400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL LESSON 15 - Social Inequality Vocabulary Test
Word List
amend [əˈmend] v.
To change for the better
→ The residents voted to amend their neighborhood policy on fences.
Parts of speech amendment n.
biased [ˈbaɪəst] adj.
Leaning unfairly in one direction
→ Her newspaper article was criticized for being heavily biased toward the mayor’s proposal.
Parts of speech bias n.
burden [ˈbərdn] n.
Something that is carried; a source of stress or worry
→ The donkey walked slowly under the burden of its heavy load.
Parts of speech burden v.
counter [ˈkaʊntər] v.
To act in opposition to; to offer in response
→ The hockey player countered the punch with a smashing blow from his hockey stick.
Parts of speech counter n., counter adj.
de facto [ˌdeɪ ˈfæktoʊ] adj.
Truly doing a job, even if not officially
→ Popular support established the Citizens Party as the de facto government.
Parts of speech de facto adv.
discriminate [dɪsˈkrɪmɪneɪt] v.
To choose carefully among options
→ The governor wisely discriminated between urgent issues and those that could wait.
Parts of speech discriminatory adj., discriminate adj.
notion [ˈnəʊʃən] n.
A belief; a fanciful impulse
→ The notion that older office equipment is unreliable is inaccurate.
Usage tips Notion can be followed by a that clause or a to phrase.
oppress [əˈpres] v.
To keep down by force; to weigh heavily on
→ Factory management oppressed workers through intimidation.
Parts of speech oppression n.
paradigm [ˈpærədaɪm] n.
A pattern or model; a set of assumptions
→ The usual paradigm for economic growth in developed countries does not apply to some poor nations.
Usage tips Paradigm is often followed by for.
prejudiced [ˈpredʒʊdɪst] adj.
Causing to judge prematurely and unfairly
→ Many consumers are prejudiced against commercial goods made in third-world countries.
Parts of speech prejudice v., prejudice n.
