Academic Word of the Day Set 35

Previous Academic Word of the Day Sets

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)

Occasionally a word not in one of these lists may be used, but only if it belongs to the same word family as a word in at least one of the lists. In this case it will be indicated. For example: AVOIDANCE AKL NGSL OPAL (avoid). "AVOIDANCE" does not appear in these lists but "avoid" does.

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. You can access each set from the previous sets pagerevious sets page.

2025-06-19

minimal AWL NAWL AKL OPAL: ADJECTIVE the smallest amount or degree; the least possible
“Whole foods” are those that have undergone zero to minimal processing, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, lentils, legumes, whole grains such as oats or brown rice, seeds, nuts and unprocessed meat and fish. (Murray, 2025) A fitness trend known as Japanese walking is capturing attention online, promising major health benefits with minimal equipment and time. (Pymer, 2025) Because of the minimal cost of pumping, desalination is most economical in large coastal locations. (Tota-Maharaj, 2022) The four categories of risk, subject to different legal obligations, are: unacceptable, high, limited and minimal. (Cristianini, 2023) When differences in distances between central stations are minimal (the shortest being the 20 second journey between Leicester Square and Covent Garden), accurate representation is unnecessary. (McWhinnie, 2014) Common collocates for this word:

minimal

amount
cost
pairs
level
acceptances
impact
maintenance
effort
damage
change
role
help
effect
amounts
requirements

Word Family: minimal (adjective), minimum (noun), minimally (adverb)
Synonyms: minimum
19/06/2026 - Set 35

Test your understanding of the words in set 35 with these quick quizzes: Quiz 35 Quiz 35B Quiz 35C

2025-06-18

mutual AWL AKL NGSL: ADJECTIVE reciprocal; having a similar relationship with each other
I teach my students about co-operatives, non-profits, social enterprises and mutual aid so they can go into the world and make business inclusive. (Hossein, 2021) As I have discovered in my research there are also lesser-known places on the internet where mutual care flourishes. (Buchanan, 2024) This mutual defence agreement, signed in 1958, has provided the UK with affordable access to the latest nuclear technology and a reliable western ally. (Alexis-Martin, 2025) They use group consensus and mutual aid to help those who are discriminated against, or those who feel like they don’t belong anywhere. Their work enhances civic life. (Hossein, 2021) While it’s true that you can’t choose your family, you can choose your friends. Empowering teens to choose friendships characterized by mutual understanding and support could have long-term ripple effects for the next generation. (Stern & Allen, 2024) Common collocates for this word:

mutual

support
recognition
respect
aid
understanding
trust
benefit
agreement
interest
friend
consent
assistance
advantage
inductance
defence

Word Family: mutual (adjective)
Synonyms: communal, common, reciprocal, interactive
18/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-17

suspend AWL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE to stop for a period of time; to hold one substance in other
Martial law suspends key democratic freedoms, giving the military authority to exercise more powers in times of war or major threats to public safety. (Hynd, 2024) Nearly 84,000 people have been arrested since 2022 under a state of emergency that suspends basic rights and legal guarantees. (Forsans, 2025) The Victorian government has announced new powers for government school principals to suspend or expel students for serious misbehaviour beyond the school grounds (Kidson, 2025) This useful property allows surfactants to lift grease and grime from fabrics and suspend it in the water. (Kilah, 2024) Modern acrylic paints use emulsions for both their manufacturing and application. The emulsions suspend the paint polymers in a water base. (Kilah, 2023) And it starts early in students’ education – it’s not uncommon for preschoolers as young as 3 years old to be suspended or expelled from their childcare program. (Loomis, 2021)
Common collocates for this word:

suspend

disbelief
judgement
belief
operations
execution
construction
judgment
publication
production
action
hostilities
attacks
licence
payment
relief

Word Family: suspend (verb), suspension (noun)
Synonyms: pause, postpone
17/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-16

found AWL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE to establish something of importance; to base something on a particular belief, custom or approach
When the nation was founded, there were 65 members of the House, representing 3.9 million people in 13 states. (Taylor, 2022) The Caltilius family resettled in Ostia – what was then a major port city to the north of Pompeii, 18 miles from Rome. There, they founded a temple to the Egyptian deity Serapis (Tuck, 2024) The approach is founded on the idea that the past can help inform the future, not just in science but in all aspects of life. (Bamber, 2020) As students settle into fall semesters, it’s essential to reflect on the history of Ontario’s colleges in order to envision a future that safeguards the public mission on which these institutions were founded. (Thavaratnam, 2025) Benjamin Franklin was the most famous man of his era not only because of his role in founding our country. He had a keen interest in health, with many ideas that hold up today. (Brands, 2016) Varied farming landscapes can promote more local and regional food economies founded on a wide variety of seasonal produce typically grown on small-scale family farms.(Zuza & Bhagwat, 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

found

school
society
company
association
party
college
university
club
institute
firm
trust
monastery
colony
journal
city

