AEP

to take the place of somebody/something (especially somebody/something older or less modern):

supplant: Their work has been largely supplanted by the use of a computer program that fulfils the same function.

that appears to be something but is not really so vs not what somebody claims it is; false or pretended

quasi-official vs pseudo-science

the process of changing something so that all its parts or features become the same or very similar

homogenization: They lamented the company's role in the homogenization of world culture.

a town, city or district with its own local government; the group of officials who govern it

municipality: The municipality provides services such as electricity, water and rubbish collection.

the activity of an organization that provides a service or advice to people in the community, especially those who cannot or are unlikely to come to an office, a hospital, etc. for help

outreach: an outreach and education programme; outreach workers; efforts to expand the outreach to black voters

the action of one object or surface moving against another

friction: Friction between moving parts had caused the engine to overheat.

to agree to something or give your permission for something

consent to sth/do: He reluctantly consented to the proposal.

​to start being very active and working very hard

go into overdrive: As the wedding approached, the whole family went into overdrive.

(formal) to mention something in an indirect way

allude to somebody/something ​: The problem had been alluded to briefly in earlier discussions.

to happen to

come about: Can you tell me how the accident came about?

to think somebody/something is bad (phrasal verb)

frown on/upon somebody/something: ​ In her family, any expression of feeling was frowned upon.

to finish something that you have started

follow through (with something) | follow something through ​

deliberately including people, things, ideas, etc. from all sections of society, points of view, etc. / having the total cost, or the cost of something that is mentioned, contained in the price

inclusive: The party must adopt more inclusive strategies and a broader vision.

done by or involving all the people in the world or in a particular group

universal: Such problems are a universal feature of old age.; Agreement on this issue is almost universal.

the sudden increase in the number or amount of something; a large number of a particular thing

proliferation: attempts to prevent cancer cell proliferation

an amount of money that is paid back to you because you have paid too much / an amount of money that is taken away from the cost of something, before you pay for it

rebate: She's claiming a 100% tax rebate.

work, especially physical work

labor: The price will include the labor and materials.; The company wants to keep down labor costs.

slow and complicated; large and heavy; difficult to carry; long or complicated

cumbersome: cumbersome legal procedures; The organization changed its cumbersome title to something easier to remember.

​a way of travelling by asking for free rides in other people’s cars, by standing at the side of the road and trying to get passing cars to stop

hitchhiking: Hitchhiking is a cheap way of travelling, but it can be risky.

to find a way of avoiding a difficulty or a rule

circumvent something: They found a way of circumventing the law.

(of a product) made specially, according to the needs of an individual customer

bespoke - custom-made: bespoke software; a bespoke suit

of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else.

pivotal: Japan's pivotal role in the world economy

a small change or improvement that is made to a document or proposed new law; the process of changing a document or proposed new law

amendment: Parliament passed the bill without further amendment.

an idea, a belief or an understanding of something

a notion: She had only a vague notion of what might happen.; He has no notion of the difficulty of the problem.

the act of making people obey a particular law or rule

enforcement: law enforcement officers

to behave and think in the same way as most other people in a group or society

conform: There is considerable pressure on teenagers to conform.; conform to something He refused to conform to the local customs.

obviously; as you would expect; added to, or used to introduce, a remark giving information that is expected and not surprising

needless to say: Needless to say, because of the accident he won’t be at work for a while.

to succeed in getting something, usually after a lot of effort

attain: Most of our students attained five ‘A’ grades in their exams.; We only consider applicants who have attained a high level of academic achievement.

a list of people employed by a company showing the amount of money to be paid to each of them

payroll: We have 500 people on the payroll.

making good progress and likely to achieve what you planned.

be on target: We were still right on target for our deadline.; This paper argues that the AI revolution is on target and will come into full force within the next twenty years as did the digital one since 1995.

a position in which you have more power, authority or status than anyone else

supremacy: The company has established total supremacy over its rivals.

to stop; to make somebody/something stop

halt: The police were halting traffic on the parade route.; The trial was halted after the first week

to find out the true or correct information about something

ascertain: It can be difficult to ascertain the facts.; I ascertained that the driver was not badly hurt.; The police are trying to ascertain what really happened.

to wait somewhere secretly, especially because you are going to do something bad or illegal

lurk: If you understand where risks may be lurking, ill-understood, or simply unidentified, you have a better chance of catching them before they catch up with you.; Why are you lurking around outside my house?

