Academic vocabulary for the TOEFL iBT® test
240 academic and campus words in 10 topics, each with a short English definition and an example sentence. Press the play button to hear the word and the sentence.
This is our own selection of words for university topics, not an official ETS word list. TOEFL and TOEFL iBT are registered trademarks of ETS. FreeExamPath is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS.
Campus life
dormitory
My dormitory is a short walk from the science building.
A building where students live on campus.
roommate
My roommate studies late, so I sleep with earplugs.
A person who shares a room or apartment with you.
resident assistant
Our resident assistant organized a movie night for the whole floor.
A student who helps look after the students on one floor of a dormitory.
dining hall
The dining hall serves breakfast until ten in the morning.
A large room where students eat meals on campus.
meal plan
I chose a smaller meal plan because I often cook.
An arrangement to pay in advance for meals on campus.
registrar
Ask the registrar for an official list of your courses.
A university official who keeps student records.
financial aid
She applied for financial aid before the spring deadline.
Money given or lent to help students pay for college.
tuition
Tuition went up this year, so many students took part-time jobs.
The money paid for teaching at a college or university.
scholarship
He won a scholarship that pays for most of his studies.
Money given to a student, often for good grades or a special talent.
student union
The chess club meets every Friday in the student union.
A campus building with places to eat, meet and relax.
bulletin board
I saw the job offer on the bulletin board outside the library.
A board where notices and announcements are put up.
orientation
During orientation, we toured the campus and met our advisors.
Activities that introduce new students to a school.
extracurricular
Extracurricular activities helped me make friends in my first year.
Done outside regular classes, such as clubs or sports.
commute
Many students commute from nearby towns by train.
To travel regularly between home and school or work.
shuttle
The free shuttle runs between the campus and the train station.
A bus that makes short, regular trips between fixed places.
parking permit
You need a parking permit to leave your car near the dorms.
A document that allows you to park in a certain area.
work-study
Through work-study, I earn money putting books back on library shelves.
A program that gives students part-time jobs, often on campus, to help pay for college.
sign up
I signed up for the hiking club at the activities fair.
To put your name on a list to join something.
drop offdropped off, dropped off
Please drop off your room key at the front desk before you leave.
To take something to a place and leave it there.
overdue
My library book is three days overdue, so I owe a small fine.
Not returned or paid by the expected time.
counseling center
The counseling center offers free sessions to all students.
A campus office where students can talk to a trained person about stress or personal problems.
intramural
Our dorm has an intramural soccer team that plays on Sundays.
Played between teams from the same school.
move in
First-year students can move in two days before classes start.
To start living in a new home.
homesick
I felt homesick during my first month, but it got easier.
Sad because you are away from your home and family.
Courses and studying
syllabussyllabi or syllabuses
The syllabus says the first essay is due in October.
A document that lists a course's topics, readings and rules.
prerequisite
Introductory chemistry is a prerequisite for this lab course.
A course you must finish before you can take another one.
elective
I took an elective in film studies just for fun.
A course that students choose rather than one they must take.
major
Her major is economics, but she also loves music.
The main subject a student studies for a degree.
minor
He added a minor in Spanish during his second year.
A second subject a student studies in less depth than the main one.
credit
This seminar is worth three credits.
A unit that shows how much a course counts toward a degree.
enrollenrolled, enrolled
More than two hundred students enrolled in the history course.
To officially join a course or school.
transcript
Graduate schools usually ask for a transcript from every college you attended.
An official record of a student's courses and grades.
grade point average
Her grade point average rose after she changed her study habits.
The average of all a student's grades, shown as a number.
midterm
I spent the whole weekend reviewing for my biology midterm.
An exam given in the middle of a term.
office hours
Bring your questions to office hours on Wednesday afternoon.
Regular times when a professor is available to meet students.
teaching assistant
Our teaching assistant leads the discussion section every Friday.
A graduate student who helps a professor teach a course.
seminar
In the seminar, everyone has to lead one discussion.
A small class in which students discuss a topic with a teacher.
take notestook notes, taken notes
Try to take notes in your own words during the lecture.
To write down the important points while listening or reading.
assignment
The assignment asks us to compare two short stories.
A piece of work that students are given to complete.
deadline
The deadline for the lab report is Friday at noon.
The latest time by which something must be done.
extension
She asked for an extension because she had the flu.
Extra time allowed to finish a piece of work.
audit
Retired residents may audit some classes for free.
To attend a course without receiving a grade or credit.
withdrawwithdrew, withdrawn
He withdrew from the course after the first month.
