Academic Word of the Day Set 7

Previous Academic Word of the Day Sets

This page contains words from Set 7

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.

economy AWL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE a system of manufacturing trade and services by which wealth is created; the management of money and resources in order to reduce waste
The most striking feature of the Australian economy in the 21st century has been the exceptionally long period of fairly steady, though not rapid, economic growth. (Quiggin 2025)
Economic growth drives much of what happens across the economy, including employment, education, health and living standards. (Onyeiwu 2025)
Nigeria is an import-dependent economy. So a weak naira will result in higher prices for imported goods. (Onyeiwu 2025)
Chronically high debt can lead to higher interest payments on this debt, which in turn can limit a government’s ability to spend to support its economy. (Crosby 2024)
By changing the relative cost of borrowing money, changes in interest rates affect the aggregate level of spending in the economy. (Crosby 2024)
Saving money at the expense of building local relationships and ensuring healthy communities is likely to be a false economy in the long term. (Wilson and Stammler 2016)
Common collocates for this word:

economy

political
national
local
rural
mixed
international
domestic
modern
black
global
capitalist
industrial
open
planned
competitive

Word Family: economy (noun), economise (verb), economical (adjective), economically (adverb)
23/05/25 - Set 7
definition AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE an explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase
The most common definition is that late talkers do not have 50 words and/or do not use two-word combinations by two years of age. Others believe this definition is inadequate. (Meldrum 2023)
The first lesson comes from Aristotle’s definition of friendship: reciprocal, recognized goodwill. In contrast to parenthood or siblinghood, friendship exists only if it is acknowledged by both parties. (Katz 2023)
On one level, the definition of a “bestseller” is simple: it is a book that appears on a list because it has sold the greatest number of copies in a given, usually short, time. (Mrva-Montoya 2024)
People in the U.S. Google the word “love” about 1.2 million times a month. Roughly a quarter of those searches ask “what is love” or request a “definition of love.”(Nally 2024)
Nationalism is, per one dictionary definition, “loyalty and devotion to a nation.” It is a person’s strong affinity for those who share the same history, culture, language or religion. (Holzer 2023)
DEFINITION also means how clear an image is:
High definition displays were introduced from 2003 to 2009 where they became the dominant display type available to the public. The successor, ultra high definition, has become today’s standard. (Murphy 2023)
Common collocates for this word:

definition

statutory
precise
legal
clear
high
broad
narrow
working
wide
original
general
formal
exact
useful
comprehensive

Word Family: definition (noun), define (verb), definite (adjective), definitive (adjective)
Lexical phrase: by definition: an idiom meaning because of the intrinsic nature of the thing mentioned
- "Native flowers, by definition, will grow well in your climate, although some areas will have more choices than others and growing seasons vary." (Lovett 2021) 'Native' describes plants or animals which occur naturally in a particular environment so 'native flowers' obviously (by definition) grow well in your climate.
22/05/25 - Set 7
consist AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: VERB PREPOSITIONAL VERB WITH 'OF' or 'IN' to be made of
Modern Portland cement consists of a combination of limestone and clay. (Kearsley 2024)
A DNA strand (or DNA sequence) consists of a succession of basic units called nucleotides, strung together by a sugar-phosphate backbone. (Hill and Kari 2024)
Natural uranium mined from the ground consists mainly of an isotope called uranium-238, mixed with small amounts (0.7%) of the key isotope uranium-235. (Mitchell 2021) (One characteristic of prepositional verbs is that the verb may be separated from its preposition by an adverb - in this case 'mainly'; this rarely occurs with phrasal verbs.)
It [the international court of justice (ICJ)] was established in 1945 by the United Nations charter, and it consists of 15 judges elected by the UN general assembly and the security council. (Kent, McConnachie, and Gulati 2024)
The environmental impact of these accidents on soil consists of erosion and contamination. (Chukwurah 2025)
CONSIST IN means having something as the main or most important part:
Hume argues that moral progress consists in including more people – and different kinds of people – in our sense of community [...]. (Corbett 2022)
The verbs 'consist of' and 'consist in' are prepositional verbs. You can read more about prepositional verbs on the prepositional verbs page.
Word Family: consist (verb), consistency (noun)
Synonyms: comprise, be made of
21/05/25 - Set 7
analysis AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE a detailed examination of something in order to deepen your understanding of it
Weather forecasting is complex and challenging. The process entails three steps: observation, analysis and communication. (Ongoma 2022)
Our analysis clearly showed that traditional filter coffee has the highest carbon footprint, mainly because a greater quantity of coffee powder is used to produce the amount of coffee. (Marty et al. 2023)
Our analysis revealed important differences in the way these species interacted as a result of the wildfire. (Evans 2020)
It was an analysis of substances known as “peptides” in her teeth – which are markers for biological sex - that showed that she was female. (Milks n.d.)
The values are determined through laboratory analysis and nutrient databases based on standardized serving sizes regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. (Damman 2024)
New analysis of the language and gesture of South America's indigenous Aymara people indicates they have a concept of time opposite to all the world's studied cultures—so that the past is ahead of them and the future behind. (Kiderra 2006)
Common collocates for this word:

