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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278 words
incumbrance
C2+
/ɪnˈkʌmbrəns/
a burden or impediment; a legal claim against property
indigence
C2+
/ˈɪndɪdʒəns/
a state of extreme poverty or neediness
inexistence
C2+
/ˌɪnɪɡˈzɪstəns/
the state of not existing; nonexistence
infract
C2+
/ɪnˈfrækt/
to break or violate a law, rule, or agreement
infrequency
C2+
/ɪnˈfrikwənsi/
the state of happening rarely or seldom
infringer
C2+
/ɪnˈfrɪndʒɚ/
a person who violates a law, right, or agreement
inofficial
C2+
/ˌɪnəˈfɪʃəl/
not official; lacking formal authority (archaic for unofficial)
interestedness
C2+
/ˈɪntrəstɪdnəs/
the state of being interested, or of having a personal stake or bias
invocation
C2+
/ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən/
the act of calling upon a deity, spirit, or authority for aid or inspiration
irresolution
C2+
/ɪˌrɛzəˈluʃən/
the state of being undecided or wavering
itemize
C2+
/ˈaɪtəˌmaɪz/
to state or list as separate items
juridical
C2+
/dʒʊˈrɪdɪkəl/
relating to judicial proceedings or the law
lawbreaking
C2+
/ˈlɔˌbreɪkɪŋ/
the act of violating the law
lawman
C2+
/ˈlɔˌmæn/
a law-enforcement officer, such as a sheriff or marshal
magisterial
C2+
/ˌmædʒɪˈstɪriəl/
having an air of authority; authoritative and commanding
meaninglessness
C2+
/ˈminɪŋləsnəs/
the state of lacking purpose, significance, or sense
messiness
C2+
/ˈmɛsinəs/
the state of being untidy, disordered, or complicated
moistness
C2+
/ˈmɔɪstnəs/
the state of being slightly wet or damp
monarchy
C2+
/ˈmɑnərki/
a form of government with a monarch as head of state
necessitation
C2+
/nəˌsɛsəˈteɪʃən/
the act of making necessary or the state of being compelled
nonequilibrium
C2+
/ˌnɑnˌikwəˈlɪbriəm/
a state in which a system is not in equilibrium
nonexistence
C2+
/ˌnɑnɪɡˈzɪstəns/
the state of not existing
nonidentity
C2+
/ˌnɑnaɪˈdɛntəti/
the state of not being identical or the same
nonjudicial
C2+
/ˌnɑndʒuˈdɪʃəl/
not relating to or carried out by a court of law
nonpossession
C2+
/ˌnɑnpəˈzɛʃən/
the state of not possessing something
notoriousness
C2+
/noʊˈtɔriəsnəs/
the state of being notorious; ill fame
oneness
C2+
/ˈwʌnnəs/
the state of being unified, whole, or in complete harmony
ordinance
C2+
/ˈɔrdɪnəns/
an authoritative rule or law, especially one made by a municipality
parallelism
C2+
/ˈpærəlɛlɪzəm/
the state of being parallel or of corresponding in structure
pedantically
C2+
/pɪˈdæntɪkli/
in an overly precise or rule-bound manner
penal
C2+
/ˈpinəl/
relating to punishment for breaking the law
perfunctory
C2+
/pərˈfʌŋktəri/
carried out with minimal effort or care, as a routine duty
perplexity
C2+
/pərˈplɛksɪti/
the state of being puzzled or confused
plaintiff
C2+
/ˈpleɪntɪf/
a person who brings a legal action against another in a court of law
plurality
C2+
/plʊˈrælɪti/
the state of being plural; the largest share of votes when no majority exists
prosperousness
C2+
/ˈprɑspərəsnəs/
the state of being successful and thriving, especially financially
punishable
C2+
/ˈpʌnɪʃəbəl/
liable to or deserving of punishment under law or rule
rawness
C2+
/ˈrɔnəs/
the state of being uncooked, unrefined, sore, or emotionally exposed
reassert
C2+
/ˌriəˈsɝt/
to state or claim again, more firmly; to reestablish
recalcitrant
C2+
/rɪˈkælsɪtrənt/
stubbornly resistant to authority, control, or guidance
registrar
C2+
/ˈrɛdʒɪˌstrɑr/
an official who keeps official records or registers
republican
C2+
/rɪˈpʌblɪkən/
relating to a republic or its principles; a supporter of republican government
respectability
C2+
/rɪˌspɛktəˈbɪləti/
the state of being regarded as proper, decent, and worthy of esteem
rot
C2+
/rɑt/
to decay or decompose; the process or state of decay; nonsense
sequester
C2+
/sɪˈkwɛstɚ/
to isolate or set apart; to seize property temporarily by law
