CEFR C1 English Vocabulary List

Comprehensive practice flashcards defining core vocabulary items and their parts of speech from the CEFR C1 word list (Letters A through Z).

to abolish (v)

To formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution.

arbitrary (adj)

Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

acute (adj)

Experienced to a severe or intense degree; having or showing a perceptive understanding.

adverse (adj)

Preventing success or development; harmful, unfavourable, or hostile.

to attain (v)

To succeed in achieving or reaching something, especially after effort.

backdrop (n)

The setting or background against which an event or scene takes place.

benchmark (n)

A standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed.

breach (n) / to breach (v)

An act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct; to break through or violate.

breakthrough (n)

A sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development.

to confine (v)

To keep or restrict someone or something within certain limits of space, scope, or time.

chronic (adj)

Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring, especially regarding an illness or problem.

consensus (n)

A general agreement reached among a group of people.

to consolidate (v)

To combine a number of things into a single, more coherent whole; to make stronger or firmer.

commodity (n)

A raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold.

to compile (v)

To collect information from various sources in order to assemble a comprehensive list or report.

to correlate (v)

To have a mutual relationship or connection, in which one thing affects or depends on another.

coup (n)

A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.

to conceal (v)

To prevent something from being seen or known; to hide.

criterion (n)

A principle or standard by which something may be judged or decided.

cynical (adj)

Believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity.

to diminish (v)

To make or become smaller, fewer, or less important.

to denounce (v)

To publicly declare someone or something to be wrong or evil.

to deteriorate (v)

To become progressively worse in quality, condition, or character.

to disrupt (v)

To interrupt an event, activity, or process by causing a disturbance or problem.

elaborate (adj)

Involving many carefully arranged parts or details; highly complicated or detailed.

to embark (v)

To begin a new course of action, project, or venture; to board a ship or aircraft.

empirical (adj)

Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.

to escalate (v)

To increase rapidly in size, intensity, or severity.

to facilitate (v)

To make an action, process, or development easier or more achievable.

faction (n)

A small organized dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics.

exploitation (n)

The action of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work; the productive use of resources.

grave (adj) (serious)

Giving cause for alarm; serious, solemn, and weighty.

to foster (v)

To encourage the development or growth of ideas, relationships, or feelings; to promote.

fraudulent (adj)

Obtained, done by, or involving deception, criminal trickery, or dishonesty.

to hail (v)

To acclaim or praise someone or something enthusiastically; to summon or call out to.

hierarchy (n)

A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.

imminent (adj)

About to happen; impending or threatening to take place very soon.

to incarcerate (v)

To imprison or confine someone in prison or a detention facility.

inherent (adj)

Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute.

to inhibit (v)

To hinder, restrain, or prevent an action or process from taking place.

interim (adj)

Temporary or provisional, intended to serve during an intervening time period.

judicial (adj)

Relating to the administration of justice, the legal courts, or the judiciary.

to linger (v)

To stay in a place longer than necessary; to be slow to disappear or end.

to loom (v)

To appear as a shadowy form, especially one that is large or threatening; to seem about to happen with intimidating effect.

mandatory (adj)

Required by law, rule, or regulation; compulsory.

to manifest (v)

To demonstrate or display a quality or feeling clearly through acts, signs, or appearance.

minute (adj) (tiny)

Extremely small in size, amount, degree, or extent.

to mobilise (v)

To organize and prepare resources or people for active service, response, or collective action.

motive (n)

A reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden, personal, or underlying.

mutual (adj)

Experienced or expressed by each of two or more parties towards the other; held in common.

niche (n)

A specialized, suitable position or role, or a focused segment of the market.

notorious (adj)

Famous or well known, typically for some bad quality, wrongdoing, or deed.

to overturn (v)

To tip over or cause to turn upside down; to reverse or invalidate a previous decision or legal ruling.

plausible (adj)

Seeming reasonable, probable, or worthy of belief.

prevalence (n)

The fact or condition of being widespread or common in a particular place at a given time.

profound (adj)

Very great or intense; having or demanding deep insight or serious thought.

precedent (n)

An earlier event, decision, or action that is regarded as an example or guide for similar future circumstances.

to postpone (v)

To arrange for something to take place at a later date or time than originally planned.

prospective (adj)

Expected or likely to happen or become something in the future; potential.

to reassure (v)

To say or do something to remove doubts, fears, or anxieties from someone.

robust (adj)

Strong and healthy; vigorous; sturdy and resilient in construction or form.

scrutiny (n)

Critical, close, and detailed observation or examination.

secular (adj)

Not connected with religious or spiritual matters; worldly or civil.

stark (adj)

Severe, bare, or plain in appearance; unpleasantly clear and sharp.

to stem from (v)

To originate, arise, or develop as the direct result of something.

to shatter (v)

To break or cause something to break violently into many pieces; to destroy or severely damage.

subtle (adj)

So delicate, faint, or precise as to be difficult to perceive, analyze, or describe.

subsidy (n)

A sum of money granted by the government or a public body to assist an industry or business to keep commodity prices low.

sovereignty (n)

The supreme power or ultimate authority of a state to govern itself or an entity.

to suppress (v)

To forcibly put an end to something; to prevent the development, manifestation, or expression of an action or feeling.

surge (n) / to surge (v)

A sudden, powerful forward or upward movement; to increase or move suddenly and powerfully.

tenure (n)

The period or terms of holding an office, post, or property; guaranteed permanent employment, especially in academia.

to thrive (v)

To grow, develop, or be successful; to flourish vigorously.

threshold (n)

The level, point, or intensity that must be reached for an effect or reaction to begin or occur.

unprecedented (adj)

Never having happened or existed in the past; novel and without precedent.

viable (adj)

Capable of working successfully; feasible and practical.

vicious (adj)

Deliberately cruel, violent, or malicious.

vulnerable (adj)

Susceptible to physical or emotional attack, damage, or harm.

well-being (n)

The state of being comfortable, healthy, prosperous, or happy.

worthwhile (adj)

Worth the time, effort, or money spent; of clear value or significance.

wrongdoing (n)

Illegal, corrupt, or dishonest behavior.

to yield (v)

To produce or provide a crop, profit, or result; to give way under pressure, force, or demand.