60 academic word families from the Coxhead Academic Word List. Process and evaluation vocabulary. Includes: academic, capacity, challenge, clause, compound, conflict, consult, decline, discrete.
IELTS Academic Word List
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Sublist 5 — Process & Evaluation Words. Process and evaluation vocabulary. Includes: academic, capacity, challenge, clause, compound, conflict, consult, decline, discrete.
A gradual or continuous decrease in number, value, or quality
Birth rates have been in steady decline across most developed economies since the 1970s.
A demanding or difficult task; question whether something is correct or true
Climate change poses a serious challenge to traditional agricultural practices.
An institution for the study of a particular subject or for training in a skill
The academy has historically served as the primary institution for the production and dissemination of scholarly knowledge.
Alter or move something slightly in order to achieve the desired fit, appearance, or result
Researchers may need to adjust their sampling methods when initial data collection reveals unexpected variation.
Change or cause to change in character or composition
Introducing financial incentives can significantly alter consumer behaviour in predictable ways.
Make minor changes to a text, piece of legislation, or proposal in order to improve it
The committee voted to amend the original proposal following consultation with key stakeholders.
Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact
Practitioners must be aware of the ethical implications inherent in data collection from vulnerable populations.
The maximum amount that something can contain or produce; the ability to do something
The capacity of public health systems to respond to emergencies depends heavily on prior investment in infrastructure.
A particular section of a legal document, treaty, or contract
A confidentiality clause was inserted into the agreement to protect commercially sensitive information.
Make a difficult situation worse; a thing made of two or more parts
Poor nutrition and inadequate sleep can compound the effects of chronic stress on cognitive performance.
A serious disagreement or argument; armed fighting between groups
The study identified a significant conflict between economic growth objectives and environmental sustainability targets.
Seek information or advice from someone with expertise on a particular subject
Policy-makers should consult affected communities before implementing large-scale urban development projects.
Communication or meeting with someone; the state of physical touching
Sustained contact between host and migrant communities has been shown to reduce social prejudice.
Individually separate and distinct from others; not continuous
The data were organised into discrete categories to facilitate systematic comparison across groups.
A preliminary version of a piece of writing, document, or plan
The research team circulated a draft report for peer review before finalising the recommendations.
Provide someone with the means or opportunity to do something
Digital technologies enable researchers to collect and analyse large datasets with greater efficiency.
Power derived from physical or chemical resources; vigour and vitality
The transition to renewable energy sources is central to meeting international carbon reduction targets.
Compel observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation
Governments must actively enforce environmental regulations to deter corporate non-compliance.
A thing that has a distinct, separate, and independent existence
The corporation operates as a distinct legal entity separate from its individual shareholders.
Equal in value, amount, function, meaning, or effect
An equivalent dose administered by a different route may produce significantly different pharmacological effects.
Develop gradually, especially through a process of natural selection or refinement
The role of the university has continued to evolve in response to changing labour market demands.
Become or make larger in size, number, importance, or extent
Governments sought to expand access to higher education by increasing public funding of universities.
Reveal the true nature of someone or something; allow contact with something harmful or beneficial
The audit sought to expose systemic weaknesses in the organisation's financial controls.
Belonging to or forming the outer surface or structure of something
External funding from charitable foundations has become an increasingly important source of research support.
Make an action or process easy or easier
Cross-institutional partnerships can facilitate the sharing of expertise and research infrastructure.
Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance
A fundamental understanding of statistical methods is required before advanced quantitative analysis can be undertaken.
Cause to arise or come about; produce or create
The experiment was designed to generate data on the long-term effects of dietary change on metabolic health.
All of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively
Each generation of scholars builds upon and critically evaluates the contributions of its predecessors.
A representation of the external form of a person or thing in art or photography; mental picture
Satellite image analysis provides a cost-effective means of monitoring deforestation at a global scale.
Open to new ideas or behaviour; generous in giving; favouring individual rights and reform
The shift towards a more liberal trade regime created new opportunities for developing economies.
A permit from an authority to own or use something or do a particular thing
A broadcasting licence must be obtained from the regulatory authority before transmission can begin.
Reasoning conducted according to strict principles of validity
The internal logic of the argument was sound, but the empirical evidence presented was insufficient.
The edge or border of something; the amount by which something exceeds something else; profit
The treatment group performed better than the control group, but only by a narrow margin.
Relating to the science or practice of medicine
Ethical approval from a medical research committee is mandatory before trials involving human participants can begin.
Relating to the mind or to its inner processes
Prolonged unemployment has been associated with deteriorating mental health outcomes among working-age adults.
Make partial or minor changes to something to improve it or make it less extreme
Researchers sought to modify the experimental protocol in response to preliminary findings.
Observe and check the progress or quality of something over time
Health authorities continue to monitor antibiotic resistance rates across hospital settings.
A group or system of interconnected people or things
Social capital is largely determined by the breadth and quality of an individual's professional network.
A conception of or belief about something; an idea
The notion that markets are always self-correcting has been challenged by numerous economic crises.
Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; a goal or aim
An objective assessment of the evidence requires researchers to set aside prior theoretical commitments.
Adjust or tailor to specified circumstances or needs; align with a position
The programme was designed to orient new students to the expectations of postgraduate academic writing.
A particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view
From a sociological perspective, inequality is reproduced through structures rather than individual failings.
Marked by exactness and accuracy of expression or detail
The precise mechanisms by which sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function remain under investigation.
Of first importance; main; of the best possible quality
Access to clean water is a prime determinant of public health outcomes in low-income regions.
The scientific study of the human mind and its functions
Organisational psychology examines how workplace design and management practices influence employee well-being.
Follow or chase; engage in a course of action or activity
The government continues to pursue an austerity agenda despite mounting evidence of its social costs.
The quantitative relation between two amounts showing the number of times one contains the other
A high debt-to-equity ratio may indicate that a firm is overleveraged and financially vulnerable.
Dismiss as inadequate, unacceptable, or faulty; refuse to accept
The null hypothesis was rejected at the 0.05 significance level based on the chi-square test.
Income, especially when of an organisation and of a substantial nature
Tax revenue from natural resource extraction was used to fund infrastructure development programmes.
Not likely to change or fail; firmly fixed
A politically stable environment is considered essential for attracting long-term foreign direct investment.
A particular procedure or way of doing something; a distinctive appearance
Academic writing style requires precision and economy of language rather than rhetorical elaboration.
Use or add in place of something else; a person or thing acting in place of another
Renewable energy sources serve as viable substitutes for fossil fuels in electricity generation.
Cause something to continue for an extended period; support physically or mentally
Without institutional support, it is difficult to sustain community-led conservation initiatives over time.
A mark or character used to represent something; a thing that stands for something else
The dove is a universal symbol of peace, widely recognised across different cultural contexts.
An object or person at which someone aims a weapon or attack; an objective
The intervention was specifically designed to target households in the lowest income quintile.
The process of moving people or goods from one place to another
Goods in transit are subject to customs inspection at the point of entry into the destination country.
A general direction in which something is developing or changing
The data reveal a consistent trend towards urbanisation across all developing regions studied.
A particular form of something different from a previous form or one being compared
The published version of the paper differed substantially from the original draft submitted for peer review.
The health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group; statutory aid to people in need
Government spending on social welfare increased significantly following the economic recession of 2008.
In contrast or comparison with the fact that; while
Developed nations produce the majority of carbon emissions, whereas developing nations bear the greatest consequences.
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