Academic Vocabulary- Words with Multiple Meanings

Academic vocabulary with multiple meanings defining your terms practice

Define one of the words below until your partner works out what you are talking about, making sure that you include academic meanings.

1. argument
2. authorities
3. concrete
4. conflict
5. contribute
6. credit
7. degree
8. demonstrate
9. discipline
10. establish
11. illustrate
12. imply
13. interests
14. interpret
15. maintain
16. majority
17. mechanism
18. nature
19. review
20. revise
21. shift
22. tackle
23. underline

All the words above have two or more meanings. Ask your partner about any which you can only think of one meaning for, then discuss any you both got stuck with as a class.

Match up the different parts of definitions of words above and/ or write the correct words in the gaps in the definitions below. Then check with the answer key or as a class.

Underline useful phrases for defining your terms in academic writing and presentations below, then ask about any phrases which you don’t understand.

Write definitions of the same words without help, then compare them to the ones here.

Say or write similar definitions of other words for your partner(s) to guess what you are defining.

 

Homework

Write an essay of at least 200 words on the topic “Common misconceptions in the field of…” If possible, make this related to your area(s) of interest, for example talking about how the general public or people from other academic areas misunderstand concepts from your field. Decide on the topic of each paragraph and write a plan at the top of the page before you start writing your essay.

 

Definitions to put together and/ or complete

A “_________” often means a critical piece about something such as a book	but we can also talk about “a ______ of the literature”, which means summarising previous research on a topic before talking about your own contributions to it.
“___________” often has the positive connotation of “help”,	but it can also mean to be one of the reasons for a problem.
“____________” can mean to set up a new organisation such as a club or company.	However, in academic writing it is additionally a softer way of saying “prove”.
“Giving ___” can mean allowing people to borrow money, but it also means noting something worthwhile that someone has done, as in the part where you thank people at the front of a book.	A third meaning is allowing a student to use that course towards passing their degree.
“____________” has two of the many meanings of “suggest”, specifically suggesting something without saying it directly	and making you think that something might be the case.
“_____________” is often used with the specific meaning of translating between languages (often simultaneously),	but it also has the more general meaning of attempting to understand or explain something.
“_____________” can mean look at your notes etc to remember what you have studied, like the American word “review”.	However, it can also mean “change”, making it similar to the word “edit”.

 

 

“To_______________ ” can mean to provide a visual accompaniment	but it can also include examples, data, etc used to support your arguments and explain what you mean.
In academic fields “______________” tends to mean issues that affect particular groups of people in particular ways, as in “in the ______________ of the working class”,	rather than free time activities.
Although a ______________ is obviously the word for the qualifications awarded by universities,	it is more generally useful as part of the phrase “a ______________ of…”, meaning “a certain amount of…”
Although major disputes between academics are by no means unknown,	in academic contexts the word “____________” tends to mean the way you have structured the support for your point.
As well as being a building material,	“______________” is the opposite of “abstract”.
As well as the physical meaning of “________________” (part of a machine made of several components),	there is also the more abstract meaning of “a system”.
In academic writing, “______________” has both the meaning of the people who have the power to decide things	and academic experts (as in the collocation “acknowledged ____________________”).

 

 

In addition to the meaning “protest publically”,	“_____________” has several meanings of the verb “show”, including showing that something is true and showing how something works.
In the field of sport “___________” means try to take the ball from someone or stop them being able to play,	but it also has a more general meaning of trying to solve a problem.
Many people are already familiar with the writing action “to ____________”,	but it also means emphasizing things more generally.
The uncountable word “____________” means control of someone, including yourself, to make them do what they should.	As a countable word, however, it means an academic area.
The various meanings of the word “___________”,	such as the computer key and changing gears in a car, have the shared sense of “change”.
In the context of academic writing and journalism the verb “_______________” often means “insist”,	but it also has the more everyday meaning of cleaning and mending something such as a car so that it can still be used.
What is meant by “___________” can vary. The literal meaning is anything over fifty percent,	but in normal parlance it means “most” and therefore something more like seventy percent.

