Academic word list 1 (letter A)

abstract based on general ideas and not on any particular real person, thing or situation abstract knowledge/principles The research shows that pre-school children are capable of thinking in abstract terms. compare concrete existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical reality We may talk of beautiful things but beauty itself is abstract. (of art) not representing people or things in a realistic way, but expressing the artist's ideas about them the work of American abstract expressionists like Mark Rothko

abstrakt, óhlutstæð (ósnertanleg) hugmynd

append append something (to something) (formal) to add something to the end of a piece of writing Footnotes have been appended to the document. The principal has the right to append comments to the final report.

auka, bæt við,Viðhengi, botnlangi

adapt [transitive] to change something in order to make it suitable for a new use or situation synonym modify adapt something These styles can be adapted to suit individual tastes. adapt something for something Most of these tools have been specially adapted for use by disabled people. [intransitive, transitive] to change your behaviour in order to deal more successfully with a new situation synonym adjust It's amazing how soon you adapt. The organisms were forced to adapt in order to survive. adapt to something We have had to adapt quickly to the new system. A large organization can be slow to adapt to change. adapt yourself to something It took him a while to adapt himself to his new surroundings. [transitive] adapt something (for something) (from something) to change a book or play so that it can be made into a play, film/movie, television programme, etc. Three of her novels have been adapted for television.

aðlaga, sveigjanleigur, tileinka sér

aid [uncountable] money, food, etc. that is sent to help countries in difficult situations economic/humanitarian/emergency aid An extra £10 million in foreign aid has been promised. aid agencies (= organizations that provide help) medical aid programmes

aðstoð, hjálp

alter [intransitive, transitive] to become different; to make somebody/something different Prices did not alter significantly during 2014. He had altered so much I scarcely recognized him. alter somebody/something It doesn't alter the way I feel. Nothing can alter the fact that we are to blame. The landscape has been radically altered, severely damaging wildlife. This incident altered the whole course of events. [transitive] alter something to make changes to a piece of clothing so that it will fit you better We can have the dress altered to fit you.

breyta, annar möguleiki, Staðgengill

attach [transitive] to fasten or join one thing to another attach something I attach a copy of my notes for your information. I attach a copy of the spreadsheet (= send it with an email). attach something to something Attach the coupon to the front of your letter. (figurative) They have attached a number of conditions to the agreement (= said that the conditions must be part of the agreement). compare detach See related entries: Email [transitive] attach importance, significance, value, weight, etc. (to something) to believe that something is important or worth thinking about I attach great importance to this research. I wouldn't attach too much weight to these findings. [transitive] attach yourself to somebody to join somebody for a time, sometimes when you are not welcome or have not been invited He attached himself to me at the party and I couldn't get rid of him. [intransitive, transitive] (formal) to be connected with somebody/something; to connect something to something attach to somebody/something No one is suggesting that any health risks attach to this product. No blame attaches to you. attach something to somebody/something This does not attach any blame to you.

festa við, viðhengi

adequate enough in quantity, or good enough in quality, for a particular purpose or need an adequate supply of hot water The room was small but adequate. There is a lack of adequate provision for disabled students. He didn't give an adequate answer to the question. adequate for something The space available is not adequate for our needs. adequate to do something training that is adequate to meet the future needs of industry

fullnægjandi,nægilegur

adult a fully grown person who is legally responsible for their actions synonym grown-up2 Children must be accompanied by an adult. Why can't you two act like civilized adults? See related entries: Middle age a fully grown animal The fish return to the river as adults in order to breed.

fullorðinn

acquire acquire something to gain something by your own efforts, ability or behaviour She has acquired a good knowledge of English. How long will it take to acquire the necessary skills? He has acquired a reputation for dishonesty. I have recently acquired a taste for olives. acquire something to obtain something by buying or being given it The company has just acquired new premises. How did the gallery come to acquire so many Picassos? I've suddenly acquired a stepbrother.

