15 Academic Words That Often Appear in TOEFL ITP Reading (With Synonyms and Examples)
15 academic words common in TOEFL ITP Reading vocabulary questions, with meanings, synonyms that often appear as correct answers, and example sentences.
Ever seen a question like this in TOEFLÂź Reading?
The word âfeasibleâ in line 12 is closest in meaning toâŠ
And then felt stuck because the word looked unfamiliar? These are vocabulary in context questions, one of the most frequent question types in TOEFL ITP Section 3 (Reading Comprehension: 50 questions in 55 minutes). The good news: many of the tested words come from the same academic vocabulary that keeps appearing in science, history, and social science passages.
Here are 15 academic words worth mastering, with the synonyms that usually appear as the correct answer. (The slides below are in Indonesian, with the English words and examples.)
How Vocabulary-in-Context Questions Work
Youâre asked to choose the word closest in meaning to a word in the passage. The strategy:
- Read the whole sentence, not just the word. The context often gives clues.
- Guess the meaning first in your own words before looking at the options.
- Swap each option into the sentence. The one that keeps the sentence logical with the same meaning is the answer.
One important note: ETS doesnât publish a list of âofficial synonymsâ. The synonyms below are common equivalents found in dictionaries and TOEFL practice. Always check them against the context, because one word can have several meanings.
Words 1-3: Time and Condition
1. Subsequent (adjective) = following, coming after
Common synonyms: following, later, ensuing
In subsequent experiments, the research team confirmed their initial findings.
Its opposites, previous and prior, often appear as trap options. Watch out for consecutive too: it means one after another without a break, not simply âlaterâ, so it isnât a synonym of subsequent.
2. Obsolete (adjective) = no longer used, out of date
Common synonyms: outdated, out of date, no longer in use, archaic
Steam engines quickly became obsolete after electric power became widespread.
3. Feasible (adjective) = possible to do
Common synonyms: possible, practical, viable, achievable
Building the railway proved economically feasible due to federal subsidies.
Words 4-6: Position and Impact
4. Adjacent (adjective) = next to, beside
Common synonyms: neighboring, next to, adjoining, bordering
The refinery was built on land adjacent to the deepwater port.
Adjacent means next to, not across from (opposite).
5. Profound (adjective) = very deep or great in effect
Common synonyms: deep, intense, far-reaching, significant
The discovery of penicillin had a profound effect on modern medicine.
It often pairs with impact, effect, or influence.
6. Prevalent (adjective) = widespread, common
Common synonyms: widespread, common, pervasive
Farming with irrigation was prevalent in the river valley civilizations.
Words 7-9: Logic and Quantity
7. Plausible (adjective) = reasonable, believable
Common synonyms: believable, reasonable, credible
Scholars proposed a plausible theory for the decline of the Maya cities.
Its opposite is implausible.
8. Deteriorate (verb) = to get worse
Common synonyms: worsen, decline, decay
Without regular maintenance, historical monuments deteriorate from acid rain.
9. Abundant (adjective) = existing in large amounts
Common synonyms: plentiful, ample, copious
The coral reef provides an abundant supply of food for marine life.
Its opposite is scarce.
Words 10-12: Appearance, Spread, and Scale
10. Conspicuous (adjective) = easy to notice
Common synonyms: noticeable, prominent, obvious
Male songbirds often have conspicuous feathers to attract mates.
Its opposite is inconspicuous.
11. Disperse (verb) = to spread over a wide area
Common synonyms: scatter, spread, distribute
Winds and ocean currents help disperse plant seeds across remote islands.
It shows up often in biology and botany passages.
12. Substantial (adjective) = large in amount or importance
Common synonyms: considerable, significant, large
The discovery brought a substantial increase in revenue to the frontier town.
Words 13-15: Change, Complexity, and Perception
13. Fluctuate (verb) = to rise and fall irregularly
Common synonyms: vary, change irregularly, rise and fall
Surface temperatures on Mars fluctuate sharply between day and night.
14. Elaborate (adjective) = complex, very detailed
Common synonyms: complex, intricate, detailed
Ancient artisans constructed elaborate irrigation canals across the valley.
Careful: elaborate can also be a verb meaning âto explain in more detailâ (Could you elaborate on that?). Check its position. In the example above, elaborate comes before the noun canals, so itâs an adjective.
15. Perceive (verb) = to notice or understand through the senses or mind
Common synonyms: notice, recognize, discern, see
Nocturnal predators have keen senses to perceive prey in low light.
Summary of the 15 Words
| No | Word | Class | Meaning | Common synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | subsequent | adj | coming after | following, later |
| 2 | obsolete | adj | out of date | outdated |
| 3 | feasible | adj | possible to do | possible, practical |
| 4 | adjacent | adj | next to | neighboring, next to |
| 5 | profound | adj | deep, great in effect | deep, far-reaching |
| 6 | prevalent | adj | widespread | widespread, common |
| 7 | plausible | adj | reasonable | believable, reasonable |
| 8 | deteriorate | verb | get worse | worsen, decline |
| 9 | abundant | adj | plentiful | plentiful |
| 10 | conspicuous | adj | easy to notice | noticeable, obvious |
| 11 | disperse | verb | spread out | scatter, spread |
| 12 | substantial | adj | large | considerable |
| 13 | fluctuate | verb | rise and fall | vary |
| 14 | elaborate | adj | complex | complex, detailed |
| 15 | perceive | verb | notice | notice, recognize |
Quick Quiz
Choose the word closest in meaning to the word in bold:
- Wild horses were once abundant on the plains. (A) rare (B) plentiful (C) wild (D) fast
- The theory seemed plausible to most scientists. (A) believable (B) strange (C) popular (D) new
- Prices tend to fluctuate during the harvest season. (A) rise (B) fall (C) vary (D) stay
- The town is adjacent to a large lake. (A) opposite (B) far from (C) next to (D) above
Answers: 1. (B) plentiful, 2. (A) believable, 3. (C) vary, 4. (C) next to.
Look at question 3: rise and fall each capture only half of fluctuate. The best answer covers the idea of going up and down, which is vary.
Practice Vocabulary and Reading
Learning these 15 words is a great start, but Reading questions can ask about hundreds of other academic words.
Kawan EPT (formerly Kawan TOEFL) has 1,800 academic vocabulary flashcards with spaced repetition, Reading Strategies lessons on 11 topics, 7,400+ questions with explanations for every answer choice, and a full 140-question simulation with a score estimate from 310 to 677. Free on the Google Play Store.
If your vocabulary foundation needs work, try Kawan Vocab: 6,000 English words in 6 stages and 24 themed levels, with spaced repetition. Free on the Google Play Store.