Academic Word of the Day

A daily examination of a particular academic (AWL) word and its usage in academic writing

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 collocations, connotations, other words in the same word families, possible synonyms, antonyms, and lexical phrases, and provides examples of its use in authentic texts 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:

AWL: The Academic Word List
NAWL: The New Academic Word List
AKL: The Academic Keyword List
OPAL: The Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon
NGSL: 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 (AWL), the New Academic Word List (NAWL) or some from the Academic Keyword List (AKL) 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. They are also divided into sets of ten words, which are the ten words tested in each set of quizzes.

You can see all previous sets by going to the Previous Sets page.

You can see all previous Academic Word of the Day Quizzes by going to the Academic Word of the Day Quizzes page.

There are also occasional collocation quizzes to test recall of words in previous sets (mainly the previous 2 or 3 sets).

All the collocation quizzes are also available on the Academic Word of the Day Collocation Quizzes pages.

You can more collocates of words from various academic word lists by consulting the Collocation Dictionary.

Today's word is:

ratio AWL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE the relationship between two numbers or amounts; a fraction Although cold brew uses cold water, and a larger grind size, it is brewed with a high coffee to water ratio, with extra beans needed in the brew. (Beckett 2022) In telecommunications, we speak about trying to maximise the “signal-to-noise ratio” by boosting the signal or reducing the background noise as much as possible. (Palmer 2022) While his estimated distance to the Sun was too low (the actual ratio is 390), on account of the lack of telescopic precision available at the time, the value for the ratio of the size of the Earth to the Moon is surprisingly accurate (the Moon has a diameter 0.27 times that of Earth). (Dorrian and Whittaker 2020) In general, those with lower digit ratios – that is, those whose ring fingers are relatively longer than their pointers – are more likely to perform better across a very wide range of sports and athletic events. (Tomkinson and Dyer 2017) It is a ratio that defines a recurring relationship between a larger element and a smaller subset of that element. (Ostwald 2013) Common collocates for this word:

ratio

high
low
certain
desired
mass
financial
constant
expected
actual
direct
good
normalised
prudent
patient
agreed

Word Family: ratio (noun) Synonyms: proportion, fraction 26/11/2025 - Set 21
rejection AWL NAWL OPAL: NOUN COUNTABLE the act of being rejected; the refusal to accept something or someone While rejection can be emotionally painful, it can also teach us something. (Babür 2025) There are many hundreds of possible, or suspected, impact craters on Earth that await confirmation or rejection, including dozens right here on the African continent where we live. (Gibson 2021) But why does being excluded hurt so much? From an evolutionary standpoint, our brains likely evolved to treat social rejection as a threat. (Babür 2025) Most academics regularly submit papers and compete for grants and promotions. These endeavours are necessary for their success but often end in rejection. (Donoghue et al. 2021) An immune reaction called the foreign body response – where the body encapsulates the implant in sometimes painful scar tissue – is a key driver of implant rejection. (Chen 2023) Common collocates for this word:

rejection

total
outright
deliberate
apparent
decisive
complete
wholesale
possible
humiliating
implicit
explicit
ultimate
comprehensive
immediate
final

Word Family: rejection (noun), react (verb), reactive (adjective) Synonyms: refusal, dismissal 25/11/2025 - Set 21
stable AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: ADJECTIVE unchanging, steady While most atoms are very stable, some, called radioactive atoms, are unstable. (Skromne 2022) We’ve replaced the 20th century idea of stable, permanent careers spanning decades with flexible employment and gig work. (Patulny 2020) Over long periods of time, they spontaneously break down into more stable atoms. (Skromne 2022) Oxygen has been relatively stable at a high level for the past 500 million years. (Duarte et al. 2021) It was only in 2015 that a big long-term study showed that fingerprints are stable over a person’s lifetime. (Leupen 2020) Common collocates for this word:

stable

condition
environment
relationship
prices
government
currency
exchange
state
isotope
companion
society
level
equilibrium
strategy
employment

Word Family: stable (adjective), stability (noun) Synonyms: reliable, steady, safe, secure 24/11/2025 - Set 21
2025-11-21 20 undertake AWL: VERB TRANSITIVE to start a task with the intention or promise of completing it
Scholars must be able to teach, undertake research, report their findings and exchange ideas without fear or hindrance. (Adesina 2020) Children across the vast expanse of rural Africa hoe, dig, plant, carry, tend livestock, cook, scrub, care for their siblings, and undertake many other farm and domestic tasks. (Sumberg and Sabates-Wheeler 2023) A large study undertaken in 2013 in the US demonstrated other positive effects for babies who receive music therapy in neonatal units. (Coombes 2019) Conscientious students sometimes undertake aspects of the process themselves – as professional authors typically do. (Baron 2023) Scholarships were offered to young women from poor, rural areas to undertake the three-year pre-service teacher education programme at state teacher training colleges.(Dunne, Durrani, and Humphreys 2021) Common collocates for this word:

undertake

research
studies
training
activities
responsibility
investigations
tasks
duties
maintenance
reform
development
business
repairs
projects
chores

