Academic Word of the Day Set 36
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This page examines particular academic words and their usage in academic writing.
For each word, it examines the meaning or meanings of that word and its collocationsThe tendency of a particular word or phrase to be found in the proximity of another., connotationsThe additional or incidental meanings, associations or references which a word, phrase or sentence might have in addition to its obvious core meaning., other words in the same word familiesA group of words which share the same root and similar basic meaning but have different syntactic uses because of their different inflected forms or derived forms made with different affixes., possible synonymsA word which has the same meaning and use as another., antonymsA word which has the opposite meaning to another word., and lexical phrasesMulti-word chunks of language which may be of varying length and which have various functions., and provides examples of its use in authentic textsA text written by someone writing about matters in their own specialist area for other specialists or for the general public, but not for English teaching purposes. which are cited and listed in the bibliography. Occasionally, where an example is taken from a text which is particularly rich in examples of the headword, the citation is also a link to the source article. There is also an indication of whether the word appears in an academic word list. These are:
- AWLPresent in the Academic Word List: The Academic Word List
- NAWLPresent in the New Academic Word List: The New Academic Word List
- AKLPresent in the Academic Keyword List: The Academic Keyword List
- OPALPresent in the Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon: The Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon
- NGSLPresent in the New General Service List: The New General Service List (a basic word list rather than an academic one)
In the example sentences the words of the day are highlighted in red. Other 'academic words' are highlighted in bold.
Where the example sentences contain 'academic' words, these are highlighted in bold, as in this paragraph. Only words from the Academic Word List (AWLPresent in the Academic Word List), the New Academic Word List (NAWLPresent in the New Academic Word List) or some from the Academic Keyword List (AKLPresent in the Academic Keyword List) are highlighted. This gives you an idea of how common and important these words are in these types of academic or technical texts.
If you need to find or highlight academic words in a text you can use the Academic Word Highlighter. This gives you a choice about which word list to use for highlighting.
The words of the day appear in order by date. You can access each set from the previous sets pagerevious sets page.
- benefit AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE an advantage; a helpful effect
A fitness trend known as Japanese walking is capturing attention online, promising major health benefits with minimal equipment and time. (Pymer, 2025) According to one recent study, the nutritional benefit of plant-based foods is minimal. (McGee, 2022) While it’s suggested that consuming three to five cups of coffee a day will provide optimal health benefits, it’s not quite that straightforward. (Hookings & Mills, 2021) Many people swear by honey, and there is some limited supporting evidence behind its benefits. (Enfield, 2023) Scientists increasingly recognize that shifting away from fossil fuels has additional benefits, including improved air quality for human health and ecosystems. (Weatherhead, 2021) Common collocates for this word:benefit
great
marginal
mutual
social
full
real
financial
additional
major
maximum
direct
personal
added
weekly
significant
Word Family: benefit (noun), benefit (verb), beneficialcausing useful effects or results (adjective) 03/07/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: help, aid, advantage - technologyAWL NGSL
- NOUN UNCOUNTABLE practical uses of scientific discoveries
When technology was available, people relied on it, but when it was not available, people were still perfectly capable of remembering. As such it would be hasty to conclude that technology impairs our ability to remember. (Cecutti and Lee 2021) For example, an AI tool could be used to analyse financial data, such as balance sheets and income statements, from technology companies. (Cade 2017) For example, millions of people now use the technology to summarise lengthy documents, draft emails and increase their productivity at work. (Dezuanni et al. 2024) Chinese cars can offer consumers a combination of low price, good specification, innovative design and technology that is often more advanced than that of “legacy” companies. (Wells 2025) But the temptation to lean on editing and text generation tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT makes it all too easy for people to substitute ready-made technology results for opportunities to think and learn. (Baron 2023) Common collocates for this word:technology
new
high
modern
advanced
latest
educational
medical
appropriate
nuclear
agricultural
existing
environmental
available
digital
intermediate
