Politics & Society
Society · 112 words
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The words
112 words
- accountability/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/noun · B2+Having to answer for what you have done.
- activist/ˈæk.tɪ.vɪst/noun · C1A person who fights publicly for a cause they believe in.
- armistice/ˈɑːmɪstɪs/noun · C1A formal agreement ending a war.
- austerity/ɔˈstɛɹɪti/noun · C2A policy of deep cuts to public spending.
- autonomy/ɔːˈtɒn.ə.mi/noun · C1The right to make your own decisions.
- backbenchernoun · C1An elected member holding no senior post.
- ballot/ˈbælət/noun · C1The paper or process by which people cast their votes.
- benefits/ˈbɛn.ɪ.fɪts/noun · B2Regular payments made by the state to those entitled.
- bill/ˈbɪl/noun · A1The paper saying how much your meal costs.
- budget deficitnoun · C1Spending more in a year than you take in.
- bureaucracy/bjʊəˈɹɒk.ɹə.si/noun · C1The maze of forms, stamps, and offices that slows everything down.
- cabinet/ˈkæb.ɪ.nɪt/noun · B2The senior ministers who run the government together.
- campaign/kæmˈpeɪn/noun · B1+An organized push, with speeches and posters, to win support.
- candidate/ˈkæn.dɪ.dət/noun · B1+A person competing to be chosen for a post or office.
- ceasefirenoun · B2+An agreement to stop fighting.
- censorship boardnoun · C1The body that decides what the public may not see.
- census/ˈsɛnsəs/noun · B2+The official count of everyone living in a country.
- citizenship/ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/noun · C1The legal status of belonging to a country, passport included.
- civil servantnoun · B2A permanent official who serves whatever government is elected.
- class/klɑːs/noun · A1A broad social group defined by wealth and background.
- coalition/kəʊ.əˈlɪʃ.ən/noun · C1A government formed by two or more parties together.
- conservative/kənˈsɜːvətɪv/adjective · B2+Preferring to keep things as they are.
- constituency/kənˈstɪt͡ʃu.ənsi/noun · C1The area one representative is elected to speak for.
- corruption/kəˈɹʌpʃən/noun · C1Officials secretly selling their power for money.
- coup d'etatnoun · C1A sudden illegal seizure of government.
- curfew/ˈkɜː.fjuː/noun · B2The rule that everyone must be off the streets by a set hour.
- debate/dɪˈbeɪt/noun · B2A formal argument where two sides take turns to speak.
- democracy/dɪˈmɒk.ɹə.si/noun · B2The system where the people choose their own leaders by voting.
- demographic/ˌdɛm.əˈɡɹæf.ɪk/noun · C1A group defined by age, income or another shared trait.
- demonstration/dɛmənˈstɹeɪʃən/noun · B2A public march or gathering to make a point.
- deregulationnoun · C1The removal of rules that controlled an industry.
- devolution/diːvəˈluːʃən/noun · C1Handing powers from a central government to a regional one.
- diplomacy/dɪˈpləʊməsi/noun · B2+Managing relations between countries by talking.
- discrimination/dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/noun · C1Treating people worse because of who they are.
- dissident/ˈdɪsɪdənt/noun · C1Someone who openly opposes the ruling power.
- dissolve/dɪˈzɒlv/verb · C1To vanish into a liquid, as sugar does in tea.
- diversity/daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/noun · B2+The rich mix of different kinds within one group.
- electorate/ɪˈlɛktəɹət/noun · B2+Everyone entitled to vote in an election.
- equality/ɪˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/noun · B1+The state of everyone having the same rights and chances.
- exile/ˈɛɡˌzaɪl/noun · C1Being forced to live away from your own country.
- federalismnoun · C1A system where power is shared between central and local governments.
- gross domestic productnoun · C1The total value of everything a country produces.
- humanitarian/hjʊˌmæ.nɪˈtɛː.ɹɪ.ən/adjective · C1Concerned with saving lives and easing suffering.
- ideology/ˌaɪ.diːˈɒl.ə.d͡ʒiː/noun · C1A connected set of beliefs about how society should work.
- impeach/ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ/verb · B2+To charge a holder of high office with serious wrongdoing.
- inaugurate/ɪˈnɔːɡjʊ.ɹeɪt/verb · C1To install somebody formally into high office.
- income tax/ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks/noun · B2The share of earnings taken by the state.
- incumbent/ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/noun · C2The person who currently holds the post.
- inequality/ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/noun · C1The gap between those who have much and those who have little.
- integration/ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/noun · C1The bringing together of separated groups as equals.
- landslide/ˈlæn(d).slaɪd/noun · B2A mass of earth sliding suddenly down a slope.
- legislation/ˌlɛd͡ʒɪˈsleɪʃən/noun · C1Laws taken together, as written and passed.
- legislature/ˈlɛd͡ʒɪsləˌt͡ʃʊə/noun · C1The body that makes a country's laws.
- liberal/ˈlɪb.(ə.)ɹəl/adjective · B2Favouring individual freedom and gradual reform.
- lobby/ˈlɒb.i/noun · B1The open room just inside the doors of a large building.
