Academic Word of the Day Set 12

Previous Academic Word of the Day Sets

This page contains words from Set 12

This page examines particular academic words and their usage in academic writing.

For each word, it examines the meaning or meanings of that word and its collocations, connotations, other words in the same word families, possible synonyms, antonyms, and lexical phrases, and provides examples of its use in authentic texts which are cited and listed in the bibliography. Occasionally, where an example is taken from a text which is particularly rich in examples of the headword, the citation is also a link to the source article. There is also an indication of whether the word appears in an academic word list. These are:

AWL: The Academic Word List
NAWL: The New Academic Word List
AKL: The Academic Keyword List
OPAL: The Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon
NGSL: The New General Service List (a basic word list rather than an academic one)

In the example sentences the words of the day are highlighted in red. Other 'academic words' are highlighted in bold.
Where the example sentences contain 'academic' words, these are highlighted in bold, as in this paragraph. Only words from the Academic Word List (AWL), the New Academic Word List (NAWL) or some from the Academic Keyword List (AKL) are highlighted. This gives you an idea of how common and important these words are in these types of academic or technical texts.

If you need to find or highlight academic words in a text you can use the Academic Word Highlighter. This gives you a choice about which word list to use for highlighting.

The words of the day appear in order by date.

authoritative AWL: ADJECTIVE mainly attributive 1. controlling, commanding respect and obedience; 2. containing accurate and complete information from respected and reliable sources
Authoritative parents are highly demanding while being highly responsive. (English 2016)
There are many apparently authoritative sources that contain flawed information. Sometimes the flawed information is deliberate, but sometimes it isn’t – after all, to err is human. (Freilich 2023)
More experienced fact-checkers can also beeline to the authoritative references at the bottom of each Wikipedia article. (O’Neil and Cunneen 2021)
However, [generative AI chatbots] do often fail on the maxim of quality. They tend to hallucinate, giving answers which may appear authoritative but are in fact false. (Louro 2024)
The way language functions are instantiated in communication determines whether social interactions are authoritative or authoritarian. (Joullié et al. 2021)
Common collocates for this word:

authoritative

source
directives
voice
directive
statement
opinion
interpretation
text
advice
account
study
work
directives
guidance
report

Word Family: authoritative (adjective), authority (noun), authoritarian (adjective and noun)
Synonyms: correct, faithful, official, reliable, commanding
01/08/25 - Set 12
definitive AWL: ADJECTIVE attributive and predicative unlikely to be improved or changed in any way, and therefore final, conclusive
A Night to Remember was adapted by Eric Ambler from Walter Lord’s probing 1955 non-fiction account of events. This is still considered one of the definitive accounts of the disaster. (Jamieson 2022)
Further research reported that 67% of British students never or rarely use a semicolon; more than 50% did not know how to use it. Just 11% of respondents described themselves as frequent users. These findings may not be definitive. (Petelin 2025)
However, everyone’s brain matures at a different rate. That means there is no definitive age we can say humans reach “adult” levels of cognitive maturity. (Vijayakumar and Sawyer 2024)
The low level and variability of methane on Mars is still a mystery. And in the absence of definitive evidence that this very low level of methane has a biological origin, nobody is claiming definitive evidence of life on Mars. (Impey 2025)
New evidence provides definitive proof of repeated occupation in this once frozen high-altitude landscape. It is now believed to be the oldest occupied site in Australia at high elevation. (Way et al. 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

definitive

agreement
statement
answer
version
study
work
guide
account
evidence
form
diagnosis
book
statement
answers
list

Word Family: definitive (adjective), define (verb), definite (adjective), definition (noun)
Synonyms: conclusive, final, canonical
31/07/25 - Set 12
creative AWL OPAL NGSL: ADJECTIVE mainly attributive making new products, systems, processes, artworks, or ideas
When you think about creativity, it might be highly creative people like Mozart, da Vinci or Einstein who spring to mind. (Davies and Newton 2018)
On top of hobbies and interests, we all possess creative attributes that can help as we solve life’s problems and make decisions. (Davies and Newton 2018)
Experimental studies have shown that when children engage with creative content or watch others be highly creative, they become more creative themselves. (Mulukom 2018)
Many people believe that creative thinking is difficult – that the ability to come up with ideas in novel and interesting ways graces only some talented individuals and not most others. (Zhu 2023)
Moreover, creativity is a skill that can be strengthened. This matters even for people who don’t consider themselves creative or who aren’t in creative fields. (Zhu 2023)
Common collocates for this word:

creative

writing
work
team
process
people
thinking
power
arts
accounting
ideas
activity
energy
work
thought
powers