To officially leave a course or program.
cramcrammed, crammed
Cramming the night before rarely works as well as regular review.
To study a lot in a short time just before an exam.
fall behindfell behind, fallen behind
If you miss several classes, it is easy to fall behind.
To fail to keep up with work or with other people.
catch upcaught up, caught up
I used the holiday to catch up on my reading.
To reach the same level after being behind.
curve
The professor graded the difficult exam on a curve.
A way of adjusting grades based on how the whole class did.
attendance
Attendance counts for ten percent of the final grade.
Being present at classes, or how often someone is present.
Research and academic writing
hypothesishypotheses
Our hypothesis was that plants grow faster with music.
An idea that a study or experiment is designed to test.
data
We collected data from every class in the school.
Facts or numbers collected so that they can be studied.
sample
The sample included students from four different universities.
A small group chosen to represent a larger group.
survey
Nearly half of the people in the survey preferred to study at night.
A set of questions asked to many people to learn their opinions or habits.
variable
Temperature was the only variable we changed.
A factor that can change in an experiment.
findings
The findings suggest that sleep improves memory.
The results of a study or investigation.
evidence
There is little evidence that the new method works better.
Facts or signs that show whether something is true.
analyze
We analyzed the results with a simple computer program.
To examine something carefully in order to understand it.
interpret
Scientists sometimes interpret the same results in different ways.
To explain or decide what something means.
cite
Always cite the articles you use in your paper.
To mention a source as support for an idea.
plagiarism
The university treats plagiarism as a serious offense.
Using someone else's words or ideas as if they were your own.
peer review
The article was changed twice during peer review.
The checking of research by other experts before it is published.
bibliography
Add every book you used to the bibliography.
A list of the sources used in a piece of writing.
approximately
Approximately one third of the participants left the study early.
Close to a number or amount, but not exactly.
revise
She revised her essay after reading the teacher's comments.
To change and improve a piece of writing.
abstract
Read the abstract first to decide if the article is useful.
A short summary at the start of a research article.
methodology
The methodology section explains how the interviews were done.
The set of methods used in a study.
objective
A good report gives an objective account of the results.
Based on facts rather than on personal feelings.
bias
Asking only your friends could add bias to the survey.
An unfair preference that affects how someone judges something.
correlation
The study found a correlation between exercise and better grades.
A connection between two things that change together.
conclude
The researchers concluded that the new drug was safe.
To decide that something is true after studying the facts.
thesistheses
State your thesis clearly in the first paragraph.
The main argument of an essay, or a long piece of research written for a degree.
carry outcarried out, carried out
The team carried out the experiment over three months.
To do a planned task, such as an experiment.
significant
There was a significant difference between the two groups.
Large or important enough to matter or be noticed.
Life sciences
organism
Even a tiny organism can change its environment.
A living thing, such as a plant, an animal or a bacterium.
speciesspecies
Scientists discover new species of insects every year.
A group of living things of the same kind that can breed together.
habitat
Wetlands provide a habitat for many kinds of birds.
The natural home of a plant or animal.
predator
Owls are skilled predators that hunt at night.
An animal that hunts and eats other animals.
preyprey
Mice are common prey for foxes.
An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.
adapt
Some birds have adapted to life in busy cities.
To change in order to survive in new conditions.
evolve
Whales evolved from animals that once lived on land.
To develop gradually over many generations.
cell
Every cell in your body contains instructions for growth.
The smallest unit of a living thing.
gene
A single gene can affect the color of a flower.
A part of a cell that passes features from parents to their young.
trait
Long legs are a useful trait for animals that run.
A particular quality or feature, such as eye color.
offspringoffspring
Sea turtles do not care for their offspring after they hatch.
The young of an animal or plant.
reproduce
Some plants reproduce by sending out long stems along the ground.
To produce young or new plants.
migrate
These butterflies migrate thousands of kilometers every autumn.
To move to another region at certain times of the year.
hibernate
Some bears hibernate for several months each winter.
To spend the winter in a state like deep sleep.
camouflage
The moth's camouflage makes it almost invisible on tree bark.
Colors or patterns that help an animal hide.
photosynthesis
Photosynthesis takes place mainly in the leaves.
The process plants use to make food from sunlight, water and air.
nutrient
Healthy soil is full of nutrients.
A substance that living things need in order to grow.
ecosystem
Removing one species can upset the whole ecosystem.
All the living things in an area, together with their physical environment and the ways they affect one another.
endangered
The frog is endangered because its forest is shrinking.
At risk of disappearing completely.
extinct
Many large mammals became extinct at the end of the last ice age.
