English (Précis and Composition) 1977
Altar:*
Meaning: a type of table used in ceremonies in a Christian church or in other religious buildings
Use in sentence: A 3rd century Roman pagan altar was also recently found on the site.
Alter:
Meaning: to change something
Use in sentence: We've had to alter some of our plans.
Apposite:*
Meaning: suitable and right for the occasion
Use in sentence: It is, however, apposite to note that this process will continue in the year ahead.
Opposite:
Meaning: completely different
Use in sentence: You'd never know they're sisters - they're completely opposite to each other in every way.
Bear:*
Meaning: to accept, tolerate or endure especially something unpleasant
Use in sentence: It's your decision - you must bear the responsibility if things go wrong.
Bare:
Meaning: without any clothes or not covered by anything
Use in sentence: Don't walk around outside in your bare feet.
Complacent:*
Meaning: Satisfied
Use in sentence: We can't afford to become complacent about any of our products.
Complaisant:
Meaning: willing to please; affably agreeable; obliging*
Use in sentence: Can we really sit back and watch the suffering of a whole nation and be so complaisant? (Pair Repeated: 1)*
Confident:*
Meaning: having confidence
Use in sentence: Be a bit more confident in yourself!
Confidant:
Meaning: a person you trust and share your feelings and secrets with
Use in sentence: Within a few short years he was a trusted confidant.
Disease:*
Meaning: illness of people, animals, plants, etc.
Use in sentence: Starvation and diseases have killed thousands of refugees.
Decease:
Meaning: a person's death
Use in sentence: The house will not be yours till after your mother's decease.
Gate:*
Meaning: a part of a fence or outside wall that is fixed at one side and opens and closes like a door
Use in sentence: Take the next right turning through a large iron gate onto a cobbled road.
Gait:
Meaning: a particular way of walking
Use in sentence: He walked with a slow stiff gait.
Judicial:*
Meaning: involving a court of law
Use in sentence: The defense team will seek a judicial review of the sentence.
Judicious:
Meaning: having or showing reason and good judgment in making decisions
Use in sentence: We should make judicious use of the resources available to us.
Ingenious:
Meaning: very clever and skillful
Use in sentence: She was ingenious at finding ways to work more quickly.
Ingenuous:
Meaning: honest, sincere and trusting/ showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness
Use in sentence: It has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to look after his luggage. (Pair Repeated: 2)
Yoke:*
Meaning: a wooden bar which is fastened over the necks of two animals, especially cattle, and connected to the vehicle or load that they are pulling
Use in sentence: In just a few weeks another 10 nations, many freed from the yoke of Communist oppression.
Yolk:
Meaning: the yellow, middle part of an egg
Use in sentence: I like eggs lightly cooked so that the yolk is still runny.
English (Précis and Composition) 1978
Affection:
Meaning: a feeling of liking for a person or place
Use in sentence: He had a deep affection for his aunt.
Affectation:
Meaning: behavior or speech that is not sincere
Use in sentence: She has so many little affectations.
Urban:*
Meaning: of or in a city or town
Use in sentence: The development is clearly urban in character, but lacks local shops and facilities.
Urbane:
Meaning: confident, comfortable and polite in social situations
Use in sentence: He was always well informed and brought an urbane authority to everything he did.
Official:
Meaning: relating to a position of responsibility
Use in sentence: He visited China in his official capacity as America's trade representative.
Officious:
Meaning: too eager to tell people what to do and having too high an opinion of your own importance
Use in sentence: He's an officious little man and widely disliked in the company.
Beside:*
Meaning: at the side of, next to
Use in sentence: Come and sit here beside me.
Besides:
Meaning: in addition to; also
Use in sentence: Do you play any other sports besides football and basketball?
Casual:*
Meaning: describes clothes that are not formal or not suitable for special occasions
Use in sentence: I dress casual as I am in a casual setting.
Causal:
Meaning: a relationship, link, etc. between two things in which one causes the other
Use in sentence: Is there a causal relationship between violence on television and violent behavior?
Pour:
Meaning: to make a substance flow from a container, especially into another container, by raising just one side of the container that the substance is in
Use in sentence: I spilled the juice while I was pouring it.
Pore:
Meaning: a very small hole in the skin of people or other animals, or a similar hole on the surface of plants or rocks
Use in sentence: Sweat passes through the pores and cools the body down.
Humiliation:*
Meaning: to make someone feel ashamed or lose their respect for themselves
Use in sentence: How could you humiliate me by questioning my judgment in front of everyone like that?
Humility:
Meaning: the quality of not being proud because you are conscious of your bad qualities
Use in sentence: He doesn't have the humility to admit when he's wrong.
