Word of the day

Today's word is:

25/03/2025

temporaryNGSL AWL

ADJECTIVE Lasting for a limited, usually short, period of time
Last month, scientists found a culprit: a strong El Niño event, which led to a temporary fall in sea level. (Saintilan 2022)
These scientists are a mix of permanent members and temporary participants. (Salem 2025)
Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for primary progressive aphasia, although some studies have suggested speech therapy can produce temporary benefits. (Zubicaray 2023)
Using European Working Conditions Survey, this paper shows that being employed on a temporary, rather than an open-ended, contract has a negative bearing for job satisfaction. (Aleksynska 2018)
The need for temporary dwellings is typically ended when the people are provided with temporary houses of higher quality or new permanent homes. (Abulnour 2014)
Common collocates for this word:

temporary

workers
accommodation
basis
jobs
measure
exhibitions
staff
work
provisions
employment
nature
home
suspension
relief
loss

Word Family: temporary (adjective)
Synonyms: short-lived, interim, provisional
Antonyms: permanent
Lexical phrases: on a temporary basis
"Based on these figures, the majority of staff in UK higher education work on a temporary basis." (Allmer 2017)
25/03/25

24/03/2025

qualitativeAWL NAWL OPAL

ADJECTIVE CLASSIFIER describing the qualities or attributes of something rather than attributes which can be measured and quantified
Understanding and fitting the numbers into a bigger story is what qualitative research aims to achieve. Qualitative methods include a range of techniques – but interviews are one of the most common ways of gathering this sort of data. (Stephens 2018)
The relatively low number of interviewees is typical of qualitative research, where the emphasis is placed on depth rather than breadth. This approach allows researchers to obtain detailed, context-rich data from a small, focused group of participants. (Kanosvamhira 2025)
We suggest integration of quantitative and qualitative methods, with interviews enabling young people to describe their experiences in their own words, potentially revealing links between social media activity and mental state. (McCrae 2017)
Qualitative research is defined as a type of research that aims to explore and understand phenomena and behaviors, focusing on the 'what', 'how', and 'why' aspects rather than quantitative measurements like 'how many' or 'how much'. (Qualitative Research - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics n.d.)
Common collocates for this word:

qualitative

research
data
analysis
methods
study
differences
change
information
aspects
assessment
evaluation
approach
inquiry
results
nature

Word Family: qualitative (adjective), qualitatively (adverb), quality (noun)
Antonym: quantitative
Lexical phrases: quantitative and qualitative [disclosures, analysis, research, aspects, data, methods, …]
24/03/25

26/03/2025

justificationAWL NAWL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE An argument presented in defence of, or reason for, an action, behaviour or opinion.
If the arts make children happy and feel good about themselves, give them a sense of achievement and help them to appreciate beauty, then that is justification in itself. (See 2015)
Why can’t you get married until you’re 16, drive until you’re 17, and vote until you’re 18? The usual justification for these age limits is that they reflect the growing development of young people’s minds. (Kelly 2018)
Considering that justification requires people to use more cognitive effort in their decision making, these previous studies show the close connection between cognitive effort and justification. People may not be aversive to spending cognitive effort in appropriate contexts to find reasons to support their behaviors or decisions. (Park and Hill 2018)
The study of philosophy teaches students to consider the justification for arguments, the reasons supporting a position and to consider alternatives. (D’Olimpio 2014)
Common collocates for this word:

justification

sufficient
moral
legal
only
main
ample
theoretical
economic
possible
implicit
rational
partiial
real
scientific
general

Word Family: justification (noun), justify (verb), justifiable (adjective), justifiably (adverb)
Synonyms: defence, reason, grounds, explanation, rationale
The verb justify is often used as a task verb, requiring a writer to provide a justification for a thesis, argument or opinion.
26/03/25

27/03/2025

hierarchyAWL NAWL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE A system in which items are arranged according to their importance or precedence.
In Ukraine, 4,000 year-old cities show little evidence of hierarchy or centralized control. And in modern times, hunter-gatherers shift between hierarchy and equality, depending on the season. (Venkataraman 2022)
Darwin's belief that hierarchies are necessary for groups to succeed pervades the social sciences. [...] But do hierarchies actually improve group functioning? At first blush, the ubiquity of hierarchy would seem to suggest the answer is “yes.” Many scholars have argued that hierarchies are a universal feature of all human groups, including organizations [...]. (Anderson and Brown 2010)
Maslow’s needs theory proposes a hierarchy of needs and argues for their sequential satisfaction. The theory has been very influential in development studies, in the establishment of development priorities, in the design of policies and social programs, and in the role economic growth plays as central development instrument. (Rojas, Méndez, and Watkins-Fassler 2023)
The waste hierarchy indicates an order of preference for different measures to reduce and manage waste. (Williams 2016)
Hierarchy is a basic element of social life. It defines the day-to-day reality of members of countless species across the animal kingdom, including numerous types of insects, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Higher-ranking individuals typically enjoy various privileges compared to their lower-ranking counterparts, varying from preferential access to food and mates to greater influence on group decisions. (Kleef and Cheng 2020)
Common collocates for this word:

hierarchy

social
managerial
administrative
branching
military
orgnanisational
urban
corporate
traditional
simple
political
bureaucratic
rigid
occupational
digital

hierarchical

structure
manner
fashion
order
classification
nature
organization
levels
model
clustering
data
relationships
control
relations
authority

