Common IELTS Vocabulary - history

Anarchy is a complete lack of government, or order, or the chaos the ensues due to the lack of government.

Example sentences:

• The substitute teacher was worried that the classroom would descend into anarchy.
• The artist called for anarchy after a new leader came into power.

Artisans play a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage through their crafts. They often use techniques passed down through generations, creating products that are not only functional but also carry significant cultural value. The term "artisan" emphasizes the skill, craftsmanship, and tradition involved in creating these items, distinguishing their work from mass-produced goods.

• Baguettes are considered the most difficult bread to bake, and the art of artisan bread.

• Rollers Bakehouse is seeking an experienced baker in artisan bread and quality pastry making in this award-winning bakery. Immediate start required.

• Local artisans were selling handmade jewelry at the market.
  She apprenticed with an artisan to learn the traditional methods of leatherworking.

Definition: Favouring or enforcing strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom

Example sentences:

• The historiography reveals insights into the authoritarian mindset of freedom fighters shaped as a product of oppression and armed resistance.

Definition: (Of a country or region) having self-government, at least to a significant degree

Example sentences:

• They have established an alternative system of government with autonomous regions, and district and village level authorities.

Colonial means relating to countries that are colonies, or to colonialism. Example sentence:

• The colonial period occurred when America was still under British rule, so any time before 1776. This is because the British people were people who came to settle in a new land.

A colonist is someone who settles in a new colony or a new country. Used in an example sentence:

• Trade relationships between the Native Americans and the European colonists spanned from the 1500s to the late 1800s.​

Definition:

Example sentences:

• Quite soon, however, the invader's aims broadened into conquest and colonization on an unprecedented scale.

Definition: Come to settle among and establish political control over (the indigenous people of an area)

Example sentences:

• The Bible which has been used as a tool to oppress, subjugate and colonize indigenous people has proved to be even more powerful a weapon than the European's firearms

"Colony" can have two meanings. The first is that it is a place where a group of people with the same interest or occupation are gathered. It can also be a group of organisms of the same type living or growing together. If you have more than one colony, you change the word to colonies, with i-e-s. Let’s check out some examples:

• By 1650, England had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. 
• America was broken up into thirteen colonies when the British first came over from England.
• Often a polyp produced by sexual reproduction initiates growth of a colony asexually by budding. Budding occurs when a portion of the parent polyp pinches off to form a new individual.

Definition: A person who conquers a place or people

Example sentences:

• Until 1773, at about the time the Spanish conquerors arrived, Antigua had been the capital of Guatemala

Demise is simply the end; whether it be death, or termination. Here are example sentences:

• The demise of the government began when the president was caught stealing.
• The deer had a slow demise after it was hit by a car.

Definition: issue commands or orders for

Example sentences:

• Decide today to use logic to dictate your financial strategies and emotion to motivate yourself to stick to it.
• Fluctuating real estate values, immigration patterns and shifting consumer needs dictate where shopping districts organically crop up and disappear.

Definition: The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex

Example sentences:

• His attorneys argued the different treatment represents discrimination against gays and lesbians and is unconstitutional

The adjective "dominant" means most influential, having the greatest importance. The word “predominant” also means most influential, having the greatest importance, but native speakers wouldn't normally write or say it like that.  Let's look at the following sentences where the two words are used interchangeably in the same context:

• Newspapers play a dominant role in shaping public opinion.
• Newspapers play a predominant role in shaping public opinion.

Both sentences are correct, but the first sentence is recommended. Why? Because we want to talk about the influence newspapers have, so we should use dominant. Here the meaning of dominant is “influential”. 

Dominant also means most common. Like the word “dominant”, the word “predominant” also means 'most frequent' or 'most common'. Let's look at the following sentence where the two words are used interchangeably in the same context:

• The most predominant color in this room is beige. (However, you could also say the dominant color in this room is beige).

What we want to say is that beige is the color mostly used in the room. However, here many people use dominant as well, especially when we mean that the beige color gives the room an overall atmosphere.

So you could also say “the dominant color in this room is beige”.
 

However, in genetics, Only the adjective dominant can describe characteristics which are heritable even if only one parent carries the genes for those characteristics.  For example:

• (Correct!) Brown hair is a dominant trait. (This means brown hair is dominant) 
• (Incorrect!) Brown hair is a predominant trait.​

Emigration is when one person leaves their country to move to another country forever. Often, you use this noun when people leave their homeland in search of a better life.

• Because of the high amount of emigration, our country is having a population problem.
• My ancestors sought emigration after the new ruler took over their land.

To evict is to expel or eject. Think of a renter who has not paid for his apartment in months. It is likely that his landlord will evict him, or eject him from the apartment, for not paying. Evict can work in several other citations. Think of a baseball player who gets very rowdy, and tries to start a fight with an opposing player. It is likely that the umpire will evict him from the game. Past tense of evict is evicted.

• My sister felt embarrassed because she had been evicted from her apartment for having too many animals.

Resources can be depleted. The verb "exploit" also means to use resources, but it also has the meaning of to use something or somebody to one’s advantage. So to exploit resources means to use resources to one’s advantage. For example

• Humans exploited natural resources for agricultural activities, urbanization, and economic growth.

A way of paraphrasing this sentence using the noun “exploitation” could be the following:

• Humans rely on the exploitation of natural resources for agricultural activities, urbanization, and economic growth.

