Academic Word of the Day Set 2

This page contains words from Set 2

Today's word is:

2025-03-14

2

methodology   AWL NAWL OPAL

NOUN COUNTABLE A way or system of doing something
A set of practices and procedures used by people who work in a particular discipline for the the purposes of research, inquiry or production.
My methodology included a review of research in this area, interviews with more than a dozen farmers, farmer representative bodies, and other participants in the food supply chain, and a survey of media reporting of recent instances of food shortages. (Bartos 2022)
It should also be noted that these results use a different methodology to the industry standard for flood estimation. (Hannaford and Slater 2024)
Also used as an adjective:
The chess community is probably right in criticising the recent study, as it suffers from several methodological shortcomings that probably invalidate the results. (Gobet and Sala 2017)
and also used as an adverb:
However, this is methodologically unsound and impractical in a single class. The person deciding who gets the intervention should not be the person delivering the intervention or assessing the outcome. Otherwise bias is inevitable. (Morgan and McKnight 2022)
Common collocates for this word:

methodology

research
design
survey
scientific
teaching
development
assessement
evaluation
statistical
management
study
appropriate
sampling
test

Word Family: methodology (noun), method (noun), methodological (adjective), methodologically (adverb)
Synonyms: method, procedure, process, technique, manner
Lexical phrases: [the, a] methodology [of, for]
14/03/2025 - Set 2

Test your understanding of words 11 - 20 with these quick quizzes: Quiz 2 Quiz 2B Quiz 2C

2025-03-13

2

exclusion  AWL AKL OPAL

NOUN The act of preventing a person, group or thing from taking part in an activity, event or process.
Social exclusion is the inability to participate fully in the economic, cultural, social and political aspects of a society. (Watson, Crawley, and Kane 2016)
But today, 33 years after the accident, the Chernobyl exclusion zone, which covers an area now in Ukraine and Belarus, is inhabited by brown bears, bisons, wolves, lynxes, Przewalski horses, and more than 200 bird species, among other animals. (Orizaola 2019)
Language, held up as a sign of belonging, becomes a gatekeeper for inclusion/exclusion, regulating access to citizenship and education, health and legal protection. (Angouri, Polezzi, and Wilson 2019)
Exclusion from school is associated with health, well-being and social detriments and disproportionately affects vulnerable children. (Jay et al. 2023)
Grazing exclusion by fence has become a common practice worldwide for managing overgrazed grasslands. The aim of grazing exclusion is to reverse the negative effects of overgrazing and recover degraded grasslands through their self-healing capacities []. (Xiong et al. 2016)
Common collocates for this word:

exclusion

general
total
virtual
complete
social
continued
entire
specific
standard
possible
mutual
special
express
unreasonable
systematic

exclusion

clause
zone
crisis
principle
criteria
restrictions
order
diet
phase

Word Family: exclusion (noun), exclude (verb), exclusive (adjective), exclusively (adverb)
Synonyms: prohibition, expulsion, eviction, rejection
Antonyms: inclusion, acceptance, admission
Lexical phrases: to the exclusion of
"And kids are specializing in sports at younger ages. Six-, 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds are playing one sport year-round to the exclusion of other sports." (Pandya 2024)
13/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-12

2

fluctuate  AWL

VERB INTRANSITIVE To change irregularly or unpredictably especially in amount or value
Our body weight can fluctuate within a single day and across the days of the week. Studies show body weight fluctuates by 0.35% within the week and it’s typically higher after the weekend. (Fuller 2024)
People fluctuate in their behavior as they go about their daily lives, but little is known about the processes underlying these fluctuations. (Wilson, Thompson, and Vazire 2017)
Many insect populations are known to naturally fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. (Moran 2020)
So why isn’t the Earth covered in ice right now? It’s because we are in a period known as an “interglacial.” In an ice age, temperatures will fluctuate between colder and warmer levels. (Su 2022)
But estimating future surface water is tricky. River levels fluctuate with the seasons, ponds and puddles emerge and disappear, and it’s hard to predict exactly where will be farmed and irrigated years from now. (Thomas and Smith 2020)
Common collocates for this word:

fluctuate

widely
greatly
significantly
considerably
wildly
dramatically
rapidly
seasonally
randomly
slightly
substantially
freely
somewhat
markedly
violently

