Academic Word of the Day Set 43
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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.
- significant AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE having importance and meaning
Her pupils saw significant improvements in literacy that underscores how culturally responsive methods can help bilingual children succeed. (Daniel 2025) Minority groups in marginal seats can wield significant electoral influence. (Williamson and Markham 2022) Victims of medication-related injuries face significant challenges in obtaining compensation. (Madden 2015) The advent of precision farming comes at a time of significant upheaval in the global supply chain and as the number of foreign and domestic hackers with the ability to exploit this technology continues to grow. (Doctor and Grispos 2022) Still, we expect the committee’s concerns to result in Australia amending the Reef 2050 Plan to better acknowledge climate change as a significant issue. (Day, Heron, and Hughes 2021) The protocol is poised to deliver significant gains for Africa. It embodies the spirit of African integration and marks progress in regional partnerships. (Sam & PhD, 2018)
Common collocates for this word:significant
difference
changes
number
part
proportion
increase
contribution
role
impact
effect
factor
improvement
amount
correlation
reduction
Word Family: significant (adjective), significance1. the meaning of something; 2. the importance of something (noun), signify (verb), significantly (adverb)
Synonyms: important, notable, critical, meaningful
09/10/2026 - Set 43 - relevant AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE connected meaningfully with the subject being discussed
Public information that is at once trustworthy and relevant is a scarce commodity. (Patterson, 2014) Moral values such as fairness, justice, empathy, tolerance and respect are shared, if not universal, values relevant to dealing with human diversity (Witenberg 2014) With high levels of economic inequality, political assaults on truth and renewed concerns about totalitarianism, Orwell’s ideas remain as relevant now as they were 75 years ago. (Satta, 2021) In the early 2000s, as archives shifted online, futurists predicted an imminent death to public libraries. But the threat of obsolescence made libraries take proactive steps to remain relevant in a digital world. (Leorke & Wyatt, 2018) Located on the Navajo Reservation in Tsaile, Arizona, the college provided culturally relevant, geographically accessible and affordable higher education to members of the Navajo Nation from Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. (Faircloth, 2021) Common collocates for this word:relevant
information
facts
factors
documents
experience
time
data
authorities
legislation
provisions
material
period
income
sections
circumstances
Word Family: relevant (adjective), relevance (noun)
Synonyms: significanthaving importance and meaning, apposite, pertinent, germane
08/10/2026 - Set 43 - apparent AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE easy to see and understand; seeming to be true, even if it may not be
We suggest the dramatic changes and unprecedented high UV levels caused early humans to seek shelter in caves, explaining the apparent sudden flowering of cave art across the world 42,000 years ago. (Hogg et al., 2021) It had long been observed that the Sun and Moon appeared to be of the same apparent size in the sky, and that the Sun was further away. (Dorrian & Whittaker, 2020) It quickly became apparent the newly discovered object was a member of a group called the Kreutz sungrazing comets. These include many of the brightest and most spectacular comets ever seen. (Horner, 2026) The Shenzhou-20 capsule will carry no crew, because one of its windows has been struck by space debris. Astronauts noticed an apparent crack on November 5, during pre-return checks. (Whittaker & Masters, 2025) As the Earth orbits the Sun, a nearby star appears to move relative to more distant background stars. This apparent motion is known as stellar parallax. (Grube, 2024)
Common collocates for this word:apparent
reason
lack
failure
success
ease
change
paradox
contradiction
conflict
attempt
authority
increase
movement
discrepancy
inability
Word Family: apparent (adjective), appear (verb), appearance (noun)
Synonyms: obviouseasy to see and understand, plain, clear, supposed, possible,
07/10/2026 - Set 43 - approximate AWL NAWL
- ADJECTIVE almost exact or correct; close but not precise
