Academic Word of the Day Set 37
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 collocationsThe tendency of a particular word or phrase to be found in the proximity of another., connotationsThe additional or incidental meanings, associations or references which a word, phrase or sentence might have in addition to its obvious core meaning., other words in the same word familiesA group of words which share the same root and similar basic meaning but have different syntactic uses because of their different inflected forms or derived forms made with different affixes., possible synonymsA word which has the same meaning and use as another., antonymsA word which has the opposite meaning to another word., and lexical phrasesMulti-word chunks of language which may be of varying length and which have various functions., and provides examples of its use in authentic textsA text written by someone writing about matters in their own specialist area for other specialists or for the general public, but not for English teaching purposes. 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:
- AWLPresent in the Academic Word List: The Academic Word List
- NAWLPresent in the New Academic Word List: The New Academic Word List
- AKLPresent in the Academic Keyword List: The Academic Keyword List
- OPALPresent in the Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon: The Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon
- NGSLPresent in the New General Service List: 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 (AWLPresent in the Academic Word List), the New Academic Word List (NAWLPresent in the New Academic Word List) or some from the Academic Keyword List (AKLPresent in the Academic Keyword List) 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.
- validAWL NAWL AKL OPAL
- ADJECTIVE based on truth; legal; correct
First, grades are accurate and meaningful when they are based on reliable and valid evidence from classroom assessments. (Link, 2023) To create a standard strength MyGovID, you need to upload your valid driver’s license and passport into the MyGovID system. (Murray, 2024) Extracting thousands of videos purporting to be about diabetes, I verified whether the information shown conforms to valid medical guidelines. (Susarla, 2020) In the age of generative AI, if we want assessments to be valid and fair, we need structural change. (Liu et al., 2025) A valid selection method is job-specific and provides useful information about how a candidate will actually perform in the role. (Bednall, 2024) Common collocates for this word:valid
point
reason
passport
votes
claims
package
way
claim
name
conclusions
criticism
range
identifiers
receipt
paths
Word Family: valid (adjective), validitya measure or the worth or value of something, especially of an argument or affirmation (noun), validate (verb)
Synonyms: genuine, truthful, accurateexact, correct, true, legal, acceptable,
17/07/2026 - Set 37 - ethnic AWL OPAL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE relating to groups who share common cultural, national, religious or linguistic characteristics
While scholars have long recognised that ethnic identity can be fluid, it is often still treated as something relatively stable in practice, rooted in ancestry or birth. (Beeder, 2026) After more than 30 years, ethnic conflict in Ethiopia hasn’t been resolved – but neither has the country disintegrated. (Yimenu 2023) My research investigated how parents from minority ethnic (non-white) backgrounds who had immigrated to Ireland felt about their children’s school education. (Adebayo, 2023) In practice, it turns out that one’s political, religious or ethnic identity quite effectively predicts one’s willingness to accept expertise on any given politicized issue. (Bardon, 2020) This can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for minority ethnic students, providing them with role models who they can relate to and who understand their cultural backgrounds. (Adebayo, 2023) Common collocates for this word:ethnic
minorities
groups
origin
cleansing
violence
communities
identity
relations
conflict
origins
lines
differences
diversity
backgrounds
composition
Word Family: ethnic (adjective), ethnicity (noun)
Synonyms: native, indigenous
16/07/2026 - Set 37 - overall AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE also adverb including everything; comprehensive; in general
Recent studies have shown that the ability to stand on one leg may be one of the best physical indicators of overall health and longevity (Porcar and Díaz 2025) The legislation means that bread, as the biggest contributor to overall salt intake, will have to be manufactured with less salt. (Schutte and Charlton 2015) Despite people’s overall tendency to overestimate their own intelligence, individuals vary. (Reilly 2022) Even within the current net overseas migration targets, there is still room for small growth in overall international students. (Hildebrandt and Hurley 2024) By planning studying sessions in a way that minimises external distractors, you could improve your concentration and overall performance. (Vasilev 2019) Common collocates for this word:overall