 

Suggested answers

review

contribute

establish

credit

imply

interpret

revise

illustrate

interpret

degree

argument

concrete

mechanism

authorities

demonstrate

tackle

underline

discipline

shift

maintain

majority

 

Defining your terms phrases gapfill

Put one word into each gap below to make typical defining your terms phrases.

A “review” often means a critical piece about something such ___________ a book but we can also talk about “a review of the literature”, _______ means summarising previous research on a topic before talking about your own contributions to it.

 

“Contribute” often __________ the positive connotation of “help”, but it can also mean _________ be one of the reasons for a problem.

 

“Establish” can mean to set up a new organisation such as a club or company. However, _______ academic writing it is additionally a softer way ________ saying “prove”.

 

“Giving credit” _______ mean allowing people to borrow money, but it also means noting something worthwhile that someone has done, _____ in the part where you thank people at the front of a book. A third meaning ______ allowing a student to use that course towards passing their degree.

 

“Imply” ___________ two of the many meanings of “suggest”, specifically suggesting something without saying it directly ________ making you think that something might be the case.

 

“Interpret” is often used __________ the specific meaning of translating between languages (often simultaneously), but it also has the _______ general meaning of attempting to understand or explain something.

 

“Revise” can mean look at your notes etc to remember what you have studied, ________ the American word “review”. However, it can also mean “change”, making it similar ______ the word “edit”.

 

In academic fields “interests” tends ________ mean issues that affect particular groups of people in particular ways, as in “in the interests of the working class”, rather ________ free time activities.

 

Although a degree is obviously the word ___________ the qualifications awarded by universities, it is more generally useful as part of the phrase “a degree of…”, __________ “a certain amount of…”

 

As well _______ being a building material, “concrete” is ________ opposite of “abstract”.

 

Many people are already familiar _________ the writing action “to underline”, but it also means emphasizing things more generally.

 

What is meant _________ “majority” can vary. The literal meaning is anything over fifty percent, but _________ normal parlance it means “most” and therefore something more like seventy percent.

Mixed answers

Use the answers below to help with the task above and start checking your answers

and

as

as

as

by

can

for

has

has

in

in

is

like

meaning

more

of

than

the

to

to

to

to

which

with

with

 

Check your answers with the cards.

 

Punctuation in defining your terms phrases

Without looking above, put the punctuation back into these definitions.
a review often means a critical piece about something such as a book but we can also talk about a review of the literature which means summarising previous research on a topic before talking about your own contributions to it

 

contribute often has the positive connotation of help but it can also mean to be one of the reasons for a problem

 

establish can mean to set up a new organisation such as a club or company however in academic writing it is additionally a softer way of saying prove

 

giving credit can mean allowing people to borrow money but it also means noting something worthwhile that someone has done as in the credits as the front of a book a third meaning is allowing a student to use that course towards passing their degree

 

interpret is often used with the specific meaning of translating between languages often simultaneously but it also has the more general meaning of attempting to understand or explain something

 

although major disputes between academics are by no means unknown in academic contexts the word argument tends to mean the way you have structured the support for your point

 

as well as the physical meaning of mechanism part of a machine made of several components there is also the more abstract meaning of a system

 

in academic writing authorities has both the meaning of the people who have the power to decide things and academic experts as in the collocation acknowledged authorities

 

the uncountable word discipline means control of someone including yourself to make them do what they should as a countable word however it means an academic area

 

the various meanings of the word shift such as the computer key and changing gears in a car have the shared sense of change

 

what is meant by majority can vary the literal meaning is anything over fifty percent but in normal parlance it means most and therefore something more like seventy percent

Check your answers with the previous page. Other answers may be possible, so check with your teacher if you think your version may also be okay check.

 

What can you say about these parts of punctuation?

• commas with “which”
• punctuation with “but” and “however”
• quotation marks with the word or expression that you are defining
• the number of commas in a sentence (excluding lists)
• paired commas and brackets