Wreck:*
Meaning: to destroy or badly damage something
Use in sentence: Our greenhouse was wrecked in last night's storm.
Reek:
Meaning: to have a strong unpleasant smell
Use in sentence: Her breath reeked of garlic.
Temporal:*
Meaning: relating to practical matters or physical things, rather than spiritual ones
Use in sentence: Her starting point: 'The future is the only temporal area over which people have power’.
Temporary:
Meaning: not lasting or needed for very long
Use in sentence: The ceasefire will only provide a temporary solution to the crisis.
English (Précis and Composition) 1979
Cession:*
Meaning: a ceding or giving up (of rights, property, territory, etc.) to another
Use in sentence: The Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) led to further cessions of territory by China.
Session:
Meaning: a formal meeting or series of meetings of an organization such as a parliament or a law court
Use in sentence: The parliamentary session is due to end on May 27th.
Canon:*
Meaning: a Christian priest with special duties in a cathedral
Use in sentence: He was first appointed as a residentiary canon and only became Chancellor after several years with us.
Cannon:
Meaning: a large, mounted piece of artillery; sometimes, specif., a large gun with a relatively short barrel, as a howitzer
Use in sentence: Instead of eight machine guns, it now had twelve, or four 20mm cannon.
Barbarism:*
Meaning: extremely cruel and unpleasant behavior
Use in sentence: He witnessed some appalling acts of barbarism during the war.
Barbarity:
Meaning: behavior that is very cruel, or a very cruel act
Use in sentence: This barbarity must cease!
Artist:
Meaning: someone who paints, draws or makes sculptures
Use in sentence: Monet is one of my favorite artists.
Artisan:
Meaning: a person who does skilled work with his or her hands
Use in sentence: They were concerned about the skilled artisan, not the factory masses.
Antic:*
Meaning: funny, silly or strange behavior
Use in sentence: But the rock-star whose stage antics used to include smashing guitars is older and wiser now.
Antique:*
Meaning: something made in an earlier period and collected and valued because it is beautiful, rare, old or of high quality
Use in sentence: My mother collects antiques.
Illusion:*
Meaning: an idea or belief which is not true
Use in sentence: He had no illusions about his talents as a singer.
Allusion:
Meaning: something that is said or written that is intended to make you think of a particular thing or person
Use in sentence: Her novels are packed with literary allusions.
Aspire:*
Meaning: to have a strong want or hope to do or have something
Use in sentence: Few people who aspire to fame ever achieve it.
Expire:
Meaning: If something which lasts for a fixed length of time expires, it comes to an end or stops being in use
Use in sentence: Our television license expires next month.
Collision:*
Meaning: an accident that happens when two vehicles hit each other with force
Use in sentence: There has been a collision on the southbound stretch of the motorway.
Collusion:
Meaning: agreement between people to act together secretly or illegally in order to deceive or cheat someone
Use in sentence: It is thought that they worked in collusion with the terrorist network.
Counsel:*
Meaning: to give advice, especially on social or personal problems
Use in sentence: The police have provided experts to counsel local people affected by the tragedy.
Council:
Meaning: a group of people elected or chosen to make decisions or give advice on a particular subject
Use in sentence: This play is supported by a grant from the local arts council.
Expedient:*
Meaning: helpful or useful in a particular situation, but sometimes not morally acceptable
Use in sentence: It might be expedient not to pay him until the work is finished.
Expeditious:
Meaning: quick
Use in sentence: The bank was expeditious in replying to my letter.Meaning: a ceding or giving up (of rights, property, territory, etc.) to another
Use in sentence: The Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) led to further cessions of territory by China.
English (Précis and Composition) 1981
Canvas:*
Meaning: a piece of cloth used by artists for painting on, usually with oil paints, or the painting itself
Use in sentence: These two canvases by Hockney would sell for £500 000.
Canvass:
Meaning: to try to get political support or votes, especially by visiting all the houses in an area
Use in sentence: I've been out canvassing for the Labor Party every evening this week.
Cast:*
Meaning: to choose actors to play particular parts in a play, film or show
Use in sentence: He was often cast as the villain.
Caste:
Meaning: a system of dividing Hindu society into classes, or any of these classes
Use in sentence: The Indian government banned caste discrimination at independence from Britain in 1947.
Appraise:*
Meaning: to examine someone or something in order to judge their qualities, success or needs
Use in sentence: At the end of each teaching practice, trainee teachers are asked to appraise their own performance.
Apprise:
Meaning: to tell someone about something
Use in sentence: The President has been apprised of the situation.
Ingenious:
Meaning: very clever and skilful
Use in sentence: She was ingenious at finding ways to work more quickly.
