vocabulary

Amputated

to cut off all or part of a limb or appendage—such as an arm, leg, hand, foot, toe, or finger—usually through a surgical operation

Pursue

to follow, chase, or actively work to achieve or continue something over time

Eg She pursued a degree in medicine

Eg The police pursued the suspect on foot

Unleash

to set free, release, or let loose something powerful, restrained, or hidden

EgHer sharp speech unleashed a wave of protests from the crowd

EgThe workshop is designed to help you unleash your creativity

Assumption

a belief, idea, or statement accepted as true without proof, verification, or concrete evidence

EgThe plan was built on the assumption that prices would stay low

Egher assumption of the director role

interpret

to explain, make sense of, or assign a meaning to something based on personal judgment, context, or specialized knowledge

EgThe scientist helped interpret the test results

EgShe chose to interpret his silence as agreement

Privilege

a special right, advantage, immunity, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by a specific person, group, or class while being withheld from others

Eghaving the opportunity to meet someone famous or access a restricted area is often referred to as a privilege

icebreaker

means an activity, question, or joke that helps people feel comfortable and start talking, especially when they first meet

examples:

“His joke was a good icebreaker.” — His joke helped people relax and start talking.

“Let's play an icebreaker game.” — Let's play a game to help everyone feel comfortable.

takeplace

Take place means to happen or to occur.

Examples

- The meeting will take place tomorrow.

= The meeting will happen tomorrow.

- The football match took place yesterday.

= The football match happened yesterday.

- The conference takes place at the university.

= The conference happens at the university.

- The election will take place next year.

= The election will happen next year

insist

Insist means to firmly say or demand that something is true, necessary, or should happen, even when someone disagrees.

Examples

- I insist on paying.

= I strongly want to pay, even if you offer to pay instead.

- She insisted that she was innocent.

= She firmly said she had done nothing wrong.

- My teacher insists that we arrive on time.

= My teacher strongly demands that we arrive on time.

- He insisted on going alone.

= He firmly refused to change his decision about going alone.

stench

Stench means a very bad, strong, unpleasant smell.

Examples:

“There was a terrible stench coming from the garbage.” → The garbage smelled very bad.

“The stench of rotten eggs filled the room.” → The room was filled with a very unpleasant smell.

reeking

Reeking means giving off a very strong, unpleasant smell.

It comes from the verb reek.

Examples:

“Your shoes are reeking!” → Your shoes smell very bad.

“The room was reeking of smoke.” → The room smelled strongly of smoke.

“He was reeking of sweat.” → He smelled strongly of sweat

Serenity

the quality or state of being calm, peaceful, and free from mental stress, anxiety, or disturbance

Eg "She admired her friend's serenity in the middle of a chaotic day."

Altruism

the unselfish concern for, or devotion to, the welfare and well-being of others, often acting to help people even when it incurs a cost, risk, or disadvantage to oneself

Eg Donating a kidney or bone marrow to a complete stranger

Compassion

the emotional response that happens when you recognize another person's suffering and feel a strong, active desire to help ease it

Eg Volunteering at a food bank, shelter, or community center

Rigorous

Extremely careful, thorough, and systematic

Eg:- "The scientists put the new data through a rigorous analysis."

Analysis

the detailed, organized study or examination of a complex topic, substance, data set, or situation by breaking it down into smaller, simpler component parts to understand its nature, function, and relationships

Eg

Awful

Awful means extremely bad, unpleasant, terrible, or shocking.

Examples:

1. The weather is awful today.

= The weather is very bad today.

2. I had an awful experience at the hospital.

= I had a very unpleasant experience.

3. That was an awful mistake.

= That was a very bad mistake.

4. He smells awful.

= He smells very bad

Expel

Expel means to force someone to leave a place, organization, school, or country.

In simple English: To kick someone out.

Examples:

The student was expelled from the university for cheating.

The government expelled the foreign diplomats.

He was expelled from the political party.

Refugee

Refugee means a person who is forced to leave their own country because of war, violence, persecution, or serious danger.

In simple English: Someone who escapes their country to find safety in another country.

