CEFR Level
The communication of disease from one person to another by close contact; also the spread of harmful ideas or behaviors.
"Fear spread like a contagion through the crowd."
Able to be transmitted from one person to another, typically by direct contact; also used for emotions or attitudes that spread quickly.
"Her laughter was so contagious that everyone started laughing."
The action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time; deep reflective thought.
"He spent hours in contemplation about his future."
Expressing or involving prolonged thought; meditative and reflective.
"He spent a contemplative evening reflecting on his decisions."
deserving of contempt; despicable
"His deceitful actions were truly contemptible."
showing or expressing contempt; scornful
"She gave him a contemptuous glance."
a person or team competing for a title or prize
"She is a strong contender for the mayoral position."
heated disagreement or argument; a point asserted in debate
"The main contention between the two parties was over tax reform."
likely to cause disagreement or argument; controversial
"The contentious issue of immigration dominated the debate."
a state of happiness and satisfaction with what one has
"She felt a deep sense of contentment after helping others."
to place something in a context or interpret it in relation to its surroundings
"The teacher contextualized the historical event to make it more relevant for students."
sharing a common border; touching
"The two continguous houses shared a wall."
a future event or circumstance that is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty
"We prepared for any contingency during the project."
dependent on something else; a group of people representing an organization
"Attendance is contingent on prior registration. / A contingent of students attended the conference."
happening repeatedly over a long period of time; constant and uninterrupted
"The continual noise from the construction site was very annoying."
the state of continuing or being prolonged; persistence
"The continuance of the project depended on securing additional funding."
A continuous sequence in which adjacent elements are not perceptibly different from each other, but the extremes are quite distinct.
"Life and death are often seen as part of the same continuum."
goods that are illegal to import, export, or possess
"The police seized a shipment of contraband cigarettes."
to go against or act in opposition to a law, rule, or agreement
"He contravened the safety regulations and was fined."
to plan or devise cleverly or skillfully
"She contrived a clever plan to surprise her friends."
artificial or forced; not natural or spontaneous
"The ending of the movie felt contrived and unrealistic."
a confusing and difficult problem or question
"The issue of climate change presents a serious conundrum for policymakers."
the period of time spent recovering from an illness or medical treatment
"His convalescence lasted for almost two months after the accident."
recovering from an illness or medical treatment
"The hospital has a special ward for convalescent patients."
to come together or assemble, especially for a meeting or formal gathering
"The board will convene tomorrow to discuss the new policy."
to come together from different directions to meet at a point
"The roads converge at the city center."
the process of coming together or becoming similar
"The convergence of technology and education is creating new opportunities."
tending to move toward a common point or result
"The two rivers have a convergent path before entering the lake."
curved or rounded outward
"The lens has a convex shape to focus light."
the act of transporting or communicating something; a vehicle or means of transport
"The conveyance of goods was delayed due to bad weather."
complex, intricate, and difficult to follow
"The plot of the movie was so convoluted that I lost track halfway."
a group of vehicles or ships traveling together, often for protection
"The military convoy moved through the desert at dawn."
a sudden, violent, involuntary contraction of muscles; a seizure
"The medicine helped prevent convulsions in children."
a small enclosure or cage for chickens or other birds
"The farmer checked the chickens in the coop every morning."
abundant in supply or quantity
"She took copious notes during the lecture."
warm and friendly; heartfelt
"They exchanged cordial greetings after the meeting."
sincere affection and kindness; warm and friendly behavior
"The host's cordiality made all the guests feel welcome and comfortable."
in a warm and friendly manner; sincerely
"You are cordially invited to our wedding ceremony."
a line or circle of police, soldiers, or guards preventing access
"The police set up a cordon around the crime scene."
the act or ceremony of crowning a sovereign or monarch
"The coronation of the new king was attended by thousands of people."
an official who investigates sudden, violent, or suspicious deaths
"The coroner determined the cause of death was natural."
relating to the body; a low-ranking officer in the military
"He suffered a corporal punishment for his mistake."
a branch of the military or a group organized for a specific purpose
"He joined the army corps after graduation."
a collection of written texts, or the main body of something
"The linguist analyzed a large corpus of English literature."
to have a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things
"High stress levels often correlate with poor health."
to confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding
"The witness corroborated the defendant's alibi."
to gradually destroy or wear away metal or other materials through chemical action
"The iron pipes corroded over time due to exposure to water."
the process of corroding metal, stone, or other materials
"The boat's hull suffered serious corrosion from the saltwater."
tending to cause corrosion; harmful or destructive to materials or people
"The chemical is highly corrosive and should be handled with care."
relating to the universe or cosmos; vast
"Astronomers study cosmic phenomena to understand the universe."
