| officially connected with a town or city | CIVIC duties/responsibilities |
| connected with people who are not members of the armed forces or the police | He left the army and returned to CIVILIAN life. |
| a person who is not a member of the armed forces or the police | Two soldiers and one CIVILIAN were killed in the explosion. |
| he quality of being expressed clearly | The brilliant CLARITY of his argument could not be faulted. |
| a short fight between two groups of people | Eight people were wounded in a CLASH with border guards. |
| the act or process of putting people or things into a group or class | a style of music that defies CLASSIFICATION (= is like no other) |
| to hold on tightly to somebody/something | Leaves still CLUNG to the branches. |
| [only before noun] relating to the examination and treatment of patients and their illnesses | CLINICAL research (= done on patients, not just considering theory) |
| the situation when a factory, school, hospital, etc. shuts permanently | The hospital has been threatened with CLOSURE. |
| a group of things of the same type that grow or appear close together | The telescope is focused on a dense CLUSTER of stars at the edge of the galaxy. |
| a government formed by two or more political parties working together | The two parties governed in COALITION for four years. |
| of or near a coast | COASTAL waters/resorts/scenery |
| a drink usually made from a mixture of one or more spirits (= strong alcoholic drinks) and fruit juice. It can also be made without alcohol. | a COCKTAIL bar/cabinet/lounge/shaker |
| connected with mental processes of understanding | They are studying the links between COGNITIVE and linguistic development in young children. |
| (of two or more events) to take place at the same time | The strike was timed to COINCIDE with the party conference. |
| to work together with somebody in order to produce or achieve something | We have COLLABORATED on many projects over the years. |
| the act of working with another person or group of people to create or produce something | the results of a fruitful COLLABORATION with the industry |
| done or shared by all members of a group of people; involving a whole group or society | COLLECTIVE leadership/decision-making/responsibility |
| an accident in which two vehicles or people crash into each other | Stewart was injured in a COLLISION with another player. |
| connected with or belonging to a country that controls another country | Tunisia achieved independence from French COLONIAL rule in 1956. |
| a journalist who writes regular articles for a newspaper or magazine | a newspaper COLUMNIST |
| fighting or a fight, especially during a time of war | He was killed in COMBAT. |
| to stop something unpleasant or harmful from happening or from getting worse | measures to COMBAT crime/inflation/unemployment/disease |
| to begin to happen; to begin something | he day COMMENCED with a welcome from the principal. |
| commentary (on something) a spoken description of an event that is given while it is happening, especially on the radio or television | He kept up a running COMMENTARY on everyone who came in or went out. |
| a person who describes an event while it is happening, especially on television or radio | He's one of the great sports COMMENTATORS of our time. |
| trade, especially between countries; the buying and selling of goods and services | Leaders of industry and COMMERCE met at the summit in Paris. |
| a member of a commission (= an official group of people who are responsible for controlling something or finding out about something) | European COMMISSIONERS |
| a product or a raw material that can be bought and sold | rice, flour and other basic COMMODITIES |
| connected with communism | COMMUNIST ideology |
| a person or an animal that travels with you or spends a lot of time with you | travelling COMPANIONS |
| similar to somebody/something else and able to be compared | The situation in the US is not directly COMPARABLE to that in the UK. |
| a strong feeling of sympathy for people or animals who are suffering and a desire to help them | She was known as a hard woman with no COMPASSION, no emotion. |
| to force somebody to do something; to make something necessary | The law can COMPEL fathers to make regular payments for their children. |
| that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting | Her latest book makes COMPELLING reading. |
| compensate (for something) to provide something good to balance or reduce the bad effects of damage, loss, etc. | Nothing can COMPENSATE for the loss of a loved one. |
| compensation (for something) something, especially money, that somebody gives you because they have hurt you, or damaged something that you own; the act of giving this to somebody | The employer has a duty to pay full COMPENSATION for injuries received at work. |
| the ability to do something well | to gain a high level of COMPETENCE ( competence) in English |
| having enough skill or knowledge to do something well or to the necessary standard | Make sure the firm is COMPETENT to carry out the work. |
| to produce a book, list, report, etc. by bringing together different items, articles, songs, etc.; to collect information in order to produce a book, list, etc. | We are trying to COMPILE a list of suitable people for the job. |
| to add to something in a way that improves it or makes it more attractive | The team needs players who COMPLEMENT each other. |
| the state of being formed of many parts; the state of being difficult to understand | the increasing COMPLEXITY of modern telecommunication systems |
| the practice of obeying rules or requests made by people in authority | procedures that must be followed to ensure full COMPLIANCE with the law |
| to obey a rule, an order, etc.; to meet particular standards | They refused to COMPLY with the UN resolution. |
| the different parts that something is made of; the way in which the different parts are organized | the COMPOSITION of the board of directors |
| an agreement made between two people or groups in which each side gives up some of the things they want so that both sides are happy at the end | After lengthy talks the two sides finally reached a COMPROMISE. |
| to give up some of your demands in order to reach an agreement after disagreeing with somebody | After much argument, the judges finally COMPROMISED on (= agreed to give the prize to) the 18-year old pianist. |
| a thing that makes a situation more complicated or difficult | The bad weather added a further COMPLICATION to our journey. |
| (formal) to calculate something | These measurements can be used to COMPUTE the average size. |
| to hide somebody/something | Tim could barely CONCEAL his disappointment. |
| to admit that something is true, logical, etc. after first denying it or resisting it | He reluctantly CONCEDED the point to me. |