analysis

statistical
detailed
final
economic
quantitative
comparative
critical
careful
syntactic
strategic
linguistic
historical
systematic
theoretical
structural

Word Family: analysis (noun), analyse (verb), analytical (adjective), analytically (adverb)
Synonyms: examination
Lexical phrases:a [detailed, critical, careful, comparative, thorough comprehensive, .. ] analysis of the ...
20/05/25 - Set 7
requirement AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE a necessity; something which must be present
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the sleep requirement for teenagers is between 8-10 hours per night. (Wahlstrom 2016)
Requirements of vitamin B12 are the same for both women and men at 2.4 micrograms (mcg) a day. (Mantzioris 2019)
The first requirement for evolution is variation, and mixing genes from two species creates all sorts of new variations for evolution to act on. (Kays 2015)
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)
There’s no significant requirement for upper body strength in this sport, so if want to increase speed and endurance, you minimum to maintain a lighter upper body mass. (Blazevich 2022)
[Temporality] is the only absolute requirement for a relationship to be causal. That is, an exposure must occur before the outcome for an exposure to cause an outcome. (Vally 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

requirement

legal
statutory
basic
essential
fundamental
additional
only
procedural
main
formal
key
prime
important
minimum
absolute

Word Family: requirement (noun), require (verb)
Synonyms: necessity, prerequisite
Lexical phrases:the only requirement is that ...
19/05/25 - Set 7
periodic AWL NAWL: ADJECTIVE occurring at regular intervals of time
Cyclical unemployment happens because the economy goes through periodic cycles of booms and busts. (Zagorsky 2018)
Another approach is periodic price adjustments: setting the price based on a moving average of previous months’ import costs. (Onyeiwu 2024)
The crewed Apollo flights actually coincided with the height of a solar cycle, the periodic waxing and waning of activity that occurs every 11 years. (Wild 2019)
A bond functions as a loan in which an investor gives a borrowing entity an amount of money for a specific period of time in exchange for periodic interest payments. (Mutize 2025)
South Africa is once more experiencing periodic power cuts. These typically take the form of scheduled supply interruptions, for two to four hours a day, whenever the country’s electricity system is overloaded. (Winkler 2021)
Halley's Comet, also known as 1P/Halley, is the most well known comet in the Solar System. As a periodic (or short-term comet) it has orbital period that is less than 200 years, and has therefore been observed more than once by people here on Earth over the centuries. (Williams 2015)
Common collocates for this word:

periodic

table
reports
review
payments
updates
orbits
system
solutions
inspection
maintenance
monitoring
meetings
changes
screening
visits

Word Family: periodic (adjective), period (noun), periodically (adverb), periodical (noun: a newspaper, magazine or journal)
Lexical phrases: on a periodic basis
16/05/25 - Set 7
majority AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN most; the greater part of; more than half of
Air is comprised of different molecules, with nitrogen (79.04%) and oxygen (20.93%) making up the majority of each breath we take. (Scott 2018)
The majority of researchers have to constantly apply for funds to carry out their research. (Saunders 2013)
The report found that a majority of children under 13 had their own profile on at least one social media app or site. (Kuss 2022)
The vast majority of juries are able to reach their verdict unanimously. In some types of cases, agreement of 11 out of 12 jurors is an acceptable verdict. (Horan 2019)
So if a few scientists disagree with the majority group of scientists over a particular issue, that is not immediate proof that the evidence is wrong, and neither is it shocking or newsworthy. (Saunders 2013)
A clear majority of 79% of the respondents believe that incitements to violence should be removed, with the strongest approval (86%) recorded in Germany, Brazil and Slovakia. A majority of US respondents also agrees with this statement, although to a lesser extent (63%). (Munich 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

majority

vast
great
overwhelming
overall
large
absolute
important
clear
parliamentary
qualified
silent
working
substantial
small
democratic

