15 Words to Improve Your Vocabulary

Concordia University Texas prepares students with the knowledge and skills they need for meaningful work. Regardless of vocation, your vocabulary is important because it impacts how you communicate with others.

Here are 15 words to learn that will expand your vocabulary and improve your communication skills.

Adept

When used as an adjective, "adept" means very skilled or expert.

Example: He is an adept Accounting student.

As a noun, "adept" refers to a person who is skilled or expert at something.

Example: He is adept at accounting.

Articulate

As an adjective, "articulate" refers to a person who can speak clearly and effectively.

Example: The articulate presenters at the IncubatorCTX Speaker Series provide attendees with valuable insights.

As a verb, it refers to the act of expressing an idea or feeling with clarity.

Example: The student was able to articulate her findings in the essay.

Candor

"Candor" is a noun that refers to honesty, being truthful and sincere.

Example: I appreciate my professor's candor regarding my paper. Now I know the areas in which I can improve.

Conducive

The word "conducive" is an adjective that means to help make an outcome possible.

Example: Concordia's small class sizes are conducive to class discussions.

Deference

"Deference" is a noun that means respectful submission to or courteous regard for another person.

Example: Children, regardless of age, should treat their father and mother with deference.

Egregious

"Egregious" is an adjective that means extremely bad, horrifying or appalling.

Example: In history class, we studied the egregious acts of dictators who gained power in socialist and communist countries.

Entail

As a verb, "entail" means to involve something necessary or require.

Example: Successful completion of the degree entails coursework, exams and presentations.

Facilitate

"Facilitate" is a verb that means to make something easier.

Example: The professor's real-world examples facilitate my comprehension of core business principles.

Gist

"Gist" is a noun that refers to the essential meaning of speech or text.

Example: Her executive summary helps readers understand the gist of the report.

Knack

"Knack" is a noun that refers to a special skill an individual possesses that is difficult to teach.

Example: He has a knack for helping others understand complex business principles.

Novel

When used as an adjective, "novel" means new and innovative.

Example: Concordia's outdoor classrooms offer a novel approach to learning.

Obsolete

"Obsolete" is an adjective that describes something that is no longer produced or used.

Example: DVDs are quickly becoming obsolete; streaming is now the new standard for watching movies and television shows.

Paramount

As an adjective, "paramount" means more important than anything else or chief in importance.

Example: The paramount goal of every student is to earn a degree.

Reinforce

The verb "reinforce" means to strengthen and add support.

Example: The survey reinforced the conclusion that more students are choosing to take classes online.

Tremendous

The adjective "tremendous" means extraordinary in size, amount, intensity or excellence.

Example: They spent tremendous time studying for the final.