< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (48)

Vital, adjective (vitally, vitality, vitalize, vitalized)  

essential,  cardinal, constitutive, fundamental

For example, if you say that something is vital, you mean that it is necessary or important.

The port is vital to supply relief to millions of droughts victims.

Pupil, noun (pupils) 

students

For example, the pupils of a school are the children who go to it.

I teach private pupils on Wednesday.

Standardize, verb (standard, standardizes, standardizing, standardized)

For example, to standardize things means to change them so that they all are the same.     

He feels standardized education does not benefit those children who are either below or 

above overage.

Concrete, adjective  

For example, you use concrete to indicate that something is definite and specific.

There were no concrete proposals on the table.

   

Incentive, noun (incentives) 

stimulus, catalyst, goad, impetus, impulse, incitation, incitement, motivation, stimulant

For example, if something is an incentive to do something, it encourages you to do it.

There is little or no incentive to adopt such measures.

Definite, adjective (definitely, definiteness, definitive) 

circumscribed, determinate, fixed, limited, narrow, precise, restricted

Definite evidence or information is true, rather than being someone’s opinion or guesses. 

We didn’t have any definite proof.

Assumption, noun (assume, assumed, assumptions) 

presumption, presupposition 

If you make an assumption that something is true, or will happen, you accept that it is true 

or will happen, often without any real proof.

Dr. Subroto questioned the scientific assumption on which the global warming theory is

based.

Mediate, verb (mediates, mediating, mediated, mediator) 

interpose, intercede, interfere, intermediate, intervene, step in

For example, if someone mediates between two groups of people, he tries to settle an 

agreement by talking to both groups to find out which things they can both agree.

United Nations officials have mediated a serious of peace meetings between the two sides.

Settle, verb (settles, settling, settled, settlement)  

calm, allay, becalm, compose, lull, quiet, quieted, soothe, still, tranquilize

If people settle an argument or problem, or if someone settles it, they solve it,
For example by making a decision about who is right or about what to do.

They agreed to try to settle their dispute by negotiation.

Dispute, noun (disputes)  

argue, bicker, hassle, quibble, squabble, wrangle

A dispute is an agreement or disagreement between people or groups.

For example, negotiators failed to resolve the bitter dispute between the European  Community and the United States.