Word Family: found (verb), foundation (noun)
Synonyms: establish, start
16/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-15

integral AWL NAWL OPAL: ADJECTIVE being an important part of; contained within rather than being separate
Pets have become an integral part of people’s lives, with some having stronger bonds with their pets than with their siblings and other family members. (Dadgardoust and Roma 2025) The immune system is an integral part of our body, keeping us safe from diseases – from the common cold to more severe illnesses such as cancer. (Vincent et al., 2014) Deduction is most of what goes on in mathematics or Suduko puzzles and induction is usually about generalising or analogising and is integral to the processes of science. (Ellerton 2014) Robbins used dance as an integral part of the storytelling to express the simmering tensions between characters (Macrossan, 2021) Getting enough exercise, eating a healthy and balanced diet, reducing stress and improving our sleep quality are integral to maintaining good health.(Fuller, 2022) Common collocates for this word:

integral

part
group
element
feature
affinity
component
membrane
equation
approach
level
functions
aspects
groups
values
features

Word Family: integral (adjective), integrate (verb)
Synonyms: essential, basic, necessary
Lexical phrases: an integral part of

15/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-12

violateAWL: VERB TRANSITIVE to break a rule, norm or law; to harm
The litigants argued that the new coal-fired power would violate human rights to life, human dignity, equality, and access to food and water. (Murcott, 2025) States that use technology to violate human rights will displace people. Those with a well-founded fear of persecution will need protection. (Thompson, 2019) The wide spread of these policies [of mandatory vaccination] does not immediately mean that they do not violate human rights. (Dzehtsiarou, 2021) But the company says it’s up to users to ensure the way they use that content does not violate any laws. (Sekhon et al., 2023) Not only that, when a “puppet” (controlled by an experimenter) arrives on the scene and begins to violate the rules, children will criticise the puppet, protesting with comments such as “You are doing that wrong!”(Chater, 2020)
Word Family: violate (verb), violation (noun)
Synonyms: break, infringe, contravene, abuse
12/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-11

persist AWL: VERB TRANSITIVE to continue on a course of action
And a chronic cough is one that persists longer than 12 weeks. (Enfield, 2023) Psychologist Robert Weiss makes a distinction between “social loneliness” – a lack of contact with others – and “emotional loneliness”, which can persist regardless of how many “connections” you have. (Patulny 2020) These conflicts have persisted for decades, from colonial times to independence and the present day. (Ezenwa, 2023) Finally, and perhaps most critical: For the Loch Ness monster to exist and persist through time, a population of these animals must reproduce themselves. (Little, 2023) Because postinfectious cough is so common, doctors have long worked to determine how many people have a cough that persists after their other symptoms go away.(Enfield, 2023)
Word Family: persist (verb), persistence (noun)
Synonyms: persevere, continue
Lexical phrases: persist in VERB+ing

11/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-10

straightforward AWL NAWL: ADJECTIVE simple, clear, easy to understand; not complicated
When there is only one criterion to consider, such as cost, the decision is straightforward. (Hopgood 2023) Once a patient is infected, it is relatively straightforward to measure how much virus they are making – a value known as the “viral load”. This is because the standard international test for coronavirus is quantitative. (Caddy 2020) Recycling polyolefins is not as straightforward as one would like owing to collection and cleaning issues. (Beckman, 2018) Senior students can’t learn in the classroom because their training is very practical. And it hasn’t always been straightforward getting them back into their clinical placements. (Couper et al., 2020) Fortunately, there are straightforward ways to reduce your chances of being confronted with violent or disturbing videos. (Margaret, 2025) Common collocates for this word:

straightforward

way
matter
task
approach
case
manner
answer
affair
cases
method
operation
application
process
language
question

Word Family: straightforward (adjective)
Synonyms: simple
10/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-09

undergoAWL OPAL NGSL: VERB TRANSITIVE to experience; suffer
EVs and internal combustion vehicles undergo the same crash-testing procedures to evaluate their crashworthiness and occupant protection. (Hu, 2024) If patients don’t undergo coronary angiography, any blockages are unable to be identified and treated. (Chow & Brieger, 2018) Patterns like these begin to form at a small scale when materials undergo processes like drying, freezing, wrinkling, diffusing and reacting. (Lavrentovich, 2022) Law, like many other professions, is undergoing a major transformation with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). (Atienza 2025) As they completed the test, they underwent fMRI scans, which measures blood flow to parts of the brain. (Beaty, 2018) Common collocates for this word:

undergo

surgery
treatment
tests
reselection
training
changes
assessment
polymerisation
amputation
decomposition
maturation
radiotherapy
transplantation
persecution
hardship

Word Family: undergo (verb)
Synonyms: experience, endure, sustain
09/06/2026 - Set 35

2025-06-08

ongoing AWL OPAL: ADJECTIVE continuing; happening now
However, the problem of the origin of life is not solved yet, with ongoing promising research from several different theories. (Jordan 2019) In the ongoing flooding, it is clear that climate change has at minimum played a role in amplifying this event. (Clarke et al., 2022) A key ongoing challenge is lack of cooperation between the two sectors. Both often see each other as competitors for school leavers and government funding. (Jones and Seet 2023) The ongoing debate over Mona Lisa’s identity underscores this work’s significance as a cultural and historical artefact. (Sporzynski 2024) But sadly, ongoing examination and analysis of museum specimens also means that we’re still discovering species not known to Western science and that tragically are already extinct. (Ritchie, 2022) Common collocates for this word:

ongoing

process
negotiation
campaign
programme
project
business
debate
commitment
basis
support
work
development

Word Family: ongoing (adjective)
Synonyms: continuing, proceeding
08/06/2026 - Set 35

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