Academic Word of the Day

A daily examination of a particular academic (AWL) word and its usage in academic writing

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. They are also divided into sets of ten words, which are the ten words tested in each set of quizzes.

You can see all previous sets by going to the Previous Sets page.

You can see all previous Academic Word of the Day Quizzes by going to the Academic Word of the Day Quizzes page.

There are also occasional collocation quizzes to test recall of words in previous sets (mainly the previous 2 or 3 sets).

All the collocation quizzes are also available on the Academic Word of the Day Collocation Quizzes pages.

You can more collocates of words from various academic word lists by consulting the Collocation Dictionary.

Today's word is:

2026-10-23

academy AWL: NOUN COUNTABLE an establishment of tertiary education; a college for specialised education or training
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has released a new position statement emphasizing the clinical significance of sleepiness and its impact on performance, health, mood, safety, and quality of life. (Science X Network :: Phys.Org, Medical Xpress, Tech Xplore n.d.) All within the academy need to know that academic freedom is not being invoked to protect those who engage in unethical conduct. (Adesina 2020) A recent report has suggested that schools in England classified as academies had somewhat worse Ofsted inspection grades than schools still controlled by their local authorities. (Gorard, 2023) There is no evidence that either academies or local schools produce better results with equivalent pupils. (Gorard, 2023) The transformation of a local authority school into an academy is supposed to lead to school improvement. (Boylan, 2024) Academies are state-funded schools in England that are independent of local authorities and funded by the central government. (Boylan, 2024)
Common collocates for this word:

academy

royal
military
national
Swedish
naval
famous
medical
mediaeval
theatrical
prestigious
progressive
established
diplomatic
informal
musical

Word Family: academy (noun), academic (adjective), academe (noun)
Synonyms: institute, college, school, university
23/10/2026 - Set 44

Test your understanding of the words in set 44 with these quick quizzes: Quiz 44 Quiz 44B Quiz 44C

2026-10-22

clause AWL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE a group of words containing a subject and a finite verb; a part of a written (especially legal) document
In English, the simplest sentence, or “clause”, is just a subject plus a verb (“I dressed”). (Sarvasy, 2020) By the time pupils head to secondary school, they are expected to know what determiners and adverbials are. They should be able to recognise a relative clause as a special type of subordinate clause. (Hollmann, 2021) You can also join two clauses into a sentence using words like “and” or “while”, but it’s unnatural to join more than about three clauses into one English sentence. (Sarvasy, 2020) But when we write — particularly in academic settings — we should use fewer clauses and make the meaning clear with fewer words and clauses than if we were speaking. (To, 2020) When the justices weigh the arguments, they will focus on the meaning of the first sentence of the 14th Amendment, known as the citizenship clause: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” (Marietta, 2025) The heart of the controversy is about the meaning of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment: “No State shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”(Marietta, 2023)
Common collocates for this word:

clause

main
subordinate
relative
particular
dependent
relevant
additional
following
adverbial
social
elliptical
preceding
single
special
independent

Word Family: clause (noun), clausal (adjective)
Synonyms: article, condition, proviso, stipulation
22/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-21

compound AWL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE something composed of two or more items (e.g. a chemical compound composed of two or more elements, or a grammatical compound)
Nowadays, it’s a lot easier to determine the structure of new compounds. (Addicoat 2023) In some studies, it appears that plants, including trees, can transfer carbon-based compounds such as sugars to neighbours. (Field 2022) There’s also evidence that resveratrol (a compound found in grapes) reverses cell senescence. (Faragher, 2021) Onions are mostly water, plus some vitamins and sugar compounds. (Daughtry, 2020) One way chemists learn about new compounds is to look at the natural world. (Addicoat, 2023) Common collocates for this word:

compound

chemical
organic
ionic
unknown
single
colourless
fortified
binary
rubber
unstable
potent
molecular
known
related
stable