Word Family: hierarchy (noun), hierarchical (adjective), hierarchically (adverb)
Synonyms: level, rank, tier
27/03/25

28/03/2025

developmentNGSL AKL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE A process, or the result, of change. This process may be a natural one or the result of human intervention. Usually this process is seen as a positive one; an improvement.
Adolescent development is a complex process with very particular characteristics. They cannot yet be considered as adults, but childish behaviours are also being left far behind. (Viejo and Fernández 2022)
Cities are home to a wide range of plants and animals, including 30% of Australia’s threatened species. But ongoing population growth and urban development threatens this biodiversity. (Humphrey 2025)
Having lasting, meaningful friendships is extremely important for children’s health, development and wellbeing. (Geng and Slee 2025)
Child development is a dynamic, interactive process. Every child is unique in interacting with the world around them, and what they invoke and receive from others and the environment also shapes how they think and behave. (Huang 2018)
Not all developments are positive as you can see in this example.
A clear understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in the development of cancer cells could help us to identify and correct genetic mutations so that the abnormality in the cell division might be ruled over. (Kashyap and Dubey 2022)
When the plural is used it usually refers to a completed innovation or invention rather than the actual process of change.
But in archaeology, major developments were seen even before the first early modern human fossils emerged. Two key developments were the appearance of projectile (spear) points and the long-distance transport of materials. (Gowlett 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

development

economic
rural
professional
industrial
regional
new
social
urban
personal
sustainable
national
overseas
historical
agricultural
future

Word Family: development (noun), develop (verb), developing (adjective)
Synonyms: growth, evolution, invention, innovation
28/03/25

Test your understanding of words 21-30 with Quiz 3

21/03/2025

accumulationAWL NAWL

NOUN COUNTABLE or UNCOUNTABLE FORMAL The total amount of something which has been collected over a period of time; the process of collection something.
"By contrast, the winds reverse during the winter monsoons and transport debris directly towards Seychelles. We expect plastic debris accumulation to peak in Seychelles shortly after the winter monsoons (February to April)." (Burt and Vogt-Vincent 2023)
"In order to stop the accumulation of heat, we would have to eliminate not just carbon dioxide emissions, but all greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide." (Rood 2017)
"The World Health Organization defines obesity as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.” " (Nguyen 2023)
"As part of the Ocean Cleanup’s Aerial Expedition, I was coordinating a visual survey team assessing the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch." (Kent 2019)
"The short life-cycle of plastic (i.e., single-use material) increases plastic accumulation in the environment. Roughly two-thirds of global plastics have a short life cycle which is less than a month (Panda et al., 2010)." (Nayanathara Thathsarani Pilapitiya and Ratnayake 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

accumulation

steady
rapid
great
impressive
massive
slow
low
large
accelerated
cellular
spontaneous
excessive
enormous
long-term
continued

Word Family: accumulation (noun), accumulate (verb), accumulative (adjective)
Synonyms: collection, aggregation, mass
21/03/25

20/03/2025

conceptual AWL NAWL OPAL

adjective from the noun 'concept': relating to ideas, knowledge and memories and how we think about them
"Conceptual understanding is a key ingredient to helping people think mathematically and use mathematics outside of a classroom." (Rakes 2017)
"The goal of maths education in China is to develop conceptual and procedural knowledge through rigid practice." (Wei 2014)
"This approach does not equip students with skills that can transform their minds: critical and logical reasoning, argumentation, conceptual and analytical thinking, and problem solving." (Angu 2024)
"They often describe [memories] as a conceptual list of things that occurred rather than a movie reel playing in their mind." (Pearson and Keogh 2017)
"Explicit, or declarative, memories can be verbally expressed. These include memories of facts and events, and spatial memories of locations. These memories can be consciously recalled and can be autobiographical – for instance, what you did for your last birthday – or conceptual, such as learning information for an exam." (Reichelt 2016)
"I now turn to how these aspects of learning can be handled with the aid of conceptual spaces. Learning a concept often proceeds by generalizing from a limited number of exemplars of the concept (see, e.g., Langley, 1996; Nosofsky, 1986, 1988; Reed, 1972)." (Cohen and Lefebvre 2017)
Common collocates for this word:

conceptual

framework
model
design
understanding
level
art
analysis
structure
scheme
change
development
basis
knowledge
approach
tools