majority
responsibility
balance
view
strategy
impression
charge
picture
performance
reduction
control
policy
winner
expenditure
length
Word Family: overall (adjective)
Synonyms: comprehensivecomplete and all inclusive, in general
15/07/2026 - Set 37 - discrete AWL NAWL
- ADJECTIVE separate; distinct
Wi-Fi communicates information digitally, as discrete values – the 0’s and 1’s of binary data. (Krishnamachari, 2021) A categorical approach, which sees disorders as discrete categories, has been the most prominent model of classification. (Clack & Ward, 2019) In trying to simplify the code, Manabe and his colleague Richard Wetherald wanted to know the minimum number of discrete levels to use in his model atmosphere. (Forster, 2021) While anthropologists employed discrete categories such as “black,” “brown” and “white,” in actuality, pigmentation grades continuously along a geographic cline from the equator to northern and southern latitudes, regardless of race. (Curnoe, 2014) In this approach, spacetime is not perfectly smooth, as relativity suggests, but composed of discrete elements, each with a finite capacity to record quantum information from passing particles and fields. (Neukart, 2026) Common collocates for this word:discrete
units
transaction
steps
entities
categories
areas
variables
tasks
elements
unit
subject
groups
time
blocks
vehicles
Word Family: discrete (adjective)
Synonyms: separate, distinct, independent, detached
14/07/2026 - Set 37 - equivalent AWL AKL OPAL NGSL
- ADJECTIVE equal in value; the same as
Light travels almost 300 million metres in a single second, which means one kilogram of mass is equivalent to almost nine quintillion joules of energy! (Baron, 2021) Carbon dioxide is the currency of climate change and, in those terms, one tonne of methane emitted to the atmosphere (for example from livestock) is equivalent to 34 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. (Barton and Grace 2014) This is an idealised vision of a perfect, balanced bilingualism, assuming equivalent written and oral skills in both languages. (Aparicio, 2021) We found the impact of banning phones for these students equivalent to an additional hour a week in school, or to increasing the school year by five days. (Beland & Murphy, 2015) The caveat, however, is that our study found that six minutes of light activity was equivalent to one minute of moderate to intense exercise. (Diaz & Chastin, 2021) Common collocates for this word:equivalent
amount
effect
figures
qualifications
level
period
circuit
life
yield
figure
number
proportion
ways
terms
value
Word Family: equivalent (adjective), equivalency (noun)
Synonyms: equal, comparable, matching, corresponding
13/07/2026 - Set 37 - diverse AWL NAWL OPAL
- ADJECTIVE different; including many different types
Diverse species, from tiny microbes to huge vultures and sharks, break down dead organisms into chemicals that can be used to grow more food. (Langen, 2022) Schools should establish strong relationships with community organisations, local leaders and other institutions to create a broad and diverse network of support. (Ruíz 2024) Research shows that when a city has diverse wildlife, ample open green space and vegetation along streets and on buildings, people are more active, less stressed, healthier and happier. (Langen, 2022) It can enhance motivation and confidence among pupils, while contributing to a more diverse and comprehensive learning experience. (Havinga, Kasstan, and Sheehan 2025) We took this diverse selection of organisms and looked to see how they were related on the tree of life and what genes they shared and didn’t share.(Guijarro-Clarke & Paps, 2020) Common collocates for this word:diverse
range
ways
interests
forms
sources
cultures
needs
groups
types
elements
population
backgrounds
kinds
activities
interpretations
Word Family: diverse (adjective), diversitythe inclusion of people or things with different characteristics in one group (noun), diverge (verb)
Synonyms: different, dissimilarunlike, different, not the same, distinct10/07/2026 - Set 37 - minimum AWL OPAL NGSL
- NOUN often used as a premodifier the smallest amount or number