Word Family: undertake (verb), undertaking (noun)Synonyms: commence, promise 21/11/2025 - Set 20Test your understanding of the words in set 20 with these quick quizzes: Quiz 20 Quiz 20B Quiz 20C
2025-11-20 20 unpredictable AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: ADJECTIVE difficult to anticipate how something might behave or change
And those environments can change – sometimes in entirely unpredictable ways. (Simons 2021) The tale of SARS and its new cousin that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, shows just how unpredictable viruses can be, particularly when they jump from animals to humans. (Roossinck 2020) 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) Pouring through the historical record, we have started noticing some very important themes rhyming through history. Even major ecological disasters and unpredictable climates are nothing new. (Hoyer 2024) 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) Common collocates for this word:

unpredictable

results
nature
behaviour
events
weather
changes
world
consequences
way
problems
effects
manner
future
environment
factors

Word Family: unpredictable (adjective), unpredictability (noun), unpredictably (adverb)Synonyms: erratic, uncertain, arbitrary, variable 20/11/2025 - Set 20
2025-11-19 20 adjust AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE or INTRANSITIVE to make a small change in order to improve something
Transitive useBecause geese learn migratory routes, they can flexibly adjust where they go as conditions change. (Langen 2020) These communities find it hard to adjust and improve their lives in the midst of urgent water-related issues. (Priadi et al. 2023) Water quality guidelines may therefore need to be adjusted to become more region-specific. (Derry, Cañedo-Argüelles, and Melles 2023) First, try to adjust the amount of light and noise to a level that works best for you. (Munro 2020) But by understanding the methods fake science websites are using, we can adjust our verification techniques to ensure we don’t fall for their deception. (Clarke 2022)Intransitive use
The key is to go low and slow: a pea-sized amount of a low-concentration product (0.1%) once or twice a week, preferably at night (to avoid UV exposure), and then the frequency and concentration can be increased (to a maximum of 0.3%) as the skin adjusts. (Orlando, Ademi, and Porter 2025) Common collocates for this word:

adjust

accordingly
quickly
electrically
psychologically
smoothly
upwards
gradually
fully
downward
spatially
instantaneously
purposefully
spontaneously
emotionally
downwards

Word Family: adjust (verb), adjustment (noun)Synonyms: change, alter, vary, transform, modify 19/11/2025 - Set 20
2025-11-18 20 alter AWL AKL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE to make a change in the characteristics or behaviour of something
The evidence suggests that established households are reluctant to alter their properties. (Comerford 2020) Studies show that a viral infection alters how sensitive these same nerves are. (Enfield 2023) Many scientists believe climate change contributes to such events by altering atmospheric circulation patterns. (Craciun 2023) Interestingly, the ability of nutrients to alter the flow of genetic information can span across generations. (Dus 2022) These climate changes have significantly altered the conditions at Earth’s surface, such as the size of lakes. (Davies and Lantink 2022) Common collocates for this word:

alter

radically
fundamentally
dramatically
significantly
substantially
considerably
completely
once
subconsciously
materially
subtly
amazingly
drastically
markedly
progressively
accordingly

Word Family: alter (verb), alteration (noun)Synonyms: change, vary, adapt, transform 18/11/2025 - Set 20
2025-11-17 20 amend AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE to make a change to a text, often a legal one such as a law or constitution
The ruling notes that the street artist explicitly stated that the public is morally and legally free to reproduce, amend and otherwise use any copyright works forced upon them by third parties. (Mitman 2023) 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) Often lawmakers rewrite laws passed through initiative. Some revisions change key components of the initiatives, while others amend technical details. (Whitesell 2024) The UK government’s proposal to reform the House of Lords has now reached a crucial stage – with parliamentarians having a final chance to amend the bill outlining the plan before it becomes law. (Russell 2025) In states with these laws, legislatures may need to amend the statute to avoid challenges and allow for universal vaccination mandates for adults. (Silverman 2020) Common collocates for this word:

amend

configuration
regulation
legislation
rule
things
paragraph
article
section
act
question
permissions
clauses
references
contracts
regulations
proposals