Let’s try another paraphrasing exercise. Look at this sentence

• With increasing exploitation of fossil fuels, there are many associated environmental effects like land pollution and air pollution.

We can change this to

• As humans exploit fossil fuels at an increasing rate, there are many associated environmental effects like land pollution and air pollution.​

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Alright! Here are more example sentences with exploit and exploitation.

• One important non-renewable resource that is rapidly exploited by humans is fossil fuels.
• Coal is the most abundant non-renewable resource in the world, though its exploitation is contributing to its fast depletion.
• The ruthless exploitation of the world's resources is rapidly destroying our planet.
• Problems arising from the exploitation of natural resources include desertification and global warming.
• Deforestation is an example of exploitation of natural resources.

Resources can be depleted. The verb "exploit" also means to use resources, but it also has the meaning of to use something or somebody to one’s advantage. So to exploit resources means to use resources to one’s advantage. For example

• Humans exploited natural resources for agricultural activities, urbanization, and economic growth.

A way of paraphrasing this sentence using the noun “exploitation” could be the following:

• Humans rely on the exploitation of natural resources for agricultural activities, urbanization, and economic growth.

Let’s try another paraphrasing exercise. Look at this sentence

• With increasing exploitation of fossil fuels, there are many associated environmental effects like land pollution and air pollution.

We can change this to

• As humans exploit fossil fuels at an increasing rate, there are many associated environmental effects like land pollution and air pollution.​

​​

Alright! Here are more example sentences with exploit and exploitation.

• One important non-renewable resource that is rapidly exploited by humans is fossil fuels.
• Coal is the most abundant non-renewable resource in the world, though its exploitation is contributing to its fast depletion.
• The ruthless exploitation of the world's resources is rapidly destroying our planet.
• Problems arising from the exploitation of natural resources include desertification and global warming.
• Deforestation is an example of exploitation of natural resources.

Definition: Not subject to being taken away from or given away by the possessor:

Example sentences:

• One of the inalienable rights of British subjects in 1840 was that their beliefs were to be respected. We know what it is like to assert that the right to sovereignty, independence and unity is inalienable and indefeasible.

Definition: failing to make or recognize distinctions; not marked by fine distinctions

Example sentences:

• Treaties banning some extremely indiscriminate weapons—poison gas, landmines, cluster bombs—have had some success.
• While malaria is indiscriminate, the heaviest toll is on the poorest and most vulnerable communities.

Definition:

Example sentences:

Definition: Relating to the Middle Ages

Example sentences:

• In early medieval times, the court, or household, was the centre of government.

Definition: A collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition

Example sentences:

• Dragons are winged beings portrayed in the ancient mythologies of most cultures.

Oppression is when a group or a person takes power and controls the people with less power in a cruel or unfair way. Oppression is the act of using power in a hurtful way. If your grandparents lived through oppression, they have likely lived very hard days, and deserve a great deal of respect.

• Nowadays, you often hear more and more about the oppression of Native Americans by the pilgrims.

Definition: The sudden or violent start of something unwelcome, such as war, disease, etc

Example sentences:

• The combination has lead to the increase in outbreaks of the disease. The country's prisons are so congested that they are prone to disease outbreaks. The outbreak of World War II.

Definition: A public or official announcement dealing with a matter of great importance

Example sentences:

• Army scientists, who are not accustomed to making public health proclamations, wrongly reassured authorities without sufficiently testing the spread potential of this dangerous anthrax.

Definition: Accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future:

Example sentences:

• In European folklore, mermaids are mythical beings who have magical and prophetic powers.

To quarrel is to fight, or have a disagreement, but it is normally a verbal disagreement, not physical. Think of quarrels to be on a smaller scale of a full-blown fight.

• Growing up, I always quarreled with my sister.
• Whenever my brothers watch football, they always quarrel over who the best player is.

Definition: Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior:

Example sentences:

• Positive discrimination can increase racism rather than working to decrease it.

People who reign rule over people in one way or another. The king reigns over the people, meaning he can make decisions that impact everyone. As a verb, it means to have sovereign power, or have a large degree of power, status or importance. As a noun, it is royal authority.

Definition: turn away from; give up

Example sentences:

• He had chosen to adopt the boys, whose biological father had relinquished custody after failing to pay child support.
• Marriage involves relinquishing some aspect of personal freedom in order to submit to the disciplined identities of husband or wife.

Revolutionize is a verb which means to make a major change. You can use this word to describe something that is completely changed.

• The new owner wanted to revolutionize the business, and the former employees were quite unhappy.

A ritual is a ceremony or action performed in a customary way. Your family may have a ritual of eating spaghetti the night before the first day of school. A ritual can also be a stereotype behavior, or a behavior that can be noticed, similar to a habit.

• I didn’t complete my daily rituals in order this morning, so I have felt a little funny all day.

Used as an adjective, ritual has a religious connotation.

• The ritual killings were the reason Sally left the cult.

A ruler is a person who leads, or commands. Think of a president or king as a ruler. They make decisions for a large group of people. Rulers can be liked, or disliked and voted in, or they may have taken power with force, but they are a ruler, nonetheless.

• The ruler of the tribe didn’t believe in warfare, so they were a very peaceful group of people.

An upheaval is a violent disturbance. It can mean a violent or disturbing change.

• The French Revolution was a period of social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799.​
• There was an upheaval at the previous soccer game, so security was tightened for the rest of the season.