Word Family: conceptual (adjective), concept (noun), conceive (verb) conception (noun),
Synonyms: notional, theoretical, abstract
20/03/2025

19/03/2025

variance AWL NAWL OPAL

NOUN difference or variability
"Wide variance" just tells us that there are big differences but we don't know exactly how big:
"The research in this field consistently reports that despite accredited training courses, there is wide variance in the quality of training provided by registered training organisations." (Montague 2014)
Differences or variability (in data, findings, results ...) often needs to be explained.
"This study suggests that not all variance in risk is due to differences in study methods." (Jongsma 2019) (Note also the hedging - suggests - in this sentence):
Variance may also be measured and given a score:
"They highlighted that genetic scores explained only about 11% to 13% of the variance – meaning, 87% to 89% of differences in educational attainment were due to influences other than genetics." (Dasgupta 2025) In this case variance is a statistical measurement calculated by taking the average of the squared differences from the mean.
Variance is also used in the fixed phrase 'at variance with' meaning 'differing from' or 'contrasting with':
"It is the inherited form of capitalism practised in Africa, which is often at variance with the socio-economic development of the continent." (Amaeshi 2015)
Common collocates for this word:

variance

total
minimum
estimated
wide
genetic
observed
true
constant
perfect
average

Word Family: variance (noun), variant (noun), variant (adjective), vary (verb)
Synonyms: divergence, difference, discord, discrepancy, disagreement
19/03/2025

18/03/2025

undermine AKL NAWL

VERB TRANSITIVE VERB to weaken a thing or a person, often in an indirect way; to make something or someone less effective
You could undermine something physical, concrete. Digging a hole under a wall would weaken it and perhaps cause its collapse. But this verb is used mainly with more abstract notions as you can see from these examples and from the collocates.
"Many people in Latin America remember how political power was abused in the recent past to undermine democracy." (Smart 2025)
"As a leadership trait, perfectionism can drive teams to meet high standards. Our research has explored an important catch, though. Perfectionist leaders, especially when displaying anger, can undermine creativity and innovation." (Koseoglu 2025)
"Poor mental health can undermine young people’s academic outcomes and their lifelong prospects." (Dorjee 2025)
"For many parents, attempting to meet such unrealistic expectations can undermine their self-worth – and their sanity." (Cederna and Felton 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

undermine

credibility
authority
intergrity
confidence
efforts
legitimacy
power
support
stability
value
democracy
morale

Word Family: undermine (verb)
Synonyms: erode, subvert, frustrate, weaken, sabotage, thwart
You can see more verbs prefixed with under- on the prefixes page.
18/03/2025

17/03/2025

academicNGSL AWL UWL

ADJECTIVE and NOUN COUNTABLE Describing the world of study (in schools colleges, conservatories, and universities) and the process of thinking, reasoning, studying, learning and research. It is also sometimes used as a noun; someone whose main occupation is concerned with teaching and research at a tertiary level. Occasionally, it is used in a dismissive sense meaning that something is merely theoretical and has no practical value.
"Both the Lima and the Kampala declarations are emphatic that academic freedom is fundamental to the functioning of the academic community. "(Adesina 2020)
"The conference was against the backdrop of mounting harassment of academics on the continent." Adesina 2020)
"These findings are not just academic but have implications for the Japanese Space Agency (Jaxa)‘s Destiny+ mission, set to launch later this decade." (Suttle 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

academic

year
programs
publishers
calendar
achievement
affairs
staff
freedom
performance
research

Word Family: academic (adjective), academic (noun), academy (noun), academically (adverb)
Synonyms: educated, erudite, scholarly, studious
17/03/2025

14/03/2025

methodology AWL NAWL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE A way or system of doing something
A set of practices and procedures used by people who work in a particular discipline for the the purposes of research, inquiry or production.
"My methodology included a review of research in this area, interviews with more than a dozen farmers, farmer representative bodies, and other participants in the food supply chain, and a survey of media reporting of recent instances of food shortages." (Bartos 2022)
"It should also be noted that these results use a different methodology to the industry standard for flood estimation." (Hannaford and Slater 2024)
Also used as an adjective:
"The chess community is probably right in criticising the recent study, as it suffers from several methodological shortcomings that probably invalidate the results." (Gobet and Sala 2017)
and also used as an adverb:
"However, this is methodologically unsound and impractical in a single class. The person deciding who gets the intervention should not be the person delivering the intervention or assessing the outcome. Otherwise bias is inevitable." (Morgan and McKnight 2022)
Common collocates for this word:

methodology

research
design
survey
scientific
teaching
development
assessement
evaluation
statistical
management
study
appropriate
sampling
test

Word Family: methodology (noun), method (noun), methodological (adjective), methodologically (adverb)
Synonyms: method, procedure, process, technique, manner
14/03/2025