Word Family: amend (verb), amendment (noun)Synonyms: revise, modify 17/11/2025 - Set 20
2025-11-14 20 consult AWL OPAL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE to ask for advice from an expert, or search for information from a trustworthy source
Students – whether at university or school – can get help from many places. They can go to a tutor, parent, teacher, a friend or consult a textbook. (Hurley 2019) If you experience persistent redness, burning, or peeling, it’s better to stop using the product and consult your doctor or a dermatologist for personalised advice. (Orlando, Ademi, and Porter 2025) People consult career counsellors when they face a “natural” crossroads: having to choose a school, university, field of study or one from a number of employment opportunities. (Maree 2016) The king can consult and advise, but the prime minister is under no obligation to follow any advice he provides. (Carniel 2023) More than 30 per cent of Americans believe in some sort of esoteric knowledge and regularly consult astrology, tarot readers or fortune tellers, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Centre. (Tervanotko 2025) Common collocates for this word:

consult

others
people
solicitors
database
residents
organisations
colleagues
employees
groups
members
ant
diagram

stallholders
leaseholders

Word Family: consult (verb), consultation (noun)Synonyms: ask, inquire 14/11/2025 - Set 20
2025-11-13 20 decline AWL: VERB INTRANSITIVE or TRANSITIVE 1. to become smaller; 2. to refuse an offer
The biodiversity index has fallen by more than 50% as the populations of other species continue to decline. (Howes 2017) Domestic student enrolments continued increasing to 2021, last having declined in 2004 (due to government penalties if universities enrolled more than their allocated number of students). (Norton 2023) Numbers typically declined in the north of species' ranges and increased in the south. (Edgar 2023) But the “outstanding universal value” of the Great Barrier Reef has continued to decline. (Day, Heron, and Hughes 2021) Overall, as Frank Infurna and colleagues detail in their contribution, mental health declines in midlife. (Arnett 2022)Transitive use (refusing an offer) To explore the best way to decline an invitation without damaging a relationship, we conducted six experiments with a focus on two common excuses: time and money. (Whillans and Donnelly 2021) Common collocates for this word:

decline

sharply
rapidly
further
slightly
irreversibly
proportionately
markedly
politely
dramatically
steadily
faster
considerably
significantly
somewhat
absolutely

Word Family: decline (verb), decline (noun)Synonyms: decrease, reduce, fall, contract 13/11/2025 - Set 20
entity AWL NAWL OPAL: NOUN COUNTABLE something which exists as an independent unit
Importantly, this model could also prevent public datasets from becoming undervalued giveaways to foreign-owned entities. (Braganza and Tabaghdehi 2025) Biological entities called obelisks have been hiding – in large numbers – inside the human mouth and gut. (Feil 2024) The practice of giving legal voice to entities that cannot speak for themselves is not a new one. (O’Bryan 2017) When people talk about the coronavirus, they sometimes describe this invisible entity as if it has a personality and even a conscience. (Borhani 2025) A nation-state is a homogeneous political entity mostly comprising a single nation. Nation-states are rare, because nearly every country is home to more than one national group. (Holzer 2023)
Sometimes used as a shell noun, as in this example:
Not-for-profit organisations support a range of needs and activities, such as financial disadvantage, health and education. Governments support these entities through various measures, notably exemption from income tax and other taxes.(McLaren and Nichol 2025)Common collocates for this word:

entity

single
separate
legal
new
political
corporate
distinct
social
physical
coherent
artificial
independent
economic
national
theoretical

Word Family: entity (noun)
Synonyms: thing, object, item, article
12/11/2025 - Set 20
2025-11-11 20 expand AWL OPAL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE or INTRANSITIVE to grow, become bigger
Kids' early experiences expand their ideas of how the world works. (Negussie 2022) This makes the air expand to occupy a larger volume. (Sherwood 2023) 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) More than 100,000 years ago, the early modern humans began to expand outside Africa, leading to the greatest diaspora in human history. (Gowlett 2024) It seems our universe started very small and has been expanding ever since.(Lam 2020) Common collocates for this word:

expand

production
output
trade
sales
provision
business
credit
access
research
operations
pupils
relations
capability
participation
advertising

Word Family: expand (verb), expansion (noun)Synonyms: enlarge, increase 11/11/2025 - Set 20
2025-11-10 20 external AWL AKL OPAL: ADJECTIVE RESTRICTIVE CLASSIFIER outside
By planning studying sessions in a way that minimises external distractors, you could improve your concentration and overall performance. (Vasilev 2019) Through these conversations, I’ve watched them wrestle with the classic conflicts of young adulthood – such as having to balance external rewards like money against internal motivations like wanting to be of service. (Abouchalache 2025) There are two types of nerves that can trigger a cough in response to external stimuli: chemical receptors and mechanical ones called mechanoreceptors. (Enfield 2023) Australian, Amerindian, and countless other indigenous belief systems often portray nonhumans as kin with intrinsic value to be respected, rather than external objects to be dominated or exploited. (Alberro 2019) Epictetus writes: If you always bear in mind what is your own (i.e. an internal within your control) and what is another’s (i.e. an external outside your control), then you will never be disturbed. (Durrant 2023) Common collocates for this word:

external

affairs
world
factors
relations
debt
environment
pressures
sources
information
forces
events
appearance
courses
walls
reality

Word Family: external (adjective), externally (adverb)Synonyms: outside, exterior, outer 10/11/2025 - Set 20

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