Set 72 · Study 1 / 5

Exit

fluctuate

verb/ˈfləktʃəˌweɪt/

change suddenly and unexpectedly

Vegetable prices tend to fluctuate since they depend on varying harvest and seasonal conditions.

varyoscillate
word origin — mid 17th century (earlier (late Middle English) as fluctuation): from Latin fluctuat- ‘undulated’, from the verb fluctuare, from fluctus ‘flow, current, wave’, from fluere ‘to flow’

Advanced — Set 72

Set 72 of Advanced covers 5 words: fluctuate, disregard, inherit, facilitate, utilize. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

  1. fluctuate · verb/ˈfləktʃəˌweɪt/

    change suddenly and unexpectedly

    Vegetable prices tend to fluctuate since they depend on varying harvest and seasonal conditions.

    Synonyms: vary, oscillate

    Origin: mid 17th century (earlier (late Middle English) as fluctuation): from Latin fluctuat- ‘undulated’, from the verb fluctuare, from fluctus ‘flow, current, wave’, from fluere ‘to flow’

  2. disregard · verb/ˌdɪsrəˈɡɑrd/

    not pay a respectful amount of attention

    The mother grew frustrated with her teenage son who completely disregarded whatever advice she gave him.

    Synonyms: neglect, overlook, ignore

  3. inherit · verb/ɪnˈhɛrət/

    receive money or property from a person after their death; exhibit traits passed down from a direct family member

    The two sons inherited the fortune and estate of the world-renowned pop star after his untimely death.

    Synonyms: receive

    Origin: Middle English enherite ‘receive as a right’, from Old French enheriter, from late Latin inhereditare ‘appoint as heir’, from Latin in- ‘in’ + heres, hered- ‘heir’

  4. facilitate · verb/fəˈsɪləˌteɪt/

    make something easier; guide a process, often a meeting

    There are many free, cell phone apps available that facilitate language learning by offering fun and creative ways of studying new words.

    Synonyms: ease, help, aid; guide, direct

    Origin: early 17th century: from French faciliter, from Italian facilitare, from facile ‘easy’, from Latin facilis (see facile)

  5. utilize · verb/ˈjudlˌaɪz/

    make use of something in a practical, effective way

    During orientation week, students were informed about all the resources they could utilize on campus, such as advisors and career services.

    Synonyms: use, employ

    Origin: early 19th century: from French utiliser, from Italian utilizzare, from utile (see utile)