fá. öðlast, eignast

automate [usually passive] automate something to use machines and computers instead of people to do a job or task The entire manufacturing process has been automated. The factory is now fully automated.

gera sjálvirkan

affect [often passive] affect somebody/something to produce a change in somebody/something How will these changes affect us? Your opinion will not affect my decision. The south of the country was worst affected by the drought. Which Word? [often passive] affect somebody/something (of a disease) to attack somebody or a part of the body; to make somebody become ill/sick The condition affects one in five women. Rub the cream into the affected areas. affect somebody [often passive] to make somebody have strong feelings of sadness, pity, etc. They were deeply affected by the news of her death. Try not to let his problems affect you too much. affect (to do) something (formal) to pretend to be feeling or thinking something She affected a calmness she did not feel. affect something (formal, disapproving) to use or wear something that is intended to impress other people synonym put on I wish he wouldn't affect that ridiculous accent.

hafa áhrif á, ástúð

arbitrary (of an action, a decision, a rule, etc.) not seeming to be based on a reason, system or plan and sometimes seeming unfair The choice of players for the team seemed completely arbitrary. He makes unpredictable, arbitrary decisions. (formal) using power without restriction and without considering other people the arbitrary powers of officials

handahófskennt, tilviljun

attitude [countable] the way that you think and feel about somebody/something; the way that you behave towards somebody/something that shows how you think and feel attitude (to/towards/about/on somebody/something) changes in public attitudes to/about marriage social attitudes to/towards/about/on education the government's attitude towards single parents to have a good/bad/positive/negative attitude towards somebody/something Youth is simply an attitude of mind. If you want to pass your exams you'd better change your attitude! You're taking a pretty selfish attitude over this, aren't you? A lot of drivers have a serious attitude problem (= they do not behave in a way that is acceptable to other people). [uncountable] confident, sometimes aggressive behavior that shows you do not care about other people's opinions and that you want to do things in an individual way a band with attitude You'd better get rid of that attitude and shape up, young man. See related entries: Describing unpleasant traits, Confident [countable] (formal) a position of the body Her hands were folded in an attitude of prayer.

hegðun,viðhorf

abandon to leave somebody, especially somebody you are responsible for, with no intention of returning abandon somebody to something The study showed a deep fear among the elderly of being abandoned to the care of strangers. to leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay synonym leave abandon something Snow forced many drivers to abandon their vehicles. He gave the order to abandon ship (= to leave the ship because it was sinking). abandon something to somebody/something They had to abandon their lands to the invading forces. abandon something to stop doing something, especially before it is finished; to stop having something They abandoned the match because of rain. She abandoned hope of any reconciliation. We had to abandon any further attempt at negotiation. to stop supporting or helping somebody; to stop believing in something abandon somebody The country abandoned its political leaders after the war. abandon something By 1930 he had abandoned his Marxist principles. abandon yourself to something (literary) to feel an emotion so strongly that you can feel nothing else

hætta við, yfirgefa, gefa upp á bátinn

amend amend something to change a law, document, statement, etc. slightly in order to correct a mistake or to improve it He asked to see the amended version. The law has been amended to read as follows:... Parliament will vote to amend the constitution.

leiðrétta, breyta, laga

assess to make a judgement about the nature or quality of somebody/something assess somebody/something It's difficult to assess the effects of these changes. to assess a patient's needs Interviews allow you to assess the suitability of candidates. assess somebody/something as something The young men were assessed as either safe or unsafe drivers. I'd assess your chances as low. assess whether, how, etc... The committee assesses whether a building is worth preserving. We are trying to assess how well the system works. See related entries: Exams and assessment to calculate the amount or value of something synonym estimate assess something They have assessed the amount of compensation to be paid. assess something at something Damage to the building was assessed at £40 000.

