Academic Word of the Day Set 38
Previous Academic Word of the Day Sets
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.
- authority AWL NAWL OPAL
- NOUN COUNTABLE the power of a person or group to make decisions affecting other people or groups
Those who seek to wield authority purely for self-gratification often fail. Leadership is best framed as serving whomever you propose to lead. (Harrison 2023) Pharmacies must meet location based criteria to be approved by the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority to receive pharmaceutical benefits. (Cutler 2023) Apart from their authority to possess firearms, individual police officers have no special status in law when it comes to the use of such force. (Clapham 2017) The court decided that the secretary of state did not have the legal authority to issue a search warrant, and therefore Carrington had trespassed. This case reflects the principle that “no man is above the law” – not even the secretary of state. (Clapham 2018) In a highly anticipated but not unexpected 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled on June 30, 2022, that the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act.(Parenteau 2022) Common collocates for this word:authority
local
central
political
legislative
public
high
legal
moral
competent
lawful
legitimate
statutory
leading
regulatory
ultimate
Word Family: authority (noun), authorise (verb), authoritative1. controlling, commanding respect and obedience; 2. containing accurate and complete information from respected and reliable sources (adjective)
Synonyms: command, control, power, jurisdiction
31/07/2026 - Set 38 - finance AWL AKL NGSL
- NOUN UNCOUNTABLE the management of money; monetary resources
In 2015, the former Bank of England governor and current Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, insisted that finance can and must urgently account for climate risks. (Borie & Bracking, 2025) John Maynard Keynes wrote that surges in finance are supported by two factors: relatively cheap credit and expectations of future returns. (Markey-Towler, 2017) Inflation can also benefit government finances as tax revenues rise relative to the dollar value of the debt. (Li, 2022) In some cases, however, age-related cognitive decline may affect a person’s ability to carry out complex tasks, such as managing finances or preparing a meal. (Carrino & Pabon, 2019) Unlike other critical industries such as finance and health care, the farming industry has been slow to recognize cybersecurity risks and take steps to mitigate them. (Doctor & Grispos, 2022) Common collocates for this word:finance
corporate
international
personal
public
external
private
bridging
necessary
short-term
long-term
high
additional
national
local
global
Word Family: finance (noun), finance (verb), financialconcerning money and the management of money (adjective), financially (adverb)
Synonyms: pay, underwrite
30/07/2026 - Set 38 - income AWL NGSL
- NOUN UNCOUNTABLE money earned from work or investment
The next generation of computers will mainly substitute low-income, low-skill workers over the next decades. (Frey and Osborne 2013) For example, an AI tool could be used to analyse financial data, such as balance sheets and income statements, from technology companies. (Cade 2017) There are two things we can do to address global carbon inequity. The first is to institute wealth and income taxes to reduce damaging social inequality and the carbon pollution of the super rich. (Beuret 2023) This means companies providing insurance for death, income protection, and disability can discriminate on the basis of genetic risk of disease. (Tiller and Lacaze 2023) While earlier studies defined a family’s socioeconomic status by one or two factors, such as income, we looked at 11 different elements. (Hu and Morgan 2024) Common collocates for this word:income
national
low
disposable
total
annual
local
real
taxable
personal
extra
per capita
net
high
additional
gross
Word Family: income (noun)
Synonyms: revenue, earnings, salary, wages
Lexical phrases: income from
29/07/2026 - Set 38 - method AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a way of doing something often involving an specific series of steps
Her pupils saw significant improvements in literacy that underscores how culturally responsive methods can help bilingual children succeed. (Daniel 2025) This must be reviewed by their scientific peers – only they are qualified to assess the validity of the methods and the accuracy of the conclusions the researcher has drawn from the results. (Saunders 2013) Truly secure messaging is based on cryptography, a mathematical method to scramble data and make it unreadable. (Scholl 2025) Further work must be carried out by service providers, developers and researchers to develop more accessible and secure authentication methods. (Jeong, Doss, and Shah 2021) Thus, depending on how AI is used, it must be referenced in the manuscript. This could be in the literature review, or in the methods or results section.(Laher 2025) Common collocates for this word:method
scientific
effective
alternative
traditional
common
efficient
simple
different
direct
reliable
usual
appropriate
main
preferred
comparative
Word Family: method (noun), methodicalin a careful and ordered way, using a particular procedure (adjective), methodically (adverb)
Synonyms: procedurea standard, accepted way of doing something (completing a particular process), techniqueneeding skill and often particular tools or instruments, processa series of actions leading to a particular result, means
Lexical phrases: method of VERB+ing
28/07/2026 - Set 38 - period AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a length of time
Over long periods of time, they spontaneously break down into more stable atoms. (Skromne 2022) Through a mix of design and muddling through, the period from the 1980s to 2019 successfully delivered much higher enrolments and research outputs. (Norton 2023) The study showed improved oxygen saturation, better heartbeat regulation, longer periods of sleep, increased weight gain, and, perhaps most importantly, reduced time spent in hospital. (Coombes 2019) Machines were seen by some scientists from the Enlightenment period as lifelike: self-organizing, unpredictable and restless mechanisms driven by a vital inner agency. (Craciun 2023) The Golden Mean – also known as the Golden Section or the Divine Proportion – is a mathematical concept that is typically traced to the 15th century, a period in which geometry served both practical and symbolic purposes. (Ostwald 2013) Common collocates for this word:period
long
short
transitional
brief
limited
modern
five-year
whole
early
medieval
fixed
particular
prolonged
lengthy
extended
Word Family: period (noun), periodically (adverb), periodical (noun/adjective)
Synonyms: time, epoch, durationhow long something lasts, era, age,
Lexical phrases: period [of, during, between, before ...]
