term

specific

blanket, broad, general, generic

clear, precise

vague

ambiguous

strong

My teacher praised my essay in the strongest terms I had ever received.

mild

colloquial, slang

pejorative

In some countries, calling someone "lazy" is considered a pejorative term.

technical

clinical, legal, medical, musical, etc.

use

be couched in

define, explain

coin

Scientists coined the term "global warming" to describe rising temperatures on Earth.

connote sth, denote sth, describe sth, mean sth

apply to sth, be applied to sth, cover sth, refer to sth

The word "sustainability" refers to using natural resources without damaging the environment.

~ for

The word "app" is a short term for application software.

~ of

My grandmother always used terms of affection when she spoke to her grandchildren.

in glowing terms

My teacher described my progress in glowing terms during the parent-teacher meeting.

in no uncertain terms

The coach told the players in no uncertain terms that their performance was unacceptable.

in simple terms 2 in terms

absolute, material, practical, real

Wages have risen in real terms, but workers still struggle with rising costs.

relative

The new phone is expensive, but in relative terms it costs less than last year's model.

broad, general

concrete

abstract

international

cultural, economic, financial, money, political, social, etc.

The company's decision was unpopular in political terms, even though it made financial sense.

terms

favourable, unfavourable

express

She made her wishes very clear by expressing specific terms for the agreement.

implied

contract, credit, peace

dictate, negotiate, set

The company negotiated better payment terms with its suppliers last month.

agree on

under the ~s of

According to the employment contract, under the terms of your agreement you must give two weeks' notice before leaving.

on amicable/friendly/good terms

My parents divorced years ago, but they've remained on friendly terms for the sake of us kids.

on equal terms

After years of experience, she finally negotiated with her boss on equal terms.

on familiar/first-name terms

After working together for five years, the two managers are now on familiar terms.

on speaking terms

My parents are finally on speaking terms again after their argument last month.

terms and conditions

Before signing up for the credit card, she carefully read all the terms and conditions.

college, school, university

autumn, spring, etc.

teaching

during (the) ~

The school library stays open late during term to help students with their coursework.

in the ~

The school organized a special art project in the spring term.

the beginning/end of term

The students felt excited when the beginning of term arrived after their long summer holiday.

long, short

She decided to commit to a short term contract with the company before making any long-term decisions.

full

The contract was extended to full term, so the agreement will last another two years.

fixed

My apartment lease requires a fixed term of two years before I can leave.

jail, prison

presidential

serve

After graduating, she served a two-year term as a volunteer teacher in a rural village.

expire, run out

at ~

The pregnancy progressed normally and the baby arrived at term without any complications.

in the long/medium/short term

These changes might cause problems in the short term, but they'll benefit us later.

a term of imprisonment, a term of office

The judge sentenced him to a five-year term of imprisonment for the crime.

a term of years

My parents agreed to rent the apartment for a term of years before deciding whether to buy.

aptly

accurately

broadly, loosely

commonly, generally

variously

People variously term this dance style hip-hop, rap, or street dancing depending on the region.

euphemistically

as

The situation was termed as a temporary setback by the company's management team.