in a position that is completely still but is ready to move at any moment

poised: Generative AI is poised to unleash the next wave of productivity.; The cat crouched in the grass, poised to jump.

the right to stay permanently in your job, especially as a teacher at a university; the period of time when somebody holds an important job, especially a political one; the act of holding an important job

tenure: She had a long tenure of office.; It's still extremely difficult to get tenure.; She has been granted tenure at Leeds University.

the rate at which employees leave a company and are replaced by other people

turnover: a high turnover of staff

the act of keeping something under control so that it cannot spread in a harmful way

containment: the containment of the epidemic

the ability to take action or to choose what action to take

agency: Does AI have agency?

to involve somebody in a difficult or complicated situation; a difficult or complicated relationship with another person or country

to entangle; entanglement: This affair did not prevent an entanglement with another of his co-stars.

progress or a development in a particular activity or area of understanding

advance: We live in an age of rapid technological advance.; advance in something Recent advances in technology have made the procedure safe.

the process of helping something/somebody to make progress or succeed; the progress that is made; progress in a job, social class, etc.

advancement: the advancement of knowledge/education/science; There are good opportunities for advancement if you have the right skills.

something is extremely difficult to find (idiom)

something is like looking for a needle in a haystack: With 500 channels on TV, finding quality children's shows is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

to think about something carefully for a period of time

ponder: They were left to ponder on the implications of the announcement.; The senator pondered the question for a moment.; She pondered over his words.

to introduce a new law, rule, tax, etc.; to order that a rule, punishment, etc. be used / to force somebody/something to have to deal with something that is difficult or unpleasant

impose: The UN Security Council imposed sanctions in 1992.; A new tax was imposed on fuel.; This system imposes additional financial burdens on many people.

until now, up to this point

thus far - so far: Thus far, no works created by an image generator have been given copyright protection.

to make something worse, especially a disease or problem

exacerbate sth: His aggressive reaction only exacerbated the situation.; The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs.

most important part - something of great importance on which everything else depends

cornerstone: Funds for the school system were the cornerstone of his budget proposal.; All the parties to the dispute agree that ready access to the law is a cornerstone of democracy.

the most important part of a system, an organization, etc. that gives it support and strength

backbone: Agriculture forms the backbone of the rural economy.

main; most important; basic

prime: My prime concern is to protect my property.; Winning is not the prime objective in this sport.; He's the police's prime suspect in this case.

the act of looking for or trying to get something

pursuit + of: pursuit of happiness/knowledge/profit

no longer available from the company that publishes it

out of print: Her first novel is now out of print.

present everywhere

omnipresent: These days the media are omnipresent.

the act of walking along or across a street illegally or without paying attention to the traffic

jaywalking

available for use as you prefer/somebody prefers

at your/somebody’s disposal: He will have a car at his disposal for the whole month. Well, I'm at your disposal (= I am ready to help you in any way I can).

having total power; able to do anything

omnipotent: The Chinese government routinely overstates its capabilities to appear more omnipotent.

a house or apartment in which a person lives in old age, especially one in a group of homes specially designed for older people

retirement home: a new development of 35 one-bedroom and two-bedroom retirement homes

an organization that does not aim to make a profit

non-for-profit: The company's oprimary goal is to generate a for-profit bnsiness model, ensuring financial success and sustainability.

the work of taking care of children until they are old enough to take care of themselves

child-rearing: Why shouldn't a woman have a job after years of child-rearing?

a family that consists of two adults, the child or children that they have had together, and one or more children that they have had with previous partners

blended family: Single-parent families and blended families now outnumber traditional families.

the hard pointed or curved outer part of a bird’s mouth

beak - bill: The gull held the fish in its beak.

causing feelings of acute embarrassment or awkwardness.

cringey: It was a bit cringey when he got her name wrong.; I cringed at his stupidity.

a natural desire or need that makes you tend to behave in a particular way

Propensity - inclination: He showed a propensity for violence.; She has a propensity to exaggerate.

to try very hard to achieve something

strive: We encourage all members to strive for the highest standards.; They were always striving towards perfection.

to support or form the basis of an argument, a claim, etc

underpin: The report is underpinned by extensive research.

