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The TOEFL Exam: Essential English Vocabulary: List 8

Set yourself up for success on the TOEFL Exam by mastering these common English vocabulary words.
20 words 1059 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. abstract
    not representing or imitating external reality
    The artwork is hung between two of the living room windows, above a lovely abstract piece by Ms. Chapman herself. New York Times (Mar 12, 2020)
  2. accurate
    characterized by perfect conformity to fact or truth
    Before anyone visited the moon, scientists made very accurate measurements of its distance. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story
  3. consistent
    in agreement or reliable
    Am I acting in a way that is consistent with what I preach? A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age
  4. contemporary
    characteristic of the present
    “First thing I did was brush up on all the contemporary music. It’s so exciting, all the new music.” Americanah
  5. credible
    appearing to merit belief or acceptance
    On the other hand, we maintain that there is no credible evidence for the Earth being visited, now or ever. Cosmos
  6. crucial
    of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
    If it’s true that I play a crucial part in this mission, then he will help me. Challenger Deep
  7. document
    record in detail
    We document the behaviour of the animals at sea — how far they travel and dive, what they eat and how they respond to extreme weather events such as marine heatwaves. Nature (Jan 26, 2020)
  8. enormous
    extraordinarily large in size or extent or degree
    We found the hills were enormous—bigger than anything we’d ever seen. Watership Down: A Novel
  9. equivalent
    a person or thing comparable to another in value or measure
    Eventually, food intake fell to about four hundred calories a day—the equivalent of three potatoes. The Gene
  10. essential
    of the greatest importance
    He also understood its essential importance in giving his family a feeling of place and belonging in a new town. The Great Santini
  11. evidence
    knowledge on which to base belief
    We need an open dialogue among scientists where people present different ideas and then allow evidence to dictate which one is right. Scientific American (Feb 1, 2021)
  12. hypothesis
    a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested
    A hypothesis is a tentative explanation, a proposed answer to the question that underlies your research. The Thing About Jellyfish
  13. motivate
    give an incentive for action
    “Curiosity is what motivated me to ask questions,” she said. Washington Post (Jan 24, 2020)
  14. network
    an interconnected system of things or people
    The trail doesn’t connect with the park’s formal network of trails, but it is easier to access, and it offers some of the best birding on the peninsula. National Geographic (Jan 12, 2021)
  15. perspective
    a way of regarding situations or topics
    “We want to show your perspective... so people might understand what it’s like from your side. We—we hope it might change some things around here.” The Help
  16. regulate
    bring into conformity with rules, principles, or usage
    The newspaper called on broadcasters to regulate themselves. Spooked!
  17. rigid
    incapable of or resistant to bending
    The keyboard doesn’t rigidly connect to the tablet, so it flexes and moves unless it’s on a rigid surface like a desk or a table. The Verge (Sep 24, 2019)
  18. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
    Mainstream media coverage of these issues is sporadic and can’t be relied upon to reach everyone at the right time. Slate (Aug 15, 2016)
  19. straightforward
    free from ambiguity
    In keeping with a novel about a writing instructor, Juska’s prose is clean and straightforward. New York Times (Apr 23, 2018)
  20. uniform
    the same throughout in structure or composition
    Aside from the carbon-copy houses, there was nothing uniform about this working-class neighborhood; it was filled with people of all shapes, colors, and backgrounds. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates
Created on Mon Jan 25 11:18:23 EST 2021 (updated Tue Sep 14 13:00:51 EDT 2021)

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