meta,leggja mat á

aware [not before noun] knowing or realizing something As you're aware, this is not a new problem. As far as I'm aware, nobody has done anything about it. acutely/painfully (= very) aware aware of something I don't think people are really aware of just how much it costs. He was well aware of the problem. Everybody should be made aware of the risks involved. aware that... Were you aware that something was wrong? [not before noun] noticing that something is present, or that something is happening aware of somebody/something She slipped away without him being aware of it. They suddenly became aware of people looking at them. aware that... I was aware that she was trembling. (used with an adverb) interested in and knowing about something, and thinking it is important Young people are very environmentally aware.

meðvitaður

achieve [transitive] achieve something to succeed in reaching a particular goal, status or standard, especially by making an effort for a long time synonym attain He had finally achieved success. They could not achieve their target of less than 3% inflation. See related entries: Describing work [transitive] achieve something to succeed in doing something or causing something to happen synonym accomplish I haven't achieved very much today. All you've achieved is to upset my parents. [intransitive] to be successful Their background gives them little chance of achieving at school.

ná takmarki, afreka

attain attain something to succeed in getting something, usually after a lot of effort Most of our students attained five 'A' grades in their exams. We only consider applicants who have attained a high level of academic achievement. attain (a) degree/standard/level/proficiency/mastery attain something to reach a particular age, level or condition The cheetah can attain speeds of up to 97 kph.

ná,eignast

accurate correct and true in every detail an accurate description/account/calculation accurate information/data Accurate records must be kept. The police are trying to obtain a more accurate picture of crime levels. able to give completely correct information or to do something in an exact way a highly accurate electronic compass accurate to within 3 mm My watch is not very accurate. Scientists have found a more accurate way of dating cave paintings. an accurate throw, shot, weapon, etc. hits or reaches the thing that it was aimed at

nákvæmt

access a way of entering or reaching a place The police gained access through a broken window. There is easy access by road. access to something The only access to the farmhouse is across the fields. Disabled visitors are welcome; there is good wheelchair access to most facilities. compare egress access (to something) the opportunity or right to use something or to see somebody/something Students must have access to good resources. You need a password to get access to the computer system. access to confidential information Journalists were denied access to the President. Many divorced fathers only have access to their children at weekends (= they are allowed by law to see them only at weekends).

Aðgangur, ná í, fá aðgang að

area [countable] part of a place, town, etc., or a region of a country or the world mountainous/desert areas rural/urban/inner-city areas There is heavy traffic in the downtown area tonight. She knows the local area very well. John is the London area manager. Wreckage from the plane was scattered over a wide area. The farm and surrounding area were flooded. see also catchment area, conservation area, development area, no-go area [countable] a part of a room, building or particular space that is used for a special purpose the hotel reception area a play/parking/dining area

svæði,

advocate advocate something The group does not advocate the use of violence. Heart specialists strongly advocate low-cholesterol diets. These policies have been widely advocated. advocate (somebody) doing something Many experts advocate rewarding your child for good behaviour. advocate that... The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors.

talsmaður, málsvari, Berjast fyrir einhverju

attribute attribute something to something to say or believe that something is the result of a particular thing She attributes her success to hard work and a little luck. to say or believe that somebody is responsible for doing something, especially for saying, writing or painting something attribute something The committee refused to attribute blame without further information. attribute something to somebody This play is usually attributed to Shakespeare.

tileinka, eiginleiki, einkennir, rekja til

available that you can get, buy or find available resources/facilities readily/freely/publicly/generally available Tickets are available free of charge from the school. When will the information be made available? Further information is available on request. This was the only room available. We'll send you a copy as soon as it becomes available. Every available doctor was called to the scene. (of a person) free to see or talk to people Will she be available this afternoon? The director was not available for comment.

tiltækt, Laus

accompany accompany somebody (formal) to travel or go somewhere with somebody His wife accompanied him on the trip. I must ask you to accompany me to the police station. Warships will accompany the convoy. The groups are always accompanied by an experienced mountain guide. accompany something to happen or appear with something else strong winds accompanied by heavy rain The curator of the exhibition also wrote the accompanying catalogue. Shouts of protest accompanied this announcement. The text is accompanied by a series of stunning photographs. accompany somebody (at/on something) to play a musical instrument, especially a piano, while somebody else sings or plays the main tune The singer was accompanied on the piano by her sister.

