establish
to start having a relationship with, or communicating with another person, company, country, or organization:
- There is a strong need to establish effective communication links between staff, parents, pupils, and external bodies.
establish
to discover or get proof of something:
- Before we take any action we must establish the facts/truth.
[ + question word ] Can you establish what time she left home/whether she has left home.
[ + (that) ] We have established (that) she was born in 1900.
establish yourself
to be in a successful position over a long period of time:
- He has established himself as the leading candidate in the election.
establish
to cause something or someone to be accepted in or familiar with a place, position, etc.:
- His reputation for carelessness was established long before the latest problems arose.
- After three months we were well established in/at our new house/new jobs.
establishment
a business or other organization, or the place where an organization operates:
- an educational/financial/religious establishment
powerful pp
- The establishment
establishment
the process of starting or creating something, for example, an organization:
- Since its establishment in 1945, the United Nations has played a dominant role in the development of international law.
established
having existed for a long time, and therefore recognized as good or successful
- an old established family firm
- They have well-established connections with the Japanese company.
- established procedures/methods/criteria
- The cast includes several established stars, as well as two talented newcomers.
flexible
able to change or be changed easily according to the situation:
- My schedule is flexible - I could arrange to meet with you any day next week.
- Rubber is a flexible substance.
- Dancers and gymnasts need to be very flexible (= able to bend their bodies easily).
flexibility
the ability to change or be changed easily according to the situation:
- The advantage of this system is its flexibility.
- The schedule doesn’t allow much flexibility.
- You can improve your flexibility by exercising.
- Plastic is more suitable because of its flexibility.
flex
to bend an arm, leg, etc. or tighten a muscle:
- First, straighten your legs, then flex your feet.
- He tried to impress me by flexing his huge muscles.
to bend without breaking, or to make a material do this:
- Sheets of brittle lava broke under their own weight as they flexed.
- Metal fatigue occurs when steel is flexed.
impose (force1)
to officially force a rule, tax, punishment, etc. to be obeyed or received:
- Very high taxes have recently been imposed on cigarettes.
- Judges are imposing increasingly heavy fines for minor driving offences.
- The council has imposed a ban on alcohol in the city parks.
impose (force2)
to force someone to accept something, especially a belief or way of living:
- I don’t want them to impose their religious beliefs on my children.
- We must impose some kind of order on the way this office is run.
impose (expect)
to expect someone to do something for you or spend time with you when they do not want to or when it is not convenient for them:
- Are you sure it’s all right for me to come tonight? I don’t want to impose.
- She’s always imposing on people - asking favours and getting everyone to do things for her.
imposition (expecting)
a situation in which someone expects another person to do something that they do not want to do or that is not convenient:
- Would it be too much of an imposition to ask you to pick my parents up from the airport?
imposition
the introduction of a new law or system:
- the imposition of the death penalty/martial law/sanctions
imposing
having an appearance that looks important or causes admiration:
- an imposing mansion
- He was an imposing figure on stage.
optional
If something is optional, you can choose if you want to do it, pay it, buy it, etc.:
- English is compulsory for all students, but art and music are optional.
option
one thing that can be chosen from a set of possibilities, or the freedom to make a choice:
- The best option would be to cancel the trip altogether.
- There are various options open to someone who is willing to work hard.
- They didn’t leave him much option - either he paid or they’d beat him up.
- After her appalling behaviour, we had no option but to dismiss her.
opt
to make a choice, especially of one thing or possibility instead of others:
- Mike opted for early retirement.
- Most people opt to have the operation.
renounce
to say formally or publicly that you no longer own, support, believe in, or have a connection with something:
- Her ex-husband renounced his claim to the family house.
- Gandhi renounced the use of violence.
renunciation
the formal announcement that someone no longer owns, supports, believes in, or has a connection with something:
- the renunciation of violence
respect
admiration felt or shown for someone or something that you believe has good ideas or qualities:
- I have great/the greatest respect for his ideas, although I don’t agree with them.
- She is a formidable figure who commands a great deal of respect (= who is greatly admired by others).
- New teachers have to earn/gain the respect of their students.
- You really should treat your parents with more respect.
- She has no respect for other people’s property (= she does not treat it carefully).
respect (feature)
a particular feature or detail:
- This proposal differs from the last one in many important respects/one important respect.
- In most respects, the new film is better than the original.
respectively
in a way that relates or belongs to each of the separate people or things you have just mentioned:
- In the 200 meters, Lizzy and Sarah came first and third respectively (= Lizzy won the race and Sarah was third).
- Steven and James are aged 10 and 13 respectively.
