instinctive, impartial, revolutionary, insecure, terminal: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Upper-Intermediate set 100. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. instinctive · adjective/ɪnˈstɪŋ(k)tɪv/

   done naturally without conscious thought

   Web making in spiders and nest making in birds are examples of instinctive behaviour in animals.

   Synonyms: natural, intuitive

2. impartial · adjective/ɪmˈpɑrʃ(ə)l/

   not favoring one person or side over another

   To keep the competition fair, the organizers asked an impartial expert to choose the winner.

   Synonyms: fair, neutral, unbiased

3. revolutionary · adjective/ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnɛri/

   causing or involving a major change in how something is done

   The new treatment was considered revolutionary because it gave doctors a completely new way to fight the disease.

   Synonyms: radical, transformative, groundbreaking

4. insecure · adjective/ˌɪnsəˈkjʊr/

   not confident about yourself or uncertain about your situation

   He felt insecure in the unfamiliar workplace during his first week.

   Synonyms: uncertain, self-doubting, unconfident

   Origin: mid 17th century: from medieval Latin insecurus ‘unsafe’, from in- ‘not’ + Latin securus ‘free from care’, or from in- ‘not’ + secure

5. terminal · adjective/ˈtərmənəl/

   describing an illness that cannot be cured and is expected to cause death

   Some conditions that were once considered terminal can now be managed for many years.

   Synonyms: incurable, fatal

   Origin: late Middle English (as adjective): from Latin terminalis, from terminus ‘end, boundary’