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.

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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annotate  
v. comment; make explanatory notes
The editor sought to annotate many of the author's more esoteric references in the appendix to the novel.
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annuity  
n. annual payment of allowance or income; periodical payment, amounting to a fixed sum in each year
The annuity he set up with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits to live very comfortably without working.
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anodyne  
n. source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain
The sound of classical music is usually just anodyne I need after a tough day at work.
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anomalous  
a. deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule
He was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures that he despised.
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antecede  
v. precede; go before in time, and sometimes in place, rank, or logical order
The invention of the radiotelegraph should antecede the development of television by a quarter of a century.
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