English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2) — A1 is the friendliest place to start — and browse its words grouped by topic: travel, food, the body, emotions, and more. Each word shows its meaning, example sentences, and US/UK pronunciation.
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170 words
attorney
C1
/əˈtɜɹni/
A lawyer; someone who advises people on legal matters and represents them in court.
demon
C1
/ˈdiː.mən/
An evil supernatural being or spirit.
commissioner
C1
/kəˈmɪʃənɚ/
An official who heads a government department or public body, such as a police force.
clan
C1
/klæn/
A large group of families descended from a common ancestor.
casino
C1
/kæˈsinoʊ/
A building or room where people gamble on games of chance.
mob
C1
/mɑb/
A large, disorderly crowd of people, often angry or violent.
handling
C1
/ˈhændl̩ɪŋ/
The way someone deals with or manages a situation, task, or people.
communist
C1
/ˈkɑ.mjə.nɪst/
A person who believes in communism, a system where property is owned by the community as a whole.
gathering
C1
/ˈɡæð.ɚ.ɪŋ/
A meeting of people, often for a social or special occasion.
lesbian
C1
/ˈlɛz.bi.ən/
A woman who is sexually and romantically attracted to other women.
civilian
C1
/sɪˈvɪl.jən/
A person who is not a member of the armed forces or police.
tribal
C1
/ˈtraɪbəl/
Relating to or typical of a tribe.
riot
C1
/ˈɹaɪ.ət/
A violent disturbance by a large, uncontrolled crowd of people.
cult
C1
/kʌlt/
A religious group with extreme or unusual beliefs whose members are intensely devoted to a leader.
assassination
C1
/əˌsæsəˈneɪʃən/
The murder of an important or famous person, usually for political reasons.
carrier
C1
/ˈkæɹ.i.ɚ/
A person or thing that carries or transports something.
senor
C1
/ˌsiːnˈjɔr/
a Spanish or Spanish-speaking man, especially when addressed or referred to with the title equivalent to Mr. or sir
foreigner
C1
/ˈfɔɹ.ɪ.nɚ/
A person from another country.
juvenile
C1
/ˈd͡ʒuːvənaɪl/
Relating to young people or children.
gem
C1
/d͡ʒɛm/
A precious or semiprecious stone that has been cut and polished, especially for jewellery.
aggression
C1
/əˈɡɹɛʃən/
Angry or violent behaviour or feelings towards another person.
hypocrite
C1
/ˈhɪ.pə.kɹɪt/
A person who pretends to have beliefs or standards that their own actions do not match.
advocate
C1
/ˈæd.və.kət/
To publicly support or recommend a particular idea or course of action.
apprentice
C1
/əˈpɹɛntɪs/
A young person learning a skilled trade by working with an expert.
demo
C1
/ˈdɛm.oʊ/
A practical display showing how something works or what it can do.
tenant
C1
/ˈtɛ.nənt/
A person who pays rent to use land or a building owned by someone else.
quarry
C1
/ˈk(w)ɔɹ.i/
A large open pit where stone, slate, or sand is dug out of the ground.
socialist
C1
/ˈsoʊ.ʃə.lɪst/
A person who supports socialism, a system in which the community or government controls how wealth and resources are shared.
epidemic
C1
/ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/
The fast spread of an infectious disease through a population.
privileged
C1
/ˈpɹɪv(ɪ)lɪd͡ʒd/
Having special advantages, rights, or opportunities that most people do not have.
debut
C1
/deɪˈbjuː/
A person's first public performance or appearance.
sexuality
C1
/sɛk.ʃuˈæ.lə.ti/
A person's sexual feelings, attractions, and identity.
credibility
C1
/kɹɛd.əˈbɪ.ɫɪ.ti/
The quality of being believable and trustworthy.
insensitive
C1
/ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/
Not caring about or noticing other people's feelings.
initiate
C1
/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/
To start or set something in motion.
appealing
C1
/ʌˈpi.əl.ɪŋ/
Attractive or interesting; making you want it or like it.
isolate
C1
/ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/
to separate someone or something from others
eccentric
C1
/ɛkˈsɛntɹɪk/
Behaving in a strange or unusual way; unconventional.
ladyship
C1
/ˈleɪ.di.ʃɪp/
a respectful title or form of reference for a woman who holds or is entitled to a rank of nobility
allegedly
C1
/əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/
According to what people say, though it has not been proven.
casualty
C1
/ˈkæʒu.əlti/
A person killed or injured in an accident, disaster, or war.
solidarity
C1
/ˌsɑ.ləˈdæɹ.ə.ti/
Unity and mutual support among a group of people who share the same goal or interest.
pioneer
C1
/ˌpaɪ.əˈnɪɹ/
A person who is among the first to develop or explore a new area, idea, or activity.
