People and Society: English Vocabulary List

food or financial help sent to support a person or country

"Foreign aid arrived."

"Aid was sent after the storm."

a prejudice that prevents fair consideration of a situation

"Media bias is problem."

"Bias can affect judgment."

having a preference or unfair judgment toward one side or viewpoint over others

"The article is biased."

"The biased article did not present both sides of the argument fairly and seemed to favor one candidate."

a person who is not a legal citizen of the country or city they work or live in

"Noncitizen rights matter."

"The noncitizen needed a visa to stay longer."

someone who publicly shows their disagreement or opposition toward something

"Protester held sign."

"The protester held a sign that read "Climate Justice Now" and marched peacefully with hundreds of others through the streets of the capital city."

the lowest level of salary, set by the law

"Minimum wage increased."

"The minimum wage helps workers earn enough to live."

a person's level of happiness, health, comfort, etc.

"Sunshine improves my quality of life."

"Moving to a quieter town improved their quality of life significantly and they are very happy."

a group of individuals who share similar economic, cultural, and educational status

"Social class differences exist."

"Social class often influences education and income."

(often plural) a very poor and overpopulated area of a city or town in which the houses are not in good condition

"People live in slum."

"Many families live in the slum with limited services."

an action or speech that offends a person or thing

"Disrespect is not acceptable."

"His disrespect upset the teacher."

someone who lives by asking people for food or money

"Beggar asked for money."

"The beggar sat near the station all day."

the use of children in a business or other forms of work that is harmful to their physical and mental development

"Child labor is illegal."

"Child labor deprives children of education and safety."

the excessive consumption of alcohol which can cause harm to physical health, mental well-being, social relationships, and overall functioning

"Alcohol abuse harms health."

"Alcohol abuse can damage families and careers."

an international organization with a spiritually inclined twelve-step program designed to help people who are trying to stop drinking alcohol

"Alcoholics Anonymous helps people."

"Alcoholics Anonymous helps people recover from alcohol dependence."

the business or act of having sexual intercourse with people in exchange for money

"Prostitution is controversial."

"The report discussed prostitution and exploitation."

to ask people for money or food, usually in public places

"He had to beg."

"The homeless man had to beg for spare change to buy a meal."

a phenomenon or event that follows from and is caused by a previous action or occurrence

"Serious consequence followed."

"The consequence of not paying your bills on time is that your credit score will drop and future loans will be more expensive or harder to get."

to give something, especially money or goods, in order to achieve a goal or help a cause

"I will contribute money."

"Many generous individuals contribute funds to support the local animal shelter's important work."

the serious state in which one suffers from lack of food, and may result in death or disease

"Hunger is bad."

"The prolonged drought led to widespread hunger and severe malnutrition in the region."

the connection among two or more things or people or the way in which they are connected

"We have a good relationship."

"Building a strong relationship requires consistent effort, open communication, and mutual respect."

to remove someone from their job or position, typically due to poor performance

"They will dismiss him."

"Due to his repeated insubordination, the manager decided to dismiss the employee immediately."

something that is voluntarily given to someone or an organization to help them, such as money, food, etc.

"Generous donation helped."

"She made a donation to the charity."

(of people) provided with the same opportunities, rights, or status, regardless of their characteristics or background

"We are equal."

"The organization strives to ensure that all its members are treated as equal, regardless of their background."

the larger part or number of a given set or group

"The majority voted yes."

"The vast majority of participants expressed satisfaction with the newly implemented policies."

a small group of people who differ in race, religion, etc. and are often mistreated by the society

"The minority group demanded equal rights."

"The minority group faced discrimination in housing and employment so activists organized protests to demand equal treatment under the law."

someone who believes one race has superiority over others and does not treat the members of those races fairly

"Racist comment was wrong."

"The racist ideology caused deep divisions within the community."

someone who treats people of their opposite gender unfairly, especially toward women

"Sexist attitude is bad."

"Sexist behavior is unfair and harmful."

a place in which very poor people are provided with food and housing

"Homeless need shelter."

"The homeless were provided with shelter and warm meals at the community center."

to say or feel that someone or something is responsible for a mistake or problem

"Do not blame others for mistakes."

"Do not blame others for your mistakes instead take responsibility and learn from what happened."

to walk with a large group of people as a sign of protest

"They will march tomorrow."

"Thousands of citizens decided to march through the city center to protest against the new government regulations."

to die from lack of food

"People starve without enough food."

"The poor family was afraid that they would starve during the harsh winter because they had very little food stored."

to stop working as a sign of protest against some work issues, such as low wages, poor working conditions, etc.

"Workers will strike today."

"The factory workers decided to strike over unfair employment conditions and inadequate compensation."

great regard and respect for someone or something based on their qualities, achievements, or principles

"He received honor."

"He acted with honor and kindness."

to meet up with someone in order to cooperate or socialize

"Let's get together this weekend."

"The whole family plans to get together for a reunion next summer after being apart for many years."

people who lack stable housing and so live on the streets

"Homeless man slept outside."

"Many homeless people visited the shelter."

a person who has the habit of drinking too much alcohol

"The alcoholic seeks help for his addiction."

"The alcoholic seeks help for his addiction and checks himself into a rehabilitation facility."