๐ Unlocking Band 8+: 30 Impactful IELTS Academic Words by Topic (Set 3)
Ready to elevate your IELTS Writing and Speaking answers?
This curated list of 30 academic vocabulary words is categorized by high-frequency IELTS themesโfrom Government to Health to Innovation. These precise, powerful words can give your responses the formal polish examiners are looking for.
๐ Vocabulary List (Grouped by Theme)
1. Government, Law & Politics
- Advocacy โ Public support for a cause โ used in social or political contexts
- Advocate โ Someone who supports or argues for a cause
- Adversarial โ Characterized by conflict โ relevant in legal/political debates
- Aggrieve โ To cause injustice or emotional suffering โ governance discussions
2. Economy & Work
- Affluent โ Wealthy โ used in economic development comparisons
- Aggrandize โ To increase power or status โ business/politics discussions
- Aggregate โ Combined total โ often in financial or statistical contexts
- Adulterate โ To reduce quality โ relevant in economics or industry
3. Education & Learning
- Agnostic โ Uncertain about knowledge โ used in debates/philosophy topics
- Advocate โ (Repeated intentionally) also used in education reform contexts
- Advent โ Arrival of a new idea or breakthrough โ in tech or educational change
4. Culture, Society & Lifestyle
- Adulation โ Excessive praise โ fits celebrity or societal behavior topics
- Adulate โ Verb form of adulation โ over-the-top praise
- Affectation โ Artificial display of behavior โ society or personal essays
- Affable โ Friendly, easy to approach โ useful for personality descriptions
- Affinity โ A natural liking or bond โ in social or cultural contexts
- Aesthetic โ Related to beauty or design โ art, fashion, or architecture
- Aestheticism โ A deep devotion to beauty or art
- Agile โ Quick and graceful โ fits personal traits or efficient systems
5. Environment & Innovation
- Adventitious โ Unplanned or accidental โ fits nature, climate change, or inventions
- Advent โ Also used here for technological or environmental shifts
6. Health & Psychology
- Agonize โ To suffer mentally or emotionally โ mental health topics
- Agitate โ To stir up feelings or unrest โ mental/emotional or protest contexts
- Aghast โ Filled with shock or horror โ emotional reaction in speaking prompts
7. Communication & Media
- Adumbrate โ To foreshadow or outline vaguely โ helpful for advanced essays
- Adorn โ To decorate or beautify โ fits art, fashion, or architectural descriptions
8. Travel & Geography
- Aerie โ A high nest or dwelling โ unique word for landscape/architecture descriptions
Example Sentences
- Adversarial: The debate became increasingly adversarial as both parties refused to compromise.
- Aggrandize: The leaderโs speech was designed to aggrandize his achievements.
- Adumbrate: The author adumbrated the tragic ending early in the story.
- Agonize: Students often agonize over choosing the right university program.
- Aerie: The cottage sat like an aerie atop the cliffs, overlooking the valley below.
๐ฏ Practice Questions
- Which word means ‘to increase wealth or power’?
A) AdornโB) AggrandizeโC) AffableโD) Advocate
Answer: B) Aggrandize - Choose the correct word:
“Despite the criticism, she continued to _______ her idol with exaggerated praise.”
A) AdulateโB) AdulterateโC) AdvocateโD) Adjudicate
Answer: A) Adulate - Which word best describes ‘friendly and pleasant nature’?
A) AffableโB) AggrieveโC) AcridโD) Adverse
Answer: A) Affable
๐ฌ Use These Words in IELTS Writing
Using words like advocacy, aggregate, aesthetic, and aggrieve in your essays or discussions will elevate your lexical resource score significantly.
Sample Usage:
“While many advocate for stricter regulations, others argue that such policies may aggrieve smaller businesses and limit economic growth.”
๐ Download PDF Flashcards
Want to study offline? Get your copy of these 30 words in an easy-to-revise flashcard format:
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