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Academic Word List (AWL) P2

The Academic Word List (AWL) was developed by Averil Coxhead at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The list contains 570 word families which were selected because they appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts. The list does not include words that are in the most frequent 2000 words of English (the General Service List), thus making it specific to academic contexts. The AWL was primarily made so that it could be used by teachers as part of a programme preparing learners for tertiary level study or used by students working alone to learn the words most needed to study at colleges and universities.
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Full list of words from this list:

  1. alter
    cause to change; make different
  2. stability
    the quality or attribute of being firm and steadfast
  3. energy
    forceful exertion
  4. aware
    having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization
  5. licence
    a legal document giving official permission to do something
  6. enforcement
    ensuring observance of or obedience to
  7. draft
    a current of air
  8. style
    how something is done or how it happens
  9. precise
    sharply exact or accurate or delimited
  10. medical
    relating to the study or practice of medicine
  11. pursue
    follow in an effort to capture
  12. symbolic
    relating to or using arbitrary signs
  13. marginal
    at or constituting a border or edge
  14. capacity
    capability to perform or produce
  15. generation
    group of genetically related organisms in a line of descent
  16. exposure
    the state of being exposed to harm
  17. decline
    grow worse
  18. academic
    associated with an educational institution
  19. modified
    changed in form or character
  20. external
    happening or arising outside some limits or surface
  21. psychology
    the science of mental life
  22. fundamental
    serving as an essential component
  23. adjustment
    the act of making something different
  24. ratio
    relation with respect to comparative quantity or magnitude
  25. enable
    provide the means to perform some task
  26. version
    something a little different from others of the same type
  27. perspective
    a way of regarding situations or topics
  28. contact
    the act of touching physically
  29. network
    an open fabric woven together at regular intervals
  30. facilitate
    make easier
  31. welfare
    something that aids or promotes well-being
  32. transition
    the act of passing from one state or place to the next
  33. amendment
    a statement that is added to a proposal or document
  34. logic
    the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference
  35. rejected
    rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
  36. expansion
    the act of increasing in size or volume or quantity or scope
  37. clause
    a separate section of a legal document
  38. prime
    of or relating to the first or originating agent
  39. target
    a reference point to shoot at
  40. objective
    the goal intended to be attained
  41. sustainable
    capable of being prolonged
  42. equivalent
    being essentially comparable to something
  43. liberal
    showing or characterized by broad-mindedness
  44. notion
    a general inclusive concept
  45. substitution
    putting one thing or person in the place of another
  46. generate
    bring into existence
  47. trend
    a general tendency to change, as of opinion
  48. revenue
    the entire amount of income before any deductions are made
  49. compound
    a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts
  50. evolution
    sequence of events involved in the development of a species
  51. conflict
    an open clash between two opposing groups
  52. image
    a visual representation produced on a surface
  53. discretion
    power of making choices unconstrained by external agencies
  54. entity
    that which is perceived to have its own distinct existence
  55. orientation
    the act of determining one's position
  56. consultation
    the act of referring to something to find information
  57. mental
    involving the mind or an intellectual process
  58. monitoring
    the act of observing something
  59. intervention
    the act of putting something between two things
  60. confirmed
    having been established or made firm or received the rite of confirmation
  61. definite
    precise; explicit and clearly defined
  62. classical
    of the most highly developed stage of an early civilization
  63. chemical
    produced by reactions involving atomic or molecular changes
  64. voluntary
    of your own free will or design
  65. release
    grant freedom to; free from confinement
  66. visible
    capable of being seen or open to easy view
  67. finite
    bounded in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent
  68. publication
    the act of issuing printed materials
  69. channel
    a deep and relatively narrow body of water
  70. file
    record in a public office or in a court of law
  71. thesis
    an unproved statement advanced as a premise in an argument
  72. equipment
    an instrumentality needed for an undertaking
  73. disposal
    the act or means of getting rid of something
  74. solely
    without any others being included or involved
  75. deny
    declare untrue; contradict
  76. identical
    being the exact same one
  77. submit
    yield to the control of another
  78. grade
    a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
  79. phenomenon
    any state or process known through the senses
  80. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  81. ultimately
    as the end result of a succession or process
  82. extract
    remove, usually with some force or effort
  83. survive
    continue in existence after
  84. converted
    spiritually reborn
  85. transmission
    communication by means of sent signals
  86. global
    involving the entire earth
  87. infer
    conclude by reasoning
  88. guarantee
    an unconditional commitment that something will happen
  89. advocate
    a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
  90. dynamic
    characterized by action or forcefulness of personality
  91. simulation
    the act of imitating the behavior of some situation
  92. topic
    the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
  93. insert
    introduce
  94. reverse
    change to the contrary
  95. decade
    a period of 10 years
  96. comprise
    be made of
  97. hierarchical
    classified by various criteria into successive levels
  98. unique
    the single one of its kind
  99. comprehensive
    including all or everything
  100. couple
    two items of the same kind
  101. mode
    how something is done or how it happens
  102. differentiation
    a discrimination between things as distinct
  103. eliminate
    end, take out, or do away with
  104. priority
    status established in order of importance or urgency
  105. empirical
    derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
  106. ideology
    an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group
  107. somewhat
    to a small degree or extent
  108. aid
    the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need
  109. foundation
    the basis on which something is grounded
  110. adult
    a fully developed person from maturity onward
  111. adaptation
    the process of adjusting or conforming to new conditions
  112. quotation
    a passage or expression that is cited
  113. contrary
    exact opposition
  114. successive
    following in order without gaps
  115. innovation
    the act of starting something for the first time
  116. prohibited
    forbidden by law
  117. isolated
    remote and separate physically or socially
  118. ongoing
    currently happening
  119. so-called
    doubtful or suspect
  120. likewise
    in a similar manner
  121. nonetheless
    despite anything to the contrary
  122. levy
    impose and collect
  123. invoke
    request earnestly; ask for aid or protection
  124. colleague
    an associate that one works with
  125. depression
    a sunken or lowered geological formation
  126. collapse
    break down, literally or metaphorically
  127. challenge
    a call to engage in a contest or fight
Created on Fri Aug 02 16:30:19 EDT 2013 (updated Fri Aug 02 16:33:54 EDT 2013)

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