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.
Choose your level
View all levels
278 words
labyrinth
C2+
/ˈlæb.ə.ɹɪnθ/
A maze-like structure built by Daedalus in Knossos, containing the Minotaur.
litigation
C2+
/ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪ̯ʃən/
The conduct of a lawsuit.
prelude
C2+
/ˈpɹeɪl(j)uːd/
An introductory or preliminary performance or event.
verboten
C2+
/ˌfəɹˈboʊt(ə)n/
excluded from use or mention
urbane
C2+
/ɜɹˈbeɪn/
Of a person (usually a man): having refined manners; courteous, polite, suave.
self-government
C2+
/ˈsɛlfˈgʌvɝnmənt/
The governance of a region by its own populace; autonomy.
fungible
C2+
/ˈfʌndʒɪbəl/
Any fungible item.
comity
C2+
/ˈkɒmɪti/
Courtesy and considerate behaviour towards others; social harmony.
defalcate
C2+
/ˈdɛfəɫkeɪt/
appropriate property entrusted to one's care fraudulently to one's own use
prepense
C2+
/pɹɪˈpɛns/
planned or considered beforehand; premeditated, chiefly in the legal phrase malice prepense
perquisition
C2+
/ˌpɝkwəˈzɪʃən/
A thorough inquiry or search.
authorization
C2+
/ˌɔθɚrɪˈzeɪʃən/
official permission or sanction to do something
authoritarian
C2+
/əˌθɔrɪˈtɛriən/
favouring strict obedience to authority over personal freedom
dormant
C2+
/ˈdɔrmənt/
temporarily inactive or in a state of suspended development
abeyant
C2+
/əˈbeɪənt/
temporarily suspended or in a state of latency
contentedness
C2+
/kənˈtɛntɪdnəs/
the state of being satisfied and at ease
crestfallenness
C2+
/ˈkrɛstˌfɔlənnəs/
the state of being dejected or dispirited
delightedness
C2+
/dɪˈlaɪtɪdnəs/
the state of being greatly pleased or joyful
vexation
C2+
/vɛkˈseɪʃən/
the state of being annoyed or frustrated; a cause of such
abasement
C2+
/əˈbeɪsmənt/
the act of humbling or degrading; a state of humiliation
aloneness
C2+
/əˈloʊnnəs/
the state of being alone; solitude
commotion
C2+
/kəˈmoʊʃən/
a state of confused and noisy disturbance
licit
C2+
/ˈlɪsɪt/
permitted by law; lawful
observance
C2+
/əbˈzɜrvəns/
the keeping of a law, custom, or ritual
permissible
C2+
/pɚˈmɪsəbəl/
allowed or permitted by rules or law
seclusion
C2+
/sɪˈkluʒən/
the state of being private and away from others
approbation
C2+
/ˌæprəˈbeɪʃən/
approval or praise, often official
corrupted
C2+
/kəˈrʌptɪd/
made dishonest, debased, or damaged from an original state
decease
C2+
/dɪˈsis/
(formal/legal) death; to die
bobby
C2+
/ˈbɑbi/
a British police officer
continuance
C2+
/kənˈtɪnjuəns/
the act of continuing, or a legal postponement of proceedings
delict
C2+
/dɪˈlɪkt/
a wrongful act giving rise to legal liability; a civil wrong
disarray
C2+
/ˌdɪsəˈreɪ/
a state of disorder or confusion
heteroclite
C2+
/ˈhɛtərəˌklaɪt/
deviating from the ordinary rule or form; irregular or abnormal
illicitly
C2+
/ɪˈlɪsɪtli/
in a manner forbidden by law, rule, or custom
impurity
C2+
/ɪmˈpjʊrəti/
a contaminating substance, or the state of being impure
jester
C2+
/ˈdʒɛstɚ/
a professional fool or clown, especially at a medieval court
kosher
C2+
/ˈkoʊʃɚ/
conforming to Jewish dietary law; informally, legitimate or proper
promulgate
C2+
/ˈprɑməlɡeɪt/
to make widely known or to put a law into effect by official proclamation
adherence
C2+
/ədˈhɪrəns/
steady attachment to a rule, belief, or cause
confiscate
C2+
/ˈkɑnfɪˌskeɪt/
to seize property by authority
defiant
C2+
/dɪˈfaɪənt/
boldly resistant to authority or opposition
depravedness
C2+
/dɪˈpreɪvdnəs/
the state of being morally corrupt or depraved
designation
C2+
/ˌdɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən/
an official name, title, or label assigned to someone or something
drunkenness
C2+
/ˈdrʌŋkənnəs/
the state of being intoxicated with alcohol
edict
C2+
/ˈidɪkt/
an official order or proclamation issued by an authority
flux
C2+
/flʌks/
continuous change or flow; a state of instability
illegitimate
C2+
/ˌɪləˈdʒɪtəmət/
not authorized by law or accepted standards; not legitimate
illicit
C2+
/ɪˈlɪsɪt/
forbidden by law, rules, or custom