Word Family: creative (adjective), create (verb), creation (noun), creatively (adverb)
Synonyms: imaginative, innovative, inventive
30/07/25 - Set 12
economical AWL: ADJECTIVE attributive and predicative efficient use of resources without waste
The new supercomputer of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) not only is very fast, but also very economical. (Science X Network :: Phys.Org, Medical Xpress, Tech Xplore 2017)
A more efficient, power-dense, and cost-effective AC-DC converter—the power-processing unit in EV battery chargers—is one technology that could help develop an economical charging infrastructure. (Pennington 2021)
If renewables worldwide still have a relatively modest weight, it is because there are sectors where their use is difficult or not very economical. (De Paoli 21/112022)
As demand for rare earth elements increases, the United States is strengthening its domestic supply chain. Ana Inés Torres is working to identify economical processes that will minimize environmental impacts. (Smith and Engineering 2025)
A group of researchers affiliated with the Center for Innovation in New Energies (CINE) has developed a method for purifying materials that is simple, economical and has a low environmental impact. (FAPESP 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

economical

way
use
repair
methods
means
proposition
manner
basis
ways
price
development
motoring
use
cooking
heating

Word Family: economical (adjective), economy (noun), economise (verb), economically (adverb)
Synonyms: cheap, affordable, efficient
29/07/25 - Set 12
consistent AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: ADJECTIVE attributive and predicative 1. operating constantly in the same way 2. (consistent with) in agreement or accordance with, compatible with
Other languages, such as Italian or Korean, by comparison are quite phonetic (most letters are pronounced, and most letters are pronounced in a consistent way). (Eunson 2015)
It’s just as important for a child’s emotional brain development that their parents nurture them in predictable and consistent ways. (Baram 2022)
being aware of the role that predictable and consistent behavior plays in brain development can help parents create an optimal environment for their child as they grow emotionally. (Baram 2022)
Evidence shows that our memory isn’t as consistent as we’d like to believe. (Nash 2018)
If a caregiver is consistent and effective in responding to these needs, a child is more likely to form a “secure” attachment. (Deneault, Nivison, and Madigan 2023)
We found a sandstone grinding slab, dated to 13,000 years ago, consistent with shaping bone or wooden artefacts such as needles, awls, bone points and nose points. (Way et al. 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

consistent

pattern
results
basis
approach
way
quality
use
standards
set
finding
evidence
relationship
results
support
policy

Word Family: consistent (adjective)
Synonyms: constant, steady, unchanging, unvarying, compatible with
Lexical phrases: consistent with [...]
28/07/25 - Set 12
dissimilar AWL: ADJECTIVE mainly predicative unlike, different, not the same
This adjective is mainly used in the expression 'not dissimilar to', meaning similar, almost the same.
Any two people have certain commonalities and certain dissimilar qualities. (Gehlbach 2015)
Surprisingly, weight-loss diets in the 1950s and 1960s were not too dissimilar from today’s diets. (Wilks-Heeg 2017)
We know in our own Solar system that the Earth, Venus and Mars are not extremely dissimilar in size, or in the amount of light they receive from the sun. (Mayne 2016)
Pie charts can be okay when there are just a few categories and the percentages are dissimilar, for example with one large and one small category. (Barnett and Oguoma 2024)
In all cases, batteries perform in the same manner: a voltage difference between two dissimilar electrodes produces an electric current, which can be discharged to power a device. (Chang 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

dissimilar

materials
metals
sounds
things
conditions
elements
parts
objects
ways
images
systems
substances
metals
characters
groups

Word Family: dissimilar (adjective)
Synonyms: different
Lexical phrases: dissimilar [to, from] ...
25/07/25 - Set 12
evident AWL NAWL AKL OPAL: ADJECTIVE mainly predicative easy to see and understand
The impact of AI on the ageing brain will only become evident in future decades. (Wilson 2025)
Public trust is deteriorating among increasingly frustrated communities. This was evident in local election results. (Gotz et al. 2025)
As I attended this year’s festival, I had a chance to reflect on how Australia’s appreciation of multiculturalism and diversity is most evident in food. (Kimura 2023)
It is evident that those with political power and money can easily hire automated systems, like bots, to influence the flow of political content across social media. (Maina 2022)
This [rich cultural heritage] is evident in the country’s 11 official languages, the dress of its indigenous peoples, the cultural rituals they share and in the music they compose and sing. (Boswell 2015)
Common collocates for this word:

evident

relief
enjoyment
satisfaction
lack
delight
enthusiasm
desire
pleasure
failure
fact
interest
distaste
enjoyment
reluctance
pride