Examples:

Many refugees fled their country because of war.

Ethiopia hosts refugees from neighboring countries.

The refugees crossed the border to find safety

Groundbreaking

Groundbreaking means new, innovative, and very important because it introduces something that has never been done before.

In simple English: Something that changes the way people think or do things.

Examples:

She made a groundbreaking discovery in science.

His book contains groundbreaking ideas about politics.

The government introduced a groundbreaking education reform.

Figure out

Figureout means to understand, discover, or find the answer to something after thinking about it.

In simple English: To understand something or solve a problem.

Examples:

1. I can't figure out what he means.

I can't understand what he means.

2. I finally figured out the answer.

I finally found the answer.

3. We need to figure out how to solve this problem.

We need to find a way to solve it.

4. I'm trying to figure out why she left.

I'm trying to understand why she left

Liable

1. Legally responsible for something

Being legally responsible for an action, damage, or debt.

Examples:

The company is liable for the damage.

You may be held liable for breaking the law.

Parents can sometimes be legally liable for their children's actions.

2. Likely to do or experience something

Used when something is likely to happen.

Examples:

He is liable to make mistakes.

Prices are liable to increase.

People who don't prepare are liable to fail.

Attempt

Attempt means to try to do something, especially something difficult.

Examples:

1. I will attempt to pass my law exams.

= I will try to pass my law exams.

2. He attempted to climb the mountain.

= He tried to climb the mountain.

3. She made an attempt to solve the problem.

= She tried to solve the problem.

Clarification

Making something clear and understandable

Perennial

Perennial means something that continues to exist, happen, or remain important for a very long time.

In simple English: Everlasting, continuing, or long-lasting.

Examples

1. Poverty is a perennial problem in many countries.

= Poverty is a problem that continues for a long time.

2. Philosophers study perennial questions.

= Philosophers study questions that remain important across generations.

3. The debate about good and evil is perennial.

= People have debated good and evil for centuries.

Extinction

Extinction means the complete disappearance of a particular species or group of organisms from Earth.

In simple words: When the last living member of a species dies, that species becomes extinct.

Examples:

Dinosaurs (non-avian) became extinct about 66 million years ago.

Dodos became extinct around the 17th century.

Mammoths became extinct thousands of years ago.

expropriation

Expropriation is the act of a government taking private property from an individual or company for public use, usually with compensation.

Simple example

Imagine you own a piece of land in Addis Ababa.

The Ethiopian government decides to build a public road through that land. It legally takes your land and pays you compensation.

This is called expropriation.

jeopardize

Jeopardize (correct spelling) means to put something at risk or endanger it.

Simple examples

1. Corruption can jeopardize the development of a country.

Corruption can put a country's development at risk.

2. Breaking the law may jeopardize your future.

It may put your future in danger.

3. The government's decision could jeopardize national security.

It could threaten national security.

amenities

Amenities means facilities, services, or features that make a place more comfortable, convenient, or enjoyable.

Simple examples

1. The university provides good amenities for students.

The university provides facilities such as libraries, cafeterias and recreational areas.

2. The apartment has modern amenities.

It has facilities such as running water, electricity, internet and parking.

3. The government should improve public amenities.

It should improve public facilities such as parks, hospitals and public toilets

expedition

Expedition means a journey or organized trip made for a particular purpose, especially exploration, research, or discovery.

Examples

The explorers organized an expedition to the mountains.

The scientific expedition studied Ethiopia's geological features.

The government sent an expedition to explore the region

annexation

Annexation means taking control of another country's territory and officially adding it to your own country.

In simple words: one country takes another territory and makes it part of its own territory.

Example

In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria (called the Anschluss).

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, although the annexation is internationally widely rejected as illegal.

Spurious

Spurious means something that is false, misleading, fake, or not genuine.

It describes something that appears to be true or legitimate but is actually not.

Examples:

1. The politician made spurious claims about the economy.

= The politician made false or misleading claims.

2. The court rejected the spurious evidence.

= The court rejected evidence that was not genuine or reliable.

3. There is a spurious relationship between the two events.

= The apparent connection between the events is misleading or not genuine