Academic Word of the Day

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.

Academic Word of the Day Quizzes

Test your knowledge of Set 1 words with Quiz 1, Quiz 1B, Quiz 1C.

Test your knowledge of Set 2 words with Quiz 2, Quiz 2B, Quiz 2C.

Test your knowledge of Set 3 words with Quiz 3, Quiz 3B, Quiz 3C.

Test your knowledge of Set 4 words with Quiz 4, Quiz 4B, Quiz 4C.

Test your knowledge of Set 5 words with Quiz 5, Quiz 5B, Quiz 5C.

Test your knowledge of Set 6 words with Quiz 6, Quiz 6B, Quiz 6C.

Test your knowledge of Set 7 words with Quiz 7, Quiz 7B, Quiz 7C.

Test your knowledge of Set 8 words with Quiz 8, Quiz 8B, Quiz 8C.

Test your knowledge of Set 9 words with Quiz 9, Quiz 9B, Quiz 9C.

Test your knowledge of Set 10 words with Quiz 10, Quiz 10B, Quiz 10C.

Test your knowledge of Set 11 words with Quiz 11, Quiz 11B, Quiz 11C.

Test your knowledge of Set 12 words with Quiz 12, Quiz 12B, Quiz 12C.

Test your knowledge of Set 13 words with Quiz 13, Quiz 13B, Quiz 13C.

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 page.

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

2025-10-10

17

illustrate  AWL

VERB TRANSITIVE to show or make clear with graphics, by demonstration or by detailed explanation

Tangram is accessible and yet challenging, and an excellent educational tool. It’s still used in schools today to help illustrate mathematical concepts and develop mathematical thinking skills. It even features a paradox or two. (Britz 2022) Publishers may also find illustrators for a book, although many authors want to illustrate their own. (Farina 2022) Particularly fascinating are the remains of daily life, including pottery and tools, which illustrate the technological progress of these prehistoric communities. (Bashir 2024) The term “late capitalism” seems to be everywhere as a trending meme – often used as a kind of shorthand to illustrate the absurdities of certain free market economies. (Aviles 2022) Among the most important collections are objects from the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms of Egypt (2660BC to 900BC) that illustrate the intertwining of two great civilisations. (Bashir 2024) Common collocates for this word:

illustrate

points
concepts
examples
ways
principles
aspects
differences
ideas
changes
problems
methods
stories
trends
books
techniques

Word Family: illustrate (verb), illustration (noun), illustrative (adjective)Synonyms: picture, image, example, description, demonstration, Lexical phrases: illustrate the [point, difference, fact, extent, difficulty, problem, importance, ...]10/10/2025 - Set 17Test your understanding of the words in set 17 with these quick quizzes: Quiz 17 Quiz 17B Quiz 17C

2025-10-09

17

justify  AWL AKL OPAL NGSL

VERB TRANSITIVE show (or attempt to show) that something is correct or reasonable

There are two explanations that could justify this firstborn effect. (Sabolova 2020) Terrorists often justify their bloody acts on the basis of perceived social, economic and political unfairness. (Lemieux 2017) On balance, you’re justified in buying an electric vehicle, assuming you want one. Overall operating costs are far lower than for other vehicles. Public charger issues affect a small percentage of trips. (Pellegrini and Rose 2024) Other studies have found motivated reasoning being employed to justify keeping overpayments and self-allocating annual bonuses, among other examples. (Mortimer and Grimmer 2022) If each of us had to justify each rule from scratch (why we drive on the left in some countries, and on the right in others; why we say please and thank you), our minds would grind to a halt. (Chater 2020) Common collocates for this word:

justify

themselves
action
termination
rejection
use
retention
punishment
expenditure
claims
discontinuance
complacency
induction
inclusion
interference
exclusion

Word Family: justify (verb), justification (noun), justifiable (adjective), justifiably (adverb)Synonyms: excuse, warrant, support, defend, validate 09/10/2025 - Set 17

2025-10-08

17

location  AWL AKL OPAL NGSL

NOUN COUNTABLE a place, where something is situated

The location of these dots tells scientists how the atoms are arranged in the molecule. (Helms 2022) Where and when depends on their age, location, parental preference and local policies. (Negussie 2022) For refugees, their primary settlement location is decided by the Australian government. (Collins 2019) They can travel hundreds of miles before settling in a new location. (Marley 2025) Scientists can drive these instruments to locations near the tornado, but stop at a safe distance. (Houser 2022) Common collocates for this word:

location

geographical
exact
central
precise
general
particular
ideal
physical
different
convenient
secret
spatial
suitable
specific
single

Word Family: location (noun), locate (verb)Synonyms: place, position, site, situation 08/10/2025 - Set 17

2025-10-07

17

minority  AWL AKL NGSL

NOUN COUNTABLE a smaller part of a group

These findings suggest that minority government does not present the widespread illegitimacy and inefficiency to the electorate that is sometimes claimed by political leaders. (Prosser and Biddle 2025) This can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for minority ethnic students, providing them with role models who they can relate to and who understand their cultural backgrounds. (Adebayo 2023) A lack of diverse books is failing children from minority backgrounds. (Adam 2019) Many educators or adults unwittingly promote stereotypical, outdated or exotic views of minority groups. (Adam 2019) News frames also can lead to misrepresentations of minority groups in news coverage, which can create and perpetuate harmful stereotypes. (Ashley 2019) Common collocates for this word:

minority

ethnic
small
tiny
significant
substantial
white
sizeable
national
large
racial
dominant
powerful

vocal
privileged

Word Family: minority (noun), minor (adjective)07/10/2025 - Set 17

2025-10-06

17

physical  AWL AKL OPAL NGSL

ADJECTIVE ATTRIBUTIVE relating to a body or something concrete (rather than abstract)