Word Family: technology (noun), technological (adjective) 02/07/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: techniquea method needing skill and often particular tools or instruments, procedurea standard, accepted way of doing something (completing a particular process), system - attitude AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a way of behaving or thinking; an approach
Gender roles and different opportunities may also play a role in gender differences in attitudes towards the environment. (Profeta 2024) Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, involve abnormal eating patterns and attitudes towards eating that significantly interfere with day-to-day life. (Barker and Brewer 2019) Taking a comprehensive view, leadership qualities include personal attributes, technical and professional competencies, values and attitudes, and conduct. (Veldsman 2016) At present, social attitudes towards cognitive enhancement range from fanatical enthusiasm to dismissive scepticism and frightened resistance. (Jane and Vincent 2014) Water relates fundamentally to natural resources and social issues – eradicating hunger and poverty will depend heavily on our attitude to water. (Ardakanian, 2016) Common collocates for this word:attitude
positive
different
negative
relaxed
whole
ambivalent
mental
critical
aggressive
responsible
professional
liberal
similar
favourable
hostile
Word Family: attitude (noun) 01/07/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: approachA way of addressing or dealing with an issue; an attitude towards an issue; a method, stance, perspectivea particular way of looking or thinking about something, disposition, behaviour
Lexical phrases: attitude [to, towards, toward] - parameter AWL NAWL
- NOUN COUNTABLE - often plural one of a set factors which has an effect on the others or on a system
Since parameters determine how the model will process and analyse data, they also determine how it will perform. (Ong & Fatima, 2023) An example of a parameter is the number of neurons in a given layer of the neural network. (Ong & Fatima, 2023) Similarly, gravity can be described as an emergent phenomenon, arising from statistical processes. (Neukart, 2026) This parameter is a measure of your ability to maintain homeostasis – your normal physiological equilibrium – and is known as resilience. (Faragher, 2021) We discovered that more complex models tended to produce more uncertain estimates. This is because new parameters and mechanisms are added. (Puy, 2022) Common collocates for this word:parameters
various
other
following
offline
broad
physical
certain
thermodynamic
biochemical
clinical
histological
climatic
constant
financial
basic
Word Family: parameter (noun) 30/06/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: factorsomething which has an influence on something else; something which influences or determines an outcome or result, limit - challenge AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a difficulty to be faced; a call to engage in a contest
Over nine decades, efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution to recognize women’s rights have faced major challenges. (Rohlinger 2018) A key ongoing challenge is lack of cooperation between the two sectors. Both often see each other as competitors for school leavers and government funding. (Jones and Seet 2023) The commission of the building is a joyous moment, but as the process of design and construction throws up challenges, the tension escalates. (Kallitsis 2025) Even environmental threats have been a challenge that humans have had to deal with. There have been ice ages, decades-long droughts and famines, unpredictable weather and severe ecological shocks. (Hoyer 2024) One of the primary challenges of Ethiopian federalism lies in its inability to entirely resolve conflicts. (Yimenu 2023) Common collocates for this word:challenge
serious
direct
major
legal
real
strong
great
big
political
fundamental
interesting
physical
exciting
considerable
main
Word Family: challenge (noun), challenge (verb), challenging (adjective) 29/06/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: - conflict AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a strong disagreement between people, groups, or countries; a situation where ideas or beliefs cannot exist easily together
Research has suggested that our conflict resolution styles are related to our personalities and attachment histories. (Carr, 2023) The country’s 2022 Wildlife Conservation Act offers financial and material compensation for any eligible person negatively affected by human-wildlife conflict incidents. (Rutta 2023) It will also be important to regulate brackish aquaculture to avoid conflicts between rice farmers and shrimp farmers. (Chen and Mueller 2018) Things are not perfect, and there are concerns about poverty, conflict, resources running out and the ecological impact of 8 billion humans and their dietary choices. (Grant 2023) These conflicts have persisted for decades, from colonial times to independence and the present day. (Ezenwa, 2023) Common collocates for this word:conflict
new
final
acute
early
solid
critical
aqueous
stationary
transitional
contracting
passing
total
active
current
cephalic
Word Family: conflict (noun), conflict (verb), conflicting (adjective) 26/06/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: disagreement, dispute, controversyan ongoing public dispute or debate, hostility, fight,
