30 Advanced IELTS Academic Vocabulary Words for Band 8+ – Theme-Based Guide – Week 2
Want to maximize your IELTS Writing and Speaking scores?
Here are 30 handpicked academic words, grouped by real IELTS themes. Mastering these will sharpen your essays, elevate your Speaking Part 3 answers, and move you closer to a Band 8+!
🎓 Vocabulary List (Grouped by Theme)
1. Government, Law & Order
- Accomplice – A person who helps in wrongdoing – crime/law topics
- Adjudicate – Making legal decisions – judiciary/government contexts
- Accord – Legal/political agreement
- Admonish – Mild warning – disciplinary/legal situations
2. Economy & Work
- Accretion – Gradual economic or financial growth
- Accrue – Accumulate over time – finance and accounting
- Acquisitive – Eager to acquire wealth – economics/business topics
- Adequate – Assessing resources or policies
- Adapt – Adjustment to economic or strategic changes
3. Education & Learning
- Addendum – Additional content – academic writing
- Adjunct – Supplementary addition – education/colleges
- Adage – Wise saying – useful in essays and introductions
- Acumen – Sharp thought and judgment – leadership, management
- Acuity – Sharpness in understanding – education and perception
- Adept – Skilled individual – learners, professionals
4. Health & Psychology
- Acute – Severe/intense condition – medical or emotional
- Addle/Addled – Confused mental state – psychology discussions
- Admonitory – Warning tone – behavioral psychology or therapy
- Acrid – Sharp, bitter – physical senses or emotions
5. Society & Culture
- Acrimonious – Bitter/hostile relationships
- Acrimony – Harshness or bitterness in speech or behavior
- Acquiesce – To accept without protest – passive behavior discussions
- Adherent – Follower of ideas/beliefs – political or cultural topics
- Adamant – Firm and unyielding in opinion – debate topics
- Accord – Harmony or social agreement
6. Media & Communication
- Accost – Boldly approach or confront
- Actuate – Cause someone to act – persuasive writing or speaking
- Accrue – Also metaphorically: accrue trust, fame
7. Science & Innovation
- Acme – Highest point of achievement – scientific success
- Actuate – To trigger action – used in engineering and research
- Acuity – Sharp perception – common in cognitive science
🧠 Example Sentences
- Acumen: Her acumen in solving business problems made her an ideal candidate for the consultancy role.
- Adjudicate: The court will adjudicate the dispute between the two companies.
- Accost: He was accosted by reporters outside the courthouse.
- Acute: The patient suffered acute pain following surgery.
- Adamant: She remained adamant about her decision to study abroad despite her family’s concerns.
🎯 Practice Questions
- Choose the best word to complete the sentence:
“The judge will _______ on the land ownership case next week.”
A) Acquiesce B) Adjudicate C) Accost D) Adapt
Answer: B) Adjudicate - Which word best describes ‘extreme bitterness or hostility’?
A) Acquiesce B) Acrid C) Acrimony D) Acute
Answer: C) Acrimony - Which term means ‘a gradual increase in size or amount’?
A) Accretion B) Addendum C) Acumen D) Accord
Answer: A) Accretion
💬 Use These Words in IELTS Writing
Incorporate advanced vocabulary like abrogate, adjudicate, adapt, and acumen into your IELTS essays. Using such precise words demonstrates a higher lexical resource and boosts your score.
Sample Usage:
“Effective governance requires the ability to adjudicate disputes fairly and foster social accord among diverse groups.”
📅 Download PDF Flashcards
Prepare faster for IELTS! Download these 30 academic words in flashcard format:
👉 Click here for Master Flashcards A31-A60
👉 Click here for Master Flashcards A1-A30
📚 Related Resources
👉 Also see: 30 High-Scoring Academic Vocabulary Words for IELTS Band 8+ – Theme-Wise List
