2026-03-13
28
conveneAWL
VERB TRANSITIVE to bring together a group of people or organisations
This weekend, the world’s major economies will convene in Delhi for the G20 summit. On the table will be the common goal of limiting global temperature rise as climate chaos becomes ever more evident. (Teske 2023) For an EU citizens’ assembly, we asked them whether such a body should be a centralised single assembly or decentralised to member state level, and whether it should convene regularly or only be triggered for specific topics. (Organ 2018) It prompted Canada, China and the European Union to convene an urgent meeting to reaffirm political commitment to global climate action. (Yi-chong 2024) The yearly gathering sees business, political and civil society leaders convene in the Swiss mountain resort with academics, journalists and celebrities to discuss global economic agendas. (Morrissey 2023) Common collocates for this word:

convene

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meetings
congress
parliament
hearings
workshops
representatives
stakeholders
conferences
hearings
groups
courts
sessions
discussions
panels
experts

 Word Family: convene (verb), convention (noun)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: gather, assemble 13/03/2026 - Set 28Test your understanding of the words in set 28 with these quick quizzes: Quiz 28 Quiz 28B Quiz 28C
2026-03-12
28
processAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
NOUN COUNTABLE a series of actions leading to a particular result
Language acquisition is an intuitive and subconscious process, similar to that of children when they develop their mother tongue. (Vazquez-Calvo 2023) As new mountain chains formed, more rocks were eroded, speeding up this process. (Dutkiewicz et al. 2022) While the meat and cheese on your pizza also get brown, this is due to a different process called the “Maillard reaction,” which is named after French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard. (Miller 2019) Great scientists such as Albert Einstein, Michael Faraday and Nikola Tesla all reported that they used mental imagery when describing their thought processes. (Pearson 2016) Most of the world’s volcanoes form when a process called “subduction” pushes parts of the seafloor down into Earth’s mantle, where it melts and produces volcanism at the surface.(Mather et al. 2020) Common collocates for this word:

process

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political
legal
democratic
continuous
complex
educational
social
ageing
due
evolutionary
historical
electoral
similar
creative
gradual

 Word Family: process (noun), process (verb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: method, system, procedure 12/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-11
28
perceptionAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
NOUN COUNTABLE 1. the process of becoming aware of something; 2. a personal understanding belief, or opinion
Researchers in the region are working to collect data from tourists about how their pre-existing perceptions of coral cover and colour match their actual experiences. (Anderson 2016) The stronger our perception of these internal body signals, the more intense our emotions seem. (Barker and Brewer 2019) It’s a common perception that students “earn” grades for their achievement at school; in this way, grades have become the primary currency of learning. (Coombs et al. 2023) There was a perception among training providers that graduates knew how to write, edit or operate a camera but didn’t understand the industry as a whole or how different roles worked together. (Jones and Brereton 2024) Another form of communication, emotional intelligence perception, involves developing robots that adapt their behaviors based on social interactions with humans. (Vinjamuri 2023) Common collocates for this word:

perception

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visual
sensory
extra-sensory
public
clear
direct
different
popular
growing
general
normal
altered
spatial
immediate
human

 Word Family: perception (noun), perceive (verb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: understanding, awareness, conception 11/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-10
28
primaryAWL AKL NGSL
ADJECTIVE first, most important
Finding out what causes a particular outcome is often the primary goal of scientific research, especially in studies relating to our health. (Vally 2024) Primary sources – people or groups who are directly involved with the information – are best. (Britten 2022) Secondary sources are one step removed – for example, news stories based on primary sources. (Britten 2022) For example, among Agta foragers in the Philippines women are primary hunters rather than assistants. (Milks n.d.) If you have young children in primary school, it’s a great time to start their financial literacy and mathematics education. (Attard 2017) The world’s oceans are hotter than ever recorded, and their heat has increased each decade since the 1960s. This relentless increase is a primary indicator of human-induced climate change.(Trenberth 2022) Common collocates for this word:

primary

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discipline
school
subject
care
education
health
teachers
sources
importance
level
source
data
prevention
elections
legislation

 Word Family: primary (adjective), primacy (noun), prime (adjective), primarily (adjective)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: chief, principal, first, main 10/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-09
28
instanceAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
NOUN COUNTABLE 1. an example; 2. an occurrence, situation, or case
The huge array of blood tests available to the clinician aid in a rapid diagnosis in many instances. (Dwyer 2017) In some instances, you may find it hard to speak in a loud voice or have a reduced pitch range, meaning you can’t go as high or loud as normal. (Leung 2024) A recent ABS survey, for instance, suggested 33% of Australian adults had “abnormal” cholesterol but many were “undetected”. (Glasziou 2013) Decades have passed and yet the issue of financial compensation for the less than 3,000 remaining “survivors” of the tragedy has, in many instances, remained unresolved. (Madden 2015) Think listening to chirping birds or watching leaves gently rustling in the breeze. In these instances, your attention naturally drifts without having to force your focus.(Kenyon 2025) Common collocates for this word:

instance

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particular
single
dominant
specific
given
final
rare
recent
classic
striking
extreme
isolated
typical
famous
clear

