IELTS vocabulary: Science

This list presents 12 useful science-related words and collocations at B2–C1 level that are helpful for IELTS Writing Task 2 and Speaking Part 3.

breakthrough noun: an important discovery or development that solves a problem or moves knowledge forward; “The research team announced a breakthrough in battery design that could double the range of electric cars.”
empirical evidence noun phrase: information obtained by observation or experiment rather than theory or opinion; “Policymakers should rely on empirical evidence before rolling out a large-scale public health programme.”
hypothesis noun: a proposed explanation for a phenomenon that can be tested through experiments or observations; “Our hypothesis was that increased sunlight would boost crop yields, so we compared shaded and unshaded plots.”
ethical implications noun phrase: the moral questions and potential consequences of an action, policy or technology; “When discussing artificial intelligence, we must examine the ethical implications for privacy and employment.”
peer review noun: the process in which other experts evaluate a research paper or experiment before it is published; “After months of revision, the article finally passed peer review and appeared in a respected journal.”
paradigm shift noun: a fundamental change in the way people think about or approach a problem; “The adoption of digital imaging caused a paradigm shift in diagnostic medicine.”
interdisciplinary adjective: involving two or more academic subjects or areas of knowledge working together; “Developing new water-treatment systems requires an interdisciplinary approach, combining chemistry, engineering and public policy.”
replicate verb: to repeat an experiment or study to see if the same results occur and confirm the findings; “Independent teams attempted to replicate the original experiment but reported slightly different outcomes.”
data-driven adjective: based on careful analysis of data rather than intuition or guesswork; “A data-driven review of traffic accidents helped the city redesign dangerous intersections.”
clinical trial noun: a research study that tests how well new medical treatments or drugs work in people; “The new drug entered a phase III clinical trial to assess its effectiveness in a large group of patients.”
disseminate verb: to spread information or research results widely to the public or scientific community; “The institute organised workshops to disseminate its findings to local farmers and extension agents.”
sustainable technology noun phrase: tools or systems designed to meet current needs while minimising environmental harm and preserving resources for the future; “Investing in sustainable technology, such as solar-powered irrigation, can increase food production without depleting local water supplies.”