Word Family: majority (noun), major (adjective)
Antonym: minority
Lexical phrases: the [vast, great, overwhelming, ...] majority of
15/05/25 - Set 7
indication AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE a sign; a pointer to something (especially information)
We found the rate of blood flow to the brain may be a better indication of cognitive ability than brain size alone. (Seymour 2020)
So if you’ve got a kid in kindergarten or preschool who’s a very fluent reader - quite a bit beyond the level of age-peers - that’s a very good indication of high intellectual ability. (Thompson 2011)
But if you notice that Cirrus begins to cover more of the sky, and gets lower and thicker, this is a good indication that a warm front is approaching. (Christensen 2018)
One indication of this new objective self-awareness is that children start recognising themselves in a mirror or photograph – something most children do by the age of two. (Martin, Ross, and Cunningham 2016)
These results are a breakthrough in the search for treatments for this devastating disease and give a strong indication that the course of the disease can be altered. (Williamson and Dickens 2022)
Their findings provide the first indication that young tropical trees may receive additional carbon from mycorrhizal fungi, which could promote their growth. (Hübner 2025)
Common collocates for this word:

indication

clear
good
general
strong
reliable
early
important
fair
useful
rough
accurate
visual
telling
contrary
brief

Word Family: indication (noun), indicate (verb), indicator (noun), indicative (adjective)
Synonyms: pointer, sign, suggestion
Lexical phrases: [be] a [clear, strong, good, further, ...] indication that ...
14/05/25 - Set 7
function AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN or VERB COUNTABLE NOUN / INTRANSITIVE VERB NOUN: the role or purpose of something; a relationship between two entities one of which affect the other; VERB: to work or operate
AS A NOUN:
Sleep serves many different functions. One of these is to help us remember experiences we had during the day. (Kirszenblat 2017)
The specific structure of a protein is key to its function in the same way that the shapes of everyday objects are. (Pellock 2025)
NOUN - RELATIONSHIP:
The extent to which vaccine protection wanes is a function of two main factors. (Wheatley and Juno 2023)
AS A VERB:
Memory research shows that regular routines and habits can support older adults to function better in their home environments. (Edgelow 2022)
Elsewhere, English functions as a lingua franca, used mostly in transnational communication. (Saraceni 2024)
NOUN and VERB:
Healthy brain ageing is a broad term that focuses on sustaining cognitive function and capacity to function independently as we age. (Shah 2017)
Common collocates for this word (AS A NOUN):

function

main
renal
important
social
motor
communicative
dual
similar
useful
judicial
special
particular
prime
major
proper

Common collocates for this word (AS A VERB):

function

properly
effectively
normally
well
independently
efficiently
correctly
adequately
smoothly
mentally
successfully
perfectly
better
satisfactorily
forever

Word Family: function (noun), function (verb), functioning (adjective)
Synonyms: role, purpose
Lexical phrases: [as] a function of
[be] a function of
13/05/25 - Set 7
financial AWL OPAL NGSL: ADJECTIVE concerning money and the management of money
As the name suggests, financial years are used for financial reporting, tax and budgeting purposes. (Rankin 2024)
Parents’ jobs influence the amount of financial support that they can offer their children. (Pather 2015)
Being able to manage your earnings and spending is a key financial skill. (Zeka 2023)
Setting and following a budget requires financial discipline, which is a key part of financial literacy. (Zeka 2023)
When you can appreciate where your financial strengths and weaknesses lie, you can make better financial decisions and prioritise your needs. (Zeka 2023)
Financial risks are increasing as the sector deals with the challenges of moving into the digital age. (Science X Network :: Phys.Org, Medical Xpress, Tech Xplore 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

financial

services
year
institutions
support
statements
markets
assistance
resources
management
position
difficulties
problems
reporting
system
information

The verb 'deal with' is a prepositional verb. You can read more about prepositional verbs on the prepositional verbs page.
Word Family: financial (adjective), finance (noun), finance (verb), financially (adverb)
Synonyms: economic, monetary
12/05/25 - Set 7

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