Vocabulary
Words I keep meeting in serious reading — news, essays, textbooks — with the meanings that matter and a sentence I have actually seen used.
The trick with vocabulary, I have come to believe, is not how many words you have studied but how many you have met three times in real text. A word you saw once in a flashcard app and never again is not a word you know. The lists below are meant to be re-read, not memorized.
Academic words (1 of many)
Drawn from the Academic Word List (Coxhead, 2000) and from my own reading notes. Definitions are short on purpose; if you want a fuller one, the dictionary is one click away.
| Word | Meaning (short) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| analyse | to examine in detail | The report analyses three years of spending. |
| approach (n.) | a way of dealing with something | Her approach to teaching is unusually patient. |
| assess | to judge or estimate | It is too early to assess the damage. |
| assume | to take as true without proof | I assumed the meeting was cancelled. |
| benefit | an advantage gained | The main benefit is lower cost. |
| concept | a general idea | The concept is simple; the execution is hard. |
| consist (of) | to be made up of | The course consists of twelve lectures. |
| constitute | to make up; to form | Women constitute half the workforce. |
| context | the surrounding situation | Out of context, the remark sounded rude. |
| contract (n.) | a written agreement | She signed a two-year contract. |
| derive | to come from; to obtain | The word derives from Latin. |
| distribute | to give out; to spread | Volunteers distributed the leaflets. |
| economy | the system of money and trade | The economy grew slowly last year. |
| environment | surroundings; conditions | A quiet environment helps concentration. |
| establish | to set up; to prove | The school was established in 1923. |
| evident | clearly seen; obvious | It was evident that he was tired. |
| factor | one of several causes | Price is only one factor. |
| function | purpose; role | The function of sleep is still debated. |
| identify | to recognise; to point out | Can you identify the main argument? |
| indicate | to show; to suggest | The data indicates a steady rise. |
| interpret | to explain the meaning of | How do you interpret this passage? |
| involve | to include as a necessary part | The job involves a lot of travel. |
| issue | topic; problem | This is a difficult issue. |
| method | way of doing something | We tried a different method. |
| occur | to happen | The accident occurred at noon. |
| percent | parts per hundred | Roughly forty percent agreed. |
| policy | plan of action | The company changed its policy. |
| principle | basic rule or belief | The principle is sound, even if the details are not. |
| procedure | set steps for doing something | Follow the standard procedure. |
| require | to need | The form requires a signature. |
| research | careful study | More research is needed. |
| respond | to reply; to react | She did not respond to my email. |
| role | the part something plays | Sleep plays a role in memory. |
| section | one part of a whole | Read the next section carefully. |
| significant | important; notable | There is no significant difference. |
| similar | alike but not identical | The two cases are similar. |
| source | place something comes from | The source of the river is unknown. |
| specific | particular; detailed | Can you give a specific example? |
| strategy | plan to achieve a goal | Our strategy was simple. |
| structure | the way parts are arranged | The structure of the essay is clear. |
More lists will be added over time, in batches I can actually remember.