Core Tier 2 Vocabulary: List 2

These essential, high-frequency words will put you on the path to vocabulary success. Simply start a practice session, and you'll be on your way to stronger reading, writing, and speaking skills!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. affect
    have an influence upon
    It’s the changes that affect people’s lives for either good or bad. The Freedom Writers Diary
  2. calculate
    make a mathematical computation
    When I was upset, calculating the area of a triangle, or adding up columns of numbers, or reciting pi always helped me. The Lions of Little Rock
  3. comparison
    the act of examining resemblances
    They’re slightly bigger than average, and both muscular and strong, especially in comparison to me. I Am the Messenger
  4. complex
    complicated in structure
    “But I am afraid it is rather complex, and not the easiest of matters to explain, or believe.” The Night Circus
  5. definition
    a brief explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase
    Monday night’s homework always took forever, because the spelling words were also vocabulary words, and Ms. Udell insisted that each student write an official dictionary definition of each word before using it in a sentence. George
  6. describe
    give an account or representation of in words
    He described its skyscrapers and explained how each year the buildings grew taller and taller. The Devil in the White City
  7. description
    a statement that represents something in words
    There are tons of photographs and descriptions of places. Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
  8. difference
    the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
    But the differences between the siblings were greater than their similarities. Into the Wild
  9. element
    an abstract part of something
    Cooperation and goodwill are essential elements to achieve progress in Nebraska. Washington Times (Mar 29, 2021)
  10. emphasize
    stress or single out as important
    Decide which part of the sentence you want to emphasize. Woe Is I
  11. frequent
    coming at short intervals or habitually
    Extreme weather is more frequent and more intense. The Verge (Jan 27, 2021)
  12. identify
    recognize as being
    As 7th graders, you will work in teams of 3 or 4 students to identify a need in your community and a solution. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
  13. maximum
    the largest possible quantity
    Felicia bought the maximum amount allowed, eight gallons, and spent two Sundays painting the house with borrowed brushes and ladders. Dreaming in Cuban
  14. method
    a way of doing something, especially a systematic way
    Critics attacked both the study’s conclusions and the methods used to reach them. Science Magazine (Dec 21, 2020)
  15. minimum
    the smallest possible quantity
    A minimum of three or four people were needed to handle these final steps. New York Times (Apr 7, 2020)
  16. negative
    having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant
    “Definitely it’s affecting my business, in a negative way,” Mr. Murrar, 40, said. New York Times (Jun 14, 2021)
  17. positive
    involving advantage or good
    I look back on my Little Rock integration experience as ultimately a positive force that shaped the course of my life. Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High
  18. purpose
    an anticipated outcome that guides your planned actions
    Let me be perfectly blunt: my purpose in writing this brief note is to suggest that we meet. Stuart Little
  19. similarity
    the quality of being alike
    I can't help but notice the similarity between the two men: they were both involved in wars where science played a big part in the outcome. The Fourteenth Goldfish
  20. theory
    a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the world
    The eventual goal of science is to provide a single theory that describes the whole universe. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays
Created on Tue Sep 28 09:36:16 EDT 2021 (updated Tue Sep 28 09:36:50 EDT 2021)

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