Test your understanding of words 11-20 with Quiz 2

13/03/2025

exclusionAWL AKL OPAL

NOUN The act of preventing a person, group or thing from taking part in an activity, event or process.
Social exclusion is the inability to participate fully in the economic, cultural, social and political aspects of a society. (Watson, Crawley, and Kane 2016)
But today, 33 years after the accident, the Chernobyl exclusion zone, which covers an area now in Ukraine and Belarus, is inhabited by brown bears, bisons, wolves, lynxes, Przewalski horses, and more than 200 bird species, among other animals. (Orizaola 2019)
Language, held up as a sign of belonging, becomes a gatekeeper for inclusion/exclusion, regulating access to citizenship and education, health and legal protection. (Angouri, Polezzi, and Wilson 2019)
Exclusion from school is associated with health, well-being and social detriments and disproportionately affects vulnerable children. (Jay et al. 2023)
Grazing exclusion by fence has become a common practice worldwide for managing overgrazed grasslands. The aim of grazing exclusion is to reverse the negative effects of overgrazing and recover degraded grasslands through their self-healing capacities []. (Xiong et al. 2016)
Common collocates for this word:

exclusion

general
total
virtual
complete
social
continued
entire
specific
standard
possible
mutual
special
express
unreasonable
systematic

exclusion

clause
zone
crisis
principle
criteria
restrictions
order
diet
phase

Word Family: exclusion (noun), exclude (verb), exclusive (adjective), exclusively (adverb)
Synonyms: prohibition, expulsion, eviction, rejection
Antonyms: inclusion, acceptance, admission
Lexical phrases: to the exclusion of
"And kids are specializing in sports at younger ages. Six-, 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds are playing one sport year-round to the exclusion of other sports." (Pandya 2024)
13/03/25

12/03/2025

fluctuateAWL

VERB INTRANSITIVE To change irregularly or unpredictably especially in amount or value
Our body weight can fluctuate within a single day and across the days of the week. Studies show body weight fluctuates by 0.35% within the week and it’s typically higher after the weekend. (Fuller 2024)
People fluctuate in their behavior as they go about their daily lives, but little is known about the processes underlying these fluctuations. (Wilson, Thompson, and Vazire 2017)
Many insect populations are known to naturally fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. (Moran 2020)
So why isn’t the Earth covered in ice right now? It’s because we are in a period known as an “interglacial.” In an ice age, temperatures will fluctuate between colder and warmer levels. (Su 2022)
But estimating future surface water is tricky. River levels fluctuate with the seasons, ponds and puddles emerge and disappear, and it’s hard to predict exactly where will be farmed and irrigated years from now. (Thomas and Smith 2020)
Common collocates for this word:

fluctuate

widely
greatly
significantly
considerably
wildly
dramatically
rapidly
seasonally
randomly
slightly
substantially
freely
somewhat
markedly
violently

Word Family: fluctuate (verb), fluctuation (noun)
Synonyms: vary, waver, oscillate, vacillate
Lexical phrases: fluctuate from X to X (time to time, day to day, ...
"Incomes can fluctuate from year to year, and so we may get an exaggerated picture of income inequality if we examine only annual income." (Wilkins 2017)
12/03/25

11/03/2025

biasNGSL AWL AKL OPAL

NOUN A deliberate or unintentional tendency to favour a particular group, hypothesis, theory
An instinctive bias in favor of one’s “in-group” and its worldview is deeply ingrained in human psychology. (Bardon 2020)
Recognizing bias can be challenging — no one wants to be biased, yet everyone is. (Blanchette 2024)
Like a similar map which had been made for US states, our map shows variation in the extent of racial bias – but all European countries are racially biased when comparing blacks versus whites. (Stafford 2017)
At a societal level, algorithmic biases perpetuate and amplify structural racial bias in the judicial system, gender bias in the people companies hire, and wealth inequality in urban development. (Morewedge 2024)
Humans are biased in how they evaluate information. People are more likely to trust and remember information from their in-group — those who share their identities — while distrusting information from perceived out-groups. This bias leads to echo chambers, where like-minded people reinforce shared beliefs, regardless of accuracy. (Fisher 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

bias

political
personal
negative
particular
male
cultural
sexist
racial
obvious
possible
certain
inherent
definite
alleged
marked

gender
selection
class
sexresponse
observer
criterion
press
prestige
spectrum
publication
age
interviewer
suspicion
newspaper
colour

bias

gender
selection
class
sexresponse
observer
criterion
press
prestige
spectrum
publication
age
interviewer
suspicion
newspaper
colour

Word Family: bias (noun), bias (verb), biased (adjective)
Synonyms: prejudice, inclination, preconception, unfairness, predilection, discrimination
Antonyms: fairness, impartiality, open-mindedness, objectivity, tolerance
See also bias and bias free language in the glossary.
11/03/25

