Social Change Vocabulary
Social change vocabulary will help you understand or participate in discussions of
- government policy,
- politics,
- business,
- economics,
- history, sociology, and more.
These words describe variations in human societies in different places and periods.
Read about the differences in meaning
between several different words for change. Then check out some of their other common
forms and some frequently-used phrases (collocations.)
There's also a link to a crossword puzzle to practice this (and other) change vocabulary.
There are examples of social change vocabulary in context in The 6 Killer Apps of Prosperity. It's a talk
about the institutions, attitudes, and changes that make prosperity possible.
Differences
Between Words Describing Change
To cause change:
- to alter- to make changes in something
- to amend- to make changes (often in a document)
to correct problems
- to convert- to change one thing into another
- to modify- to make changes or improvements
- to shift- to move something to the side
- to transform- to change completely
To deal with change:
- to adapt- to change one’s behavior to fit new
circumstances
- to adjust- very similar to adapt; to make minor
changes in course or actions to fit new circumstances
The process of change:
- cycle- recurring changes, circling around and back again
- evolution- gradual change as time passes
- fluctuation(s)- changes back and forth or up and
down, in waves
- revolution- sudden, often violent change
- transition- a gradual change form one condition
to another
To change for better or worse:
- to decline- to slowly get worse (it can also
mean to refuse)
- to degenerate- to become worse (physically or morally) or lose value over time
- to improve- to get better
- to optimize- to make as good (as near optimum)
as possible
- to recover- to return to a better condition
after a problem or illness
To get bigger or smaller:
- to contract- to get smaller (pull into a smaller
form)
- to decrease- to get smaller in size or numbers
- to diminish- to reduce something (make it
smaller)
- to expand- to get bigger (spread out; opposite
of contract)
- to increase- to get bigger (opposite of
decrease)
- to maximize- to make something as big as
possible
- to minimize- to make something as small as
possible (or make it seem smaller)
- to reduce- make something smaller
Other common forms
of these words:
(to ____ marks a
verb; a _____ (or an _____) is a noun; the rest are adjectives):
- adaptable, an adaptation,
- adjustable, an adjustment,
- altered, an alteration,
- an amendment,
- a contraction,
- a conversion (a change
into a different form or a different religion), a convert (a person who has
been converted),
- a decline,
- a decrease, decreasing,
- diminishing,
- to evolve, evolutionary,
- an expansion, expansive,
- to fluctuate,
- an improvement,
- an increase,
- increasing (as
well as the adverb increasingly),
- (a) maximum (n. or adj.),
- minimal, (a)
minimum (n. or adj.),
- optimized,
- a recovery,
- a reduction,
- a revolt, to revolt (means
to start a revolution. To revolve means to turn in circles, as wheels on a car
turn when it moves), revolutionary,
- a shift (this can mean a change OR a rotating change in the workforce in jobs that run 24 hours. We talk about the "day shift", the "evening" shift, and the late night or "graveyard shift") , shifting,
- (transit is a noun meaning
transportation, not change), transitional,
- a transformation, transformative
Frequent word
combinations for social change vocabulary:
- diminishing returns (on an investment or
proposed program. They often mean it is no longer worthwhile.)
- the business cycle
- an economic adjustment (often used as a way of
explaining why something bad happens. For example, layoffs and job losses, to
compensate or respond to business losses)
- economic fluctuations,
expansion, contraction, or recovery
- minor (or extreme) fluctuations (in the stock
market or in prices)
- a transitional government
Traditional institutions or authoritarian governments
can evolve into more contemporary or
democratic ones. (That means they undergo a gradual transition toward democracy.)
If they resist change, pressure may mount until there is a revolution. That woud mean a total transformation.
You might also be interested in Political Language, Understanding the News in English, or Vocabulary for Violence.
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