Abstract Concepts — B2 English Vocabulary

This B2 vocabulary list gathers 50 upper-intermediate English words about abstract concepts — big ideas you cannot touch or see. Every word comes with its British-English pronunciation and a natural example sentence, so you learn each one in real context. When you are ready, open the flashcards to practise and remember them for good.

1. liberation/ˌlɪb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/

   “The war ended with liberation.”

2. prestige/presˈtiːʒ/

   “The award carries great prestige.”

3. dominance/ˈdɒm.ɪ.nəns/

   “The firm has market dominance.”

4. validity/vəˈlɪd.ɪ.ti/

   “They questioned the validity of the test.”

5. elegance/ˈel.ɪ.ɡəns/

   “The dress has real elegance.”

6. abundance/əˈbʌn.dəns/

   “There is an abundance of food.”

7. self-reliance/ˌself.rɪˈlaɪ.əns/

   “She values self-reliance.”

8. glory/ˈɡlɔː.ri/

   “He dreamed of sporting glory.”

9. failure/ˈfeɪl.jə/

   “Fear of failure stopped him.”

10. optimism/ˈɒp.tɪ.mɪ.zəm/

    “She faces life with optimism.”

11. pessimism/ˈpes.ɪ.mɪ.zəm/

    “His pessimism was depressing.”

12. tranquillity/træŋˈkwɪl.ɪ.ti/

    “The garden offers tranquillity.”

13. chaos/ˈkeɪ.ɒs/

    “The storm caused total chaos.”

14. stability/stəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/

    “The country enjoys stability.”

15. uncertainty/ʌnˈsɜː.tən.ti/

    “The future is full of uncertainty.”

16. certainty/ˈsɜː.tən.ti/

    “There is no certainty in life.”

17. oppression/əˈpreʃ.ən/

    “They suffered years of oppression.”

18. supremacy/suːˈprem.ə.si/

    “They fought for supremacy.”

19. greatness/ˈɡreɪt.nəs/

    “He achieved true greatness.”

20. ignorance/ˈɪɡ.nər.əns/

    “Ignorance is no excuse.”

21. clarity/ˈklær.ɪ.ti/

    “She spoke with great clarity.”

22. confusion/kənˈfjuː.ʒən/

    “There was widespread confusion.”

23. myth/mɪθ/

    “It is a popular myth.”

24. fantasy/ˈfæn.tə.si/

    “He lives in a world of fantasy.”

25. eternity/ɪˈtɜː.nɪ.ti/

    “The wait felt like an eternity.”

26. permanence/ˈpɜː.mə.nəns/

    “Nothing has true permanence.”

27. coincidence/kəʊˈɪn.sɪ.dəns/

    “It was a strange coincidence.”

28. misfortune/ˌmɪsˈfɔː.tʃuːn/

    “He blamed his misfortune.”

29. deceit/dɪˈsiːt/

    “Their relationship was full of deceit.”

30. ugliness/ˈʌɡ.li.nəs/

    “The poem finds beauty in ugliness.”

31. captivity/kæpˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/

    “The animal was born in captivity.”

32. fragility/frəˈdʒɪl.ɪ.ti/

    “The crisis showed the fragility of peace.”

33. downfall/ˈdaʊn.fɔːl/

    “Pride led to his downfall.”

34. decency/ˈdiː.sən.si/

    “He has a real sense of decency.”

35. essence/ˈes.əns/

    “Freedom is the essence of democracy.”

36. hatred/ˈheɪ.trɪd/

    “His eyes were full of hatred.”

37. discord/ˈdɪs.kɔːd/

    “There was discord in the group.”

38. decay/dɪˈkeɪ/

    “The empire fell into decay.”

39. authenticity/ˌɔː.θenˈtɪs.ɪ.ti/

    “The painting’s authenticity is in doubt.”

40. empowerment/ɪmˈpaʊə.mənt/

    “Education brings empowerment.”

41. resignation/ˌrez.ɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/

    “He accepted it with resignation.”

42. ambiguity/ˌæm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/

    “The poem is full of ambiguity.”

43. splendour/ˈsplen.də/

    “We admired the splendour of the palace.”

44. purity/ˈpjʊə.rɪ.ti/

    “The water has great purity.”

45. might/maɪt/

    “The army showed its might.”

46. restraint/rɪˈstreɪnt/

    “He acted with great restraint.”

47. treachery/ˈtretʃ.ər.i/

    “His treachery was unforgivable.”

48. folly/ˈfɒl.i/

    “It would be folly to ignore it.”

49. transformation/ˌtræns.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/

    “The town underwent a transformation.”

50. significance/sɪɡˈnɪf.ɪ.kəns/

    “The discovery has great significance.”