27/07/2026 - Set 38 - feature AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a particular part or quality of something which makes it recognisable or distinguishes for others in a similar category; the distinctive parts of a face
Each brewing method has its own features and inputs. (Beckett 2022) It would be easy to assume evolution works by continuously adding features to organisms, constantly increasing their complexity. (Guijarro-Clarke and Paps 2020) Understanding the link between specific genes and facial features could be useful for treating facial malformations or for orthodontics. (Shaffer and Weinberg 2020) Accents are a fluid feature of speech. If someone moves from Australia to the US to work, for example, they will probably at least modify their accent, either consciously or unconsciously. (Setter 2023) We need to consider the unique physical demands of each sport and what shoe features are required to help prevent injury and maximise performance. (Bonanno 2018) Common collocates for this word:feature
important
common
central
special
striking
essential
distinctive
key
interesting
main
regular
major
prominent
significant
particular
Word Family: feature (noun), feature (verb)
Synonyms: attributea quality, feature or characteristic of something or someone, characteristic, quality, property, trait,
Lexical phrases: feature of
24/07/2026 - Set 38 - site AWL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a specific place where something is, was, or will be located
The three sites have very high conservation values based on their species compositions and several biological indices. (Akindele, 2024) Each of the datasets studied farm sites with varying levels of diversification, including farms without any diversification practices. (Nyantakyi-Frimpong et al. 2024) There has been an energetic move forward in removing debris, consolidating the building and dismantling key parts of the site in preparation for the reconstruction work. (Teba 2024) At several of the Ribbon Reefs, between 30-40% of the corals at the surveyed site were dead. These results are not dissimilar to those of the ARC scientists. (Day 2016) New evidence provides definitive proof of repeated occupation in this once frozen high-altitude landscape. It is now believed to be the oldest occupied site in Australia at high elevation. (Way et al. 2025) Rather, hunter-gatherers engaged in purposeful travel to sites with which they familiar and able to source seasonally available food, water and shelter at variable times of year. (Nicholls 2021)
Common collocates for this word:site
archaeological
particular
whole
proposed
suitable
original
single
permanent
prime
strategic
ideal
industrial
important
active
main
Word Family: site (noun)
Synonyms: locality, place, locationa place, where something is situated, position
23/07/2026 - Set 38 - capacity AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE the maximum amount something can hold or produce; ability to do or learn
Potential energy is the capacity something has to do work because of its position in relation to other objects. (Baron 2021) Indeed, studies show people tend to become more conscientious and emotionally stable as they age, which might improve their capacity to manage ambiguity. (Becker and O’Connor 2019) We obtained region-specific vehicle specifications including vehicle sales, car make and model, weight, size, rated power, battery capacity and certified emissions performance. (Smit 2024) This is about how we make the most of new technologies. An example could be the use of new accounting software to free up staff time, shorten the billing cycle or expand the analytical capacity of a business. (Coleborne and McGuire 2023) The most obvious difference wasn’t the working memory capacity – that is, the ability to keep track of a series of events – but the search strategies that were used. (Völter 2019) Common collocates for this word:capacity
full
spare
productive
excess
generating
high
nuclear
limited
professional
personal
mental
advisory
industrial
single
large
Word Family: capacity (noun)
Synonyms: volume, size, ability, capability
Lexical phrases: capacity [for, as]
22/07/2026 - Set 38 - document AWL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE written, printed or digital script which contains official, legal or historical information; any artefact which contains information (audio or video recording, photograph, inscription ...)
The Magna Carta itself was, as the U.K. parliament describes it, “the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law.” (Seielstad 2025) 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) The research may involve looking at archival documents, interviewing people or visiting locations where important events happened. (Farina 2022) Consumers are confident they understand the contract they sign when buying a smartphone, but our research shows they don’t comprehend these documents very much at all. (Harrison 2016) This document, called the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, has served as the cornerstone of nutrition policy for almost half a century. (Palacios, 2026) The fundamental protections outlined in this document [ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights], adopted in 1948, still have an enduring and guiding role, although significant challenges to these protections remain. They require the ongoing attention of the international community. (McNeilly, 2024)
Common collocates for this word:document
consultative
legal
final
written
working
whole
important
original
single
electronic
official
formal
separate
leaked
contractual
Word Family: document (noun), document (verb)
Synonyms: record, form, instrument
21/07/2026 - Set 38 - proportion AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN COUNTABLE a part or amount compared to the whole
These places could be allocated to other institutions who have a higher proportion of domestic students. (Hildebrandt and Hurley 2024) A nonlinear system is one whose output does not vary in direct proportion to the input. (Palmer 2022) Despite a shift toward higher poultry consumption, the largest proportion of meat consumed in the US is still red meat (58%). (Cade 2017) According to something called the “ideal gas law”, the volume increases in direct proportion to the temperature. (Sherwood, 2023) More than half consider themselves to be at beginner level and the proportion of users decreases as their language levels go up. (Rosell-Aguilar, 2018) Common collocates for this word:proportion
high
large
small
significant
substantial
increasing
considerable
growing
good
certain
similar
tiny
fair
direct
sizeable
Word Family: proportion (noun), proportional (adjective), proportionally (adverb), proportion (verb)
Synonyms: part, ratiothe relationship between two numbers or amounts; a fraction, fraction, percentage
Lexical phrases: proportion of; (in) proportion to
20/07/2026 - Set 38
2025-07-31
38
2025-07-30
38
2025-07-29
38
2025-07-28
38
2025-07-27
38
2025-07-24
38
2025-07-23
38
2025-07-22
38
2025-07-21
38
2025-07-20
38
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