Newborns can estimate approximate differences in numbers at a ratio of 1:3. (Goebel, 2021This text has many examples of the use of the word 'approximate'.) Convergence refers to the shifts people make to their speech to approximate that of those around them. (Wade 2022) Our research published today provides an approximate answer. We conservatively estimate our planet harbours about 20 quadrillion ants. (Guénard et al., 2022) By estimating the amount of each of the four macronutrients, an approximate calculation of the total energy can be made. (Burch et al., 2023) I think it is best to leave the last word to one of the greatest physicists, Richard Feynman, on what being a scientist is all about: I have approximate answers and possible beliefs in different degrees of certainty about different things, but I’m not absolutely sure of anything.(Lewis, 2014) Common collocates for this word:approximate
number
time
solution
age
position
area
guide
size
calculation
quantities
location
journey
shape
length
values
Word Family: approximate (adjective), approximationa number which is not exact (either because the exact number is not known, or because the exact number is not necessary and we want to give a number which is easy to remember) (noun)
Synonyms: estimated, rough, inexact, near, similarshowing characteristics which are almost the same,
06/10/2026 - Set 43 - aware AWL OPAL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE PREDICATIVE having knowledge and understanding of something; paying attention
We also must be aware of the unintended consequences that emerge in specific testing circumstances. (Bergen and Lane 2016) Wearable devices are great for keeping an eye on your heart rate, but be aware they’re not always accurate. (Beale and Nanayakkara 2018) Managers should be aware of the unique skills and connections within their teams to identify these unconventional leaders during their risk planning. (Cloutier and Webb 2024) Research suggests that becoming more self-aware can be beneficial in a variety of ways. (Thatcher 2021) Although we’re aware of our thoughts and the resulting movements, an interesting dissociation has been observed between the time we think we initiate a movement and when that movement actually starts. (Welsh 2015) [Civil servants] didn’t know how big data, artificial intelligence, robotics, or the automation of public administration could be used to improve public service. Being aware of these technologies and using them to the maximum advantage of public administration are two distinct things. (Mlambo et al. 2025)
Common collocates for this word:aware
well
more
fully
acutely
very
suddenly
increasingly
painfully
keenly
uncomfortably
vaguely
hardly
dimly
already
quite
Word Family: aware (adjective), awareness (noun)
Synonyms: informed, knowledgeable, attentive05/10/2026 - Set 43 - aggregate AWL NAWL
- ADJECTIVE total of a number of items; a collection of things grouped closely together
I construct the aggregate risk index by pooling various strands of information. (Milas, 2022This text has many examples of the use of the word 'aggregate'.) By changing the relative cost of borrowing money, changes in interest rates affect the aggregate level of spending in the economy. (Crosby 2024) Differential privacy makes it possible for tech companies to collect and share aggregate information about user habits, while maintaining the privacy of individual users. (Zhu, 2018) Aggregate demand is being hit by the concentration of income growth among the top earners and is now a drag on economic growth. (Bell, 2018) Every weekend, thousands of citizen scientists head into the great outdoors. If they see an unusual animal, plant or fungi, they take a photo and upload it. This simple act by bushwalkers with smartphones is, in aggregate, increasingly valuable to researchers. (Martino et al., 2024) Common collocates for this word:aggregate
demand
supply
amount
output
level
production
data
investment
expenditure
value
consumption
wealth
labour
effect
score
Word Family: aggregate (adjective), aggregate (verb), aggregation (noun), aggregate (noun)
Synonyms: total, whole, combined, composite
02/10/2026 - Set 43 - empirical AWL NAWL OPAL
- ADJECTIVE relying on verifiable observation, experiment, or information