10/03/2025

communityNGSL AWL AKL OPAL

NOUN A group of people with shared interests because of nationality, locality, language, culture, work, social, economic, political, environmental or educational concerns, religion, hobbies, or particular concerns of any nature.
The young urban farmers I interviewed are using community gardens to grow more than vegetables. They’re also nurturing social connections, creating economic and business opportunities, and promoting environmental conservation. (Kanosvamhira 2025)
Cities with high compassion scores have more community engagement and civic participation than those with low scores. A higher-scoring community performs better when it comes to things like public housing and mental health resources, for example. Its residents report more career opportunities, better communications between local government and citizens, more community programs and more optimism around economic development where they live. (Sonenshine 2025)
Some communities are displaced from their land to make way for big renewable energy projects. This weakens community cohesion and undermines trust in government and developers. (Abe and Azubike 2025)
The international community’s overall response has not been slow. As governments and multilateral bodies have become more aware of the issue they have committed themselves, albeit unevenly, to mitigation and adaptation plans. (Andrés and Espallargas 2024)
The scientific community will closely watch how Microsoft’s quantum computing processors operate, and how they perform in comparison to the other already established quantum computing processors. (Rachel 2025)
These actions demand a response from the rest of the international community that mitigates the risk to the well-being of people and planet and the effective management of global affairs. (Bradlow 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

community

local
international
economic
black
academic
scientific
rural
deaf
small
political
gay
financial
religious
entire
agricultural

community

care
health
services
groups
development
education
relations
action
life
leaders
college
council
involvment
centres
spirit

Word Family: community (noun)
Synonyms: neighbourhood
Antonyms: division, polarisation
10/03/25

07/03/2025

theoreticalNGSL AWL AKL OPAL

ADJECTIVE based on ideas, possibilities and theory rather than actual practice or proven facts
The Nobel prize for economics is often awarded for relatively abstract theoretical work. Rather less often, it is awarded for work with clear practical relevance. (John 2012)
New experimental and theoretical results, new tools and private sector investment are all adding to our growing sense that developing practical fusion energy is no longer an if but a when. (Beg and Tynan 2025)
Because even when all our material and biological needs are satisfied, a state of sustained happiness will still remain a theoretical and elusive goal, as Abd-al-Rahman III, Caliph of Córdoba in the tenth century, discovered. (Euba 2019)
Academic research is not always abstract or theoretical. Nor does it take place in a vacuum. Research in many different disciplines is often grounded in the real world; it aims to understand and address problems that affect people and the environment, such as climate change, poverty, migration or natural hazards. (Knight 2022)
Common collocates for this word:

theoretical

framework
basis
models
work
physics
approaches
issues
analysis
chemistry
position
knowledge
problems
grounds
level
interest

Word Family: theoretical (adjective), theory (noun), theoretically (adverb), theorise (verb)
Synonyms: abstract, conceptual, notional
Antonyms: concrete, practical, proven
Lexical phrases:
1. from a theoretical [point of view, perspective, standpoint, ...]
"Teachers need special instruction in how to deal with these students, with input from someone who will work with them on the ground – not tell them what to do from a theoretical point of view and then walk away and leave them to it." (Burrows 2015);
2. theoretical and practical [aspect, approach, dimensions, issues, ..]
"Occupations are composed of many specific jobs. They are underpinned by both theoretical and practical knowledge." (Wheelahan and Pietsch 2020)
07/03/25

06/03/2025

revolutionNGSL AWL

NOUN COUNTABLE
1. A sudden, often violent, change in the way a country is governed;
2. A significant change in the way a particular activity is conducted;
3. a complete rotation of something around a particular point.
Political change
Revolutions are never good things to live through; they bring conflict and war, pain, suffering and hunger, and plunge the country into political instability for decades. (Turan 2019)
Almost all political rights citizens enjoy and all the protections they have from the arbitrary use of political authority are results of past revolutions. (Turan 2019)
Non-political change
The Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s in Britain, and spread around the world. (King, Henley, and Hawkins 2017)
The first agricultural revolution occurred when humans started farming around 12,000 years ago. (Chivers and Rose 2020)
In the past decade there has been a quiet revolution in archaeology, virtually allowing archaeologists to see through the ground without digging. (Horton and Heyd 2015)
Rotation around a point
Saturn, according to Roman mythology, is Jupiter’s father. Being the elder, it is the slowest and most distant planet that can be seen with the naked eye. Saturn takes 29 years to orbit the Sun, which is as long as the average lifespan back in Roman times. You must have been doing well if you saw one complete revolution of Saturn. (Hill 2017)
Common collocates for this word:

revolution

industrial
cultural
Russian
social
scientific
green
democratic
political
technological
agricultural
strict
quiet
national
comunist
violent

Word Family: revolution (noun), revolutionary (adjective), revolt (verb), revolt (noun)
Synonyms: coup, coup d'état, regime change, shift, rotation
06/03/25

