TOEFL Academic Vocabulary
TOEFL passages are written in academic English, which has its own vocabulary. The same few hundred words carry most of the meaning in lectures and reading passages, and they are not the words you learn from conversation practice. This list covers the ones that appear most often.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hypothesis /haɪˈpɒθəsɪs/ | n.假设，假说 | The hypothesis was tested against data from three separate experiments. |
| phenomenon /fəˈnɒmɪnən/ | n.现象 | Migration is a phenomenon observed in hundreds of bird species. |
| empirical /ɪmˈpɪrɪkl/ | adj.实证的，经验主义的 | The theory lacks empirical support. |
| correlation /ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃn/ | n.相关性 | There is a strong correlation between sleep quality and academic performance. |
| variable /ˈveəriəbl/ | n.变量 | Temperature was the only variable the researchers did not control. |
| derive /dɪˈraɪv/ | v.得出；源自 | The formula is derived from Newton’s second law. |
| constitute /ˈkɒnstɪtjuːt/ | v.构成，组成 | Water constitutes roughly sixty percent of the human body. |
| subsequent /ˈsʌbsɪkwənt/ | adj.随后的，后来的 | Subsequent studies failed to reproduce the original result. |
| preliminary /prɪˈlɪmɪnəri/ | adj.初步的 | These are preliminary findings and should be treated with caution. |
| arbitrary /ˈɑːbɪtrəri/ | adj.任意的，武断的 | The boundary between the two periods is somewhat arbitrary. |
| intrinsic /ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk/ | adj.内在的，本质的 | Curiosity appears to be intrinsic to human learning. |
| adjacent /əˈdʒeɪsnt/ | adj.相邻的，邻近的 | The two species occupy adjacent ecological niches. |
| predominant /prɪˈdɒmɪnənt/ | adj.主要的，占主导的 | Agriculture was the predominant form of employment in the region. |
| fluctuate /ˈflʌktʃueɪt/ | v.波动，起伏 | Sea levels fluctuated considerably during that period. |
| infer /ɪnˈfɜː/ | v.推断，推论 | From the fossil record we can infer that the climate was warmer. |
| allocate /ˈæləkeɪt/ | v.分配，拨给 | The brain allocates more resources to tasks it finds unfamiliar. |
| aggregate /ˈæɡrɪɡət/ | n.总量，合计 | The aggregate of all measurements pointed to the same conclusion. |
| constrain /kənˈstreɪn/ | v.限制，约束 | Growth is constrained by the availability of fresh water. |
| innovative /ˈɪnəveɪtɪv/ | adj.创新的 | The team proposed an innovative approach to storing solar energy. |
| diminish /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ | v.减少，减弱 | The effect diminishes as the sample size grows. |
| reinforce /ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs/ | v.强化，加强 | Repetition reinforces the neural pathways involved in recall. |
| framework /ˈfreɪmwɜːk/ | n.框架，体系 | The researchers worked within an existing theoretical framework. |
| attribute /əˈtrɪbjuːt/ | v.把……归因于 | Scientists attribute the warming trend to rising carbon emissions. |
| explicit /ɪkˈsplɪsɪt/ | adj.明确的，显性的 | The instructions were explicit about which sources to use. |
| conventional /kənˈvenʃənl/ | adj.传统的，常规的 | The results challenged conventional wisdom about diet. |
| accumulate /əˈkjuːmjəleɪt/ | v.积累，聚集 | Sediment accumulates slowly at the bottom of the lake. |
| distinct /dɪˈstɪŋkt/ | adj.明显的；截然不同的 | The two dialects are grammatically distinct. |
| principle /ˈprɪnsəpl/ | n.原理，原则 | The device works on the same principle as a thermometer. |
| transform /trænsˈfɔːm/ | v.转变，改造 | The invention transformed the way information was stored. |
| reluctant /rɪˈlʌktənt/ | adj.不情愿的 | Participants were reluctant to report their actual habits. |
| duration /djuˈreɪʃn/ | n.持续时间 | The duration of the experiment was ninety days. |
| sequence /ˈsiːkwəns/ | n.顺序，序列 | The geologist mapped the sequence of rock layers. |
| inhibit /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/ | v.抑制，阻碍 | Certain chemicals inhibit the growth of bacteria. |
| monitor /ˈmɒnɪtə/ | v.监测，监控 | Researchers monitored the population over five years. |
| primary /ˈpraɪməri/ | adj.主要的，首要的 | The primary cause of the decline was habitat loss. |
| integrate /ˈɪntɪɡreɪt/ | v.整合，使成为一体 | The model integrates data from several disciplines. |
| cite /saɪt/ | v.引用，引证 | The author cites three earlier studies on the subject. |
| significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ | adj.显著的；重要的 | The difference between the groups was statistically significant. |
| assumption /əˈsʌmpʃn/ | n.假设，前提 | The model rests on the assumption that demand stays constant. |
| compile /kəmˈpaɪl/ | v.汇编，编纂 | The team compiled records going back a century. |