Persian
C1
/ˈpɝʒən/
relating to Iran, especially its Persian people, language, culture, or history
demise
C1
/dɪˈmaɪz/
The end or failure of something.
mythology
C1
/mɪˈθɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/
The collection of traditional stories of a people about gods, heroes, and the origins of the world.
constitutional
C1
/ˌkɑn.stɪˈt(j)u.ʃ(ə)n.(ə)l/
Relating to the constitution, the basic set of laws and principles of a country.
counsellor
C1
/ˈkaʊnsəlɝ/
A person trained to give advice and support to people with problems.
aquarium
C1
/əˈkwɛɹ.i.jəm/
A glass tank or bowl filled with water for keeping fish and other water animals.
aide
C1
/ˈeɪd/
A person whose job is to help and assist someone important, such as a politician.
mingle
C1
/ˈmɪŋ.ɡəl/
To move around and talk with many different people at a social event.
delegation
C1
/ˌdɛləˈgeɪʃən/
A group of people chosen to represent a country, organization, or group.
fiend
C1
/fiːnd/
A cruel or evil person.
voluntary
C1
/ˈvɑ.lənˌt(ɛ)ɹi/
Done by choice, of one's own free will.
fairness
C1
/ˈfɛɚ.nəs/
The quality of treating people equally and according to the rules.
diversity
C1
/daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/
The state of having many different kinds of people or things together.
collaboration
C1
/kəˌlæbəˈɹeɪʃən/
The act of working together with others on a shared task.
midwife
C1
/ˈmɪd.waɪf/
A trained person who helps women during pregnancy and childbirth.
suburban
C1
/səˈbɜː(ɹ)bən/
Relating to or located in the residential areas on the edge of a city.
feminist
C1
/ˈfɛmənɪst/
A person who supports equal rights for women and men.
slob
C1
/ˈslɑb/
A lazy, untidy, or messy person.
humanitarian
C1
/hjuˌmæ.nəˈtɛ.ɹi.ən/
Concerned with reducing human suffering and improving people's lives.
timid
C1
/ˈtɪmɪd/
Lacking courage or confidence; easily frightened.
activist
C1
/ˈæk.tɪ.vɪst/
A person who works energetically to bring about social or political change.
psyche
C1
/ˈsɑe.ki/
the human mind, especially its deep feelings, thoughts, and attitudes
succession
C1
/səkˈsɛʃən/
A number of people or things that follow one after another.
consultation
C1
/ˌkɑnsəlˈteɪʃən/
A meeting with an expert, such as a doctor or lawyer, to get advice.
youngster
C1
/ˈjʌŋstɚ/
A young person, especially a child or teenager.
spam
C1
/ˈspæm/
Unwanted emails or messages, usually advertising, sent to many people at once.
exploitation
C1
/ˌɛksplɔɪˈteɪʃn̩/
The unfair treatment of people in order to benefit from their work or situation.
genocide
C1
/ˈd͡ʒɛnəsaɪd/
The deliberate killing of a large group of people because of their ethnicity, religion, or nationality.
chaperone
C1
/ˈʃæ.pəˌɹoʊn/
a responsible adult who accompanies and supervises one or more younger people, historically for safety and social propriety
cannibal
C1
/ˈkænɪbəl/
a person who eats human flesh
oversee
C1
/ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/
To watch over and direct a person, group, or piece of work to make sure it is done properly.
landmark
C1
/ˈlændmɑɹk/
A well-known building or feature that is easy to recognize and helps people find their way.
endorsement
C1
/ɛnˈdɔrsmənt/
Public approval or support for a person, product, or idea.
insider
C1
/ɪnˈsaɪdɚ/
A person who has special knowledge about how a group, company, or organization works from within.
coordinator
C1
/koʊˈɔrdəˌneɪtɝ/
A person whose job is to organize people or activities so they work well together.
mutually
C1
/ˈmjut͡ʃuəli/
In a way that is shared by or affects two or more people equally
integrated
C1
/ˈɪn.tɪ.ɡɹeɪtəd/
Combined with other parts to form a single, well-working whole.
suitor
C1
/ˈsutɚ/
A man who wants to marry or have a romantic relationship with a particular woman.
high-profile
C1
/ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl/
Receiving a lot of public attention; well known.
communal
C1
/kəˈmju.nəl/
for or by a group rather than individuals
staple
C1
/ˈsteɪpəl/
A basic, essential food or item that people use regularly.
coordination
C1
/koʊˌoɹdɪˈneɪʃən/
The organizing of people or activities so they work well together.
militant
C1
/ˈmɪlɪtənt/
Strongly active and aggressive in support of a cause, and ready to fight for it.
selective
C1
/səˈlɛktɪv/
Careful about what you choose, accepting only the best or only certain things.
gent
C1
/dʒɛnt/
an informal term for a man, especially one regarded as a gentleman
tycoon
C1
/taɪˈkuːn/
A wealthy and powerful business person.
contender
C1
/kənˈtɛn.dɚ/
Someone who has a real chance of winning a competition or prize.
buffoon
C1
/bəˈfuːn/
A person who behaves in a ridiculous or foolish way.
niche
C1
/niʃ/
A specialized area or position that suits a person or business well.
respective
C1
/ɹɪˈspɛktɪv/
Belonging separately to each of the people or things mentioned.
fiddler
C1
/ˈfɪdələ(ɹ)/
A person who plays the violin, especially folk or traditional music.
taxpayer
C1
/ˈtækˌspeɪɝ/
A person who pays taxes.
magnetism
C1
/ˈmægnəˌtɪzəm/
The physical force by which magnets attract or repel iron and other materials.