Lexical phrases: conflict [with, between] - generation AWL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE the creation of something new; all the people who are around the same age; products which are at a similar level of development
The next generation of computers will mainly substitute low-income, low-skill workers over the next decades. (Frey and Osborne 2013) Interestingly, the ability of nutrients to alter the flow of genetic information can span across generations. (Dus 2022) As climate change affects the water cycle, some regions may have less precipitation and consequently less hydropower generation. (Tarroja 2022) Inefficient global power transmission and distribution infrastructure requires additional electricity generation to compensate for losses. (Surana and Jordaan 2019) Empowering teens to choose friendships characterized by mutual understanding and support could have long-term ripple effects for the next generation. (Stern & Allen, 2024) Common collocates for this word:generation
new
whole
previous
current
young
post-war
sexual
lost
future
nuclear
spontaneous
single
different
particular
asexual
Word Family: generation (noun), generate (verb), generational (adjective) 25/06/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: progeny, family, creationthe act of making something; a product, developmentA process, or the result, of change. This process may be a natural one or the result of human intervention. Usually this process is seen as a positive one; an improvement., genesis
Lexical phrases: generation of - notion AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE an idea or belief
Of all the ways one could approach AI regulation, it is worth noticing that this legislation is entirely framed around the notion of risk. (Cristianini 2023) The key to understanding why life is not explainable in current physics may be to reconsider our notions of time as the key difference between the universe as described by Newton and that of Darwin. (Walker, 2023) Relativity rejects Newton’s notion about time as a universal physical phenomenon. (Bardon, 2025) Near black hole horizons or during the earliest moments of the universe, the usual notion of time as a smooth, external coordinate becomes ambiguous. (Neukart, 2026) Promoting notions like zero waste hinges on how we perceive what is valuable or what is worthless, which varies according to our knowledge at any given time.(Scanlan, 2025) Common collocates for this word:notion
whole
general
simple
vague
romantic
traditional
popular
clear
different
simplistic
abstract
absurd
modern
mistaken
conventional
Word Family: notion (noun), notional (adjective) 24/06/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: idea, concept
Lexical phrases: notion of - index AWL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE - plural = indices an indicator or scale of value; a system of numbers or letters used for classification
In the tropics, such as parts of India, the heat index right now can exceed the dangerous level for a few weeks a year. (Battisti 2022) The biodiversity index has fallen by more than 50% as the populations of other species continue to decline. (Howes 2017) If the UV index is 3 or higher it’s very important to consider sun safety. (Lucas, 2020) Your TV screen has tens of thousands of pixels, and each one has a “color index” and an “intensity.” (Weitzen, 2022) On Wall Street, leading indices have fallen around 10% since the tariffs were announced, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq is down 20% from its recent peak. (Hartigan, 2025) Common collocates for this word:index
refractive
composite
alphabetical
geometric
separate
comprehensive
simple
synthetic
spectral
proposed
single
general
good
computerised
monthly
Word Family: index (noun), index (verb) 23/06/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: catalogue, register, indicationa sign; a pointer to something (especially information), sign, evidenceinformation (documents, photos, videos, testimony, etc.) which helps to demonstrate whether something is true or not, - phenomenon AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE - plural = phenomena anything which can be perceived - especially something surprising or interesting; an event, process
To Newton, time is a dynamic physical phenomenon that exists in the background, a regular, ticking universe-clock in terms of which one can objectively describe all motions and accelerations. (Bardon, 2025) Reluctance to admit defeat, even when the battle is hopelessly lost, is a surprisingly understudied phenomenon. (March, 2020) Yet in both cases, when climate change is used to explain socio-political phenomena like migration, social inequality is naturalised. (Baldwin, 2022) But properly understanding the phenomenon of denial is surely a crucial first step to addressing it. (Bardon, 2020) The phenomenon of attrition described here is quite real – it is possible to “lose” your native language. (Aparicio, 2021) Common collocates for this word:phenomenon
new
social
recent
common
natural
complex
rare
historical
modern
general
temporary
cultural
whole
universal
strange
Word Family: phenomenon (noun), phenomenal (adjective) 22/06/2026 - Set 36
Synonyms: event, occurrencean action, event; something which happens
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