Word Family: evident (adjective), evidence (noun), evidently (adverb)
Synonyms: obvious, apparent, clear
Lexical phrases:
{be} evident that ...
{be} evident from ...
24/07/25 - Set 12
indicative AWL: ADJECTIVE mainly predicative 1. (predicative) showing, demonstrating that ... 2. a grammatical category (mood) relating to matters of fact (statements or questions)
This adjective is used almost exclusively in the phrase 'indicative of' meaning 'demonstrating the truth of or evidence for ...'
Although we used virtual health care as an example, the results are indicative of a broader issue. (Grogan, McGrath, and Fisher 2025)
This assessment not only highlights the very high extinction risk Madagascar's unique lemurs face, but it is indicative of the grave threats to Madagascar biodiversity as a whole. (Science X Network :: Phys.Org, Medical Xpress, Tech Xplore 2018)
Fewer bug-eating birds like flycatchers may be a tell-tale sign of shrinking insect populations, something more difficult to measure but itself indicative of deteriorating natural habitats. (Butchart 2022)
With the expansion of global food markets and our growing preferences for sweeter tastes, these changes are indicative of the desires of modern society. (Davies 2022)
Not all seizures are indicative of epilepsy. An otherwise normal brain may experience seizures during alcohol withdrawal. Seizure-like events may also occur with an acute decrease in blood flow, which can cause fainting. (Pellinen 2022)
Word Family: indicative (adjective), indicate (verb), indication (noun)
Lexical phrases:
indicative of ...
23/07/25 - Set 12
responsive AWL: ADJECTIVE attributive and predicative being attentive to, engaged with, or reacting to some event or behaviour
Programs that train the brain to be more responsive using specific tasks and increasing levels of difficulties are thought to help rewire neural pathways according to the neuroplasticity principle. (Shah 2017)
Our study, published in Psychological Bulletin, highlights how sensitive and responsive parenting behaviours are key ingredients to achieving secure attachment. (Deneault and Madigan 2024)
Responsive interaction includes comments or actions that build on the child’s current interest and behaviour, supporting what the child is already doing. (Hudry 2014)
For example, a case study on culturally responsive teaching for bilingual learners with disabilities has shown that connecting lessons to students’ own cultural and linguistic backgrounds can boost both their language skills and their reading comprehension. (Daniel 2025)
Her pupils saw significant improvements in literacy that underscores how culturally responsive methods can help bilingual children succeed. (Daniel 2025)
Word Family: responsive (adjective), respond (verb), response (noun)
Synonyms: reactive, sensitive, sympathetic, receptive
Lexical phrases:
responsive to ...
22/07/25 - Set 12
specific AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: ADJECTIVE mainly attributive particular, relating to one thing to the exclusion of others
We found that specific cells in the cortex (the outermost layer of the brain) collectively mapped the animal’s goal progress. (El-Gaby 2025)
Instead of directing users to one specific webpage, generative AI-powered search looks across webpages and sources to try to synthesise what they say. (Nagappa, Weinbrand, and Thomson 2025)
We want to answer specific questions such as why sad or bittersweet music plays a unique therapeutic role for some people, and which parts of the brain it “touches” compared with happier compositions. (Riby 2023)
Optimal brain activity associated with wellbeing and also specific musical qualities – such as a piece’s rhythm, tempo or melody – is learned over time. (Riby 2023)
We are nutrition researchers, and the authors of a new study that identifies some of the specific negative effects of ultra-processed foods that are readily available, very popular and often hard to resist, especially when people are feeling pressed for time. (Baric and Christoforou 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

specific

areas
problems
needs
issues
purpose
projects
questions
requirements
information
reference
issue
proposals
problems
points
types

Word Family: specific (adjective), specify (verb), specification (noun), specifically (adverb)
Synonyms: particular, exact, precise, explicit
21/07/25 - Set 12

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