4000 CPE Vocabulary List

Preparing vocabulary for the CPE (C2, Cambridge Proficiency) test is a smart move! Since vocabulary plays a huge role in all parts of the exam (Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening, and Speaking), here’s a focused vocabulary to help you build and remember the right words effectively.

In addition to the vocabulary, we also provide online tools and exercises to support your studies, along with helpful tips and printable materials.

We organize these 4000 words into 14 groups. Group one is open to all visitors. The rest of the groups are only fully accessible to VIP users.

anarchist  
n. a person who seeks to overturn established government; advocate of abolishing authority
Denying she was an anarchist, Katya maintained she wished only to make changes in our government, not to destroy it entirely.
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anatomy  
n. detailed analysis;  the scientific study of the body and how its parts are arranged
You have to know something about anatomy if you want to draw the human body well.
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ancestry  
n. family descent; series or line of ancestors; lineage
David can trace his ancestry as far back as the seventeenth century when one was a court trumpeter somewhere in Germany.
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anguished  
a. experiencing extreme discomfort or discontent; feeling, expressing, or caused by anguish
We have to transfer these anguished victims of the earthquake at first.
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animus  
n. the feeling of enmity or ill will; an attitude that informs one's actions; disposition
The animus of the speaker became obvious to all when he began to indulge in sarcastic and insulting remarks.
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annex  
v. append or attach; take possession of; incorporate into an existing political unit
Mexico objected to the United States' attempts to annex the territory that later became Texas.
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