IELTS Vocabulary

Coincidence – an occasion when two or more similar things happen at the same time, especially in a way that is unlikely and surprising.

Sentence – Is it just a coincidence that the wife of the man who ran the competition won first prize?

Commemorate – to remember officially and give respect to a great person or event, especially by a public ceremony or by making a statue or special building.

Sentence – Special Amnesty forget-me-not badges were worn to commemorate all the prisoners on whose behalf Amnest was founded.

Commence – to begin something.

Sentence – Work cannot commence until the ground dries out.

Compatible – able to exist, live, or work successfully with something or someone else.

Sentence – This can hardly be compatible with the Prime Minister’s stated aim of a classless society – quite the opposite in fact.

Compensate – to pay someone money in exchange for something that has been lost or damaged or for some problem.

Sentence – No supportive words could ever compensate for the pain of being separated from her children for 10 years.

Complacent – a feeling of calm satisfaction with your own abilities or situation that prevents you from trying harder.

Sentence – While most of us feel fairly complacent about the nutrients we’re getting from our diets, the facts tell a very different story.

Condemn – to criticize something or someone strongly, usually for moral reasons.

Sentence – Most people are willing to condemn violence of any sort as evil.

Consensus – a generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people.

Sentence – There is a consensus among teachers that children should have a broad understanding of the world.

Consent – a generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people.

Sentence – The other party’s consent is required however.

Consequence – a result of a particular action or situation, often one that is bad or not convenient.

Sentence – The closure of the factory was a necessary consequence of increased competition from abroad.

Cosmopolitan – containing or having experience of people and things from many different parts of the world.

Sentence – With its vintage cable cars and cosmopolitan restaurants, the city is brimming with urbane sophistication.

Courageous – having or showing courage.

Sentence – You are indeed more courageous than ordinary people.

Credit – praise, approval, or honour.

Sentence – She got no credit for solving the problem.

Crucial – extremely important or necessary.

Sentence – The authorities proved unyielding on one crucial opposition demand.

Cumbersome – awkward because of being large, heavy, or not effective.

Sentence – The reason this cumbersome arrangement was used was because the simple crank had already been patented in 1780.

Cumulative – increasing by one addition after another.

Sentence – Depression is often caused by the cumulative effects of stress and overwork.

Debase – to reduce the quality or value of something.

Sentence – In surrendering to the global capitalists, governments are themselves debasing democracy, making it quite useless for people to vote.

Debatable – not clear or certain because different people may have different opinions.

Sentence – It is debatable whether calculating the price is an art or a science.

Decry – to criticize something as bad, without value, or unnecessary.

Sentence – Prof Wilkinson points out that the international community might not decry unilateralist intervention provided that it approves of the outcome.