In the ongoing flooding, it is clear that climate change has at minimum played a role in amplifying this event. (Clarke et al., 2022) That’s because minimum temperatures in October are now about 1℃ warmer than they were in 1910. (Doddridge, 2022) Members of the public felt very strongly that, at minimum, police should be responsive, fair and respectful, as well as engaged and visibly present. (Crawford 2025) With any activity that’s intended for therapeutic effect, the minimum requirement is that it “does no harm”. But we can’t say that about cold water – as it comes with a lot of risks. (Eglin, Massey, and Tipton 2023) The only condition was that after graduation, they returned to their home village to teach for a minimum of two years. (Dunne et al., 2021) Common collocates for this word:minimum
wage
standards
investment
level
number
requirements
charge
age
time
amount
effort
cost
period
size
price
Word Family: minimum (noun), minimise (verb), minimalthe smallest amount or degree; the least possible (adjective)
Synonyms: least, smallest
09/07/2026 - Set 37 - finite AWL NAWL
- ADJECTIVE limited
Although these elements are not always as rare as their name suggests, they are finite and not renewable. (Pyakurel, 2019) The photo let us see our planet from a great distance for the first time. The living Earth, surrounded by the darkness of space, appears fragile and vulnerable, with finite resources. (Boyle et al., 2018) It is vital we better understand cause and effect in the observed changes, to help us make best use of our finite resources and ultimately save lives and money. (Clarke et al., 2022) For the first time, under the banner of the “Blue Economy”, the global community is viewing the ocean not as a limitless resource for making money, but as a finite and vulnerable asset. (Obura, 2017) In this approach, spacetime is not perfectly smooth, as relativity suggests, but composed of discrete elements, each with a finite capacity to record quantum information from passing particles and fields. (Neukart, 2026) Common collocates for this word:finite
number
element
set
state
verb
programs
time
resources
amount
life
program
horizon
universe
supply
size
Word Family: finite (adjective)
Synonyms: limited, restricted, countable08/07/2026 - Set 37 - ambiguous AWL
- ADJECTIVE unclear; having more than one possible meaning; uncertain
Many people would love to know whether or not we’re alone in the universe. But so far, the evidence on UFO origins is ambiguous at best. (Markovsky, 2023) [Workplace bullying] may range from obvious acts of physical violence to more ambiguous behaviour, such as mocking, insulting or socially excluding someone. (Ng & Niven, 2022) Online emojis help us express ourselves and signal intent. But in some cases, the meaning of emojis can be ambiguous. (Abell et al., 2021) Near black hole horizons or during the earliest moments of the universe, the usual notion of time as a smooth, external coordinate becomes ambiguous. (Neukart, 2026) Forensic evidence can sometimes be ambiguous because of factors such as the presence of DNA on samples that originates from more than one person. (Munro & Curley, 2019) Common collocates for this word:ambiguous
words
position
term
status
relationship
nature
concept
message
reference
results
sexuality
meaning
attitude
light
situation
Word Family: ambiguous (adjective), ambiguity (noun), disambiguate (verb), disambiguation (noun)
Synonyms: vague, unclear, equivocal, uncertain, doubtful,
07/07/2026 - Set 37 - coherent AWL NAWL
- ADJECTIVE having clear and logical connections among the various parts
Fairness and empathy are also very closely connected to moral development and reasoning. They are fundamental to any coherent moral philosophy. (Witenberg, 2014) In other words, the theory holds that visual attention is our small window into the world. It’s from that limited focus – both in space and attention – that our brains integrate visual information into coherent objects. (Burmester, 2015) It turns out both human language and whale song have statistically coherent parts. (Garland et al., 2025) Wegener argued that all the earth’s land masses were once assembled into one large coherent continent, a supercontinent later named Pangea. (Næraa, 2012) Ultimately, how we remember shapes how we understand ourselves. Episodic memory allows us to mentally return to experiences that feel personally lived, while semantic memory provides the stable knowledge that binds those experiences into a coherent life story. (Rogers, 2026) Common collocates for this word:coherent
whole
policy
thought
set
strategy
explanation
structure
account
approach
programme
pattern
body
framework
theory
way
Word Family: coherent (adjective), coherence (noun), cohere (verb)
Synonyms: logicalbased on clear reasoning; according to evidence and systematic and accepted norms of explanation, comprehensible, consistent1. operating constantly in the same way 2. (consistent with) in agreement or accordance with, compatible with , connected, rationalusing reason and logic, clear
06/07/2026 - Set 37
2025-07-17
37
2025-07-16
37
2025-07-15
37
2025-07-14
37
2025-07-13
37
2025-07-10
37
2025-07-09
37
2025-07-08
37
2025-07-07
37
2025-07-06
37
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