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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All 27,237 words
748 words
testamentary
C2
/ˌtɛstəˈmɛntɚi/
of, expressed in, or relating to a legal will or testament
fungible
C2+
/ˈfʌndʒɪbəl/
Any fungible item.
discoverable
C2
/dɪˈskʌvɝəbəl/
capable of being ascertained or found out
ascendency
C2
/əˈsɛndənsi/
the state that exists when one person or group has power over another
comity
C2+
/ˈkɒmɪti/
Courtesy and considerate behaviour towards others; social harmony.
pleader
C2
/ˈpliːdɚ/
formal or historical: a lawyer or advocate who pleads cases in court
attestation
C2
/ˌæt.ɛˈsteɪ.ʃən/
the act of witnessing, certifying, or formally declaring that something is true or authentic
politesse
C2
/pɑləˈtɛs/
Civility, politeness, courtesy or gallantry; genteel politeness or an instance of this.
misappropriate
C2
/ˌmɪs.əˈpɹoʊ.pɹi.eɪt/
To embezzle.
mayoralty
C1
/ˈmeɪ.ɚ.əl.t̬i/
the office or position of a mayor, or the period during which a particular mayor serves
survivorship
C2
/sərˈvaɪvərˌʃɪp/
law and finance: the right of a surviving joint owner or beneficiary to receive property or benefits after another person's death
primogeniture
C2
/ˌprʌɪmə(ʊ)ˈdʒɛnɪtʃə/
The principle that the eldest child has an exclusive right of inheritance.
leasehold
C1
/ˈliːsˌhoʊld/
a right or estate in land or property held for a fixed period under a lease
outlawry
C2
/ˈaʊtˌlɔri/
historical law: the formal placing of a person outside the law and its protection
absolutist
C2
/ˈæb.səˌlu.tɪst/
a person who supports absolute political authority or treats a principle as allowing no exceptions
guardedly
C2
/ˈgɑːrdɪdli/
in a cautious and reserved manner
mortmain
C2
/ˈmɔɹt.meɪn/
the permanent and inalienable ownership of land or other property by a corporation, historically especially a church
quaestor
C2
/ˈkwistɚ/
an ancient Roman magistrate chiefly responsible for public revenue, accounts, and financial administration
baronetcy
C2
/ˈbærənətsi/
the hereditary rank, dignity, or title of a baronet
abrogation
C2
/ˌæbrəˈɡeɪʃən/
the formal repeal, abolition, or annulment of a law, agreement, right, or custom
condign
C2
/kənˈdaɪn/
Fitting, appropriate, deserved, especially denoting punishment.
subornation
C2
/ˌsʌbɔrˈneɪʃən/
the act of inducing someone to commit perjury or another unlawful act
syndic
C2
/ˈsɪndɪk/
an official or agent appointed to manage the affairs of a corporation, university, municipality, or similar body
gerrymander
C2
/ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.iˌmæn.dəɹ/
an act of gerrymandering, or dividing a voting area so as to give your own party an unfair advantage
chieftainship
C2
/ˈtʃiːftənˌʃɪp/
the position, authority, or period of rule of a chieftain
corvée
C2
/kɔːrˈveɪ/
historical: unpaid labor that a feudal tenant was required to perform for a lord, often in place of rent or tax
superintendency
C2
/ˌsuːpərɪnˈtɛndənsi/
the act or responsibility of supervising, directing, or administering an organization or activity
simultaneity
C2
/ˌsaɪməltəˈniɪti/
happening or existing or done at the same time
princedom
C2
/ˈprɪnsdəm/
a territory or state ruled by a prince
attaint
C2
/əˈteɪnt/
historical law: to condemn a person for treason or felony by attainder, extinguishing civil rights and often forfeiting property
predecease
C2
/ˌpriː.dɪˈsiːs/
to die before another person
bureaucratically
C1
In a way that involves rigid official rules and procedures
ejectment
C2
/ɪˈdʒekt.mənt/
the legal process of removing a person from possession of land or other property
indefeasible
C2
/ˌɪn.dɪˈfiː.zə.bəl/
especially in law, not capable of being annulled, defeated, or made void
oligarchical
C2
/ˌɑlɪˈɡɑrkɪkəl/
relating to, controlled by, or characteristic of an oligarchy
liberalize
C1
/ˈlɪbərəlaɪz/
to make a law, system, or policy less restrictive and more open or permissive
reimpose
C2
/ˌriː.ɪmˈpoʊz/
to impose a rule, tax, restriction, penalty, or burden again after it has been removed or has ceased to apply
grantee
C1
/ɡrænˈtiː/
a person or organization that receives a grant, award, right, or privilege
mandamus
C2
/mænˈdeɪməs/
law: a court order compelling a public official, lower court, agency, or other body to perform a duty required by law
purveyance
C2
/pɚˈveɪəns/
historical British law: the Crown's right to requisition provisions, transport, or other goods and services for royal use at fixed prices
nonperformance
C1
/ˌnɑnpərˈfɔrməns/
failure or refusal to carry out a task, promise, contract, or other obligation
solitariness
C2
/sɑːləˈtɛriːnɪs/
The state of being alone or apart from others.