No longer existing anywhere.
fungusfungi
A fungus in the soil helps the tree's roots take in water.
A living thing such as a mushroom or mold.
pollinate
Bees pollinate many of the crops we eat.
To carry pollen from one flower to another so that seeds can form.
symbiosis
The clownfish and the sea anemone live in symbiosis.
A close relationship between two different species, often helping both.
dormant
The seeds stay dormant until the spring rains arrive.
Alive but not active or growing for a period of time.
Earth and environmental science
climate
The region's climate is hot and dry for most of the year.
The usual weather in a place over a long period.
erosion
Erosion has created deep valleys in the soft rock.
The slow wearing away of land by water, wind or ice.
sediment
The river leaves sediment where it meets the sea.
Sand, mud or small stones carried and dropped by water or wind.
glacier
The glacier has become much smaller over the past century.
A huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land.
drought
The drought forced farmers to plant fewer crops.
A long period with little or no rain.
fossil
The students found a fossil of a small shellfish.
The remains or shape of an ancient living thing preserved in rock.
crust
Earthquakes happen when parts of the crust suddenly move.
The hard outer layer of the earth.
volcanovolcanoes
The volcano has been quiet for several hundred years.
A mountain that can send out hot melted rock, gas and ash.
erupt
When the volcano erupted, ash covered the nearby towns.
To burst out suddenly, as a volcano does.
gradually
The coastline is gradually moving inland as the cliffs wear away.
Slowly, over a long period of time.
groundwater
Many villages depend on groundwater for drinking.
Water held under the ground in soil and rock.
renewable
The city wants all its electricity to come from renewable sources.
Able to be replaced naturally, like wind or sunlight.
emission
Cars are a major source of carbon emissions.
A gas or other substance sent out into the air.
pollutant
Factories must reduce the pollutants they release into rivers.
A substance that makes air, water or soil dirty or harmful.
conservation
Conservation groups planted trees along the riverbank.
The protection of nature and natural resources.
deforestation
Deforestation has made the hills more likely to flood.
The cutting down of large areas of forest.
sustainable
The farm uses sustainable methods to protect the soil.
Able to continue for a long time without harming the environment.
atmosphere
The atmosphere protects us from much of the sun's harmful light.
The layer of gases around the earth.
precipitation
Precipitation is highest here in late autumn.
Water that falls from the sky as rain, snow or hail.
tide
At low tide, you can walk out to the small island.
The regular rise and fall of the level of the sea.
terrain
The rocky terrain made the hike slow and difficult.
An area of land, especially its physical features.
deplete
Overfishing has depleted the fish stocks in the bay.
To use up a large part of a supply of something.
contaminate
Oil from the damaged ship contaminated the beach.
To make something dirty or harmful by adding a substance.
arid
Few trees can grow in such an arid landscape.
Very dry, with very little rain.
Physics, chemistry and astronomy
gravity
Gravity keeps the moon in orbit around the earth.
The force that pulls objects toward each other, and toward the earth.
orbit
The space station completes one orbit about every ninety minutes.
The curved path of an object around a planet or star.
friction
Friction between the tires and the road helps a car stop.
The force that slows down surfaces that rub against each other.
molecule
A water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
The smallest unit of a substance, made of atoms joined together.
atom
Everything around us is made of atoms.
The smallest unit of a chemical element.
element
Gold is an element that stays shiny for centuries.
A basic chemical substance, such as iron or oxygen.
compound
Table salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.
A substance made of two or more elements joined together.
dissolve
Sugar dissolves faster in hot tea than in cold water.
To mix completely into a liquid.
evaporate
The puddles evaporated quickly in the afternoon sun.
To change from a liquid into a gas.
condense
Steam condenses into drops on the cold window.
To change from a gas into a liquid.
particle
Dust particles floated in the beam of light.
A very small piece of matter.
velocity
The rocket's velocity increased as it climbed.
The speed of something in a particular direction.
magnetic
Some birds may use the earth's magnetic field to find their way.
Relating to magnets or able to attract iron.
radiation
The sun gives off radiation in many forms.
Energy sent out as waves or tiny particles, such as light or heat.
telescope
Through the telescope, we could see the rings of Saturn.
An instrument that makes distant objects look closer.
galaxy
Our galaxy contains billions of stars.
A huge group of stars held together by gravity.
in contrast
Iron sinks in water; in contrast, most kinds of wood float.
Used to show that two things are very different.
asteroid
Most asteroids lie between Mars and Jupiter.
A small rocky object that travels around the sun.
conduct
Copper conducts electricity very well, so it is used in wires.
To allow heat or electricity to pass through.
expand
Metal expands slightly when it gets hot.
