Society in Depth — B2 Essential Words

custom /ˈkʌstəm/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: Something done traditionally by a society or group — an accepted way of behaving or celebrating.

Example: Shaking hands is a common custom.

Another example: The wedding customs differ by region.

Collocations: a local custom · custom of · social custom

Synonyms: tradition (longer-lived), habit (personal), practice

Word family: customs (n pl) · customary (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: A custom is a group's habit; a habit is a person's. At airports, CUSTOMS is something else: the officers checking bags — same spelling, border meaning.

🗣 In spoken American English: Travel guides translate the unspoken ones for visitors.

Register: Neutral to formal — society essential.

minority /maɪˈnɒrəti/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: The smaller part of a group; a group of people of a different race, religion, or language within a larger population.

Example: Only a minority voted against the plan.

Another example: The city supports its minority communities.

Collocations: a minority of · minority group · ethnic minority

Synonyms: minor part, few, subgroup

Antonyms: majority

Word family: minorities (n pl) · minor (adj — related root)

⚠ Common mistake: Minority is always relative: the smaller share. Its mirror majority rules votes; both words run democracies.

🗣 In spoken American English: Rights protections exist mainly for this word's people.

Register: Formal — society essential.

majority /məˈdʒɒrəti/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: The larger part of a group; more than half.

Example: The majority agreed with the decision.

Another example: A majority of voters chose change.

Collocations: the majority · majority of · a clear majority

Synonyms: most, bulk, greater part

Antonyms: minority

Word family: majorities (n pl) · major (adj — related root)

⚠ Common mistake: Elections are won by majorities (more than half) or pluralities (most, but under half) — news keeps the two apart carefully.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'The silent majority' is politics' favorite claimed crowd.

Register: Formal — society essential.

equality /ɪˈkwɒləti/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: The state of being equal — having the same rights, treatment, and opportunities.

Example: The law promises equality for all citizens.

Another example: She fights for gender equality.

Collocations: equality of · gender equality · fight for equality

Synonyms: fairness, evenness, justice

Antonyms: inequality, discrimination

Word family: equal (adj) · equally (adv) · equalize (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Equality of rights is the law's promise; equity (fairness of outcomes) is its modern debating partner.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'All men are created equal' — the Declaration's most quoted line anchors the word.

Register: Formal — society core.

charity /ˈtʃærəti/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: An organization that helps people in need; the act of giving money, food, or help to the poor and sick.

Example: The charity provides food for families.

Another example: She gave money to charity.

Collocations: a local charity · give to charity · charity event

Synonyms: aid organization, nonprofit, giving

Word family: charities (n pl) · charitable (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: A charity is the organization; charity is also the giving itself. 'Charity begins at home' is the proverb balancing both.

🗣 In spoken American English: Gala dinners and fun runs raise its budget with smiles.

Register: Neutral — society essential.

norm /nɔːrm/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: The usual, accepted way of behaving or the standard level in a society or group.

Example: Working from home became the norm.

Another example: His scores are above the norm.

Collocations: the norm · social norms · norm for

Synonyms: standard, average, rule (unwritten)

Antonyms: exception, deviation

Word family: norms (n pl) · normal (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: A norm is unwritten law — powerful without police. 'Normal' describes what follows it; 'the norm' names it.

🗣 In spoken American English: Every office has them by day two, written nowhere.

Register: Formal — society essential.

ritual /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: A set of fixed actions performed regularly as part of a ceremony or custom, or a personal routine done in the same way each time.

Example: The graduation ritual includes throwing caps in the air.

Another example: His morning ritual is coffee and the news.

Collocations: a daily ritual · ritual of · ancient ritual

Synonyms: ceremony, routine, custom act

Word family: rituals (n pl) · ritual (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Rituals are customs you PERFORM — steps in a set order. Personal rituals (morning coffee) borrow the ceremony feeling.

🗣 In spoken American English: Every sport has them: lucky socks, handshakes, anthems.

Register: Neutral to formal — society staple.

taboo /təˈbuː/ noun / adjective B2 Society

Meaning: A subject, word, or action that a society avoids or forbids because it is offensive, embarrassing, or sacred.

Example: Death was a taboo subject at the dinner table.

Another example: Whistling indoors is taboo in her family.

Collocations: a taboo subject · taboo in · break a taboo

Synonyms: forbidden topic, no-go area, ban (stronger, legal)

Word family: taboos (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Taboos are society's unwritten red lines — broken by comedians carefully and by accident by visitors. The word came from Polynesian 'tapu' (sacred/forbidden).

🗣 In spoken American English: Money and salaries are the classic American dinner-table ones.

Register: Formal — society essential.

prejudice /ˈpredʒədɪs/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: An unfair opinion about a person or group, formed without knowledge or reason, usually negative.

Example: The campaign fights prejudice at work.

Another example: Prejudice has no place in a courtroom.

Collocations: prejudice against · racial prejudice · fight prejudice

Synonyms: bias, discrimination (the action), intolerance

Antonyms: fairness, open-mindedness

Word family: prejudices (n pl) · prejudiced (adj) · prejudge (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Prejudice is the OPINION; discrimination is the ACTION it causes. The word's bones confess it: pre + judge = judging before knowing.

🗣 In spoken American English: Jane Austen put it in a title the world never forgot (Pride and Prejudice).

Register: Formal — society essential.

stereotype /ˈsteriətaɪp/ noun B2 Society

Meaning: A fixed, oversimplified idea about what people of a group are like, believed by many but unfair to individuals.

Example: The film plays with stereotypes about artists.

Another example: Stereotypes rarely survive meeting real people.

Collocations: a stereotype of · break stereotypes · harmful stereotype

Synonyms: cliché, image, assumption

Word family: stereotypes (n pl) · stereotypical (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Stereotypes are shortcuts the mind takes — fast and usually wrong about the person in front of you.

🗣 In spoken American English: Comedies use them; good comedies also break them.

Register: Formal — society essential.