Word Family: compound (noun), compound (verb)
Synonyms: mixture, composite, alloy, aggregate, alloy, blend
21/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-20

energy AWL OPAL NGSL: NOUN UNCOUNTABLE the capacity for work; the ability to be physically or mentally active
If you balance a bucket of water on top of a door, you give it potential energy. (Baron 2021) Researchers can analyze that reflected energy to detect important characteristics about the tornado. (Houser 2022) In 1982, the United Nations created exclusive economic zones (EEZs) — areas of sea that provide exploitation rights over marine and energy resources to coastal nations. (Abrantes 2022) Because habits sit in the impulsive part of our brain, they don’t require much cognitive input or mental energy to be performed. (Cleo 2023) The episode highlights how citizen involvement can facilitate the development and embrace of renewable energy projects. (Dreyfus 2016) Perpetual motion machines are theoretical machines that can work indefinitely without requiring energy from any external source. (Smith and Kapetanovic 2023)
Common collocates for this word:

energy

atomic
nuclear
renewable
high
solar
free
kinetic
total
potential
low
alternative
national
geothermal
electrical
thermal

Word Family: energy (noun), energize (verb), energetic (adjective)
Synonyms: power, force
20/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-19

licence AWL: NOUN COUNTABLE permission (usually documented in some way) from an authority to possess something or do something
Although the number of gun licences and legally owned guns have been going up for decades, firearm misuse has been declining for even longer. (McPhedran, 2025) You still need a licence to own a dog in Northern Ireland, where a licence costs £12.50 and lasts for 12 months. (Nurse, 2023) African states have continued to enter new agreements and issue new licences to distant water fleets. They also fail to institute stringent measures to curb their illegal activities. (Allison and Okafor-Yarwood 2021) The licence fee was designed in a world of broadcast schedules, not personalised streaming. (David, 2025) For employers, they need to hold a child employment licence to employ children under 15. (Brown, 2026) Common collocates for this word:

licence

provisional
occasional
full
special
poetic
artistic
existing
exclusive
annual
restricted
single-user
original
temporary
necessary
residential

Word Family: licence (noun), license (verb)
Synonyms: authorization, permission, warrant, freedom, liberty, permit
19/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-16

symbolAWL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE a sign, word, or graphic which represents an idea or an object
With the chemical symbol Ti and an atomic number of 22, titanium is a silver-coloured metal valued for its low density, high strength, and resistance to corrosion. (Zhang, 2019) However, studying its origins presents pitfalls, because other animals seem capable of using symbols, as when a chimpanzee offers a clipped leaf to another. (Gowlett 2024) Algebra today is a branch of math in which abstract symbols are manipulated, using arithmetic, to solve different kinds of equations. (Schumer, 2023) In Chinese and Japanese, especially, writing is based on separate symbols for words or parts of words instead of letters that stand for individual sounds. (Sorace, 2023) The padlock symbol on a web browser simply means that the data being sent between the web server and the user’s computer is encrypted and cannot be read by others. (Carroll, 2023) Common collocates for this word:

symbol

potent
powerful
perfect
religious
central
political
outward
appropriate
special
national
supreme
visual
main
important
different

Word Family: symbol (noun), symbolise (verb), symbolic (adjective)
Synonyms: sign, signal, emblem, figure, token, mark
Lexical phrases: (as a) symbol [of, for]
16/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-15

author AWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE the writer of a text, such as an article or a book
Publishers may also find illustrators for a book, although many authors want to illustrate their own. (Farina 2022) Even when it is published, this kind of research is often not attributed to its actual authors. (Czerniewicz 2015) Be cautious with content that lacks the author’s name, relies heavily on anonymous sources – or uses no sources at all – or is published by outlets with a clear ideological agenda. (Ashley 2025) Many people have quoted author Flannery O Connor’s comment that “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” (Baron 2023) There is a temptation to conclude from these findings that using technology leads to poorer memory — a conclusion that the authors of the study did not draw.(Cecutti and Lee 2021) Common collocates for this word:

author

anonymous
best-selling
particular
unknown
joint
famous
sole
original
young
different
prolific
well-known
single
local
major