 Word Family: instance (noun)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: example, case, occasion 09/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-06
28
securityAWL OPAL NGSL
NOUN UNCOUNTABLE freedom from danger, risk or threats; safety
Independence without a firm basis for democracy, human rights and wellbeing (also in terms of material security) is far from liberation. (Melber 2024) In computer security, we say that security relies on “something you know, something you have or something you are.”(Craver 2022) Deoxygenation of this kind affects biodiversity and food webs; and negatively affects food security and livelihoods of the people who depend on it. (Duarte et al. 2021) We associate these with feelings of comfort and security, and it seems like the most natural thing in the world that we would sing to our own children as we cuddle and soothe them, or put them to bed. (Coombes 2019) It [the international court of justice (ICJ)] was established in 1945 by the United Nations charter, and it consists of 15 judges elected by the UN general assembly and the security council. (Kent, McConnachie, and Gulati 2024) Common collocates for this word:

security

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social
national
internal
collective
financial
European
personal
public
high
regional
private
additional
tight
international
military

 Word Family: security (noun), secure (adjective), secure (verb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: safety, protection, guarantee 06/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-05
28
unconventionalAWL
ADJECTIVE different from the normal way of behaving or doing something
The success of the operation was largely due to an unconventional group of leaders: an international group of cave divers whose unique expertise was vital to the rescue effort. (Cloutier and Webb 2024This text has many examples of the use of the word 'unconventional'.) 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 2024This text has many examples of the use of the word 'unconventional'.) The development of unconventional oil and gas remains contentious, and well-informed public debate will ultimately decide whether such shale gas resources are developed. (Collins and Cox 2017) To equip young people to navigate an uncertain and challenging world, we need to recognise the value of unconventional forms of resilience. (Fox 2025) Though usually handsome and always relatively rich, Austen’s leading men are also unconventional in that they can be awkward, mistaken, tongue-tied – even a bit dull. (Curran 2025) Common collocates for this word:

unconventional

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methods
ways
way
beauty
approach
patterns
places
warfare
weapons
means
therapies
ideas
life
behaviour
medicine

 Word Family: unconventional (adjective)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: unusual, unique, exotic, rare 05/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-04
28
reliabilityAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
NOUN UNCOUNTABLE the quality of being able to be trusted; the measure of how reliable, dependable, or trustworthy something is
At current levels of safety and reliability, the benefit of a permanent [brain] implant would have to be large to justify the uncertain risks. (Ko and Jecker 2024) The accuracy and reliability of ChatGPT’s predictions need careful evaluation given recent reports that it has repeated disinformation. (Oh 2023) The outcomes of good science stem from both the validity and reliability of our stimuli, which is why it’s important to think critically about the reasons why we’re laughing. (Borgella 2016) The reliability of child witnesses is especially important to understand given the large number of children who become involved in the legal system every year. (Cotterill 2022) Some forensic methods are perceived by some commentators to have less intrinsic value or even questionable reliability. (Roux 2019) Common collocates for this word:

reliability

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high
increased
statistical
external
internal
political
improved
sufficient
poor
good
unfailing
improving
proven
solid
absolute

 Word Family: reliability (noun), reliable (adjective), rely (verb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: trustworthiness, credibility, confidence, authenticity 04/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-03
28
theoryAWL OPAL NGSL
NOUN COUNTABLE a statement devised to explain facts upon which predictions or conjectures can be made and tested
How does a scientific theory gain widespread acceptance in the scientific community? (Solomon 2017This text has many examples of the use of the word 'theory'.) Most of our theories or models are inductive analogies with the world, or parts of it. (Ellerton 2016This text has many examples of the use of the word 'theory'.) We have great confidence in the theories as good descriptions of reality. But they cannot be proved correct, because proof is a creature that belongs to deduction. (Ellerton 2016This text has many examples of the use of the word 'theory'.) Any successful scientific theory must be predictive and falsifiable; that is, it must successfully predict outcomes of controlled experiments or observations, and it must survive tests that could disprove the theory. (Solomon 2017This text has many examples of the use of the word 'theory'.) When our theories are successful at predicting outcomes, and form a web of higher level theories that are themselves successful, we have a strong case for grounding our actions in them. (Ellerton 2016This text has many examples of the use of the word 'theory'.) Common collocates for this word:

theory

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economic
political
social
literary
critical
general
constitutional
linguistic
psychoanalytic
classical
legal
evolutionary
psychological
unified
scientific

 Word Family: theory (noun), theorise (verb), theoretical (adjective), theoretically (adverb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: idea, hypothesis, presumption, concept, notion 03/03/2026 - Set 28
2026-03-02
28
constituentAWL AKL OPAL
ADJECTIVE 1. an important or fundamental part of something; a component: 2. empowered to elect, make or amend a law or a constitution
Spectroscopy is the process of separating starlight into its constituent wavelengths, like a prism turning sunlight into a rainbow. (Bauer 2015) She served as the acting secretary general of the Uganda People’s Congress from 1985 to 1992. She participated in the constituent assembly that promulgated the 1995 constitution. (Tripp 2024) During this period, the larval brain stimulates the release of enzymes which dissolve most of its tissues into their constituent proteins through a process called histolysis. (Suri 2014) So, where is the Altar Stone from? How was it transported to southern England? To answer this, we analysed the Altar Stone’s constituent mineral grains. (Clarke, Kirkland, and Glorie 2024) Beta-amyloid was identified in 1984 and is now recognised as a major constituent of the brain plaques that were first described by Alois Alzheimer, a German pathologist, early in the 20th century. (Dallas 2022) Common collocates for this word:

constituent

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assembly
parts
elements
groups
services
units
members
structure
states
atoms
bodies
republics
particles
components
companies

 Word Family: constituent (adjective), constitute (verb), constituency (noun)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: component, part, portion, ingredient 02/03/2026 - Set 28