Process: English Vocabulary List

the start or realization of something new

"Spring is the awakening of nature."

"She experienced a deep spiritual awakening after traveling alone in the mountains for several weeks."

the beginning of something

"From the outset."

"From the outset we knew the project would be difficult but very important for the company."

the starting point of an activity or event

"Since its inception."

"The company has grown rapidly since its inception ten years ago."

to cut something short in length or duration

"The editor will truncate the long article."

"The editor had to truncate the article to fit within the magazine's strict word limit leaving out some interesting details."

to go back to a previous state, condition, or behavior

"He reverted to his old habits."

"After the crisis was resolved the company reverted to its normal operating procedures and daily business activities resumed as usual."

to experience or endure a process, change, or event

"The patient will undergo surgery tomorrow."

"The patient will undergo a series of medical tests to determine the cause of her persistent symptoms."

to respond in kind to a gesture or action

"She reciprocated his kind gesture."

"He sent her a birthday gift hoping that she would reciprocate the gesture when his birthday came around next month."

characterized by taking initiative to control or influence a situation rather than merely reacting to events

"You need to be proactive."

"The proactive manager scheduled regular maintenance on the machines to prevent breakdowns before they could cause any production delays or costly repairs."

newly started or formed, and expected to further develop and grow

"The project is still nascent."

"The nascent company is still in its early stages and has only five employees."

having persisted or existed for a significant amount of time

"We have a longstanding friendship."

"We have a longstanding friendship that has survived many arguments and distance over the past twenty years."

feeling endlessly long and tedious

"The wait was interminable."

"The interminable wait at the doctor's office felt like hours even though only thirty minutes had passed."

repeatedly happening or reappearing, often at regular intervals

"He has recurrent nightmares."

"He has recurrent nightmares about falling from a great height every single night."

currently happening

"The construction is underway."

"The construction of the new bridge is underway and should be finished next year."

refusing to be moved by argument or emotion

"The march of time is inexorable."

"The inexorable passage of time cannot be stopped no matter how hard we try."

in a manner directly from the original source or from personal experience

"I experienced the problem firsthand."

"I experienced the problem firsthand so I know exactly how difficult it is to solve and what needs to be done."

influencing the development or growth of something else, particularly during a crucial period

"Childhood is a formative period."

"Childhood is a formative period that shapes who we become as adults later in life."

carried out jointly by multiple individuals or groups

"We made a concerted effort."

"The team made a concerted effort to finish the project before the deadline."

in an automatic manner as if by using an engine, opposed to human effort alone

"He mechanically repeated the phrase."

"He mechanically repeated the phrase over and over again without thinking about what it actually meant."

without taking action or showing opposition

"He passively accepted the decision."

"He passively accepted the decision even though he disagreed with it because he did not want to cause any trouble."

in a manner where one thing is opposite or contrary to another

"The price moves inversely with demand."

"The price moves inversely with demand which means that when demand goes down the price usually goes up."

in a manner that advances or develops gradually over time

"The disease progressively worsened over time."

"The disease progressively worsened over time and the patient needed more and more help with daily activities."

at irregular intervals, with breaks or pauses in between

"The rain fell intermittently all day."

"The rain fell intermittently all day so we never knew whether to take an umbrella or leave it at home."

in a way that involves effort and participation rather than being passive

"He actively helps others."

"He actively participates in class discussions and always has something interesting to contribute to the conversation."

an abrupt event that stops or disrupts something in progress

"An interruption to the show."

"The sudden interruption during the important meeting annoyed everyone in the conference room yesterday."

the act of keeping something that one already has

"Customer retention is key."

"The company has a high retention rate because employees are happy with their working conditions."

a carefully planned action or strategy to achieve a specific goal

"A clever tactic worked."

"The coach used a successful tactic that helped the team win the important match yesterday."

a specific method of carrying out an activity that requires special skills

"Master a new technique."

"The chef demonstrated a new cooking technique that involved slow roasting vegetables to bring out their natural sweetness and flavor."

the waste gases or air expelled from an engine, furnace, or other machinery

"The blue smoke from the car's exhaust pipe smelled very bad indeed."

"An exhaust system channels hot waste gases from an engine's combustion chamber to the rear of a vehicle"

(of a machine or system) to suffer a sudden malfunction or fault that stops something from working correctly

"The system glitched."

"The video game began to glitch during the final level causing the character to move strangely and freeze at random moments."

an event or incident that happens or takes place, often referring to specific instances observed or recorded

"A strange occurrence happened."

"Such a rare occurrence happens only once in many years according to historical records."

a thing that is the direct or natural result of another

"A direct result of this."

"This is a logical corollary that follows directly from the main theorem in mathematics."

the rate or frequency at which something happens or occurs

"The incidence of crime increased."

"The incidence of the disease has fallen dramatically since the vaccine was introduced nationwide."

the action of maintaining or continuing something, typically a practice, belief, or state

"Perpetuation of old habits."

"The perpetuation of this myth has caused misunderstanding for many years in society."

a reward or consequence received as a result of actions, whether positive or negative

"A good payoff for effort."

"The risky investment finally gave a big payoff after many years of waiting patiently."

a tiny fragment or piece that survives after the larger part has been used, removed, or destroyed

"Small remnant left."

"Only a small remnant of the ancient temple remained after the big earthquake many centuries ago."

a minor remaining part or trace of something that is no longer present in full

"The old tradition is a vestige of the past."

"The last vestige of the old civilization was discovered during the archaeological excavation last year."

an unexpected event that makes a situation more complex

"Unexpected consequences of the choice."

"The decision had serious ramification for the future of the entire company and its employees."

the mutual action and reaction between two or more elements, often influencing each other

"The interplay of light and shadow was beautiful."

"There is a complex interplay between genetics and environment in determining human behavior."

a possible consequence that something can bring about

"The implication was clear."

"The implication of the new policy is that many employees will lose their jobs."

to perform or manage oneself in a particular way, especially in response to a situation or condition

"How did you fare on your exam?"

"The young athlete wondered how he would fare in the national competition against older and more experienced players from around the country."

to end by coming to a climactic point

"The festival culminates in a huge fireworks display."

"The festival will culminate in a huge fireworks display on the final night of the celebration weekend."

the unexpected start of something terrible, such as a disease

"The outbreak spread quickly"

"The outbreak spread quickly through the city overwhelming hospitals and health services"

without any pause or interruption

"The machine runs continuously."

"The machine runs continuously for twelve hours a day producing thousands of bottles for the factory."