acknowledge
to accept or admit that something exists, is true, or is real
- He never acknowledges his mistakes (=admits that he has made them).
- acknowledge that: She won’t acknowledge that there’s a problem.
- Wimbledon is widely acknowledged as being the premier tennis tournament.
to thank someone for something they have done or given you, especially in writing or by saying it publicly
- We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of everyone who helped us.
to show that you have seen someone or that you recognize them, for example by smiling or speaking to them
- They barely acknowledge each other in public.
- acknowledge someone’s presence: James acknowledged his lawyer’s presence with a small nod.
to show that you are grateful to people who are clapping or cheering for you by waving your hand, nodding your head etc
- She stood back and acknowledged the applause of the crowd.
apparent
able to be seen or understood:
- Her unhappiness was apparent to everyone.
- [ + that ] It was becoming increasingly apparent that he could no longer take care of himself.
- I was on the metro this morning when, for no apparent reason, the man opposite me suddenly screamed.
seeming to exist or be true:
- His apparent lack of interest in her work always annoyed her.
- Williams won the tournament with apparent ease.
capability
the ability to do something:
- These tests are beyond the capability of an average twelve-year-old.
- [ + to infinitive ] With the new machines we finally have the capability (= power) to do the job properly.
the number of weapons, soldiers, etc. a country has to fight a war:
- Several countries are trying to develop a nuclear capability.
capable
able to do something
- capable of: I want to see you achieve what you are capable of.
- capable of doing something: The port is capable of handling 10 million tonnes of coal a year.
- He is capable of anything (=any action, however bad) if it furthers his ambition.
very good at doing a job
- The staff all seem very capable.
- I was impressed by his capable handling of the situation.
complex (adj)
something that is complex has a lot of details or small parts that make it difficult to understand or deal with
- the complex web of relationships between the two families
- This was a complex and difficult task.
- highly complex: These rules are highly complex.
complex (n)
a group of buildings together, or a building that has several parts
- The hotel has a superb leisure complex.
an emotional problem caused by unreasonable fears or worries
- have/develop a complex about something: I used to have a complex about being in crowds.
- give someone a complex: If you keep telling her she’s clumsy, you’ll give her a complex.
confront
to face, meet, or deal with a difficult situation or person:
- As she left the court, she was confronted by angry crowds who tried to block her way.
- It’s an issue we’ll have to confront at some point, no matter how unpleasant it is.
- I thought I would stay calm, but when I was confronted with/by the TV camera, I got very nervous.
confrontation
a fight or argument:
- Some couples seem to like confrontation, but Josh and I hardly ever argue.
- There were violent confrontations between police and demonstrators.
confrontational
behaving in an angry or unfriendly way that is likely to cause an argument:
- He has a very aggressive, confrontational way of talking to people.
dependent
needing the support of something or someone in order to continue existing or operating:
- He has three dependent children.
- It’s very easy to become dependent on sleeping pills.
destruction
the act of destroying something, or the fact of being destroyed:
- Many people are very concerned about the destruction of the rainforests.
destructive
causing, or able to cause, damage:
- the destructive power of nuclear weapons
- I worry about the destructive effect that violent films may have on children.
- Lack of trust is very destructive in a relationship.
emotive
causing strong feelings:
- Animal experimentation is a highly emotive issue.
evolve
to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop gradually:
- Did humans evolve from apes?
- The company has evolved over the years into a multi-million dollar organization.
- Bacteria are evolving resistance to antibiotics.
evolution
the way in which living things change and develop over millions of years:
- Darwin’s theory of evolution
a gradual process of change and development:
- the evolution of language
evolutionary
involving a gradual process of change and development:
- The change has been evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
revolve
to move or cause something to move around a central point or line:
- The earth revolves around the sun.
revolution
a change in the way a country is governed, usually to a different political system and often using violence or war:
- The French Revolution changed France from a monarchy to a republic.
- The country seems to be heading towards revolution.
a very important change in the way that people do things:
- a technological revolution
- Penicillin produced a revolution in medicine.
- Penicillin was a revolutionary drug.
exploitation
the use of something in order to get an advantage from it:
Britain’s exploitation of its natural gas reserves began after the Second World War.
exploit
to use something in a way that helps you:
We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
exploitable
able to be used in a way that helps people:
- The coal mine is no longer commercially exploitable.
- The company’s business involves capturing data in its most effective and exploitable form.
able to be used unfairly, for someone’s own advantage:
- The lack of jobs in this area means that the workforce is easily exploitable.
- He fixed a number of potentially exploitable security holes in the computer system.
interaction
an occasion when two or more people or things communicate with or react to each other:
- There’s not enough interaction between the management and the workers.
- The play follows the interactions of three very different characters.
interact
to communicate with or react to:
- Dominique’s teacher says that she interacts well with the other children.
- It’s interesting at parties to see how people interact socially.
- We are studying how these two chemicals interact.
interactive
An interactive system or computer program is designed - to involve the user in the exchange of information:
an interactive game/video
- This is an interactive museum where children can actively manipulate the exhibits.
involving communication between people:
- interactive teaching methods
