Although synonyms are not a typical subject in universities or colleges, many students struggle with finding suiting synonyms in academic writing. This often leads to redundancy and repetition, which may have a bad influence on the grades of academic papers such as essays or theses.
This article will provide an overview of the most searched synonyms in academic writing and help you find the relevant ones for your paper.
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Synonyms – In a Nutshell
- Synonyms define other words that entail the same meaning as a word.
- Synonyms have the same meaning and serve diversity and variety in your language.
Definition: Synonyms
Synonyms represent other words for a word that entail the same or very similar meaning.
The word “synonym” derives from the Greek term “synṓnymos” and means that something is equivalent.
In academic writing, it is essential to avoid repetition and simultaneously keep a cohesive flow. In addition, it is not always easy to find fitting synonyms, as there are a number of words, phrases, and terms that are inappropriate to use in academic papers.
This article will navigate you through the most common and searched synonyms.
The importance of variety in your use of language
When trying to maintain an academic style of writing throughout a paper, it is very common that repetition and redundancy become an obstacle during the process. Many struggle with making a distinction between whether a word may be used in academic or informal context, which often leads to rather picking the one word repeatedly that you know may be relevant in an academic paper. This is when it becomes useful to research suitable synonyms in order to have variety in your academic language.
Example of using synonyms to avoid repetition:
Furthermore, the graph shows that the peak of absorbing the water was reached at 2 pm. Furthermore, this indicates that the soil will dry out quicker.
Furthermore, the graph shows that the peak of absorbing the water was reached at 2 pm. Moreover, this indicates that the soil will dry out quicker.
Example of using synonyms to avoid redundancy:
Furthermore, the graph shows that the peak of absorbing the water was reached at 2 pm. Furthermore, this indicates that the soil will dry out quicker.
Furthermore, the graph shows the peak of absorbing the water at 2 pm and indicates the soil will dry out quicker.
Finding the relevant synonyms
Prior to choosing a synonym, it is vital to assess the meaning of the initial word and what it means in the context of your writing. For this, you may ask yourself whether it is a word that needs to be replaced, as it is inappropriate within academic writing, or whether it is replaced to prevent repetition.
The following table gives an overview of the most commonly used synonyms for academic writing. You can access the respective articles by clicking on the links.
| Word | Synonyms for Academic Writing | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ability | Aptitude, capacity, competence | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Action | Behaviour, deed, story | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Activity | Act, operating, special task | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Accurate | Authentic, correct, precise | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Additionally | Also, in addition, moreover | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Address | To commit, to contact, to deal with | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Advantage | Aid, benefit, opportunity | Find Example Sentences here. |
| A lot | Much, constantly, highly | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Also | Too, in addition to/additionally, as well, further, and | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Always | Constantly, forever, whenever | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Analysis | Examination, evaluation, review | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Angry | Indignant, outraged, vexed | Find Example Sentences here. |
| At the same time | Behaviour, deed, story | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Available | Accessible, applicable, free, ready | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Aware | Attentive, conscious, receptive | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Awesome | Exceptional, remarkable, outstanding | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Beauty | Aesthetics, appeal, sensation | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Because | As, considering, in that, seeing as, since | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Believe | Argue, assert, assume | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Benefits | Advantages, gifts, extras | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Better | Advanced, enhanced, superior, to improve | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Boring | Dull, monotonous, tedious | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Believe | However, nevertheless, although | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Care | Attention, caution, concern, safekeeping, thoroughness | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Challenging | Dare, demanding, problematic, testing | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Changes | Adjust, alter, moderate, reform, transform | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Check | Certify, control, bill, match | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Comfortable | Adequate, pleasant, well-off | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Community | Belonging, civic, neighborhood | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Comprehensive | Encyclopedic, exhaustive, thorough | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Concept | Approach, framework, view | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Concern | Issue, priority, worry | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Confident | Assertive, certain, fearless | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Conflict | Argument, hostility, collision | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Confused | Baffled, disorganized, perplexed | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Consequences | Aftermath, effects, results | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Considered | Calculated, conceived, thought about | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Cool | Calm, cold, fashionable, unfriendly | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Crazy | Atypical, disorganized, unconventional | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Created | Constructed, established, generated, composed, formulated | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Creative | Fictional, innovative, inventive | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Critical | Acute, emergent, rejective | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Crucial | Critical, essential, pivotal | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Dangerous | Hazardous, üerlious, risky | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Decision | Certitude, last word, verdict | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Define | Characterize, determine, outline | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Determined | Bold, intent, persistent, resolve | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Develop | Actualize, establish, form, generate, produce | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Development | Growth, increase, growing, advance, progress, spread | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Difference | Change, dispute, diversity | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Different | Contrasting, distinct, diverse, other, various | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Difficult | Arduous, challenging, complex, demanding, perplexing | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Discover | Find, locate, reveal | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Do | Carry out, execute, to be sufficient | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Easy | Simple, straightforward, effortless | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Effect | Consequences, impact, influence | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Effective | Active, efficient, in operation, powerful | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Efficient | Economical, effective, productive | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Essential | Crucial, fundamental, vital | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Event | Celebration, incident, occurence | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Extremely | Exceptionally, incredibly, significantly | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Feeling | Attitude, position, sentiment | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Focus | Attention, subject, purpose | Find Example Sentences here. |