Word Family: fluctuate (verb), fluctuation (noun)
Synonyms: vary, waver, oscillate, vacillate
Lexical phrases: fluctuate from X to X (time to time, day to day, ...
"Incomes can fluctuate from year to year, and so we may get an exaggerated picture of income inequality if we examine only annual income." (Wilkins 2017)
12/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-11

2

bias   AWL AKL OPAL NGSL

NOUN A deliberate or unintentional tendency to favour a particular group, hypothesis, theory
An instinctive bias in favor of one’s “in-group” and its worldview is deeply ingrained in human psychology. (Bardon 2020)
Recognizing bias can be challenging — no one wants to be biased, yet everyone is. (Blanchette 2024)
Like a similar map which had been made for US states, our map shows variation in the extent of racial bias – but all European countries are racially biased when comparing blacks versus whites. (Stafford 2017)
At a societal level, algorithmic biases perpetuate and amplify structural racial bias in the judicial system, gender bias in the people companies hire, and wealth inequality in urban development. (Morewedge 2024)
Humans are biased in how they evaluate information. People are more likely to trust and remember information from their in-group — those who share their identities — while distrusting information from perceived out-groups. This bias leads to echo chambers, where like-minded people reinforce shared beliefs, regardless of accuracy. (Fisher 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

bias

political
personal
negative
particular
male
cultural
sexist
racial
obvious
possible
certain
inherent
definite
alleged
marked

bias

gender
selection
class
response
observer
criterion
press
prestige
spectrum
publication
age
interviewer
suspicion
newspaper
colour

Word Family: bias (noun), bias (verb), biased (adjective)
Synonyms: prejudice, inclination, preconception, unfairness, predilection, discrimination
Antonyms: fairness, impartiality, open-mindedness, objectivity, tolerance
Lexical phrases: with a bias toward(s)
See also bias and bias free language in the glossary.
11/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-10

2

community   AWL AKL OPAL NGSL

NOUN A group of people with shared interests because of nationality, locality, language, culture, work, social, economic, political, environmental or educational concerns, religion, hobbies, or particular concerns of any nature.
The young urban farmers I interviewed are using community gardens to grow more than vegetables. They’re also nurturing social connections, creating economic and business opportunities, and promoting environmental conservation. (Kanosvamhira 2025)
Cities with high compassion scores have more community engagement and civic participation than those with low scores. A higher-scoring community performs better when it comes to things like public housing and mental health resources, for example. Its residents report more career opportunities, better communications between local government and citizens, more community programs and more optimism around economic development where they live. (Sonenshine 2025)
Some communities are displaced from their land to make way for big renewable energy projects. This weakens community cohesion and undermines trust in government and developers. (Abe and Azubike 2025)
The international community’s overall response has not been slow. As governments and multilateral bodies have become more aware of the issue they have committed themselves, albeit unevenly, to mitigation and adaptation plans. (Andrés and Espallargas 2024)
The scientific community will closely watch how Microsoft’s quantum computing processors operate, and how they perform in comparison to the other already established quantum computing processors. (Rachel 2025)
These actions demand a response from the rest of the international community that mitigates the risk to the well-being of people and planet and the effective management of global affairs. (Bradlow 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

community

local
international
economic
black
academic
scientific
rural
deaf
small
political
gay
financial
religious
entire
agricultural

community

care
health
services
groups
development
education
relations
action
life
leaders
college
council
involvment
centres
spirit

Word Family: community (noun)
Synonyms: neighbourhood
Antonyms: division, polarisation
Lexical phrases: [of, in, to, …] the community
10/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-07