legitimately
C2+
/ləˈdʒɪtəmətli/
in a way that conforms to law or accepted standards; justifiably
nativism
C2+
/ˈneɪtɪˌvɪzəm/
the policy of favoring native-born inhabitants over immigrants
obligatory
C2+
/əˈblɪɡəˌtɔri/
required by a rule, law, or custom; compulsory
onliness
C2+
/ˈoʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone or unique; singleness
abrogate
C2+
/ˈæbrəɡeɪt/
to repeal or do away with a law, agreement, or custom formally
craziness
C2+
/ˈkreɪzinəs/
the state of being wild, foolish, or insane
decree
C2+
/dɪˈkri/
an official order having the force of law
dependency
C2+
/dɪˈpɛndənsi/
the state of relying on or being controlled by something or someone
docket
C2+
/ˈdɑkɪt/
a list of legal cases to be tried; an agenda of matters to be dealt with
expectancy
C2+
/ɪkˈspɛktənsi/
the state of anticipating or expecting something to happen
feral
C2+
/ˈfɛrəl/
in a wild state, especially after escaping from domestication
identicalness
C2+
/aɪˈdɛntɪkəlnəs/
the state of being exactly the same
inadequacy
C2+
/ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/
the state of being insufficient or not good enough for a purpose
instability
C2+
/ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/
the state of being unsteady, unreliable, or prone to change
justicer
C2+
/ˈdʒʌstɪsər/
(archaic) one who administers justice; a judge or magistrate
loneness
C2+
/ˈloʊnnəs/
(literary) the state of being alone or solitary
malfeasance
C2+
/mælˈfizəns/
wrongdoing, especially misconduct by a public official
misdeed
C2+
/ˌmɪsˈdid/
a wicked or illegal act; a wrongdoing
null
C2+
/nʌl/
having no legal force or value; zero or nonexistent
transiency
C2+
/ˈtrænziənsi/
the state of being brief or impermanent; transience
unevenness
C2+
/ʌnˈivənnəs/
the state of not being level, smooth, or consistent
unlawful
C2+
/ʌnˈlɔfəl/
not permitted by law; illegal
unprocessed
C2+
/ʌnˈprɑsɛst/
not treated, refined, or prepared; in a raw state
absolutism
C2+
/ˈæbsəluˌtɪzəm/
the principle or system of absolute, unlimited governmental or moral authority
bailiff
C2+
/ˈbeɪlɪf/
an official who maintains order in a court or executes legal writs
bondage
C2+
/ˈbɑndɪdʒ/
the state of being a slave or under another's control
cabal
C2+
/kəˈbæl/
a secret group plotting against a government or authority
congress
C2+
/ˈkɑŋɡrəs/
a formal assembly of representatives, or a coming together
connectedness
C2+
/kəˈnɛktɪdnəs/
the state of being joined or related to others
consuetude
C2+
/ˈkɑnswəˌtuːd/
an established custom or usage, especially with legal force
decern
C2+
/dɪˈsɝn/
to decree or judge judicially, especially in Scots law
democrat
C2+
/ˈdɛməˌkræt/
an advocate or supporter of democratic government
destitution
C2+
/ˌdɛstɪˈtuʃən/
the state of extreme poverty; lack of the means of subsistence
directive
C2+
/dɪˈrɛktɪv/
an official instruction or order issued by an authority
disconnection
C2+
/ˌdɪskəˈnɛkʃən/
the act of breaking a connection or the state of being disconnected
dissimilarity
C2+
/ˌdɪsɪməˈlɛrəti/
the state of being unlike or different
disuse
C2+
/dɪsˈjus/
the state of no longer being used or practiced
dupery
C2+
/ˈdupəri/
the act of deceiving, or the state of being duped
elector
C2+
/ɪˈlɛktər/
a person entitled to vote in an election
electorate
C2+
/ɪˈlɛktərət/
all the people entitled to vote in an election
enfranchisement
C2+
/ɛnˈfræntʃɪzmənt/
the granting of the right to vote or of civil liberties
enlargement
C2+
/ɛnˈlɑrdʒmənt/
the act of making larger or the state of being enlarged
extrajudicial
C2+
/ˌɛkstrədʒuˈdɪʃəl/
outside or beyond the authority of a court of law
flout
C2+
/flaʊt/
to openly disregard a rule, law, or convention with contempt
helplessness
C2+
/ˈhɛlpləsnəs/
the state of being unable to act or defend oneself
holiness
C2+
/ˈhoʊlinəs/
the state of being sacred, pure, or spiritually consecrated
impeachment
C2+
/ɪmˈpitʃmənt/
the formal charging of a public official with misconduct