| For example | For instance, namely, in particular | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Found | Establish, introduce, launch, start | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Furthermore | Additionally, further, moreover | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Future | Anticipated, next, upcoming | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Get | Arrive, become, manage, understand, persuade | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Given | Delivered, hypothesis, prone | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Goal | Aim, ambition, objective | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Good | Efficient, effective, beneficial, valuable, satisfactory | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Great | High, immense, vast, large, strong | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Growth | Coming-of-age, expansion, lump | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Have | Contain, entail, hold, obtain | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Helps | Aids, guides, supports, assists, serves | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Hence | In consequence, so, therefore | Find Example Sentences here. |
| High | Advanced, increased, euphoria | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Highlight | Emphasize, summarize, underscore | Find Example Sentences here. |
| However | Nonetheless, nevertheless, withal, yet, despite | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Idea | Concept, hypothesis, notion, theory | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Impact | Blow, brunt, bump, clash, collision, concussion | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Important | Crucial, essential, imperative, necessary, vital | Find Example Sentences here. |
| In addition | Additionally, furthermore, moreover | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Increase | Advance, broaden, boost, build up, develop | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Indicate | Allude to, express, point out | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Information | Advice, clue, infom | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Insight | Common sense, intelligence, understanding | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Interest | Importance, attention, advantage, investment | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Interesting | Alluring, fascinating impressive, intriguing, pleasing | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Issues | Children, distribution, edition, outcome, point, topic | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Job | Employment, calling, commitment | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Knowledge | Expertise, familiarity, insight | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Large | Extensive, spacious, substantial | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Learn | Master, grasp, acquire, pick up, be taught, take in, attain, become able | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Life | Being, energy, culture | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Like | Comparable, similar, to resemble | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Limited | Defined, lessened, narrowed, restricted | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Made | Created, formed, gained | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Major | Considerable, crucial, monumental | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Many | Abundance, multiple, numerous | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Need | Requirement, necessity, to require, essential | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Nice | Fine, kind, neat, pleasant, polite, precise | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Obvious | Apparent, clear, self.-evident | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Old | Ancient, expired, monotonous | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Opinion | Perspective, persuasion, decision | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Opportunity | Chance, convenience, option, possibility | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Perfect | Exemplary, ideal, optimal | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Performance | Delivery, execution, interpretation | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Popular | Accomplishment, delivery, fulfillment | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Possible | Imaginable, plausible, realizable | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Positive | Beneficial, constructive, favorable | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Present | To illustrate, to demonstrate, to elucidate | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Problem | Complication, dilemma, issue, obstacle, trouble | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Process | Development, method, prepare, procedure | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Provide | Contribute, distribute, give, provision, supply | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Quickly | Immediately, promptly, rapidly | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Really | Genuinely, terribly, truly | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Relationship | Association, bond, connection | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Relevant | Appropriate, Meaningful, Pertinent | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Required | Essential, mandatory, necessary | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Research | Examination, study, to investigate | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Responsible | Accountable, obligated, reliable | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Results | Conclusion, outcome, lead to | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Role | Duty, function, position | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Rude | Primitive, disrespectful, vulgar | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Said | Asserted, stated, voiced | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Same | Equal, identical, very | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Scared | Apprehensive, intimidated, petrified | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Serious | Alarming, profound, significant | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Shows | Displays, represents, views, illustrates, depicts | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Significant | Important, meaningful, notable, relevant, substantial | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Similar | Alike, comparable, related | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Simple | Foundational, minimalistic, straightforward | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Situation | Circumstances, condition, scenario | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Skills | Ability, accomplishment, competences, technique | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Society | Association, culture, group | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Some | A few, a little, extraordinary | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Special | Distinctive, exceptional, unique | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Specific | Clear-cut, particular, precise | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Strong | Drastic, effective, great, intense, severe | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Stupid | Clueless, foolish, naïve | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Successful | Accomplished, achieved, efficacious, productive, rewarding | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Supported | Agreed with, assisted, backed, proved, verified | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Task | Assignment, project, operation | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Things | Factor, element, aspect, incident, circumstances | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Thought | Assumed, deliberation, theory | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Time | Episode, era, occasion | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Tired | Bored, exhausted, stereotyped | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Understand | Apprehend, grasp, learn, recognize, perceive | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Use | Utilize, operate, practice, apply, avail | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Value | Appreciate, evaluate, importance, principles, significance | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Very | Exceedingly, extremely, incredibly, remarkably | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Want | Aim, aspire, desire, lack | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Weird | Abnormal, atypical, uncommon | Find Example Sentences here. |
| Work | Cause, solve, act, perform, operate | Find Example Sentences here. |