TOEFL Vocabulary Builder

to examine something in detail to understand it

“The study analyzes how sleep affects memory.”

to judge the quality, value or importance of something

“Researchers assessed the impact of the new policy.”

to accept something as true without proof

“The author assumes the reader knows the background.”

to decide something after considering the facts

“We can conclude that the results are consistent.”

to state the opposite of something; to be in conflict with

“The new data contradict the earlier theory.”

to show clearly that something is true

“The experiment demonstrates the effect of heat.”

to judge how good or useful something is

“The essay evaluates two competing explanations.”

facts or information showing whether something is true

“There is strong evidence for this claim.”

an idea suggested as an explanation, to be tested

“The hypothesis was supported by the findings.”

to suggest something without stating it directly

“The passage implies that costs will rise.”

to explain the meaning of something

“Students interpret the data in the final section.”

to give a good reason for something

“The writer justifies the method used.”

important or large enough to have an effect

“There was a significant increase in temperature.”

based on sound reasoning or evidence

“That is a valid point supported by research.”

to change in order to fit a new situation

“Species adapt to their environment over time.”

to change something slightly

“The plan was altered after the review.”

to change from one form or use to another

“Plants convert sunlight into energy.”

to become smaller, weaker or less

“Bird populations declined sharply.”

to appear or become known

“A new pattern emerged from the data.”

to develop gradually

“The technology evolved over a decade.”

to become larger in size, number or amount

“The city expanded rapidly in the 1900s.”

to produce or create something

“The reaction generates a large amount of heat.”

to make small changes to improve something

“Engineers modified the original design.”

a change in position, direction or attitude

“There was a shift toward renewable energy.”

to change completely in form or nature

“The internet transformed communication.”

to experience a change or process

“The metal undergoes rapid cooling.”

to get or obtain something

“The lab acquired new equipment.”

to organize and carry out an activity

“They conducted a survey of 500 people.”

always behaving or happening in the same way

“The results were consistent across trials.”

to obtain something from a source

“The formula is derived from earlier work.”

to judge the approximate value or size

“Scientists estimate the age of the rock.”

one of the things that influences a result

“Diet is a key factor in health.”

a particular way of doing something

“The method was described in detail.”

to get something, especially with effort

“They obtained similar results twice.”

a fact or event that can be observed

“The phenomenon occurs only at night.”

the set of values between a lower and upper limit

“Prices vary across a wide range.”

able to be trusted to be accurate

“This is a reliable measurement.”

to be different or change depending on the situation

“Rainfall varies by region.”

one of the parts that make up a whole

“Each component serves a purpose.”

a result or effect of an action

“Pollution is a consequence of industry.”

to limit or restrict something

“A small budget constrained the project.”

to help cause or add to something

“Several causes contribute to the problem.”

clearly different or separate

“The two species are distinct.”

to improve the quality or value of something

“Practice enhances performance.”

a basic structure of ideas or rules

“The theory offers a useful framework.”

a strong effect on something

“The reform had a major impact.”

a basic rule or truth that explains how something works

“The design follows a simple principle.”

to make something known that was hidden

“The study reveals a clear trend.”

as much as is needed

“There was sufficient data to decide.”

hidden but important; forming the basis of something

“The underlying cause was economic.”

to examine how two or more things are similar or different

“The lecture compares two theories of memory.”

to show the differences between two things clearly

“The passage contrasts urban and rural lifestyles.”

to be unlike or different from something else

“The two studies differ in their methodology.”

to recognize or point out the difference between things

“Scientists distinguish between correlation and causation.”

to look or be similar to something else

“The moon's surface resembles a desert landscape.”

equal in value, amount or meaning

“The two measurements are roughly equivalent.”

similar in a way that allows a comparison

“The heart's function is analogous to a pump.”

a noticeable difference or inequality

“There is a wide disparity in income between regions.”

a close similarity between two situations

“The professor draws a parallel between the two revolutions.”

the quality of being alike

“Despite the similarity, the two species evolved separately.”

opposite in nature or direction

“The results were contrary to the researcher's expectations.”

