59 academic word families from the Coxhead Academic Word List. Less frequent but still high-value academic vocabulary. Includes: abandon, accompany, accumulate, ambiguous, appendix, appreciate, arbitrary, automate, bias.
IELTS Academic Word List
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Sublist 8 — Nuance & Bias. Less frequent but still high-value academic vocabulary. Includes: abandon, accompany, accumulate, ambiguous, appendix, appreciate, arbitrary, automate, bias.
Open to more than one interpretation; not clearly defined.
The legislation was criticised for its ambiguous definition of intellectual property.
A tendency to favour one view, group, or outcome unfairly.
Self-reported data is prone to bias and should be triangulated with objective measures.
Give up an activity, plan, or commitment completely.
Faced with mounting evidence against the hypothesis, the research team chose to abandon their original theoretical framework.
Be present or occur at the same time as something else.
A short summary should accompany each chapter of the final report.
Gather or collect a large quantity gradually over time.
Wealth tends to accumulate among those with access to financial markets and inherited assets.
Add something extra at the end of a document or text.
The full data set was appended to the report as a supplementary resource for further analysis.
Recognise the full worth or significance of something.
It is important to appreciate the distinction between correlation and causation when interpreting observational data.
Based on random choice or personal whim rather than reason or system.
The choice of a five-year review cycle was arbitrary and not grounded in any empirical evidence about optimal review frequency.
Convert a process or system so it operates without direct human input.
Manufacturing firms increasingly seek to automate repetitive tasks in order to reduce labour costs and improve precision.
A diagram or table showing information visually in a structured way.
The research sought to chart the evolution of policy responses to unemployment across four decades.
Make something easier to understand by providing further detail or explanation.
The subsequent experiment was designed to clarify the role of temperature in the observed reaction rate.
A raw material or product that can be bought and sold on a market.
Global commodity prices are highly sensitive to geopolitical instability and currency fluctuations.
Something that combines well with another, making the whole more effective.
Qualitative interviews can serve as an effective complement to survey data by providing contextual depth.
Behave according to established rules, standards, or expectations.
All submitted manuscripts must conform to the journal's formatting guidelines before peer review can proceed.
Belonging to or occurring in the present time; modern.
Contemporary approaches to urban planning emphasise walkability, green space, and community engagement.
Assert the opposite of what someone has said; deny or disagree with directly.
These findings appear to contradict earlier studies that reported no significant association between the variables.
Extremely important or decisive for the success of something.
It is crucial that ethical considerations are embedded into research design from the outset.
The system of money used in a particular country or region.
A sudden devaluation of the local currency made imported goods substantially more expensive.
Discover or notice the presence of something not easily seen or sensed.
Advanced imaging technology can now detect tumours at a stage when they are still highly treatable.
Move away from an established course, rule, or normal pattern.
When actual behaviour deviates significantly from the predicted model, the underlying assumptions must be re-examined.
Force someone or something to leave a place or position.
Automation is expected to displace a significant proportion of routine manual and cognitive jobs over the next decade.
A play, performance, or genre involving fictional characters and events.
The use of drama in education has been shown to enhance empathy and collaborative problem-solving skills.
Happening at an unspecified time in the future as a final result.
The researchers tracked participants over five years to assess the eventual impact of the intervention.
Display a particular quality or behaviour openly so others can see.
Children who exhibit early reading difficulties are more likely to experience academic challenges throughout schooling.
Make full use of a resource, opportunity, or situation, sometimes unfairly.
The study examines how multinational corporations exploit regulatory differences across national jurisdictions.
Rise and fall irregularly in number, amount, or value.
Exchange rates tend to fluctuate in response to changes in inflation, interest rates, and political risk.
A general rule or piece of advice indicating how something should be done.
Research ethics guidelines require that participants provide informed consent prior to data collection.
Draw special attention to something so it stands out clearly.
The report seeks to highlight the persistent gap in educational attainment between income groups.
Suggested or understood without being expressed directly.
