TOEFL history vocabulary
97 words in this theme, levelled so you can tell what is worth your time at your band.
TOEFL history vocabulary is the language of change over time — *abolish*, *conquer*, *bestow*, *domesticate*. History passages are structurally distinctive: they describe a sequence of causes, and the vocabulary carries which way the causation runs.
Why this theme earns your time
A history passage rarely asks what happened. It asks why, or what followed from it — and the answer usually hinges on a single verb. *Abolish* and *reform* describe different acts by different actors, and the question is often exactly that difference.
What the words look like
Every entry carries its part of speech, pronunciation, CEFR level, the collocations it actually appears in, and a sentence using it. A sample from the bank:
| Word | CEFR | Meaning | In use |
|---|---|---|---|
| abolishv. /əˈbɑːlɪʃ/ | C1 | to officially end a law, system or practiceabolish slavery · abolish a rule | The college abolished the paper-form application years ago. |
| bestowv. /bɪˈstoʊ/ | C2 | to formally give an honour or giftbestow an honour on | The city bestowed its highest medal on the rescuer. |
| conquerv. /ˈkɑːŋkər/ | B2 | to take control by force; to overcomeconquer fear · conquer a territory | The empire conquered the coastal cities first. |
| domesticatev. /dəˈmestɪkeɪt/ | C1 | to tame animals or adapt plants for human usedomesticated animals · domesticate a species | Wheat was domesticated more than ten thousand years ago. |
| faminen. /ˈfæmɪn/ | C1 | a severe shortage of foodfamine relief · in times of famine | The famine drove families to the coastal cities. |
| heraldv./n. /ˈherəld/ | C2 | to be a sign of something coming; a messengerherald a new era | Swallows herald the turn of the season. |
| landmarkn. /ˈlændmɑːrk/ | B2 | an easily seen building or feature; a turning pointa historic landmark · a landmark ruling | The clock tower is the town's best-known landmark. |
| milestonen. /ˈmaɪlstoʊn/ | C1 | an important stage in developmenta major milestone · reach a milestone | The thousandth member was a quiet milestone. |
| nomadn. /ˈnoʊmæd/ | C1 | a person who moves from place to placedesert nomads | Nomads follow the grass north each spring. |
| proclaimv. /prəˈkleɪm/ | C2 | to announce publicly and firmlyproclaim independence | The council proclaimed the wood a nature reserve. |
| retreatv./n. /rɪˈtriːt/ | C1 | to move back from danger; a quiet placebeat a retreat · a mountain retreat | The army retreated across the frozen river. |
| secularadj. /ˈsekjələr/ | C2 | not connected with religionsecular society · secular music | The school gives a secular education. |
What to learn at your level
Most of this theme sits at CEFR C1 (39% of its words). At band 4 the B1 and B2 entries are the ones that move your score; grinding C1 vocabulary before the B2 layer is solid is the most common way to spend weeks and gain nothing.
| Level | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | 10 | 10% |
| B2 | 20 | 21% |
| C1 | 38 | 39% |
| C2 | 29 | 30% |
Recognising a word is not knowing it
Complete the Words asks you to *produce* a word from context with only its opening letters shown, and the writing tasks ask you to produce it from nothing. That is why the PrepScore drill makes you write the word rather than flip a card, and counts it mastered only after two correct productions in a row. See how the vocabulary drill works.
Drill this theme free
Twenty words a day at no cost, tested by production rather than recognition.
Frequently asked questions
What history topics appear on the TOEFL?
Social and economic change, early technology, agriculture and settlement — subjects that can be explained without assuming prior study.
What should I focus on in history vocabulary?
Verbs of change and causation. They carry the argument the questions are about.
Keep reading
By PrepScore · Last reviewed · Editorial standards