2

theoretical   AWL AKL OPAL NGSL

ADJECTIVE based on ideas, possibilities and theory rather than actual practice or proven facts
The Nobel prize for economics is often awarded for relatively abstract theoretical work. Rather less often, it is awarded for work with clear practical relevance. (John 2012)
New experimental and theoretical results, new tools and private sector investment are all adding to our growing sense that developing practical fusion energy is no longer an if but a when. (Beg and Tynan 2025)
Because even when all our material and biological needs are satisfied, a state of sustained happiness will still remain a theoretical and elusive goal, as Abd-al-Rahman III, Caliph of Córdoba in the tenth century, discovered. (Euba 2019)
Academic research is not always abstract or theoretical. Nor does it take place in a vacuum. Research in many different disciplines is often grounded in the real world; it aims to understand and address problems that affect people and the environment, such as climate change, poverty, migration or natural hazards. (Knight 2022)
Common collocates for this word:

theoretical

framework
basis
models
work
physics
approaches
issues
analysis
chemistry
position
knowledge
problems
grounds
level
interest

Word Family: theoretical (adjective), theory (noun), theoretically (adverb), theorise (verb)
Synonyms: abstract, conceptual, notional
Antonyms: concrete, practical, proven
Lexical phrases:
1. from a theoretical [point of view, perspective, standpoint, ...]
"Teachers can special instruction in how to deal with these students, with input from someone who will work with them on the ground – not tell them what to do from a theoretical point of view and then walk away and leave them to it." (Burrows 2015);
2. theoretical and practical [aspect, approach, dimensions, issues, ..]
"Occupations are composed of many specific jobs. They are underpinned by both theoretical and practical knowledge." (Wheelahan and Pietsch 2020)
07/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-06

2

revolution   AWL NGSL

NOUN COUNTABLE
1. A sudden, often violent, change in the way a country is governed;
2. A significant change in the way a particular activity is conducted;
3. a complete rotation of something around a particular point.
Political change
Revolutions are never good things to live through; they bring conflict and war, pain, suffering and hunger, and plunge the country into political instability for decades. (Turan 2019)
Almost all political rights citizens enjoy and all the protections they have from the arbitrary use of political authority are results of past revolutions. (Turan 2019)
Non-political change
The Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s in Britain, and spread around the world. (King, Henley, and Hawkins 2017)
The first agricultural revolution occurred when humans started farming around 12,000 years ago. (Chivers and Rose 2020)
In the past decade there has been a quiet revolution in archaeology, virtually allowing archaeologists to see through the ground without digging. (Horton and Heyd 2015)
Rotation around a point
Saturn, according to Roman mythology, is Jupiter’s father. Being the elder, it is the slowest and most distant planet that can be seen with the naked eye. Saturn takes 29 years to orbit the Sun, which is as long as the average lifespan back in Roman times. You must have been doing well if you saw one complete revolution of Saturn. (Hill 2017)
Common collocates for this word:

revolution

industrial
cultural
Russian
social
scientific
green
democratic
political
technological
agricultural
strict
quiet
national
comunist
violent

Word Family: revolution (noun), revolutionary (adjective), revolt (verb), revolt (noun)
Synonyms: coup, coup d'état, regime change, shift, rotation
06/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-05

2

permanent   AKL NGSL

ADJECTIVE unchanging for ever, or at least for a very long time
They are commonly called wisdom teeth because they are the last of the 32 permanent teeth to appear, emerging between 17 and 25 years of age, when you are older and wiser. (Letra and Weinberg 2023)
The effects on many of these organs can be permanent, and like all toxins the dose is critical. The higher the exposure and the longer it continues, the greater the damage. (Shalat 2016)
A typical study section consists of dozens of reviewers selected based on their expertise in relevant fields and with careful screening for any conflicts of interest. These scientists are a mix of permanent members and temporary participants. (Salem 2025)
Some pollutants, like plastic, last for thousands of years, so it’s much better to stop releasing them than to try to collect them later. And extinction is permanent, so the only effective way to reduce it is to be more careful about protecting animals, plants and other species. (Denning 2022)
Vitamin B6 can cause permanent damage to nerves. Studies have shown symptoms improved when the person stopped taking the supplement, although they didn’t completely resolve. (Feehan and Apostolopoulos 2025)
After the third month of life, the lanugo on the head will be replaced by permanent hair. This hair lengthens and falls out between 12 and 24 months of life. After this shedding, most of the baby’s hair will be permanent. (Kothari and Elmir 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

permanent

staff
members
collection
home
damage
job
representative
employment
record
feature
fixture
exhibition
display
state
presence

