Advanced — Set 91

Set 91 of Advanced covers 5 words: disrespect, consensus, nuisance, scarcity, essence. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. disrespect · noun/ˌdɪsrəˈspɛk(t)/

   behaviour that is considered rude or inappropriate

   The theme of disrespecting women has unfortunately been depicted a lot in the writer's books through violence and discrimination.

   Synonyms: rudeness, discourtesy, contempt

2. consensus · noun/kənˈsɛnsəs/

   when people all agree on some idea or choice

   The parents were unfortunately unable to reach a consensus on the custody of their children, which led to a court case that spanned many years.

   Synonyms: agreement, unity

   Origin: mid 17th century: from Latin, ‘agreement’, from consens- ‘agreed’, from the verb consentire

3. nuisance · noun/ˈnus(ə)ns/

   something or somebody that causes annoyance

   Flies can be a big nuisance to people especially during summer as they can find many places to enter a house and wake people as they sleep.

   Synonyms: annoyance, irritation, trouble

   Origin: late Middle English (in the sense ‘injury, hurt’): from Old French, ‘hurt’, from the verb nuire, from Latin nocere ‘to harm’

4. scarcity · noun/ˈskɛrsədi/

   a situation where the amount of something is not enough

   A lot of the causes of water scarcity are unfortunately related to human activity, as people continue to contribute to climate change with their thoughtless actions.

   Synonyms: shortage, lack, insufficiency

5. essence · noun/ˈɛs(ə)ns/

   the most important quality of something

   It is an undeniable fact that the essence of democracy is the freedom it gives people to elect whoever they want as a leader.

   Synonyms: core, significance, basis

   Origin: late Middle English: via Old French from Latin essentia, from esse ‘be’