to identify what makes one thing different from another

“The quiz asks students to differentiate the two theories.”

to match or be in agreement with something

“The graph's peaks correspond to periods of growth.”

to come together from different directions toward one point

“The two lines of research eventually converge.”

to develop in different directions from a shared point

“The two species diverged millions of years ago.”

to give a share of something for a particular purpose

“The government allocates funds to public schools.”

a raw material or product that can be bought or sold

“Oil is a commodity traded worldwide.”

to use up a resource

“The factory consumes large amounts of energy.”

the system of production and trade in a region

“Tourism plays a key role in the local economy.”

to provide money for a project or activity

“The research was financed by a private foundation.”

an amount of money saved or made available for a purpose

“The university created a fund for scholarships.”

money received regularly from work or investment

“Household income rose steadily over the decade.”

to put money into something expecting a future benefit

“The company invested in new technology.”

work, especially physical work

“The industry relies heavily on manual labor.”

a system in which goods and services are bought and sold

“Demand in the housing market slowed last year.”

the amount of something produced

“Factory output increased after the upgrade.”

income received by a business or government

“Advertising is the company's main source of revenue.”

not enough to meet the demand

“Clean water is scarce in the region.”

money given by a government to support an activity

“Farmers receive a subsidy to grow certain crops.”

the act of spending money, or the amount spent

“Public expenditure on education has grown.”

a group of people living in the same area or sharing interests

“The festival brings the whole community together.”

a traditional practice followed by a group of people

“It is a custom to remove shoes before entering.”

showing a variety of different types or forms

“The city has a diverse population.”

relating to a particular racial or cultural group

“The neighborhood has a rich mix of ethnic communities.”

traditions and achievements passed down from earlier generations

“The museum preserves the region's cultural heritage.”

the qualities that define who a person or group is

“Language plays a central role in national identity.”

an established organization with a social purpose

“The university is one of the oldest institutions in the country.”

a standard or usual way of behaving in a group

“Greeting elders first is a social norm there.”

all the people living in a particular area

“The population doubled over fifty years.”

a belief or custom passed from one generation to another

“The dance is part of a centuries-old tradition.”

relating to a city or densely populated area

“Urban areas often have higher living costs.”

the general health, happiness and safety of a person or group

“The policy aims to improve public welfare.”

relating to a city or to citizenship and public life

“Voting is considered a civic duty.”

relating to the structure of a population

“The report highlights a demographic shift toward older residents.”

the state of sticking together as a unified group

“Shared traditions strengthen social cohesion.”

the typical weather conditions of a region over a long period

“The region's climate is dry and warm.”

a community of living things interacting with their environment

“The coral reef is a fragile ecosystem.”

the natural world or the surrounding conditions of a place

“Pollution has a lasting effect on the environment.”

the natural home of a plant or animal

“Deforestation destroys the habitat of many species.”

a substance that harms the environment

“The factory releases pollutants into the river.”

a group of similar living organisms

“Several species are at risk of extinction.”

able to continue over time without depleting resources

“The city promotes sustainable transportation.”

the physical features of an area of land

“The mountainous terrain made travel difficult.”

a long period with little or no rainfall

“The drought lasted for three consecutive years.”

the gradual wearing away of soil or rock

“Wind erosion has reshaped the cliffs over time.”

the complete disappearance of a species

“Hunting contributed to the species' extinction.”

an individual living thing

“Every organism in the ecosystem depends on others.”

the variety of living species in an area

“The rainforest has extraordinary biodiversity.”

the protection of natural resources and wildlife

“The park was created for wildlife conservation.”

to reduce the amount of something significantly

“Overfishing has depleted local fish stocks.”

a piece of equipment made for a particular purpose

“The lab uses a device to measure air quality.”

using or relating to computer technology

“Digital records replaced paper files.”

to introduce new ideas or methods

“The company must innovate to stay competitive.”

a system of parts that work together, or a process that produces an effect

“Scientists studied the mechanism behind the reaction.”

a system of connected parts, people or computers

“The university built a faster campus network.”

scientific knowledge applied to practical, especially industrial, purposes

“New technology made the process faster and cheaper.”