Ingenuous:
Meaning: honest, sincere and trusting/ showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness
Use in sentence: It has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to look after his luggage. (Pair Repeated: 3)
Continual:*
Meaning: happening repeatedly, usually in an annoying or not convenient way
Use in sentence: I've had continual problems with this car ever since I bought it.
Continuous:
Meaning: without a pause or interruption
Use in sentence: My computer makes a continuous low buzzing noise.
Berth:*
Meaning: a bed in a boat, train, etc., or a place for a ship or boat to stay in a port
Use in sentence: She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.
Birth:
Meaning: Child’s birth
Use in sentence: He weighed eight pounds at birth.
Apposite:*
Meaning: suitable and right for the occasion
Use in sentence: It is, however, apposite to note that this process will continue in the year ahead.
Opposite:
Meaning: completely different
Use in sentence: You'd never know they're sisters - they're completely opposite to each other in every way. (Pair Repeated: 1)
Artist:
Meaning: someone who paints, draws or makes sculptures
Use in sentence: Monet is one of my favorite artists.
Artiste:
Meaning: a skilled performer, especially a dancer, singer or actor
Use in sentence: Denise has been a solo artiste for over 20 years working all over the world.
Adapt:*
Meaning: to change something to suit different conditions or uses
Use in sentence: Many software companies have adapted popular programs to the new operating system.
Adopt:
Meaning: to choose or take as your own
Use in sentence: Dr Kennedy has been adopted as the party's candidate for South Cambridge.
English (Précis and Composition) 1982
Mitigate:*
Meaning: to make something less harmful, unpleasant or bad
Use in sentence: It is unclear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the island.
Alleviate:
Meaning: to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe
Use in sentence: The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering.
Persecute:*
Meaning: to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs or to annoy someone by refusing to leave them alone
Use in sentence: Religious minorities were persecuted and massacred during the ten-year regime.
Prosecute:
Meaning: to officially accuse someone of committing a crime in a court of law, or (of a lawyer) to try to prove that a person accused of committing a crime is guilty of that crime
Use in sentence: He was prosecuted for fraud.
Popular:*
Meaning: liked, enjoyed or supported by many people
Use in sentence: She's the most popular teacher in school.
Populace:
Meaning: the ordinary people who live in a particular country or place
Use in sentence: Some studies show that workers in the nuclear industry are more likely than the general populace to get cancer.
Compliment:*
Meaning: remark that expresses approval, admiration or respect
Use in sentence: I take it as a compliment when people say I look like my mother.
Complement:
Meaning: to make something else seem better or more attractive when combining with it
Use in sentence: The music complements her voice perfectly. (Pair Repeated: 1)
Excite:*
Meaning: to make someone have strong feelings of happiness and enthusiasm
Use in sentence: Nothing about my life excites me at present.
Incite:
Meaning: to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent
Use in sentence: She was expelled for inciting her classmates to rebel against their teachers.
Voracity:
Meaning: excessive desire to eat
Use in sentence: On reaching the ship they were offered some bread, which they devoured with a voracious appetite.
Veracity:
Meaning: the quality of being true, honest or accurate
Use in sentence: The veracity of the second claim can be tested against the findings of archeology.
Virtuous:*
Meaning: having good moral qualities and behavior
Use in sentence: He described them as a virtuous and hard-working people.
Virtual:
Meaning: describes something that can be done or seen using a computer and therefore without going anywhere or talking to anyone
Use in sentence: In tests, we have found the virtual machine runs at a reasonable speed. (Pair Repeated: 1)
Exceptional:*
Meaning: much greater than usual, especially in skill, intelligence, quality, etc
Use in sentence: The Company has shown exceptional growth over the past two years.
Exceptionable:
Meaning: offensive or upsetting
Use in sentence: This action is normally only taken in exceptionable circumstances.
English (Précis and Composition) 1983
Illusion:*
Meaning: an idea or belief which is not true
Use in sentence: He had no illusions about his talents as a singer.
Allusion:
Meaning: something that is said or written that is intended to make you think of a particular thing or person
Use in sentence: Her novels are packed with literary allusions. (Pair Repeated: 1)
Ardor:*
Meaning: great enthusiasm or love
Use in sentence: Similarly, the Japanese seem to have less ardor for luxury goods than in the boom years of the late 90s.
Order:
Meaning: the way in which people or things are arranged
Use in sentence: The children lined up in order of age/height.
Conquer:*
Meaning: to take control or possession of foreign land, or a group of people, by force
Use in sentence: The Spanish conquered the New World in the 16th century.
Concur:
Meaning: to agree with someone or have the same opinion as someone else
Use in sentence: The new report concurs with previous findings.