Fylgja, meðfylgjandi

analyse to examine the nature or structure of something, especially by separating it into its parts, in order to understand or explain it analyse something The job involves gathering and analysing data. He tried to analyse his feelings. The first step is to define and analyse the problem. The results must be analysed in detail. analyse what, how, etc... We need to analyse what went wrong.

Greina, ransaka

author a person who writes books or the person who wrote a particular book Who is your favourite author? He is the author of three books on art. best-selling author Paul The-roux Who's the author? See related entries: People in publishing, Professions the person who creates or starts something, especially a plan or an idea As the author of the proposal I cannot agree with you.

Höfundur

accommodate [transitive] accommodate somebody to provide somebody with a room or place to sleep, live or sit [transitive] accommodate somebody/something to provide enough space for somebody/something [transitive] accommodate something (formal) to consider something, such as somebody's opinion or a fact, and be influenced by it when you are deciding what to do or explaining something [transitive] accommodate somebody (with something) (formal) to help somebody by doing what they want synonym oblige [intransitive, transitive] accommodate (something/yourself) to something (formal) to change your behaviour so that you can deal with a new situation better

Hýsa, koma fyrir, taka á móti

alternative a thing that you can choose to do or have out of two or more possibilities We can agree to their terms or else pull out of the deal completely: those are the two alternatives. We had no alternative but to fire Gibson. There is a vegetarian alternative on the menu every day.

valkostur, annar möguleiki

appropriate suitable, acceptable or correct for the particular circumstances an appropriate response/measure/method Now that the problem has been identified, appropriate action can be taken. Is now an appropriate time to make a speech? Please debit my Mastercard/Visa/American Express card (delete as appropriate) (= cross out the options that do not apply). appropriate for something Jeans are not appropriate for a formal party. appropriate to something The book was written in a style appropriate to the age of the children.

viðeigandi

anticipate to expect something anticipate something We don't anticipate any major problems. Our anticipated arrival time is 8.30. The eagerly anticipated movie will be released next month. anticipate doing something They anticipate moving to bigger premises by the end of the year. anticipate something doing something I don't anticipate it being a problem. anticipate that... We anticipate that sales will rise next year. it is anticipated that... It is anticipated that inflation will stabilize at 3%. compare unanticipated to see what might happen in the future and take action to prepare for it anticipate something We need someone who can anticipate and respond to changes in the fashion industry. anticipate what, how, that, etc... Try and anticipate what the interviewers will ask. anticipate (doing) something anticipate (something doing) something to think with pleasure and excitement about something that is going to happen We eagerly anticipated the day we would leave school. The more I anticipated arriving somewhere, the more disappointed I was. anticipate somebody (doing something) (formal) to do something before it can be done by somebody else synonym forestall When Scott reached the South Pole he found that Amundsen had anticipated him.

bíða eftir með eftirvæntingu, búast við

approach move near [intransitive, transitive] to come near to somebody/something in distance or time We heard the sound of an approaching car/a car approaching. Winter is approaching. The time is fast approaching when we shall have to make a decision. approach somebody/something As you approach the town, you'll see the college on the left. offer/ask [transitive] to speak to somebody about something, especially to ask them for something or to offer to do something approach somebody We have been approached by a number of companies that are interested in our product. I'd like to ask his opinion but I find him difficult to approach (= not easy to talk to in a friendly way). approach somebody for something/about (doing) something She approached the bank for a loan. See related entries: Business deals amount/quality [transitive] approach something to come close to something in amount, level or quality profits approaching 30 million dollars Few writers approach his richness of language. problem/task [transitive] approach something to start dealing with a problem, task, etc. in a particular way What's the best way of approaching this problem?