To become larger.
dense
Lead is so dense that a small piece feels heavy.
Having a lot of mass in a small space.
boiling point
Water has a lower boiling point high in the mountains.
The temperature at which a liquid turns into a gas.
catalyst
The enzyme acts as a catalyst during digestion.
A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being changed itself.
spectrumspectra
A prism splits white light into a spectrum of colors.
The range of colors that appears when light is split.
History and archaeology
ancient
The ancient city was built beside a great river.
Very old; from a time long ago.
civilization
Writing developed separately in several early civilizations.
A society with its own culture, government and cities.
artifact
The museum displays artifacts found during the excavation.
An object made by people long ago, especially one of historical interest.
excavate
Archaeologists excavated the site for five summers.
To dig carefully in the ground to find ancient objects.
era
The steam engine began a new era of travel.
A long period of history with a particular character.
dynasty
The dynasty ruled the kingdom for nearly three centuries.
A series of rulers from the same family.
empire
The empire's roads connected distant provinces.
A group of countries or regions ruled by one ruler or government.
colony
The colony traded furs and timber with Europe.
A territory controlled by a distant country.
settlement
Remains of an early settlement were found near the coast.
A place where people come to live and build homes.
eventually
The small village eventually grew into a busy market town.
In the end, after a long time or many events.
revolution
The revolution ended the rule of the king.
A sudden and complete change, often of government.
primary source
Letters written by soldiers are valuable primary sources.
An original document or object from the time being studied.
archive
She spent a month reading old letters in the city archive.
A collection of historical records, or the place where they are kept.
manuscript
The monks copied every manuscript slowly and carefully.
A book or document written by hand.
inscription
The inscription on the stone names an ancient king.
Words cut or written on stone, metal or another surface.
decline
Historians disagree about the causes of the empire's decline.
A gradual loss of strength, power or importance.
flourish
Trade flourished after the new port opened.
To grow or develop very successfully.
conquer
The army conquered the region in a single summer.
To take control of a place or people by force.
trade route
The town grew rich because it lay on a major trade route.
A path regularly used by merchants to move goods.
medieval
The medieval castle still stands on the hill.
Belonging to the Middle Ages in European history.
preserve
The dry desert air preserved the wooden tools.
To keep something in its original state.
date back
The oldest part of the church dates back to the twelfth century.
To have existed since a particular time in the past.
nomadic
Nomadic groups followed the herds across the plains.
Moving from place to place instead of living in one place.
chronological
The exhibition presents the paintings in chronological order.
Arranged in the order in which events happened.
Psychology and sociology
behavior
The study looked at the behavior of children in groups.
The way a person or animal acts.
cognitive
Puzzles may help keep older adults' cognitive skills sharp.
Relating to thinking, learning and memory.
perception
Hunger can change our perception of smells.
The way you notice or understand something through the senses.
motivation
Praise increased the students' motivation to practice.
The reason for doing something, or the wish to do it.
stimulusstimuli
A sudden loud noise is a strong stimulus for a sleeping baby.
Something that causes a reaction in a person, animal or plant.
conformity
The experiment showed how strong the pressure toward conformity can be.
Behaving in the same way as most people in a group.
peer pressure
Peer pressure can lead teenagers to take risks.
Influence from people of your own age to behave like them.
norm
In some cultures, it is the norm to remove your shoes indoors.
A usual or accepted way of behaving in a group.
to some extent
To some extent, our friends shape the music we like.
Partly, but not completely.
urbanization
Rapid urbanization has put pressure on housing.
The growth of cities as people move from the countryside.
demographic
Demographic changes mean the country will soon have more retired people.
Relating to the make-up of a population, such as age or income.
participant
Each participant answered questions about their sleep.
A person who takes part in a study or activity.
respondent
Most respondents said they read the news on their phones.
A person who answers a survey or questionnaire.
phenomenonphenomena
Online fame is a new phenomenon created by social media.
Something that happens or exists and can be observed.
influence
Parents strongly influence their children's eating habits.
To affect how someone thinks or behaves.
tendency
People have a tendency to remember bad news more easily.
A habit of behaving in a particular way.
assume
Do not assume that everyone shares your opinion.
To believe that something is true without proof.
innate
Some researchers think the ability to learn language is innate.
Present from birth rather than learned.
reinforce
Rewards can reinforce good habits in young children.
To make a behavior, idea or feeling stronger.
anxiety
Many students feel anxiety before giving a presentation.
A feeling of worry or nervousness.
interaction
Online classes reduce face-to-face interaction between students.
