Set 23 · Study 1 / 5

Exit

establish

verb/əˈstæblɪʃ/

to start a company, organization, system etc.

It takes more than a decade to establish a successful company that can make a difference.

set upstartinitiatefound
word origin — late Middle English (recorded earlier as stablish): from Old French establiss-, lengthened stem of establir, from Latin stabilire ‘make firm’, from stabilis (adjective) ‘stable’

Upper-Intermediate — Set 23

Set 23 of Upper-Intermediate covers 5 words: establish, transform, impact, acquire, migrate. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

  1. establish · verb/əˈstæblɪʃ/

    to start a company, organization, system etc.

    It takes more than a decade to establish a successful company that can make a difference.

    Synonyms: set up, start, initiate, found

    Origin: late Middle English (recorded earlier as stablish): from Old French establiss-, lengthened stem of establir, from Latin stabilire ‘make firm’, from stabilis (adjective) ‘stable’

  2. transform · verb/træn(t)sˈfɔrm/

    to change something in order to make it better or more attractive

    The rapidly growing population will transform the small town into a big city.

    Synonyms: convert, alter, modify

    Origin: Middle English (as a verb): from Old French transformer or Latin transformare(see trans-, form)

  3. impact · verb/ˈɪmˌpæk(t)/

    to have an effect on something

    The trade issue had negative impacts on the national economy, leading to a decrease in economic growth and job opportunities.

    Synonyms: affect, influence, have an effect, have an influence

    Origin: early 17th century (as a verb in the sense ‘press closely, fix firmly’): from Latin impact- ‘driven in’, from the verb impingere (see impinge)

  4. acquire · verb/əˈkwaɪ(ə)r/

    to get or obtain often through effort

    She worked hard to acquire a university degree, which opened up new career opportunities for her.

    Synonyms: receive, gain, earn, win

    Origin: late Middle English acquere, from Old French aquerre, based on Latin acquirere ‘get in addition’, from ad- ‘to’ + quaerere ‘seek’. The English spelling was modified (c.1600) by association with the Latin word

  5. migrate · verb/ˈmaɪˌɡreɪt/

    to go to live and work in another country

    Large numbers of Irish people migrated to Boston in the 19th century.

    Synonyms: move, relocate, emigrate, go abroad

    Origin: early 17th century (in the general sense ‘move from one place to another’): from Latin migrat- ‘moved, shifted’, from the verb migrare