Physical education (PE) is a fundamental part of school life. (Cox 2023) Scientists have been studying the associations between mental and physical health for some time. (Doyle 2022) Our results provide scientific evidence for the cognitive benefits of moderate and vigorous physical activity. (Cheval and Boisgontier 2023) Another type of sneeze is psychogenic, meaning it’s caused by something more mental than physical. (Sorg 2021) Long chains convey important physical properties, such as strength and toughness, that short molecules simply cannot match. (Beckman 2018) Common collocates for this word:

physical

environment
geography
education
world
contact
sciences
condition
activity
abuse
violence
appearance
strength
science
symptoms
geographers

Word Family: physical (adjective), physics (noun)Synonyms: material, solid, concrete, tangible 06/10/2025 - Set 17

2025-10-03

17

publish  AWL OPAL NGSL

VERB TRANSITIVE to make something (a text or art work) available for public consumption or viewing

Our new research is published today in the journal Nature. (Edgar 2023) Finally, in 1997, Pääbo and his colleagues published the first Neanderthal DNA sequences. (Götherström and Dalén n.d.) This is the year famous physicist Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity. (Webb 2023) Social media tends to encourage users to publish, “like” and forget, rather than engage in conversation. (Cowling and Vanderburg 2018) Even when it is published, this kind of research is often not attributed to its actual authors. (Czerniewicz 2015) Common collocates for this word:

publish

details
information
books
material
reports
results
examination
news
guidelines
newspapers
accounts
proposals
letters
plans
data

Word Family: publish (verb), publication (noun), public (adjective/noun)Synonyms: promote, promulgate, release, divulge, circulate, spread03/10/2025 - Set 17

2025-10-02

17

reaction  AWL

NOUN COUNTABLE a response to a stimulus, action or event

Sneezing can also occur as a reaction to more unusual stimuli. (Sorg 2021) Breathing pure oxygen sets off a series of runaway chemical reactions. (Lynch 2020) This law says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. (James 2022) Such techniques involve exposing individuals to emotionally charged situations to change their emotional reactions. (Ezenwa 2023) This process, called photosynthesis, is one of the most amazing chemical reactions on the planet. (Ashton 2022) Common collocates for this word:

reaction

immediate
chemical
natural
allergic
adverse
rapid
public
positive
normal
emotional
instinctive
violent
simple
angry
strong

Word Family: reaction (noun), react (verb), reactive (adjective)Synonyms: reply, response 02/10/2025 - Set 17

2025-10-01

17

reliable  AWL AKL OPAL NGSL

ADJECTIVE dependable, trustworthy, giving consistent results

As my students ask, why does it have to be so hard to get reliable information?(Ashley 2019) Google searches don’t necessarily identify objective and reliable information. (Behles 2021) We now need other reliable data and new modelling approaches to trace the evolution of the moon through time. (Davies and Lantink 2022) Play is one of the most reliable ways to tell if an animal is happy, as only happy animals play. (Starling 2021) These impulses can be measured using an electrocardiogram (ECG), which is the most reliable and informative measure of your heart rate.(Beale and Nanayakkara 2018) Common collocates for this word:

reliable

information
guide
source
method
way
data
evidence
sources
means
methods
indicator
results
indication
estimates
supply

Word Family: reliable (adjective), rely (verb), reliance (noun), reliably (adverb)Synonyms: dependable, trustworthy 01/10/2025 - Set 17

2025-09-30

17

sequence  AWL OPAL NGSL

NOUN COUNTABLE a series of items or events in a particular order

At any given position in our DNA sequence, we have two nucleotides, one on the chromosome inherited from our mother and one on the chromosome from our father. (Abbatangelo 2023) Finally, in 1997, Pääbo and his colleagues published the first Neanderthal DNA sequences. (Götherström and Dalén n.d.) They might also outline a plot, or the sequence of events that will happen in the story. (Farina 2022) Pääbo’s discoveries show us that gene sequences from our extinct relatives influence the physiology of modern-day humans. (Götherström and Dalén n.d.) But much of the precious information is sealed off to genetic scientists because formalin, the chemical often used to preserve specimens, damages DNA and makes sequences hard to recover. (Barlow, Major, and Wüster 2023) Common collocates for this word:

sequence

whole
logical
chronological
short
following
random
infinite
correct
particular
historical
modern
evolutionary
long
developmental
linear

Word Family: sequence (noun), sequence (verb), sequential (adjective)Synonyms: order, progression, series 30/09/2025 - Set 17

2025-09-29

17

shift  AWL AKL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE a movement or change of position, direction or stance

The date of the first animals marks a shift in the history of life on Earth. (Anderson 2023) As the shift towards brackish aquaculture continues, crop cultivation will become even more challenging. (Chen and Mueller 2018) Convergence refers to the shifts people make to their speech to approximate that of those around them. (Wade 2022) In turn, this leads to seasonal shifts in the prevailing wind, which often bring rains during the warm season in tropical areas including India and the top end of Australia. (Sherwood 2023) And while the shift from “This is what we all do” to “This is what we all ought to do” is a well-known ethical fallacy, it is deeply embedded in human psychology. (Chater 2020) Common collocates for this word:

shift

upward
significant
major
red
spectral
gradual
fundamental
blue
subtle
slight
massive
rural
cultural
general
rightward

Word Family: shift (noun), shift (verb)Synonyms: change, deviation, movement, variation, revolution, Lexical phrases: shift [from, to, towards]29/09/2025 - Set 17