bema
C2
/ˈbimə/
a raised platform in ancient Greece used by speakers, officials, or judges addressing an assembly or court
regality
C2
/rɪˈɡæləti/
historical Scots law: territorial jurisdiction of a royal character granted by the Crown to a lord, or the territory subject to it
assignable
C2
/əˈsaɪnəbl̩/
Capable of being assigned (all senses).
cogency
C2
/ˈkəʊd͡ʒənsi/
The state of being cogent; the characteristic or quality of being reasonable and persuasive.
distinctness
C2
/ˌdɪˈstɪŋkt.nəs/
The property or degree of being distinct.
externality
C2
/ɛkstɚˈnælɪti/
The state of being external or externalized.
octroi
C2
/ˈɑːk.trɔɪ/
a tax formerly levied on goods brought into a town or city, especially in France
adulterine
C2
/əˈdʌltəraɪn/
historical: illegal, unauthorized, or spurious
patentee
C1
/ˌpæt.ənˈtiː/
a person or organization to whom a patent has been granted
apanage
C2
/ˈæpənɪdʒ/
a grant of land, revenue, or privilege made by a sovereign to a dependent member of a ruling family
divisibility
C2
/dɪˈvɪzɪbɪlɪti/
the quality of being divisible
gerousia
C2
/dʒəˈruːʒiə/
in ancient Greece, a council of elders; specifically, the Spartan senate formed by twenty-eight elders and the two kings
zamindari
C2
/zəˈminˌdəɹi/
in British India, a system of landholding and revenue collection in which zamindars collected payments from cultivators for the state
allodial
C2
/əˈloʊdiəl/
law: held in absolute ownership, without feudal duties or a superior landlord
intestacy
C2
/ɪnˈtɛstəsi/
the legal condition of dying without a valid will, or of having property not disposed of by a valid will
injuria
C2
/ɪnˈdʒʊə.ri.ə/
a wrongful injury or invasion of another person's legal rights
maladministration
C2
/ˌmælədˌmɪnəˈstreɪʃən/
faulty, improper, or inefficient management, especially by a public authority
ephor
C2
/ˈɛf.ɚ/
one of five annually elected senior magistrates in ancient Sparta, empowered to supervise the kings and enforce civic law
contumacy
C2
/ˈkɑːntʊməsi/
stubborn resistance to authority; deliberate and obstinate disobedience
nonage
C2
/ˈnoʊnəd͡ʒ/
the state or period of being below the legal age of adulthood; minority
indefeasibility
C2
/ɪn.dɪˌfiː.zɪˈbɪl.ə.ti/
the quality of being impossible to annul, invalidate, or defeat, especially as a legal right or title
prohibitory
C2
/proʊˈhɪbəˌtɔɹi/
serving or intended to prohibit or forbid something
socage
C2
/ˈsɑːkɪdʒ/
historical law: land tenure in return for agricultural services fixed in amount and kind or for money rent, rather than military service
cursitor
C2
/ˈkɝsɪtɚ/
historical English law: a clerk in the Court of Chancery who prepared original writs issued as a matter of routine
taxgatherer
C2
/ˈtæksˌɡæð.ɚ.ɚ/
one who collects taxes or public revenues; a tax collector
hotchpot
C2
/ˈhɑtʃˌpɑt/
the legal combining of property or earlier gifts into a common fund so that an inheritance can be divided equally
comitia
C2
/koʊˈmɪʃ.i.ə/
in ancient Rome, an assembly of citizens convened to elect officials or exercise legislative or judicial authority
disencumbrance
C2
/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈkʌm.brəns/
freedom or release from an encumbrance, burden, debt, or legal claim
metic
C2
/ˈmɛtɪk/
in an ancient Greek city-state, a resident foreigner who lacked full citizen rights and usually paid a special tax
mutinously
C2
In a rebellious way that refuses to obey authority.
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.
arbitrament
C2
/ɑːrˈbɪtrəmənt/
an authoritative judgment or the power of deciding a matter; arbitration
ID card
A2
police officer
A2
insubordinately
C1
In a way that refuses to obey orders or respect authority.
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