[Ibn al-Haytham] developed a scientific method based on controlled, reproducible experiments and mathematics. This would not only change humanity’s understanding of optics and how our eyes actually see, but also later lay the foundations for empirical science in Europe. (Christensen-Dalsgaard, 2025) There appears to be no empirical research on snowplow parenting yet, but both parenting styles could be defined as versions of over-protective parenting, about which there is some evidence. (Robinson, 2013) “Our study is the first empirical demonstration of the onset of childhood amnesia,” says Emory psychologist Patricia Bauer, who led the study. “We actually recorded the memories of children, and then we followed them into the future to track when they forgot these memories.” (Esciencecommons, 2014) As a result, people living in diverse neighbourhoods should be more helpful towards others. We examined this possibility in five empirical studies. (Narayanan, 2018) In other words, criminologists agree capital punishment is not supported with strong empirical data that it can decrease crime.(Sulhin, 2018) Common collocates for this word:empirical
evidence
studies
research
work
data
study
investigation
analysis
support
mode
observation
approach
evaluation
reality
basis
Word Family: empirical (adjective), empiricism (noun)
Synonyms: factual, observed, experimental, experiential
01/10/2026 - Set 43 - intense AWL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE possessing or experiencing something in a strong, concentrated form; extreme
We also know that intense emotions are associated with stronger memories and preferences. (McAndrew, 2019) The stronger our perception of these internal body signals, the more intense our emotions seem. (Barker and Brewer 2019) Eye hydration: Eye drops may be the best option on particularly intense working days. (Villamarín and Queiruga 2024) Disagreement and correction are part of how science works, and controversies are to be expected — especially when a topic attracts such intense public attention. (Yang & Richardson, 2026) The caveat, however, is that our study found that six minutes of light activity was equivalent to one minute of moderate to intense exercise. (Diaz & Chastin, 2021) Common collocates for this word:intense
pressure
competition
heat
interest
concentration
speculation
activity
debate
pleasure
cold
scrutiny
pain
feeling
colour
lobbying
Word Family: intense (adjective), intensive (adjective), intensity (noun), intensify (verb)
Synonyms: extreme, severe, powerful, concentrated
30/09/2026 - Set 43 - intermediate AWL NAWL OPAL
- ADJECTIVE situated between two stages or levels in a hierarchy or a process
Scientists suspected that the bat coronavirus infected another animal, an “intermediate host,” which subsequently transmitted the virus to humans. (Zhang et al., 2020) Asphalt concrete’s pavement structure typically has three main layers: the base layer, the intermediate layer and the surface layer. (Solaimanian 2024) This will be the third curriculum for primary and intermediate schools in less than three years. (Pomeroy & Darragh, 2025) Chain-of-thought reasoning has similarities with the way people write down intermediate steps on a notepad when solving a problem. (Ponti et al., 2024) While pangolins are now our top suspect as the intermediate host, our study concludes that other potential intermediate hosts should still be considered.(Zhang et al., 2020) Common collocates for this word:intermediate
level
stage
technology
class
position
goods
treatment
range
stations
step
examination
form
values
product
category
Word Family: intermediate (adjective)
Synonyms: transitional, middle
29/09/2026 - Set 43 - adjacent AWL NAWL
- ADJECTIVE next to; side by side
Protecting waters adjacent to breeding colonies is essential for the species’ long-term recovery. (Glencross, 2026) You never need more than four colours to colour in the regions of a map, such that any two adjacent regions are differently coloured. (Dudek, 2013) There were 46 examples of economic benefits to fisheries adjacent to a marine protected area. (Costello, 2024) When taking a flight, two friends might decide to sit in adjacent seats in coach rather than accept a free upgrade to nonadjacent seats in first class. (Norton et al., 2023) Sulawesi is more than 12 times the size of Flores, and much closer to the adjacent Asian mainland. (Brumm et al., 2025) Common collocates for this word:adjacent
areas
cells
parts
islands
fields
land
room
notes
sites
site
wall
property
layers
districts
premises
Word Family: adjacent (adjective), adjacency (noun)
Synonyms: neighbouring, adjoining, contiguous
28/09/2026 - Set 43
2025-10-09
43
2025-10-08
43
2025-10-07
43
2025-10-06
43
2025-10-05
43
2025-10-02
43
2025-10-01
43
2025-09-30
43
2025-09-29
43
2025-09-28
43
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