C1 English Vocabulary List (CEFR)

adjective · /ɛsˈθɛtɪk/

Relating to beauty or the look of art

“The building has strong aesthetic appeal.”

verb · /fəˈsɪləˌteɪt/

To make an action or process easier

“The app facilitates group study sessions.”

adjective · /kəmˈpɛlɪŋ/

Very interesting and hard to stop reading

“She wrote a compelling story about war.”

adjective · /ɪnˈhɪrənt/

Being a basic part of something's nature

“There is an inherent risk in extreme sports.”

noun · /ˈkætələst/

Something that causes or speeds up a change or event

“The financial crisis was a catalyst for major policy reform.”

adjective · /ˈskɛptəkəl/

Having doubts about something

“I am skeptical of his claims.”

adjective · /ˈtændʒəbəl/

Real and able to be touched or seen

“The team saw tangible results from training.”

adjective · /ˈplɔzəbəl/

Seeming reasonable or likely true

“His excuse for being late was plausible.”

adjective · /ˌɛmˈpɪrɪkəl/

Based on what you observe, not on theory

“The study offers empirical evidence for the drug.”

noun · /ˈpɛrəˌdaɪm/

A model or pattern that represents how something works

“The internet created a new paradigm for communication.”

adjective · /rɪˈdʌndənt/

Not needed because there is too much

“That last sentence is redundant.”

adjective · /ɑrˈtɪkjəˌleɪt/

Able to express ideas clearly and effectively

“She is a very articulate speaker who explains ideas clearly.”

verb · /ˈmɪtəˌɡeɪt/

To make something less severe, serious, or painful

“We must find ways to mitigate the effects of climate change.”

verb · /ˈrɛkənˌsaɪl/

To bring people or ideas back together

“The couple decided to reconcile after months apart.”

adjective · /rɪˈzɪljənt/

Able to recover quickly from hard times

“Children can be very resilient after loss.”

adjective · /kənˈkɜrənt/

Happening at the same time

“The two concurrent meetings ended at noon.”

noun · /ˈmɪriəd/

A very large number of things

“The forest has a myriad of insect species.”

adjective · /præɡˈmætɪk/

Dealing with problems in a practical way rather than following fixed ideas

“We need to take a more pragmatic approach to this problem.”

noun · /əˈnɑməli/

Something that is different from what is normal

“The warm January was a weather anomaly.”

adjective · /ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk/

Belonging naturally to something

“Art has intrinsic value beyond its price.”

adjective · /ˈstrɪndʒənt/

Strict and hard to meet

“The lab has stringent safety rules.”

adjective · /juˈbɪkwɪtəs/

Seeming to appear or exist everywhere at the same time

“Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern life.”

adjective · /ˈpɜrtɪnɪnt/

Directly related to the topic

“She asked pertinent questions during the talk.”

noun · /kənˈdʒɛktʃər/

A guess made without full proof

“His theory is based on pure conjecture.”

adjective · /koʊˈhisɪv/

Joined together as one strong whole

“The staff formed a cohesive team.”

adjective · /ˈdɪspərɪt/

Very different in kind

“The book brings together disparate ideas.”

adjective · /kənˈdusɪv/

Helping to make something happen

“Quiet rooms are conducive to study.”

adjective · /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/

Given and received in equal amounts

“They have a reciprocal trade deal.”

adjective · /ˈɛləkwənt/

Expressing ideas fluently and in a way that is persuasive or moving

“Her eloquent speech moved the entire audience.”

adjective · /ˈɑrdʒuəs/

Requiring a lot of hard, tiring effort

“The arduous hike took two full days.”

verb · /ɪmˈpid/

To slow down or block progress

“Heavy snow impeded the rescue effort.”

verb · /riˈɪtərˌeɪt/

To say something again for emphasis

“Let me reiterate that safety comes first.”

noun · /ˈnuɑns/

A subtle difference in meaning, expression, or sound

“He appreciated the nuances of French cuisine.”

adjective · /ˌæprɪˈhɛnsɪv/

Worried about something that may happen

“She felt apprehensive about her first flight.”

adjective · /ˌkwɪntɪˈsɛnʃəl/

Being the perfect example of something

“That song is the quintessential summer hit.”

adjective · /ˈtɛnjəwəs/

Weak and easily broken

“The link between the two events is tenuous.”

adjective · /æmˈbɪvələnt/

Having mixed or contradictory feelings about something

“She felt ambivalent about leaving her hometown for the new job.”

verb · /ˈsɪnθəˌsaɪz/

To combine ideas or facts into a whole

“She synthesized data from ten reports.”

adjective · /dɑɡˈmætɪk/

Sure your beliefs are right without doubt

“He is dogmatic about his diet rules.”

verb · /kərˈɑbərˌeɪt/

To provide proof that supports a claim

“Two witnesses corroborate her story.”

verb · /ɪɡˈzæsərˌbeɪt/

To make a bad situation worse

“Loud noise exacerbates his headaches.”

verb · /səbˈstæntʃiˌeɪt/

To provide proof for a claim

“He could not substantiate his story.”

verb · /ˈskrutəˌnaɪz/

To examine something very carefully and critically

“The committee scrutinized every detail of the proposal.”

verb · /ɪɡˈzɛmpləˌfaɪ/

To be a typical example of something

“Her work exemplifies modern art.”

verb · /proʊˈlɪfərˌeɪt/

To increase quickly in number

“Coffee shops proliferate near the university.”

verb · /ɪkˈstræpəˌleɪt/

To use known facts to guess about unknown ones

“We extrapolate future sales from past data.”

verb · /dɪˈlɪniˌeɪt/

To describe something in careful detail

“The map delineates the town's borders.”

verb · /ˈvɪndəkeɪt/

To show that someone was right after doubt

“The new evidence vindicated the judge.”

verb · /ˌækwiˈɛs/

To agree quietly without protest

“He acquiesced to the new office rules.”

verb · /ˌdʒʌkstəˈpoʊz/

To place two things close together for contrast

“The film juxtaposes wealth and poverty.”