Word of the day
An examination of a particular word and its usage in academic writing
About Word of the Day
This page examines particular words and their usage in academic writing. For each word, it examines the meaning or meanings of that word and its connotations, collocations, other words in the same word families, possible synonyms and antonyms, and provides examples of its use in authentic texts. There is also an indication of whether the word appears in an academic word list. These are:
- NOUN COUNTABLE An imagined or expected event, series of events or outcome.
Many discussions of expected future events are pessimistic, so the word scenario often has a negative connotation, as in the following two examples, and you might see collocates such as worst-case, doomsday, apocalyptic, nightmare.
"We detected 37 cases of abrupt change, distributed over three different climate change scenarios. These include the Arctic becoming ice-free even in winter, the Amazon rainforest dying off and the total disappearance of snow and ice cover on the Tibetan Plateau." (Drijfhout 2015)
"This means an ecosystem predicted to collapse in the 2090s owing to the creeping rise of a single source of stress, such as global temperatures, could, in a worst-case scenario , collapse in the 2030s once we factor in other issues like extreme rainfall, pollution, or a sudden spike in natural resource use." (Cooper, Dearing, and Willcock 2023)
Scenarios are possible future events so you may also find estimates of how likely such an event may be.
"I emphasise that the above are what I currently consider the most likely scenarios. The “likeliest” scenario could change at a moment’s notice. That is part of the fun and frustration of anticipating eruptions at poorly-known and remote volcanoes." (McGarvie 2014)
Common collocates for this word:scenario
worst-case
following
best case
above
baseline
likely
typical
similar
whole
different
current
alternative
nightmare
Word Family: scenario (noun), scenarios (plural noun)
Synonyms: plan, concept, scheme, outline
21/02/2025 - NOUN COUNTABLE A system of government, or a particular government. This word has strong connotations of disapproval; it is normally used to describe authoritarian governments where freedom of expression is limited, the rule of law is absent, and corruption is widespread
A system of government:
The novel [Nineteen Eighty-Four] presents a vision of a Britain taken over by a totalitarian regime in which the state exerts absolute power over its citizens. (Bentley 2017)
A particular government:
The regime’s brutal human rights record is a result of measures to consolidate its internal power. (Habib 2017)
The tentacles of the regime’s coercive power reach all the way from institutions to people’s everyday lives through surveillance, social controls and ideological indoctrination. It is a brutal reality that these kinds of oppressive measures are the rational and predictable way politics is practised in authoritarian dictatorships. (Habib 2017)
The military regimes of the past were brutally innovative. They made new rules, new institutions and new standards for how people should interact. They promised to make Africa an orderly and prosperous paradise. They failed, but their promises were popular.(Daly 2024)
The Court [International Criminal Court] has undeniably participated in processes that could be called “regime change”, especially in cases of regimes dominated by charismatic or exceptionally powerful individuals. But preventing those indicted of the most heinous crimes from maintaining positions of power is surely the whole point of international justice. (Cacciatori 2014)
Common collocates for this word:regime
new
communist
military
old
regulatory
previous
political
authoritarian
existing
liberal
strict
complete
legal
repressive
oppresive
Word Family: regime (noun), regimes (plural noun)
Synonyms: government, administration, rule, control, reign
20/02/25 - ADJECTIVE Based on evidence or established facts rather than personal opinion, bias, or prejudice
Critical thinking is the ability to analyse and evaluate information and arguments in a clear, rational and objective manner.(Matisonn 2025)
Although doctors try to be as objective as possible, no human being can be wholly objective (not influenced by personal feelings or opinions). (Sloan and Harwood 2023)
Psychology and intelligence researchers are unequivocal: men and women do not differ in actual IQ. There is no “smarter sex”. However, it was only with the development of objective measures of assessing intelligence that this notion was invalidated. (Reilly 2022)
The results of this study raise the question of why “objectivity” is often given much more weight in medicine than “subjective” patient reports and views. Part of the reason may be due to a mistaken belief that objective is similar in meaning to accurate. (Sloan and Harwood 2023)
Critics argue that supposedly “objective” publications are failing audiences by equating truth and lies or failing to consider the cultural biases of reporters, or the importance of journalists’ personal experience and opinions. (Walsh 2025)
Common collocates for this word:objective
assessment
criteria
evidence
view
way
description
reality
risk
record
fact
analysis
truth
evaluation
measure
test
Word Family: objective (adjective), objectively (adverb), objective (noun - with a completely different meaning)
Synonyms: impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, dispassionate
Antonyms: subjective, prejudiced, biased
19/02/25 - VERB TRANSITIVE VERB 1. to control or change something (often by using your hands or particular tools);
2. to influence or control someone's behaviour in order gain a personal advantage
3. to exercise control over a situation, process, or event in order to gain an advantage.