to emphasize or show that something is important or true

underline - underscore: The report underlines the importance of pre-school education.; Her question underlined how little she understood him.; The report underlined that the project enjoyed considerable support in both countries.

to experience something, usually something unpleasant, as a result of actions you have taken

incur: The play has incurred the wrath/anger of both audiences and critics.; You risk incurring bank charges if you exceed your overdraft limit.

practical or financial help that is provided, often by the government, for people or animals that need it

Welfare: There must be adequate welfare provision for people who are unable to work.

investing in economic development can benefit everyone who participates in the economy. (idiom)

a rising tide lifts all boats

to refuse to let somebody be a member of a social group; to refuse to meet or talk to somebody

ostracise: He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike.

to destroy or get rid of something completely, especially something bad

eradicate: Diphtheria has been virtually eradicated in the United States.; We are determined to eradicate racism from our sport.

to make a judgement about something, especially people’s feelings or attitudes; to measure something accurately using a special instrument / to calculate something approximately

gauge: It was difficult to gauge whether she was angry or not.; They interviewed employees to gauge their reaction to the changes.;

to use your power, rights or personal qualities in order to achieve something

exercise something: They should exercise caution and restraint when considering its use for non-medical, aesthetic enhancements.

to put a lot of effort into making something successful or strong so that it will last / to make an illegal copy of something in order to cheat people

forge: She forged a new career in the music business.; Strategic alliances are being forged with major European companies.; Strategic alliances are being forged with major European companies.

to encourage somebody to do something or to encourage them to try harder to achieve something / to make something happen faster or sooner

spur: Her difficult childhood spurred her on to succeed.; The agreement is essential to spurring economic growth around the world.; The fire, spurred by high temperatures and strong winds, had burnt more than 140 acres.

to be the basis or cause of something

underlie: These ideas underlie much of his work.; It is a principle that underlies all the party's policies

important in a situation but not always easily noticed or stated clearly / forming the basis of something

underlying: The underlying assumption is that the amount of money available is limited.; Unemployment may be an underlying cause of the rising crime rate.; The cost of the treatment generally reflects the costliness of the underlying health care system.

the one before the last one

last but one (BrE) - second to last: She finished second to last.

to make an illness or a bad or unpleasant situation worse

aggravate - exacerbate - worsen: Pollution can aggravate asthma.; Military intervention will only aggravate the conflict even further.

to cause something to continue; to make something such as a bad situation, a belief, etc. continue for a long time

perpetuate: Increasing the supply of weapons will only perpetuate the violence and anarchy.; The aim of the association is to perpetuate the skills of traditional furniture design.

to change or be different according to the situation;

vary: We vary the amount of labor that is fully displaced by generative AI.

fair and reasonable; treating everyone in an equal way

equitable - fair: an equitable distribution of resources; We need to construct an equitable and efficient method of local taxation.

to be or go beyond the usual limits of something

transcend: His works by far transcend anything that has gone before.; What we felt for each other transcended all other emotions.

connected with the ability to show what will happen in the future

predictive: the predictive power of science; More research is needed to improve the predictive value of the tests.

​a period of time when the supply of electricity, etc. is not working

outage: The baby was born during a power outage.; intermittent power outages up and down the East Coast

to get information or a reaction from somebody, often with difficulty

elicit: I could elicit no response from him. Her tears elicited great sympathy from her audience.

the principles or reasons which explain a particular decision, course of action, belief, etc.

rationale (behind/for/of something) - reason: What is the rationale behind these new exams?

​in a very direct way, without trying to be polite or kind

put it bluntly (oposite: mildly): To put it bluntly, I want a divorce.

to appear as a large shape that is not clear, especially in a frightening way

loom: A dark shape loomed up ahead of us.

to become gradually weaker or less important

wane: Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly.; Their popularity waned during that period.

to become calmer, quieter or less intense (for negative feelings or effects)

subside: She waited nervously for his anger to subside.; When the rain had subsided we continued our walk.; I took an aspirin and the pain gradually subsided

emphasise that a particular time or period is surprisingly early

as early as; Inflation could fall back into single figures as early as this month.

not before a particular time or event

not until: It wasn't until August that we finally moved into the house.

to say that something is true, especially in an argument

contend: I would contend that the minister's thinking is flawed on this point.