nálgast, aðkoma, lending

accumulate [transitive] accumulate something to gradually get more and more of something over a period of time synonym amass I seem to have accumulated a lot of books. By investing wisely she accumulated a fortune. We have accumulated a great amount of evidence. Synonyms [intransitive] to gradually increase in number or quantity over a period of time synonym build up Debts began to accumulate. Dust and dirt soon accumulate if a house is not cleaned regularly.

safnast saman, hlaðast upp

aggregate [countable] a total number or amount made up of smaller amounts that are collected together a record aggregate of 285 points The three smaller parties gained an aggregate of 25 per cent of the vote. See related entries: Economy [uncountable, countable] (specialist) sand or broken stone that is used to make concrete or for building roads, etc.

samasett af samanlagt

analogy [countable] a comparison of one thing with another thing that has similar features; a feature that is similar analogy (between A and B) The teacher drew an analogy between the human heart and a pump. analogy (with something) There are no analogies with any previous legal cases. See related entries: Linguistic devices [uncountable] the process of comparing one thing with another thing that has similar features in order to explain it learning by analogy

samlíking, hliðstæða, samanburður

assemble [intransitive, transitive] to come together as a group; to bring people or things together as a group All the students were asked to assemble in the main hall. She then addressed the assembled company (= all the people there). assemble something to assemble evidence/data The manager has assembled a world-class team. He tried to assemble his thoughts. [transitive] assemble something to fit together all the separate parts of something, for example a piece of furniture The shelves are easy to assemble. opposite disassemble

setja saman, safna saman

academy a school or college for special training the Royal Academy of Music a police/military academy (also Academy) a type of official organization which aims to encourage and develop art, literature, science, etc. the Royal Academy of Arts a secondary school in Scotland a private school in the US a secondary school in England which has a great deal of independence from local authority control

skóli, æðri menntastofnun, akademía

adjust [transitive] to change something slightly to make it more suitable for a new set of conditions or to make it work better adjust something Watch out for sharp bends and adjust your speed accordingly. This button is for adjusting the volume. The brakes need to be adjusted. adjust something to something Adjust your language to the age of your audience. [intransitive, transitive] to get used to a new situation by changing the way you behave and/or think synonym adapt They'll be fine—they just need time to adjust. adjust to something After a while his eyes adjusted to the dark. adjust to doing something It took her a while to adjust to living alone. It can be difficult to adjust to being a parent. adjust yourself to something You'll quickly adjust yourself to student life. My eyes were still trying to adjust themselves to the strong sunlight. [transitive] adjust something to move something slightly so that it looks neater or feels more comfortable He smoothed his hair and adjusted his tie.

stilla, aðlaga, laga sig að

administrate Did you mean: administrative administrator administration administrators administratively administrations Administration administering administer administered

stjórna

acknowledge to accept that something is true acknowledge something She refuses to acknowledge the need for reform. Are you prepared to acknowledge your responsibility? a generally acknowledged fact acknowledge that... I did not acknowledge that he had done anything wrong. acknowledge something to be, have, etc. something It is generally acknowledged to be true. Synonyms accept status to accept that somebody/something has a particular authority or status synonym recognize acknowledge somebody/something The country acknowledged his claim to the throne. acknowledge somebody/something as something He is widely acknowledged as the best player in the world. acknowledge somebody/something to be, have, etc. something He is widely acknowledged to be the best player in the world. reply to letter acknowledge something to tell somebody that you have received something that they sent to you All applications will be acknowledged. Please acknowledge receipt of this letter. smile/wave acknowledge somebody/something to show that you have noticed somebody/something by smiling, waving, etc. I was standing right next to her, but she didn't even acknowledge me. He waved, acknowledging the applause. express thanks acknowledge something to publicly express thanks for help you have been given I gratefully acknowledge financial support from several local businesses. He is always ready to acknowledge his debt to his teachers.