05/03/2025

permanentNGSL AKL

ADJECTIVE Unchanging for ever, or at least for a very long time
They are commonly called wisdom teeth because they are the last of the 32 permanent teeth to appear, emerging between 17 and 25 years of age, when you are older and wiser. (Letra and Weinberg 2023)
The effects on many of these organs can be permanent, and like all toxins the dose is critical. The higher the exposure and the longer it continues, the greater the damage. (Shalat 2016)
A typical study section consists of dozens of reviewers selected based on their expertise in relevant fields and with careful screening for any conflicts of interest. These scientists are a mix of permanent members and temporary participants. (Salem 2025)
Some pollutants, like plastic, last for thousands of years, so it’s much better to stop releasing them than to try to collect them later. And extinction is permanent, so the only effective way to reduce it is to be more careful about protecting animals, plants and other species. (Denning 2022)
Vitamin B6 can cause permanent damage to nerves. Studies have shown symptoms improved when the person stopped taking the supplement, although they didn’t completely resolve. (Feehan and Apostolopoulos 2025)
After the third month of life, the lanugo on the head will be replaced by permanent hair. This hair lengthens and falls out between 12 and 24 months of life. After this shedding, most of the baby’s hair will be permanent. (Kothari and Elmir 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

permanent

staff
members
collection
home
damage
job
representative
employment
record
feature
fixture
exhibition
display
state
presence

Word Family: permanent (adjective), permanently (adverb), permanence (noun)
Synonyms: perpetual, lasting, everlasting, eternal, infinite, enduring
Antonyms: temporary, impermanent, short-lived, transitory, finite
Lexical phrases: on a permanent basis
"Most of our employees will work remotely on a permanent basis and leverage our office spaces when it makes sense." (Reyt 2020)
05/03/25

04/03/2025

acquisitionNGSL AWL

NOUN COUNTABLE FORMAL The act of getting / obtaining something; becoming the owner / possessor of something. Derived from the verb to acquire. Acquisition and the verb acquire are formal words. The 'thing' acquired is normally something substantial, lasting, or of great value. Buying groceries is not an acquisition; they'll be gone in a week.
The purchase of important objects such art antiquities and art:
"All the money to buy the painting has been privately donated with most of it coming from the fund established by Getty before his death in 2003. The last major work to be bought using the fund's money was An Afternoon in the Tuileries Gardens by Adolph Menzel. It was bought for £3.2m in 2006. The acquisition forms part of a new transatlantic academic partnership between the National Gallery and Randolph College, the first of its kind." (Brown 2014)
The process of obtaining information, data, or other non-physical assets:
"In the field of medical imaging, data acquisition is difficult and privacy protection restrictions limit the amount of available data [...]." (Ren et al. 2025)
The purchase of land or companies:
"Given the scale of destruction, reconstruction efforts will likely take years. Large-scale government housing projects on city outskirts are being prioritized due to their speed and the ease of land acquisition." (Johnson and Ozdogan 2025)
"A first step in the right direction must be a rethinking of its competition policy. The acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada by the Royal Bank of Canada — merging two of Canada’s biggest lenders — was the latest disappointment in this area. The merger left many consumers worse off." (Arndt 2024)
The process of learning a skill either through a period of study or naturally over a period of time:
"Two concepts – acquisition and learning – play key roles in the study of language." "Language acquisition is an intuitive and subconscious process, similar to that of children when they develop their mother tongue."(Vazquez-Calvo 2023)
"Many people underestimate the difficulty involved in learning a language. This is because language acquisition goes beyond comprehension. It also involves socialisation and emotion." (Horne 2019)
Common collocates for this word:

acquisition

recent
complusory
proposed
major
potential
new
exclusive
important
valuable
original
significant
natural
possible
lexical
initial

Word Family: aquire (verb), acquisition (noun)
Synonyms: obtain, achieve, get, procure, capture
04/03/25

03/03/2025

logicalAWL AKL NAWL OPAL

ADJECTIVE based on clear reasoning; according to evidence and systematic and accepted norms of explanation
Logical or deductive reasoning involves using a given set of facts or data to deduce other facts by reasoning logically. (Logical Thinking - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics n.d.)
These findings clearly show that the stereotypical view that scientists and other logical thinkers are less likely to be artistic or creative fall wide of the mark. As Einstein himself noted: “The greatest scientists are artists as well”. (Pearson 2016)
In order to establish cause-and-effect, we need to go beyond the statistics and look for separate evidence (of a scientific or historical nature) and logical reasoning. (Borwein (Jon) and Rose 2014)
The rational and logical part of the brain, what Kahneman calls System 2, has given humans an advantage over other species. However, because System 2 was more recently developed, human decision-making is often buggy. This is why many decisions are illogical, inconsistent and suboptimal. (Kannan 2019)
A logical operation is one in which a decision is made as to whether the operation performed is TRUE or FALSE. (Logical Operation - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics n.d.)
Common collocates for this word:

logical

conclusion
reason
name
sequence
extension
outcome
consequence
step
structure
development
argument
progression
thought
operation
order