to offend or annoy somebody, especially by getting involved in something that is their responsibility

tread on somebody’s toes (BrE) - step on somebody’s toes (AmE): I didn't mean to step on your toes; I was just trying to help.

likely to cause people to disagree

contentious: a contentious issue/topic/subject; Both views are highly contentious.; Try to avoid any contentious wording.; The government’s treatment of refugees remains a highly contentious issue.

an idea, attitude or experience that is shared by all the members of a group

common denominator: They were united through the common denominator of suffering.

to deliberately avoid or keep away from something

eschew: He had eschewed politics in favour of a life practising law.

similar to something

akin to: What he felt was more akin to pity than love.; She was wearing something akin to a pineapple on her head.; This game is closely akin to hockey.

to delay or stop the progress of something

impede - hamper - hinder: Work on the building was impeded by severe weather.; A number of practical difficulties impeded the process.; In what ways did economic factors impede progress?

a small area of something, especially one which is different from the area around it; a small piece of land, especially one used for growing vegetables or fruit

a patch: We had a strawberry patch beside the greenhouse.; We sat in a patch of shade under a tree.; damp patches on the wall; a black dog with a white patch on its back

to be the parts or members that form something; to have somebody/something as parts or members

comprise - make up of: Older people comprise a large proportion of those living in poverty.; The collection comprises 327 paintings.

to stand or wait somewhere especially with no obvious reason

loiter: Teenagers were loitering in the street outside.

a feeling of anger or unhappiness about something that you think is unfair

resentment: to feel/harbour/bear resentment towards/against somebody; She could not conceal the deep resentment she felt at the way she had been treated.

a trip that you go on for pleasure or education, usually with a group of people and lasting no more than one day

outing: We went on an outing to London.; Every year she organized an outing to the countryside.

to produce a book, list, report, etc. by bringing together different items, articles, songs, etc.; to collect information in order to produce a book, list, etc.

compile: We are trying to compile a list of suitable people for the job.; The album was compiled from live recordings from last year's tour.; The figures were compiled from a survey of 2  000 schoolchildren.

to deal with only a small part of a subject or a problem

scratch the surface: All the payments we’ve made have hardly scratched the surface of the amount we borrowed.

that can be bought immediately and does not have to be specially designed or ordered

off the shelf: I bought this package off the shelf. Some courses can be bought off the shelf as self-contained study packages.

a flat surface in a kitchen for preparing food on

countertop - counter - worktop, work surface (BrE)

having an equal but opposite effect

countervailing: But there are also countervailing forces.

to increase over a period of time; to allow a sum of money or debts to grow over a period of time

accrue: Interest will accrue if you keep your money in a savings account.; The firm had accrued debts of over $6m.; The money was placed in a special account to accrue interest.

connected with something but less important than it

subsidiary - additional: subsidiary information; a subsidiary matter; (British English) I'm taking history as a subsidiary subject (= one that is not studied in as great depth as a main subject).

extremely painful or bad

excruciating: The pain in my back was excruciating.; She groaned at the memory, suffering all over again the excruciating embarrassment of those moments.; He rolled on the floor in excruciating agony.

not having the necessary equipment or skills

ill-equipped: At 18, he was ill-equipped for such a responsible job.; The department is ill-equipped to deal with such a large number of enquiries.

what vs that

'what' means 'the thing(s) that': I heard what you said.; What she likes IS books. | if we use 'anything', 'nothing', 'something' or 'everything', then 'that' and not 'what': Take anything that you want.; Her mother gave her everything that she needed.

perspective phrases

At a ... level; On a ... note; from a ... perspective [personal, economic, political, local, business, environmental]

forming a basic, large or important part of something

staple: The staple crop is rice.; Jeans are a staple part of everyone's wardrobe.

to change or make something change to a simpler chemical form; to make something become worse, especially in quality

degrade - break sth down: The esters then degrade into harmless sugars and fatty acids.; The bacteria will degrade hydrocarbons.; Important natural habitats have been degraded by development.

extremely small pieces of plastic, used in products such as soap, face cream and toothpaste

microbeads: Microbeads are one of the many sources of plastic pollution that are found in our oceans.; Environmentalists say microbeads can harm fish and kill birds and wildlife that eat them if they enter the waterways.

words that have no meaning or are impossible to understand

gibberish: You were talking gibberish in your sleep.; After a while I stopped listening to his stream of gibberish.