viðurkenna, staðfesta

Authority [uncountable] the power to give orders to people in a position of authority She now has authority over the people who used to be her bosses. Nothing will be done because no one in authority (= who has a position of power) takes the matter seriously. [uncountable] authority (to do something) the power or right to do something Only the Board has the authority to approve the budget. We have the authority to search this building. permission [uncountable] official permission to do something It was done without the principal's authority. We acted under the authority of the UN. organization [countable, usually plural] the people or an organization who have the power to make decisions or who have a particular area of responsibility in a country or region The health authorities are investigating the problem. I have to report this to the authorities. the immigration authorities see also local authority knowledge [uncountable] the power to influence people because they respect your knowledge or official position He spoke with authority on the topic. the moral authority to run the country expert [countable] authority (on something) a person with special knowledge synonym specialist She's an authority on criminal law.

yfirvald

aspect [countable] a particular part or feature of a situation, an idea, a problem, etc.; a way in which it may be considered The book aims to cover all aspects of city life. the most important aspect of the debate She felt she had looked at the problem from every aspect. This was one aspect of her character he hadn't seen before. The consultancy gives advice to manufacturers on the health and safety aspects of their products. [singular, uncountable] (formal) the appearance of a place, a situation or a person Events began to take on a more sinister aspect. the dirty and seedy aspect of the bar See related entries: How a building looks [countable, usually singular] (formal) the direction in which a building, window, piece of land, etc. faces; the side of a building that faces a particular direction synonym orientation Our room had a western aspect. The southern aspect of the school was dominated by the mountain. See related entries: How a building looks [uncountable, countable] (grammar) the form of a verb that shows, for example, whether the action happens once or repeatedly, is completed or still continuing see also perfect (7), progressive (3)

Þáttur, hlið

annual happening or done once every year an annual meeting/event/report relating to a period of one year an annual income/subscription/budget an average annual growth rate of 8% annual rainfall

árlegt

approximate an approximate number/total/cost The cost given is only approximate. Use these figures as an approximate guide in your calculations. Construction was completed at an approximate cost of $4.1 million.

áætlað, um það bil, nálga

apparent [not usually before noun] easy to see or understand synonym obvious Their devotion was apparent. Then, for no apparent reason, the train suddenly stopped. apparent (from something) (that...) It was apparent from her face that she was really upset. apparent (to somebody) (that...) It soon became apparent to everyone that he couldn't sing.

ógljóst, sýnilegur

ambiguous that can be understood in more than one way; having different meanings an ambiguous word/term/statement Her account was deliberately ambiguous. not clearly stated or defined His role has always been ambiguous.

óljós, tvíræður, vafasamur

allocate to give something officially to somebody/something for a particular purpose allocate something (for something) A large sum has been allocated for buying new books for the library. allocate something (to somebody/something) They intend to allocate more places to mature students this year. More resources are being allocated to the project. allocate somebody/something sth The project is being allocated more resources. allocate something to do something Millions have been allocated to improve students' performance.

úthluta, ráðstafa

appreciate [transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) appreciate somebody/something to recognize the good qualities of somebody/something You can't really appreciate foreign literature in translation. His talents are not fully appreciated in that company. Her family doesn't appreciate her. [transitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to be grateful for something that somebody has done; to welcome something appreciate something I'd appreciate some help. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thanks for coming. I appreciate it. I would appreciate any comments you might have. I would appreciate it if you paid in cash. appreciate doing something I don't appreciate being treated like a second-class citizen. appreciate somebody doing something We would appreciate you letting us know of any problems.

þakklæti, vera þakklátur fyrir, kunna að meta

albeit although He finally agreed, albeit reluctantly, to help us.

þótt, enda þótt, að vísu, þrátt fyrir