Word Family: logical (adjective), logic (noun), logically (adverb)
Synonyms: rational, coherent, reasoned, vacillate, clear, valid
Antonyms: illogical, irrational, incoherent, unreasonable
Lexical phrases:
from a logical point of view
take X to its logical conclusion
it is logical point to assume that ...
03/03/25

01/03/2025

involvementNGSL AWL OPAL

NOUN participation in an activity, process or event
"But given the research highlights parental involvement as an important component for a successful music-learning experience, developing an understanding of the teaching method is vital." (McKenry 2019)
"Climate impacts – such as droughts, floods or storms – affect people differently depending on their wealth and access to resources and on their involvement in decision making." (Klinsky 2021)
"Despite a widespread belief that parent involvement in homework is good for kids, researchers are discovering that it can have both positive and negative effects." (Amatea 2015)
The word involvement is often found in texts regarding actions which governments or organisations would prefer to keep secret, as in the following examples.
"Australia’s involvement in atomic testing expanded again in 1954, when it began supplying South Australian-mined uranium to the US and UK’s joint defence purchasing authority, the Combined Development Agency." (O’Brien 2021)
"The potential involvement of Russia and the shadowy Wagner Group in the region complicates things further. While the group has denied involvement in the current conflict in Sudan, these denials appear increasingly questionable." (Lomas et al. 2023)
"Kissinger and others in the White House tried to keep the campaign from the public for as long as they could, for good reason. It came as public opinion in the U.S. was turning against American involvement. The bombing campaign is also considered illegal under international law by many experts." (Ear 2023)
Common collocates for this word:

involvement

personal
parental
active
military
direct
alleged
political
emotional
close
possible
continued
full
increasing
growing
deep

Word Family: involvement (noun), involve (verb), involved (adjective)
Synonyms: complicity, implication, association
Involvement derives from the verb involve, formed with the suffix -ment which changes a verb to a noun. You can see more examples on the suffixes page.
28/02/2025

Test your understanding of the last ten words with this quick quiz

01/03/25

unlikelyNGSL AKL OPAL

adjective ATTRIBUTIVE PREDICATIVE GRADABLE not probable, not expected; difficult to believe; possibly untrue. This adjective deals with probability or believability.
Statistically improbable; predicative adjective
"Stratus cloud is thin, so while conditions may feel gloomy, rain is unlikely, and at most will be a light drizzle. Stratus is identical to fog, so if you’ve ever been walking in the mountains on a foggy day, you’ve been walking in the clouds." (Christensen 2018)
Statistically improbable; attributive adjective
"Humanity is the unlikely result of 4 billion years of evolution. " (Longrich 2022)
Statistically improbable; predicative adjective
"The fact that [Asian giant hornets] can’t tolerate extremely hot or cold temperatures makes it unlikely that they would spread to very hot or cold areas of North America. " (Kawahara 2020)
Statistically improbable; predicative adjective
"Remember that the chance of seeing a giant hornet anywhere outside of the Pacific Northwest is very unlikely. " (Kawahara 2020)
Statistically improbable; attributive adjective
"In the unlikely case that you see a giant hornet in Washington state, do not try to remove nests yourself or spray hornets with pesticides." (Kawahara 2020)
Statistically improbable; predicative and gradable adjective
"It’s highly unlikely the world’s entire internet could ever go down due to the distributed and decentralised nature of the internet’s infrastructure. It has multiple redundant paths and systems. " (Tuffley 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

unlikely

event
setting
places
combination
explanation
scenario
prospect
candidate
choice
source
occurrence
winner
location
possibility
situation

Word Family: unlikely (adjective), likely (adjective)
Synonyms: improbable, implausible, inconceivable, unthinkable
Lexical phrases: in the unlikely event [that, of] ...
27/02/25