| (formal) to form an idea, a plan, etc. in your mind | He CONCEIVED the idea of transforming the old power station into an arts centre. |
| an understanding or a belief of what something/somebody is or what something/somebody should be | He has no CONCEPTION of how difficult life is if you're unemployed. |
| something that you allow or do, or allow somebody to have, in order to end an argument or to make a situation less difficult | The firm will be forced to make CONCESSIONS if it wants to avoid a strike. |
| to say very strongly that you think something is bad, usually for moral reasons | The editor of the newspaper was CONDEMNED as lacking integrity. |
| to discuss something with somebody, in order to exchange opinions or get advice | He wanted to CONFER with his colleagues before reaching a decision. |
| a statement that a person makes, admitting that they are guilty of a crime; the act of making such a statement | After hours of questioning by police, she made a full CONFESSION. |
| an arrangement of the parts of something or a group of things; the form or shape that this arrangement produces | The design is based on four CONFIGURATIONS of squares. |
| [often passive] to keep somebody/something inside the limits of a particular activity, subject, area, etc. | I will CONFINE myself to looking at the period from 1900 to 1916. |
| a statement, letter, etc. that shows that something is true, correct or definite | I'm still waiting for CONFIRMATION of the test results. |
| (of problems or a difficult situation) to appear and need to be dealt with by somebody | What is to be done about the economic problems CONFRONTING the country? |
| a situation in which there is anger between people or groups who disagree because they have different opinions | She wanted to avoid another CONFRONTATION with her father. |
| to tell somebody that you are pleased about their success or achievements | The authors are to be CONGRATULATED on producing such a clear and authoritative work. |
| a group of people who are gathered together in a church for a religious service, not including the priest and choir | The CONGREGATION stood to sing the hymn. |
| related to or belonging to a congress or the Congress in the US | a CONGRESSIONAL committee/bill |
| to take control of a country or city and its people by force | The Normans CONQUERED England in 1066. |
| the part of your mind that tells you whether your actions are right or wrong | to have a clear/guilty CONSCIENCE (= to feel that you have done right/wrong) |
| the state of being able to use your senses and mental powers to understand what is happening | She did not regain CONSCIOUSNESS and died the next day. |
| following one after another in a continuous series | He is beginning his fourth CONSECUTIVE term of office |
| an opinion that all members of a group agree with | She is skilled at achieving CONSENSUS on sensitive issues. |
| permission to do something, especially given by somebody in authority | Children under 16 cannot give CONSENT to medical treatment. |
| to agree to something or give your permission for something | When she told them what she intended, they readily CONSENTED. |
| to protect something and prevent it from being changed or destroyed | new laws to CONSERVE wildlife in the area |
| (approving) the quality of always behaving in the same way or of having the same opinions, standard, etc.; the quality of being consistent | She has played with great CONSISTENCY all season. |
| to make a position of power or success stronger so that it is more likely to continue | With this new movie he has CONSOLIDATED his position as the country's leading director. |
| a district that elects its own representative to parliament | Unemployment is high in her CONSTITUENCY. |
| to be considered to be something | Does such an activity CONSTITUTE a criminal offence? |
| the system of laws and basic principles that a state, a country or an organization is governed by | to propose a new amendment to the CONSTITUTION |
| connected with the constitution of a country or an organization | CONSTITUTIONAL government/reform |
| a thing that limits something, or limits your freedom to do something | financial/economic/legal/political CONSTRAINTS |
| the act of discussing something with somebody or with a group of people before making a decision about it | a CONSULTATION document/paper/period/process |
| to think about whether you should do something, or how you should do something | I have never CONTEMPLATED living abroad. |
| the feeling that somebody/something is without value and deserves no respect at all | His treatment of his children is beneath CONTEMPT (= so bad that it is not even worth feeling contempt for). |
| (formal) to say that something is true, especially in an argument | I would CONTEND that the minister's thinking is flawed on this point. |
| a person or team with a chance of winning a competition | a CONTENDER for a gold medal in the Olympics |
| happy and satisfied with what you have | Not CONTENT with stealing my boyfriend (= not thinking that this was enough), she has turned all my friends against me. |
| anger between people who disagree | One area of CONTENTION is the availability of nursery care. |
| in a way that is repeated many times so that it is annoying | They argue CONTINUALLY about money. |
| a person or company that has a contract to do work or provide goods or services for another company | a defence/security/military/civilian CONTRACTOR |
| a lack of agreement between facts, opinions, actions, etc. | His public speeches are in direct CONTRADICTION to his personal lifestyle. |
| different from something; against something | The government has decided that the publication of the report would be ‘CONTRARY to the public interest’. |
| the opposite fact, event or situation | In the end the CONTRARY was proved true: he was innocent and she was guilty. |
| a person who writes articles for a magazine, book or website, or who talks on a radio or television programme or at a meeting | a regular CONTRIBUTOR to this magazine |
| conversion (from something) (into/to something) the act or process of changing something from one form, use or system to another | Their main business is the CONVERSION of farm buildings into family homes. |
| to decide and state officially in court that somebody is guilty of a crime | He was CONVICTED of fraud. |
| the act of finding somebody guilty of a crime in court; the fact of having been found guilty | She has six previous CONVICTIONS for theft. |
| to work together with somebody else in order to achieve something | COOPERATIVE activity is essential to effective community work. |
| to organize the different parts of an activity and the people involved in it so that it works well | They appointed a new manager to COORDINATE the work of the team. |
