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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56 words
cleanse
C2
/klɛnz/
to purge of an ideology, bad thoughts, or sins
anarchist
C2
/ˈæn.ɚ.kɪst/
a person who advocates anarchism, seeking a society organized without a coercive state or imposed hierarchy
stasis
C2
/ˈsteɪsɪs/
Inactivity; a freezing, or state of motionlessness.
manifesto
C2
/ˌmæn.əˈfes.toʊ/
a public written declaration of the principles, policies, aims, or intentions of a political party, government, or movement
makeshift
C2
/ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft/
A temporary (usually insubstantial) substitution.
imperialist
C2
/ɪmˈpɪriəlɪst/
a person who supports or practices imperialism
conclave
C2
/ˈkɑnˌkleɪv/
a private, confidential, or secret meeting of a select group
rile
C2
/ɹɑel/
To stir or move from a state of calm or order.
totalitarian
C2
/ˌtoʊtəlɪˈtɛɹiən/
characterized by a government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control
legate
C2
/ˈlɛɡɪt/
an official envoy or deputy, especially a representative sent by the pope or a sovereign
segue
C2
/ˈsɛɡweɪ/
To move smoothly from one state or subject to another.
agitator
C2
/ˈædʒ.əˌteɪ.tɚ/
a person who vigorously stirs others into political or social action, often a disapproving label for a protest organizer
empathetic
C2
/ˌɛmpəˈθɛtɪk/
showing empathy or ready comprehension of others' states
subversion
C2
/səbˈvɝːʒən/
the deliberate, often covert undermining of an established government, institution, or system
appeasement
C2
/əˈpiːzmənt/
the act of calming, satisfying, or pacifying someone by meeting a demand or easing a grievance
jingo
C2
/ˈdʒɪŋɡoʊ/
dated: used as a mild oath, usually in the phrase by jingo
dynastic
C2
/daɪˈnæstɪk/
relating to a dynasty or to rule by successive members of one family
triumvirate
C2
/traɪˈʌmvɝət/
a group of three people who share authority or responsibility
abdication
C2
/ˌæbdəˈkeɪʃən/
the formal act of giving up a throne or other position of sovereign power
Bolshevism
C2
/ˈbɑlʃəˌvɪzəm/
historical and political: the revolutionary Marxist doctrine and strategy of the Bolshevik faction led by Lenin
dethrone
C2
/diˈθroʊn/
to remove a monarch from the throne or from sovereign power
apocryphal
C2
/əˈpɑːkɹɪfəl/
Of doubtful authenticity, or lacking authority; not regarded as canonical.
anarchism
C2
/ˈænəɹˌkɪzəm/
a family of political philosophies and movements skeptical of or opposed to coercive authority, especially the state, and favoring stateless social organization through voluntary cooperation
militarism
C2
/ˈmɪl.ə.tɚ.ɪ.zəm/
the belief or policy that a country should maintain powerful armed forces and use them to gain political or economic advantage
nationalization
C2
/ˌnæʃ.ən.əl.əˈzeɪ.ʃən/
the transfer of a privately owned industry, service, or asset into ownership or control by a national government
demagogue
C2
/ˈdɛməɡɑɡ/
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
mendacity
C2
/mɛnˈdæsəti/
A deceit, falsehood, or lie.
leaderless
C2
/ˈliːdɚləs/
having no person or group in command or providing direction
plenipotentiary
C2
/plɛn.ɪ.poʊˈtɛn.ʃ(i)əɹ.i/
A person invested with full powers, especially as the diplomatic agent of a sovereign state, (originally) charged with handling a certain matter.
statesmanship
C2
/ˈsteɪts.mən.ʃɪp/
skill, wisdom, and sound judgment in managing public affairs
opine
C2
/oʊˈpaɪn/
To express an opinion; to state as an opinion; to suppose, consider (that).
statecraft
C2
/ˈsteɪt.kræft/
skill and sound judgment in governing a state and managing its affairs, especially diplomacy and foreign policy
puissant
C2
/ˈpjuəsənt/
Powerful, mighty, having authority.
factious
C2
/ˈfæk.ʃəs/
inclined to form factions or provoke internal disagreement
committeeman
C2
/kəˈmɪtimən/
dated: a man who serves on a committee
impolitic
C2
/ɪmˈpɑː.lə.tɪk/
unwise or tactless because likely to cause offense or practical difficulty
analytically
C2
/ˌæn.əˈlɪt.ɪ.kli/
by virtue of analysis
plutocracy
C2
/pluːˈtɑː.krə.si/
a system of government or social control in which the wealthiest people hold political power
concordat
C2
/kənˈkɔrˌdæt/
a formal agreement between the Holy See and a sovereign state regulating church affairs
bashaw
C2
/bəˈʃɔ/
historical spelling of pasha: a man of high rank or authority in the Ottoman Empire
cosmopolitanism
C2
/ˌkɑzməˈpɑlɪtənɪzm̩/
the moral or political view that all human beings belong to a single community and have obligations to one another across national boundaries
truculence
C2
/ˈtrʌk.jə.ləns/
The state of being truculent; eagerness to fight; ferocity.
asiento
C2
/ˌɑː.siˈɛn.toʊ/
historical: a contract granted by the Spanish Crown that gave a person or company a monopoly over a branch of colonial trade, especially the supply of enslaved Africans to Spanish America
suzerainty
C2
/ˈsuː.zɚ.ɪn.ti/
a relationship in which a dominant state controls the external affairs of a subordinate but internally autonomous state
commonweal
C2
/ˈkɑmənˌwil/
the welfare, prosperity, or good shared by all members of a community
Marxian
C2
/ˈmɑːrk.si.ən/
relating to, developed from, or analytically influenced by Karl Marx's political, economic, and social theories, without necessarily implying adherence to Marxism
asperity
C2
/əˈspɛɹɪti/
something hard to endure
quiescence
C2
/kwiˈɛsəns/
a state of quiet, but possibly temporary, inaction
anarchical
C2
/æˈnɑrkɪkəl/
lacking effective government, authority, or orderly control
possibilist
C2
/ˈpɑː.sə.bəl.ɪst/
a socialist who favors immediately achievable reforms rather than an all-or-nothing commitment to revolution
anti-militarist
C2
/ˌæn.tiˈmɪl.ə.tɚ.ɪst/
opposed to militarism, especially to the dominance or political use of powerful armed forces
syndicalism
C2
/ˈsɪn.dɪ.kəl.ɪ.zəm/
a revolutionary labor doctrine advocating workers' control of the economy through trade unions and direct action such as a general strike
unallied
C2
/ˌʌnəˈlaɪd/
not joined to another party by a political or military alliance
dissentient
C2
/dɪˈsɛnʃənt/
expressing disagreement with a prevailing opinion, decision, or majority
timocracy
C2
/tɪˈmɑkrəsi/
in Plato's political theory, a form of government ruled by people motivated chiefly by honor and military glory
correspondency
C2
/ˌkɔrəˈspɑndənsi/
correspondence, agreement, or mutual relation, especially diplomatic relations between states