sobriety
C2+
/səˈbraɪəti/
the state of being sober; seriousness or moderation
speeding
C2+
/ˈspidɪŋ/
the act of driving faster than the legal limit
stupefaction
C2+
/ˌstupəˈfækʃən/
a state of being stunned into dazed astonishment
subvert
C2+
/səbˈvɝt/
to undermine the power and authority of an established system or institution
summons
C2+
/ˈsʌmənz/
an order to appear before a court or authority
supremacy
C2+
/səˈprɛməsi/
the state of being superior in authority, power, or status
tautness
C2+
/ˈtɔtnəs/
the state of being stretched tight or tense
tenseness
C2+
/ˈtɛnsnəs/
the state of being physically or emotionally taut or strained
thirstiness
C2+
/ˈθɝstinəs/
the state of being thirsty
tightness
C2+
/ˈtaɪtnəs/
the state of being firmly fixed, taut, or constricted
totality
C2+
/toʊˈtæləti/
the whole of something; the state of being complete
tranquillity
C2+
/træŋˈkwɪləti/
the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled
transgress
C2+
/trænsˈɡrɛs/
to violate a law, command, or moral boundary
trooper
C2+
/ˈtruːpɚ/
a soldier in a cavalry or armored unit, or a state police officer
unawareness
C2+
/ˌʌnəˈwɛrnəs/
the state of not being conscious or cognizant of something
uncertainness
C2+
/ʌnˈsɜːrtənnəs/
the state of being unsure or doubtful; uncertainty
uncomfortableness
C2+
/ʌnˈkʌmftɚbəlnəs/
the state of being uneasy or physically uncomfortable
unfitness
C2+
/ʌnˈfɪtnəs/
the state of being unsuitable or physically unhealthy
unitedness
C2+
/juˈnaɪtɪdnəs/
the state of being joined together in agreement
unlawfully
C2+
/ʌnˈlɔfəli/
in a manner contrary to the law
unofficially
C2+
/ˌʌnəˈfɪʃəli/
not in an official capacity; informally
unpopularity
C2+
/ˌʌnˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti/
the state of being disliked by many
vacantness
C2+
/ˈveɪkəntnəs/
the state of being empty, unoccupied, or expressionless
variegation
C2+
/ˌvɛriəˈɡeɪʃən/
the state of having varied colors or markings
wapentake
C2+
/ˈwɑp.ən.teɪk/
a former administrative subdivision of certain English shires, like a hundred
wrongful
C2+
/ˈrɔŋ.fəl/
unjust, unfair, or contrary to law or morality
compresence
C2+
/kəmˈpɹɛz(ə)ns/
The state of existing together concurrently.
herile
C2+
/ˈhɛr.əl/
of or relating to a master, especially a master's authority over servants or enslaved people
aesymnetes
C2+
/ˌaɪ.sɪmˈniː.tiːz/
historical: a supreme magistrate voluntarily appointed by an ancient Greek city-state during a crisis, often with powers comparable to those of a tyrant
prytanis
C2+
/ˈprɪt.ə.nɪs/
a member of the prytany, the section of the Athenian council serving for a fixed period as its presiding executive committee
zeugitai
C2+
/zuːˈɡiː.taɪ/
historical: members of the third of the four property classes in Solonian Athens, below the hippeis and above the thetes
dicast
C2+
/ˈdaɪˌkæst/
a citizen of ancient Athens chosen to serve as both judge and juror in a popular court
theatrocracy
C2+
/ˌθiːəˈtrɑːkrəsi/
government by citizens assembled in a theater, especially as a description of ancient Athenian democracy
forisfamiliate
C2+
/ˌfɔːrɪsfəˈmɪlieɪt/
obsolete Scots law: to renounce a legal claim to any further share of one's father's estate after receiving a portion
sequestrate
C2+
/ˈsiːkwəˌstreɪt/
to set apart, isolate, or seclude someone or something
disafforest
C2+
/ˌdɪsəˈfɔrɪst/
in English law, to remove land's legal status as a royal forest and release it from forest law
non compos mentis
C2+
/ˌnɑːn ˌkɑːm.pəs ˈmɛn.tɪs/
not of sound mind; unable to understand or take legal responsibility for one's actions
reaccuse
C2+
/ˌriːəˈkjuːz/
to accuse someone again
recognizant
C2+
/rɪˈkɑɡnɪzənt/
aware of, acknowledging, or appreciative of something
conscribe
C2+
/kənˈskraɪb/
To enroll; to enlist
commixtion
C2+
/kəˈmɪkstʃən/
the action or result of mixing or blending things together