Word Family: author (noun), author (verb)
Synonyms: writer, creator, producer
Lexical phrases: author of
15/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-14

channel AWL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE a physical means of allowing things (such as water) to pass from one place to another; a means of communication such as radio or television
The category “mainstream media” refers to flagship national newspapers like The New York Times, cable news channels like CNN and Fox News and news networks like ABC or NBC and their local affiliates. (Varma, 2025)Floodplain river systems have historically been dynamic, shifting across landscapes over time. But extensive stop banks, modification of river channels and land development have restricted this natural variability. (McCabe & Tonkin, 2025) Strangling rivers in this way transfers and heightens flood risks downstream by forcing water through confined channels at greater speeds. (McCabe & Tonkin, 2025) Currently, the law requires every UK household, with some exceptions, to pay a flat £169.50 annual charge if they watch any live television (BBC or other channels) or use BBC iPlayer. (Potter, 2024) When The Buggles’ music video “Video Killed the Radio Star” aired on August 1, 1981, it marked a historic moment for both television and music. The day marked the launch of the Music Television channel (MTV). (Mutaqin & Rafiansyah, 2025) Common collocates for this word:

channel

different
upper
separate
wide
central
navigable
terrestrial
dedicated
indirect
parliamentary
working
educational
formal
useful
special

Word Family: channel (noun), channel (verb)
Synonyms: passage, route, course
14/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-13

media AWL NAWL OPAL: NOUN COUNTABLE the means by which information, entertainment and ideas are communicated to others (internet, radio, television, cinema etc.)
But you may have noticed as you’ve scrolled through social media or read the news online recently that the ads you see are often impersonal and irrelevant to your interests. (D’Alessandro 2024) Although health often ranks in the top three issues people say are important to them in elections, cost of living is the main focus of media and political commentary. (Duckett 2025) For example, Morgan Stanley’s AI models analyse a wide range of data – including news articles, social media posts and financial statements – to identify patterns and predict stock prices. (Oh 2023) The media often portrays people involved in selfie incidents as foolish or selfish. (Peden, Brander, and Cornell 2023) We have accepted the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in complex processes — from health care to our daily use of social media — often without critical investigation, until it is too late. (Chu et al. 2022) On social media platforms, it’s easier to broadcast a single logic (your own) than it is to engage with a variety of different logics that might challenge your world view.(Cowling and Vanderburg 2018)
Common collocates for this word:

media

mass
social
electronic
different
national
local
British
alternative
interactive
various
international
official
magnetic
mixed
foreign

Word Family: media (noun)
Synonyms: broadcasting, press
13/10/2026 - Set 44

2026-10-12

themeAWL AKL OPAL NGSL: NOUN COUNTABLE an idea, topic or motif contained and often repeated throughout a text, a piece of music, a film, or a talk
Since the movie release 45 years ago, composer John Williams’ iconic Jaws theme music has become sonic cultural shorthand to signal danger or menace. (MacKay, 2020) Without wanting to oversimplify how these authors respond to this complex problem, there is a common theme in these three books. (Durrant, 2023) Pouring through the historical record, we have started noticing some very important themes rhyming through history. Even major ecological disasters and unpredictable climates are nothing new. (Hoyer 2024) This theme is central to “Moby-Dick” and is why the book inspires more symbolic readings than perhaps any other novel. (Craciun, 2023)We tend to think of Harry Potter as an escapist delight, but Rowling’s work also expertly constructs a poignant extended theme that has more in common with King Lear than most English professors might care to admit. (Deman, 2018) Common collocates for this word:

theme

central
main
major
common
recurrent
dominant
important
recurring
constant
underlying
basic
familiar
different
marked
particular

Word Family: theme (noun), thematic (adjective)
Synonyms: topic, subject, motif, thesis, argument
12/10/2026 - Set 44

View All Previous Sets.