History — TOEFL Academic Vocabulary
History Five high-utility words with the full apparatus: pronunciation, both definitions, natural + academic examples, collocations, family, mistakes — then a 10-question set quiz.
period /ˈpɪriəd/ noun B1
Meaning: A length of time, often with a clear beginning and end.
Academic meaning: A distinct span of time characterized by particular events, conditions, or developments.
Natural example: We were very busy during that period last year.
Academic example: The period between the two world wars saw rapid political change across Europe.
Collocations: a period of time · over a period of · during this period
Synonyms: era, age, span
Antonyms: moment, instant
Word family: periodic (adjective) · periodically (adverb) · periodical (noun)
⚠ Common mistake: Learners often write 'in this period of time' when 'in this period' or 'during this period' alone is enough.
Register: neutral; common in academic writing · Usage: Historians use 'period' when the time span has a name or a shared character, not for any random stretch of time.
ancient /ˈeɪnʃənt/ adjective B1
Meaning: Very old; from a time long ago.
Academic meaning: Belonging to the distant past, especially the civilizations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and similar early societies.
Natural example: The old castle looks ancient.
Academic example: Ancient trade routes connected the Mediterranean world with Asia.
Collocations: ancient history · ancient civilization · ancient times
Synonyms: antique, age-old, prehistoric
Antonyms: modern, recent
Word family: antiquity (noun) · anciently (adverb)
⚠ Common mistake: Do not use 'ancient' for things that are merely old-fashioned, like a phone from 2010; it suggests thousands of years.
Register: neutral; academic when naming early civilizations · Usage: In academic English, 'ancient' usually refers to the world before roughly 500 CE.
establish /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/ verb B2
Meaning: To start something new, such as a company, school, or system, so that it continues.
Academic meaning: To found an institution or system; also, to prove or determine a fact through evidence.
Natural example: They established a small bakery in 2005.
Academic example: The university was established in 1636, making it the oldest in the country.
Collocations: establish a relationship · establish the fact that · newly established
Synonyms: found, set up, create
Antonyms: abolish, dissolve
Word family: establishment (noun) · established (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: Avoid 'establish' for simply starting an activity: say 'start the meeting', not 'establish the meeting'.
Register: formal; very common in academic and official English · Usage: In research writing, 'establish' often means to prove: 'The study established a clear link between diet and health.'
century /ˈsɛntʃəri/ noun B1
Meaning: A period of one hundred years.
Academic meaning: A hundred-year span, conventionally numbered from year 1, used to organize historical time (e.g., the nineteenth century = 1801–1900).
Natural example: My grandmother lived for almost a century.
Academic example: During the nineteenth century, industrial cities grew at an unprecedented rate.
Collocations: the twentieth century · for centuries · turn of the century
Synonyms: hundred years, age, era
Word family: centennial (noun/adjective) · centuries-old (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: The nineteenth century means the 1800s, not the 1900s — a very common error in history essays.
Register: neutral; essential in historical writing · Usage: Use lowercase: 'the eighteenth century'; use 'centuries' alone to mean a very long time.
event /ɪˈvɛnt/ noun B1
Meaning: Something that happens, especially something important or planned.
Academic meaning: A discrete occurrence of historical or social significance, or a scheduled public occasion in a sequence of developments.
Natural example: The school is holding a special event on Friday.
Academic example: Historians debate which event triggered the outbreak of the war.
Collocations: a major event · historical event · in the event of
Synonyms: occurrence, incident, happening
Word family: eventful (adjective) · eventually (adverb) · uneventful (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: Do not confuse 'event' with 'evidence'; also, 'actually' is not the translation of 'eventually' — 'eventually' means 'in the end'.
Register: neutral; academic in history and social science · Usage: Use 'event' for a single happening with a clear time; use 'process' for something that develops slowly.