- majority/məˈd͡ʒɒ.ɹɪti/noun · B2More than half; the larger side of a vote.
- mandate/ˈmændeɪ̯t/noun · C1The authority to act, given by those who elected you.
- manifesto/ˌmæn.ɪˈfɛs.təʊ/noun · B2+The written promises a party stands on.
- martial law/ˈmɑːʃəl lɔː/noun · C1Rule by the army, with ordinary law suspended.
- minister/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/noun · B2A senior member of government in charge of one area, like health.
- minority/maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/noun · B2The smaller side; fewer than half.
- moderate/ˈmɒdəɹət/<a:RP>adjective · C1Holding views away from either extreme.
- motion/ˈməʊ.ʃən/noun · B1The act of moving, or the way a thing moves.
- national debtnoun · B2Everything a country owes, added up.
- nationalisationnoun · C1Taking an industry into public ownership.
- nepotism/ˈnɛp.ə.tɪ.zəm/noun · C1Giving jobs to your relatives rather than the best candidate.
- opposition/ˌɒp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/noun · B2The parties not in government.
- parliament/ˈpɑːləmənt/noun · B2+The elected assembly that debates and makes a country's laws.
- petition/pəˈtɪʃ.ən/noun · C1A demand for change signed by many people.
- picket line/ˈpɪkɪt laɪn/noun · C1The line of strikers standing outside a workplace.
- policy/ˈpɒl.ə.si/noun · B1An official plan of action adopted by a government or company.
- polling stationnoun · B2The place where people go to cast their votes.
- populist/ˈpɒp.jʊ.lɪst/adjective · B2+Appealing to ordinary people against the elite.
- poverty linenoun · C1The income below which a person counts as poor.
- prejudice/ˈpɹɛd͡ʒədɪs/noun · C1An unfair opinion formed before knowing the facts.
- privatisationnoun · C1Selling a public service into private hands.
- propaganda/ˌpɹɒpəˈɡændə/noun · C1One-sided information pumped out to steer what people believe.
- protest/ˈpɹəʊ.tɛst/noun · B1+A public gathering to show anger at something unfair.
- radical/ˈɹædɪkəl/adjective · C1Going to the very root — change or opinions of the extreme kind.
- rally/ˈɹæli/noun · B2A large meeting held to build support.
- red tapenoun · C1Rules and paperwork that slow everything down.
- referendum/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/noun · C1A vote where the whole people answers one big question directly.
- reform/ˌɹiːˈfɔɹm/noun · B2+A change made to improve a system.
- regime/ɹəˈʒiːm/noun · C1A government, especially one that is harsh.
- regulation/ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/noun · B2A rule made by an authority to control an activity.
- resign/ɹɪˈzaɪn/verb · B2To give up a post before the term ends.
- revolution/ˌɹɛv.əˈluː.ʃən/noun · B2The complete overthrow of a system of power by the people.
- sanctions/sæŋkʃənz/noun · B2+Penalties imposed on a country to change its behaviour.
- scandal/ˈskændəl/noun · B2A shocking event that disgraces someone famous.
- secession/səˈsɛʃən/noun · C1Breaking away from a country to form a new one.
- segregation/sɛɡɹəˈɡeɪ̯ʃən/noun · B2+Keeping groups of people forcibly apart.
- senate/ˈsɛnɪt/noun · B2The upper house of lawmakers in many countries.
- sovereignty/ˈsɒvɹənti/noun · C1A country's power to govern itself without outside control.
- spin doctornoun · C1An adviser whose job is to present news favourably.
- strike/stɹaɪk/noun · B2When all the workers stop at once to demand better pay.
- subsidy/ˈsʌbsɪdi/noun · C1Government money paid to keep a price low or an industry alive.
- suffrage/ˈsʌfɹɪd͡ʒ/noun · C1The right to vote.
- summit/ˈsʌmɪt/noun · C1A meeting of world leaders; also, the very top of a mountain.
- tax evasionnoun · C1Illegally avoiding tax you owe.
- tax havennoun · C1A country where taxes are so low that money goes there to hide.
- taxation/tækˈseɪ.ʃən/noun · B2+The raising of money by the state from its citizens.
- term of officenoun · C1The fixed period a post is held for.
- tolerance/ˈtɒl.ə.ɹəns/noun · C1Accepting people and views unlike your own.
- totalitarian/ˌtəʊtalɪˈtɛəɹiən/adjective · C1Controlling every part of life, public and private.
- transparency/tɹænsˈpæɹənsi/noun · C1Doing things openly so that anyone may check.
- turnout/ˈtɜː(ɹ)naʊt/noun · C1The share of voters who actually voted.
- union/ˈjuː.njən/noun · B1The organization workers join to defend their rights together.
- uprising/ˈʌpˌɹaɪzɪŋ/noun · B2+A revolt by people against those in power.
- veto/ˈviːtəʊ/verb · B2+To refuse to allow something that others have agreed.
- welfare/ˈwɛlˌfɛə/noun · B2The health and happiness of people; also, state help for the poor.