Communication or contact between people.
stereotype
The film challenges the stereotype of the lonely scientist.
A fixed and often unfair idea about a type of person or group.
well-being
Regular exercise improves both physical health and well-being.
The state of being healthy, happy and comfortable.
cope with
Students learn different ways to cope with stress.
To deal successfully with a difficult situation.
Business and economics
supply
When supply falls and demand stays high, prices usually rise.
The amount of something that is available to buy.
demand
Demand for bicycles rose sharply during the summer.
The wish of people to buy something, or the amount they want.
consumer
Consumers are paying more attention to how products are made.
A person who buys goods or services.
revenue
The café's revenue doubled after it started selling lunch.
The money a business receives from selling things.
profit
The company made a small profit in its first year.
The money left after all costs have been paid.
budget
The club's budget does not include travel costs.
A plan for how money will be spent.
inflation
Inflation means that the same money buys less each year.
A general rise in prices over time.
invest
She invested her savings in a small bakery.
To put money into something in order to earn more later.
entrepreneur
The young entrepreneur sold handmade bags at the market.
A person who starts and runs a new business.
startup
The startup has only six employees but many customers.
A newly created company.
marketing
Their marketing focuses on students and young families.
The work of advertising and selling products.
merger
After the merger, several offices were closed.
The joining of two companies into one.
competitor
The shop lowered its prices to keep up with its competitors.
A company that sells similar products to the same customers.
retail
She works in a retail store on weekends.
Relating to selling goods directly to the public.
break evenbroke even, broken even
The new café expects to break even by the end of next year.
To earn exactly as much money as you spend.
outsource
Many firms outsource their customer service.
To pay another company to do part of your work.
productivity
A shorter workday did not reduce productivity.
The amount of work done in a certain time.
incentive
Free coffee was an incentive for staff to arrive early.
Something that encourages a person to do something.
recession
Many small shops closed during the recession.
A period when the economy shrinks and many jobs are lost.
market share
The new phone quickly gained market share.
The part of all sales in a market that one company has.
monopoly
The railway once had a monopoly on travel between the two cities.
Complete control of a market by one company.
fluctuate
Fruit prices fluctuate with the seasons.
To change often, going up and down.
lucrative
Selling coffee to commuters turned out to be surprisingly lucrative.
Producing a lot of money.
cut back oncut back on, cut back on
We cut back on eating out to save for a trip.
To reduce the amount of something you use or spend.
Arts, literature and media
genre
Science fiction is her favorite genre.
A type of art, music or writing, such as mystery or jazz.
narrative
The novel's narrative jumps between two time periods.
A story or a description of events.
protagonist
The protagonist is a young doctor in a small mountain town.
The main character in a story.
plot
The plot becomes more exciting in the second half.
The series of events in a story.
theme
Friendship is the central theme of the play.
The main idea or message of a work of art.
metaphor
Calling the busy city a jungle is a common metaphor.
A way of describing something by calling it something else with similar qualities.
portrait
The portrait shows the artist's grandmother in her garden.
A painting, drawing or photograph of a person.
sculpture
A bronze sculpture stands at the entrance to the park.
A work of art made by shaping stone, wood, metal or another material.
exhibition
The exhibition attracted thousands of visitors.
A public show of works of art or other objects.
originally
The theater was originally built as a train station.
At first, before something changed.
perspective
The documentary tells the story from the farmers' perspective.
A particular way of thinking about something; a point of view.
abstract art
Some visitors find abstract art difficult to understand.
Art that uses shapes, colors and lines instead of showing real things.
critic
Critics praised the director's first film.
A person who judges and writes about books, films or art.
audience
The audience stood and clapped at the end.
The people who watch or listen to a performance.
broadcastbroadcast, broadcast
The concert was broadcast live on national radio.
To send out a program on radio or television.
journalism
She studied journalism and now writes for a local newspaper.
The work of collecting and reporting news.
depict
The mural depicts farmers working in the fields.
To show or describe something in a picture or a story.
interpretation
Each actor brings a new interpretation to the role.
A particular explanation of what something means.
symbolize
In the painting, the open window symbolizes freedom.
To represent an idea or quality.
improvise
The musicians improvised for several minutes before the last song.
To create or perform something without preparing it first.
aesthetic
The building is practical, but it has little aesthetic appeal.
Relating to beauty and to what looks good.
masterpiece
Many readers consider the novel her masterpiece.
An outstanding work of art, or the best work of an artist.
adaptation
The film adaptation leaves out several characters.
A film, play or show based on a book or another work.
publish
Her first collection of poems was published last spring.
To produce a book, article or magazine for the public.