The model carries an implicit assumption that market actors have access to complete and accurate information.
Bring about or cause a particular feeling, state, or action.
Financial incentives were used to induce behavioural change among participants with low intrinsic motivation.
Certain to happen and impossible to avoid or prevent.
It is not inevitable that technological progress leads to greater social equality; policy choices matter enormously.
The basic physical and organisational systems needed for a society to function.
Inadequate digital infrastructure in rural areas continues to limit access to online educational resources.
Examine something carefully to check its quality, condition, or compliance.
Regulatory authorities have the power to inspect financial records and audit internal control procedures.
Very strong, extreme, or concentrated in degree.
The study subjected participants to a period of intense cognitive training to assess neuroplasticity in adults.
Control or influence cleverly, often in an unfair or skilful way.
In experimental designs, researchers systematically manipulate the independent variable to observe its effect on outcomes.
Reduce something undesirable to the smallest possible amount or degree.
Random assignment to conditions helps to minimise the influence of confounding variables on the results.
Relating to the nucleus of an atom, or to weapons that release atomic energy.
The debate over nuclear energy has intensified as governments seek to balance low carbon output with safety concerns.
Cancel out the effect of something by balancing it with an opposing force.
Increased productivity gains were expected to offset the short-term costs of implementing the new system.
A distinct section of a piece of writing, usually dealing with one idea.
Each paragraph of an academic argument should be unified around a single, clearly stated main idea.
An additional positive aspect or advantage of something.
A significant plus of the longitudinal design is its ability to capture changes in behaviour over time.
Someone who works in a particular profession, especially medicine or law.
The findings have direct implications for clinical practitioners working in community mental health settings.
Present as the strongest or main element in a group or situation.
Quantitative methods remain predominant in economics, though mixed-methods approaches are increasingly common.
The possibility or likelihood that a future event will happen.
The prospect of further automation raises important questions about the future of low-skilled employment.
Affecting the fundamental nature of something; thorough and far-reaching.
The proposed radical restructuring of the health service was met with considerable resistance from professional bodies.
Chosen, arranged, or occurring without method or conscious decision.
Random sampling ensures that every member of the population has an equal probability of being included in the study.
Strengthen or support an idea, structure, behaviour, or feeling.
The qualitative findings served to reinforce the patterns already observed in the quantitative analysis.
Bring something back to its former, better, or original condition.
The peace accord was designed to restore political stability and rebuild trust between divided communities.
Reconsider and change something in order to improve or update it.
Authors are often required to revise their manuscripts in response to peer reviewers' critiques.
A plan listing events or tasks to be done at particular times.
The data collection was scheduled across three phases to capture seasonal variation in participant behaviour.
A grammatical category indicating the time of an action or state.
Academic writing conventions require careful attention to verb tense to signal the relationship between claims and evidence.
Bring something to an end before its natural conclusion.
The trial was terminated early after interim analysis showed that the treatment was causing significant adverse effects.
A subject or idea that recurs throughout a discussion or piece of writing.
Thematic analysis revealed three recurring themes across the interview transcripts: identity, belonging, and aspiration.
As a result of an action or event just mentioned.
The intervention reduced exposure to risk factors, thereby lowering the incidence of disease in the target population.
Remaining the same in all cases and at all times; consistent.
A uniform testing procedure was applied across all sites to ensure comparability of the collected data.
A means of transport, or something used to convey or express ideas.
Community radio has served as an important vehicle for the dissemination of health information in rural areas.
By way of or through a particular route or means.
Participants were recruited via social media platforms and subsequently screened for eligibility criteria.
Existing in essence or effect, often through computer simulation rather than physical form.
Virtual learning environments have expanded access to higher education for geographically dispersed student populations.
Relating to seeing or to images that can be looked at.
Visual representations of data, such as charts and graphs, facilitate rapid comprehension of complex trends.
Found or distributed over a large area or among many people.
Widespread adoption of the new protocol was hindered by a lack of training resources and institutional support.
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