Cite:*
Meaning: to mention something as proof for a theory or as a reason why something has happened
Use in sentence: She cited three reasons why people get into debt.
Site:
Meaning: a place where something is, was, or will be built, or where something happened, is happening, or will happen
Use in sentence: The council hasn’t yet chosen the site for the new hospital.
Addict:*
Meaning: a person who cannot stop doing or using something, especially something harmful
Use in sentence: There are a reported two million male cocaine addicts in the US.
Edict:
Meaning: an official order, especially one which is given in a forceful and unfair way
Use in sentence: Most shops are ignoring the government's edict against Sunday trading.
Proceed:*
Meaning: to continue as planned
Use in sentence: His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
Precede:
Meaning: to be or go before something or someone in time or space
Use in sentence: It would be helpful if you were to precede the report with an introduction.
Right:*
Meaning: correct
Use in sentence: You got three answers right and two wrong.
Rite:
Meaning: a set of fixed words and actions
Use in sentence: You have to go through an initiation rite before you become a full member.
Weather:*
Meaning: the conditions in the air above the Earth such as wind, rain or temperature, especially at a particular time over a particular area
Use in sentence: The weather in the hills can change very quickly, so take suitable clothing.
Whether:
Meaning: if, or not
Use in sentence: I wasn't sure whether you'd like it.
English (Précis and Composition) 1985
Eminent:
Meaning: famous, respected or important
Use in sentence: An eminent historian
Imminent:*
Meaning: coming or likely to happen very soon
Use in sentence: A strike is imminent.
Deference:*
Meaning: respect and politeness
Use in sentence: He treats her with such deference.
Difference:*
Meaning: the way in which two or more things which you are comparing are not the same
Use in sentence: What's the difference between an ape and a monkey?
Eligible:*
Meaning: having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary conditions
Use in sentence: Only people over 18 are eligible to vote.
Illegible:*
Meaning: impossible or almost impossible to read because of being very untidy or not clear
Use in sentence: His writing is almost illegible.
Judicial:*
Meaning: involving a court of law
Use in sentence: The defense team will seek a judicial review of the sentence.
Judicious:
Meaning: having or showing reason and good judgment in making decisions
Use in sentence: We should make judicious use of the resources available to us. (Pair Repeated: 1)
President:*
Meaning: the person who has the highest political position in a country which is a republic and who, in some of these countries, is the leader of the government
Use in sentence: The President of France.
Precedent:*
Meaning: an action, situation or decision which has already happened*
Use in sentence: There are several precedents for promoting people who don't have formal qualifications.
Superficial:*
Meaning: never thinking about things that are serious or important
Use in sentence: He's fun to be with, but he's very superficial.
Superfluous:
Meaning: more than is needed or wanted
Use in sentence: The report was marred by a mass of superfluous detail.
Immigrant:*
Meaning: a person who has come to a different country in order to live there permanently
Use in sentence: Illegal immigrants are sent back across the border if they are caught.
Emigrant:*
Meaning: a person who emigrates
Use in sentence: There was only a small number of emigrants on board.
Rightful:
Meaning: A rightful position or claim is one which is morally or legally correct
Use in sentence: Don't forget that I am the rightful owner of this house.
Righteous:*
Meaning: morally correct
Use in sentence: He was regarded as a righteous and holy man.
Contemptible:*
Meaning: deserving contempt
Use in sentence: Her behavior was contemptible.
Contemptuous:*
Meaning: expressing contempt
Use in sentence: He was very contemptuous of 'popular' writers, whom he described as having no talent.
Ingenious:
Meaning: very clever and skillful
Use in sentence: She was ingenious at finding ways to work more quickly.
Ingenuous:
Meaning: honest, sincere and trusting/ showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness
Use in sentence: It has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to look after his luggage. (Pair Repeated: 4)
English (Précis and Composition) 1986
Compliment:*
Meaning: remark that expresses approval, admiration or respect
Use in sentence: I take it as a compliment when people say I look like my mother.
Complement:
Meaning: to make something else seem better or more attractive when combining with it
Use in sentence: The music complements her voice perfectly. (Pair Repeated: 2)
Outbreak:*
Meaning: a time when something suddenly begins, especially a disease or something else dangerous or unpleasant
Use in sentence: Last weekend saw further thundery outbreaks.
Breakout:
Meaning: a violent escape, especially by a group, from prison
Use in sentence: There has been a mass breakout from one of Germany's top security jails.
Facilitate:*
Meaning: to make possible or easier
Use in sentence: The current structure does not facilitate efficient work flow.
Felicitate:*
Meaning: to wish happiness to; congratulate
Use in sentence: Asian medal winners to be felicitated next Sunday.