to make a process run by machine with little human control

“The factory automated most of its assembly line.”

a set of steps followed to solve a problem or complete a task

“The app uses an algorithm to recommend articles.”

to create a model or imitation of a real process

“The software simulates traffic flow in the city.”

existing or occurring by means of a computer, not physically

“Students attended a virtual lab session.”

an important discovery or development

“The vaccine was a major breakthrough in medicine.”

the basic physical systems needed for a society to function

“The city invested in public transit infrastructure.”

made by humans rather than occurring naturally

“Artificial light can disrupt animal behavior.”

to combine parts into a unified whole

“The new system integrates data from multiple sources.”

to improve a system by adding better parts or features

“The lab upgraded its equipment last year.”

to understand something fully

“Young children may struggle to comprehend abstract ideas.”

the subjects and content taught in a course of study

“The school revised its science curriculum.”

to teach someone a skill or give directions

“The professor instructed students to work in pairs.”

to learn something so it can be remembered exactly

“Students memorize key formulas before the exam.”

to become aware of or notice something

“Listeners perceive pitch differences instinctively.”

to keep or continue to remember something

“Spaced review helps students retain vocabulary longer.”

a natural ability to learn or do something

“She showed an early aptitude for mathematics.”

the ability to read and write

“The program aims to improve adult literacy.”

to give someone a reason to do something

“Praise can motivate students to keep trying.”

a field of study, or the practice of controlled behavior

“Linguistics is a discipline within the humanities.”

the ability to understand something

“The test measures reading comprehension.”

relating to mental processes like thinking and understanding

“The study examines cognitive development in infants.”

the ability to do something well

“The course builds competence in academic writing.”

complete knowledge or skill in a subject

“Years of practice led to her mastery of the violin.”

having knowledge of a situation or fact

“Students should be aware of the deadline change.”

to publicly support an idea or course of action

“The author advocates stricter environmental regulation.”

causing disagreement or strong differing opinions

“The policy remains a controversial topic.”

a particular way of viewing or thinking about something

“The article offers a historical perspective on the issue.”

to prove that a claim or idea is wrong

“The lecturer refutes the theory presented in the reading.”

seeming reasonable or likely to be true

“The explanation sounds plausible given the evidence.”

able to be believed or trusted

“The study relies on credible sources.”

an unfair preference for or against something

“The survey was designed to avoid bias.”

based on facts rather than personal feelings

“The report offers an objective summary of the findings.”

based on personal opinion rather than fact

“Taste in art is largely subjective.”

having doubts about whether something is true

“Many scientists were initially skeptical of the claim.”

to convince someone to believe or do something

“The essay tries to persuade readers to act now.”

used to say something is likely true, though not certain

“Presumably, the change was made to cut costs.”

used to draw attention to something important

“Several factors, notably cost, influenced the decision.”

used to state an opinion that could be supported with reasons

“This is arguably the most significant finding of the study.”

an argument made in opposition to another argument

“The essay fails to address the main counterargument.”

close to a number or value but not exact

“The approximate cost was ten thousand dollars.”

the typical or central value in a set of numbers

“The average temperature rose by two degrees.”

large enough to be important or noticeable

“The change required a considerable amount of time.”

happening slowly over a period of time

“The population showed a gradual increase.”

the great size or importance of something

“Few predicted the magnitude of the change.”

as small as possible

“The experiment used minimal resources.”

average in amount, intensity or quality; not extreme

“The region has a moderate climate year-round.”

a part of a whole, considered in relation to the whole

“A large proportion of students commute to campus.”

a relationship between two amounts, showing how many times one contains the other

“The study reports a ratio of two to one.”

large in amount or degree

“The university received a substantial donation.”

so small that it is not worth considering

“The difference between the two results was negligible.”

the level at which something begins to happen

“Once the threshold is reached, the reaction speeds up.”

a small part or amount of something

“Only a fraction of applicants are accepted.”

the size or extent of something, especially in relation to something else

“The project grew rapidly in scale and scope.”

to express something as a number or amount

“It is difficult to quantify the policy's long-term impact.”