Academic Vocabulary to Know
Branches of Science Key Science-Related Terms
Astronomy - study of stars and planets Advantageous - providing an advantage
Botany - study of plants Charge - in electricity, positive or negative
Cognitive Science, Neuroscience - science of the brain Control group - in an experiment, the group in which
the variable being tested is not changed
Ecology - study of the natural world
Empirical - relying on hard data
Entomology - study of insects
Hierarchy (adj., hierarchical) - system of rank; opposite
Genetics - study of genes of egalitarian
Geology - study of rocks Isotope - alternate form of an element
Ornithology - study of birds Indigenous - native
Paleontology - study of fossils Inhibit - prevent, impede (e.g., a response)
Zoology - study of animals Innovative - new and revolutionary
Metabolism - the process of converting food to energy
Branches of Social Science and Humanities
Microbial - relating to microscopic organisms
Anthropology - study of human behavior and social
organization, usually on a large scale; can include
Pigment - color
linguistics, biology, and archaeology
Predisposed - having a tendency toward
Archaeology - study of historical human activity
through the recovery or excavation (digging up) of
Regenerate - regrow
physical objects
Replicate - repeat (an experiment) and obtain the same
Economics - study of monetary systems
results
Ethnography - study of individual cultures
Saturate - to become completely soaked with
Folklore - study of traditional stories and myths
Stimulus - something that provokes a specific response
Sociology - study of everyday human social behaviors
Symbiosis (adj., Symbiotic) - interaction between two
and interactions at a specific time
organisms living close together, benefits both
Taxonomy - classification system
Trait - characteristic
Velocity - speed
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Make a Claim Draw a Conclusion
Infer
Advance
Surmise
Posit
Proffer
Provide Sources
Speculate Attribute
Hypothesize Cite
Support a Claim
Large Amount
Bolster Multitude
Buttress
Plethora
Substantiate
Profusion
Question a Claim
Small Amount
Ambivalence
Dearth
Skepticism Paucity
Rebut
Refute Different, Diverse
Disparate
Think about
Heterogeneous
Grapple with
Eclectic
Mull over
Ruminate about
Noticeable, Striking
Conspicuous
Coming Together
Distinctive
Converge
Salient
Integrate
Intersect
Harmless
Benign
Moving Apart
Innocuous
Diverge
Inborn
Inherent
Innate
Intrinsic
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Additional General Vocabulary Judicial - related to the law
Adept - skilled Marginal - unimportant
Adversary - opponent Mitigate - make less severe
Align (oneself with) - support or adopt the position of Preliminary - occurring before the main event
Authentic - genuine Prevail - win; adj. Prevalent, Prevailing - widespread;
generally accepted, e.g., the prevailing theory
Centrality - state of being central or essential
Reciprocate - respond to an action or behavior with the
Complement - to complete or perfect same action/ behavior
Comprehensive - thorough, complete (NOT to be Rudimentary - very basic
confused with comprehensible, which means
"understandable) Successor - person who inherits another's position
Contingent - dependent upon
Confer - give, grant
Corollary - a statement or condition that logically
results from a proven argument
Contemporary - current
Cultivate - grow, raise, e.g., crops
Displace - to force someone or something from its
home or habitat
Dispositi~n - personality
Ideology - belief system
Impede, Inhibit- prevent; get in the way of
Indigenous - native
Inherent, Innate, Intrinsic - inborn, existing in
something by definition
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