01/03/25

approachNGSL AWL AKL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE A way of addressing or dealing with an issue; an attitude towards an issue; a method
As you can see from the definition above an approach can be general or more particular. In the first example here the meaning is very general (it is modified by the adjective 'general' and four separate aspects are mentioned).
"David Coghlan recommends a useful general approach to deciding what to do which involves four steps: be Attentive, be Intelligent, be Reasonable, and be Responsible." (Holian 2015)
Here approach is used in a slightly more specific way they are techniques, tactics, or methods.
"Players can have different approaches. Some might simply want to solve the word, even if it takes six tries. Others try to do it in as a few guesses as possible." (Horstmeyer 2022)
Here we know that the meaning is more precise because the writer uses the word 'explicit' and gives some examples so it's more like a particular method.
"Teachers who follow an explicit approach explain, demonstrate and model everything: from blending sounds together to decode words, to writing a complex sentence with figurative language, to kicking a football." (Hammond 2019)
The word approach is also used as a general or anaphoric noun to refer back to a whole concept mentioned earlier. In this example 'this approach' refers back to [following] a general curriculum designed for the collective rather than the individual. In this case we can find the referent in the same sentence, but sometimes in may be much further back in the text or refer to a much larger stretch of text.
"In traditional education, most students, regardless of background, ability or temperament, followed a general curriculum designed for the collective rather than the individual. In an era where individuality and personalisation have become pillars of modernity, the limitations of this approach are clear." (guillaume 2024)
Here we a have another example of approach used as an anaphoric noun. In this case the referent is in the previous sentence: making everyday items like cars electric, and installing smart systems to monitor and reduce energy use, it seems we’ll still be able to enjoy the comforts to which we’ve become accustomed while doing our bit for the planet – a state known as “green growth”
"It’s a popular idea that the path to sustainability lies in high-tech solutions. By making everyday items like cars electric, and installing smart systems to monitor and reduce energy use, it seems we’ll still be able to enjoy the comforts to which we’ve become accustomed while doing our bit for the planet – a state known as “green growth”. But the risks of this approach are becoming ever clearer." (McMahon 2022)
Common collocates for this word:

approach

different
alternative
positive
similar
systematic
flexible
traditional
pragmatic
scientific
cautious
direct
fresh
particular
professional
practical

Word Family: approach (noun), approach (verb), approachable (adjective)
Synonyms: method, way, attitude, perspective, stance
26/02/2025

01/03/25

illegalityAWL

NOUN COUNTABLE or UNCOUNTABLE The state of being against the law, illegal; an action which is prohibited by law
Fisheries crime denotes a vast and diverse category of illegality and criminality that aids or accompanies illegal fishing. Such crimes can include corruption, customs fraud, human and drugs trafficking and piracy. (Okafor-Yarwood and Bhagwandas 2021)
When dealing with issues involving wildlife and illegality, researchers often rely on sources whose identity must be kept hidden for their own protection. Recent studies carried out in this way include those focused on the illegal killing, processing, and trade of jaguar parts in South America. (Elwin and D’Cruze 2023)
The most common challenge was illegality and this was mentioned in almost a third of reports. In our coding of responses, illegality involved having to deal with the black market, social stigma around using illegal substances and difficulty with dose accuracy and purity. (Petranker and Anderson 2019)
This may be due to the growing illegality of these drugs since the 1990s. Nevertheless, the relatively easy availability of both legal and illegal substances, means that better interventions will need to be found to avert more people from using them. (Sagoe 2014)
Common collocates for this word:

illegality

alleged
possible
manifest
flagrant
blatant
police
technical
potential
corporate
gross
obvious
complete
international
serious
ouright

Word Family: illegality (noun), illegal (adjective), illegally (adverb), legal (adjective), legalize (verb), legally (adverb)
Synonyms: unlawfulness, crime, misdeed, wrongdoing, criminality, malpractice
Antonyms: legality, lawfulness, honesty, justice, morality
25/02/25

01/03/25

policyNGSL AWL AKL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE An agreed set of rules or procedures concerning how to proceed in given situations. A policy may be drawn up by any organisation including a government, a political party, a commercial enterprise, a sports club, and so on.
Governments and educational institutions have policies regarding many aspects of instruction, including teaching, and language.
"A much more flexible and open teaching and language policy would help teachers and pupils to enable a meaningful learning environment in a multilingual and diverse classroom setting." (Kretzer 2019)
Governments have policies on many issues. one of the most important of these is foreign policy - how the government deals with other countries.
"In January 2020, Mexico became the first country in Latin America to adopt a feminist foreign policy. Its strategy seeks to advance gender equality internationally; combat gender violence worldwide; and confront inequalities in all social and environmental justice program areas." (Lal and Graham 2021)
Governments and special interest groups may have policies on specific issues such as climate.
"Understanding the relationship between public opinion and climate policy can help focus the efforts of climate campaigners." (Crawley 2021)
Common collocates for this word:

policy

foreign
social
economic
monetary
public
agrricultural
regional
industrial
fiscal
national
environmental

Word Family: policy (noun), politic (adjective), political (adjective), politics (noun), politician (noun), politicize (verb),
Synonyms: plan, procedure, principle, scheme, practice, custom, system
24/02/2025

01/03/25

scenarioAWL NAWL OPAL

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
Lexical phrases:
[in, under] this scenario
worst case scenario
21/02/2025

01/03/25

regimeAWL NAWL OPAL

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

01/03/25

objectiveNGSL AWL OPAL

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

01/03/25

manipulate AWL OPAL

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

01/03/25

complement AWL NAWL

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