The first of these was the original meaning. The second meanings are now by far the more common usage.
Even in the following fairly neutral use of the verb manipulate there is still the notion of gaining an advantage ('help improve tomato yield') even if not a personal one.
"For example, research led by Zachary Lippman at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York is using genome editing to manipulate traits that can help improve tomato yield." (Caicedo and Razifard 2020)
Manipulate is often used in scientific and technical descriptions of particular techniques.
"A new technique called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was allowing researchers to sequence and manipulate tiny quantities of DNA." (Benton 2020)
"Quantum computers manipulate physical systems called qubits (for quantum bits) to perform a calculation." (Fellous-Asiani 2022)
The following three are examples of the more common usage of manipulate, with negative connotations.
"Undoubtedly you’ve heard reports that hackers and even foreign governments are using social media to manipulate and attack you." (Matthews 2020)
"A Machiavellian boss may seek to manipulate with flattery or bullying, promising reward or threatening punishment. They are less likely to trust you, causing them to micromanage and criticise." (Fernando and Liyanagamage 2023)
"There’s plenty of evidence that social media platforms were misusing my data, and allowing trolls and bots to exploit their systems, to manipulate my thinking." (Inglis 2018)
The adjective is 'manipulative'. This word is only used in the negative of exercising control over another person. See examples in this article about manipulative communication. Common collocates for this word:manipulate
people
information
data
images
others
text
situations
events
graphics
objects
materials
behaviour
symbols
numbers
words
Word Family: manipulate (verb), manipulation (noun), manipulative (adjective)
Synonyms: handle, work, operate, control, influence
18/02/2025 - NOUN and VERB COUNTABLE NOUN / TRANSITIVE VERB The general meaning of complement concerns completion, addition, or enhancement.
1. NOUN - something which completes;
"But if you’re able to get over that initial aversion, pickles can become perfect complement to any dish." (Miller and Symsack 2022)
2. NOUN - the complete set of something;
"We attempted to shed light on the Picts’ origins and legacy by sequencing whole genomes – the full complement of DNA in human cells – from skeletons excavated at two cemeteries." (Morez and Flink 2023)
3. NOUN - one of two parts which go together;
"We call this measure of quality of life “healthy life expectancy” and its complement “unhealthy life expectancy.”" (Vadiveloo 2017)
4. NOUN - a word, phrase or clause which completes another grammatical element;
See the complement examples in the glossary
5. VERB - to add something;
"Electricity system operators and investors could use pumped hydro energy storage to complement the growing deployment of renewable energy." (Forcey 2013)
6. VERB - to complete, match or enhance;
"By the late 1800s, in addition to red, it became fashionable to paint barns with other color schemes, especially those designed to complement the architectural styles and finishes of owners’ houses." (Visser 2021) "Many tunes have the typical structure of this style: two repeated parts of the same eight-bar length, that often complement each other musically." (Sturm and Ben-Tal 2017)
Common collocates for this word:complement
full
perfect
necessary
logical
useful
natural
valuable
entire
ideal
usual
normal
total
desired
essential
Word Family: complement (noun), complement (verb), complementary (adjective)
Synonyms: counterpart, supplement, completion
Do not confuse complement with compliment. A compliment is an expression of admiration or respect. To compliment is to praise. Compliment is not present in any of the academic word lists.
17/02/2025