbin a general way, without looking at details; also widely
Word list: New Academic Word List 1.2 (Browne, Culligan & Phillips), CC BY-SA 4.0. Only words with a full Gloss page are included, in the list’s order.