TOEFL Vocabulary: Environment — TOEFL Academic Vocabulary
Environment Five high-utility words with the full apparatus: pronunciation, both definitions, natural + academic examples, collocations, family, mistakes — then a 10-question set quiz.
environment /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ noun B1
Meaning: The natural world around us — land, water, air, plants, and animals.
Academic meaning: The totality of physical, chemical, and biological conditions surrounding and influencing an organism or community.
Natural example: We must protect the environment for our children.
Academic example: Wetlands provide a natural environment for hundreds of bird species.
Collocations: the natural environment · protect the environment · environmental issues
Synonyms: surroundings, habitat, nature
Word family: environmental (adjective) · environmentally (adverb)
⚠ Common mistake: Use the environment for nature in general; an environment can also mean any surroundings, even a work environment.
Register: Neutral; core term in science and public discussion · Usage: In academic texts, environment often means the conditions affecting a specific organism or system.
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ noun B2
Meaning: A strong effect that something has on a person, thing, or situation.
Academic meaning: The measurable effect that an action, event, or policy exerts on a system, population, or the natural environment.
Natural example: The teacher had a huge impact on my life.
Academic example: The dam will have a lasting impact on fish populations downstream.
Collocations: environmental impact · have an impact on · a significant impact
Synonyms: effect, influence, consequence
Word family: impact (verb) · impactful (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: Use impact on, not “impact to”: “a negative impact on wildlife.”
Register: Neutral–formal; extremely common in academic writing · Usage: Impact is often stronger than effect and suits significant, measurable changes.
reduce /rɪˈduːs/ verb B1
Meaning: To make something smaller or less.
Academic meaning: To decrease the magnitude, rate, or extent of a quantity, process, or adverse outcome.
Natural example: We need to reduce the noise in the library.
Academic example: Planting trees can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Collocations: reduce waste · reduce emissions · reduce the risk of
Synonyms: decrease, lower, cut
Antonyms: increase, raise
Word family: reduction (noun) · reduced (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: Use reduce for amounts and rates; use decrease as its close synonym, but lower mainly for levels and prices.
Register: Neutral; very frequent in academic and technical writing · Usage: In data commentary, reduce pairs with precise figures: reduce by 20 percent.
sustainable /səˈsteɪnəbəl/ adjective C1
Meaning: Able to continue for a long time without harming the environment or using everything up.
Academic meaning: Capable of being maintained at a given rate or level indefinitely without depleting resources or causing ecological damage.
Natural example: Solar power is a sustainable way to produce electricity.
Academic example: Sustainable agriculture balances crop production with the long-term health of the soil.
Collocations: sustainable development · sustainable energy · a sustainable solution
Synonyms: viable, renewable, lasting
Antonyms: unsustainable, temporary
Word family: sustain (verb) · sustainability (noun) · sustainably (adverb)
⚠ Common mistake: Sustainable describes systems maintained over time; do not use it to mean simply “long” or “strong.”
Register: Formal–neutral; key term in environmental science and policy · Usage: Most often found in the phrases sustainable development, sustainable energy, and sustainable practices.
pollution /pəˈluːʃən/ noun B1
Meaning: Dirty or harmful substances in the air, water, or land.
Academic meaning: The introduction of harmful substances or energy into the environment at levels that damage ecosystems or human health.
Natural example: Air pollution is a serious problem in big cities.
Academic example: Agricultural pollution from fertilizers has damaged rivers across the region.
Collocations: air pollution · water pollution · reduce pollution
Synonyms: contamination, waste, emissions
Word family: pollute (verb) · polluted (adjective) · pollutant (noun)
⚠ Common mistake: Pollution is uncountable: say “a lot of pollution,” not “many pollutions.”
Register: Neutral; common in science, news, and everyday speech · Usage: Specify the type where possible — air, water, noise, or light pollution — for precise academic style.