Word Family: permanent (adjective), permanently (adverb), permanence (noun)
Synonyms: perpetual, lasting, everlasting, eternal, infinite, enduring
Antonyms: temporary, impermanent, short-lived, transitory, finite
Lexical phrases: on a permanent basis
"Most of our employees will work remotely on a permanent basis and leverage our office spaces when it makes sense." (Reyt 2020)
05/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-04

2

acquisition   AWL NGSL

NOUN COUNTABLE FORMAL The act of getting / obtaining something; becoming the owner / possessor of something. Derived from the verb to acquire. Acquisition and the verb acquire are formal words. The 'thing' acquired is normally something substantial, lasting, or of great value. Buying groceries is not an acquisition; they'll be gone in a week.
The purchase of important objects such art antiquities and art:
All the money to buy the painting has been privately donated with most of it coming from the fund established by Getty before his death in 2003. The last major work to be bought using the fund's money was An Afternoon in the Tuileries Gardens by Adolph Menzel. It was bought for £3.2m in 2006. The acquisition forms part of a new transatlantic academic partnership between the National Gallery and Randolph College, the first of its kind. (Brown 2014)
The process of obtaining information, data, or other non-physical assets:
In the field of medical imaging, data acquisition is difficult and privacy protection restrictions limit the amount of available data [...]. (Ren et al. 2025)
The purchase of land or companies:
Given the scale of destruction, reconstruction efforts will likely take years. Large-scale government housing projects on city outskirts are being prioritized due to their speed and the ease of land acquisition. (Johnson and Ozdogan 2025)
A first step in the right direction must be a rethinking of its competition policy. The acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada by the Royal Bank of Canada — merging two of Canada’s biggest lenders — was the latest disappointment in this area. The merger left many consumers worse off. (Arndt 2024)
The process of learning a skill either through a period of study or naturally over a period of time:
Two concepts – acquisition and learning – play key roles in the study of language." "Language acquisition is an intuitive and subconscious process, similar to that of children when they develop their mother tongue.(Vazquez-Calvo 2023)
Many people underestimate the difficulty involved in learning a language. This is because language acquisition goes beyond comprehension. It also involves socialisation and emotion. (Horne 2019)
Common collocates for this word:

acquisition

recent
complusory
proposed
major
potential
new
exclusive
important
valuable
original
significant
natural
possible
lexical
initial

Word Family: aquire (verb), acquisition (noun)
Synonyms: obtain, achieve, get, procure, capture
Lexical phrase: the acquisition of
04/03/25 - Set 2

2025-03-03

2

logical  AWL NAWL AKL OPAL

ADJECTIVE based on clear reasoning; according to evidence and systematic and accepted norms of explanation
Logical or deductive reasoning involves using a given set of facts or data to deduce other facts by reasoning logically. (Logical Thinking - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics n.d.)
These findings clearly show that the stereotypical view that scientists and other logical thinkers are less likely to be artistic or creative fall wide of the mark. As Einstein himself noted: “The greatest scientists are artists as well”. (Pearson 2016)
In order to establish cause-and-effect, we can to go beyond the statistics and look for separate evidence (of a scientific or historical nature) and logical reasoning. (Borwein (Jon) and Rose 2014)
The rational and logical part of the brain, what Kahneman calls System 2, has given humans an advantage over other species. However, because System 2 was more recently developed, human decision-making is often buggy. This is why many decisions are illogical, inconsistent and suboptimal. (Kannan 2019)
A logical operation is one in which a decision is made as to whether the operation performed is TRUE or FALSE. (Logical Operation - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics n.d.)
Common collocates for this word:

logical

conclusion
reason
name
sequence
extension
outcome
consequence
step
structure
development
argument
progression
thought
operation
order

Word Family: logical (adjective), logic (noun), logically (adverb)
Synonyms: rational, coherent, reasoned, vacillate, clear, valid
Antonyms: illogical, irrational, incoherent, unreasonable
Lexical phrases:
from a logical point of view
take X to its logical conclusion
it is logical point to assume that ...
03/03/25 - Set 2