English Words for "Time and Order" | ACT Vocabulary

ongoing [adjective]

currently occurring or continuing

Ex: She is actively involved in the ongoing project to revitalize the city center .

impending [adjective]

about to happen soon, often with a sense of threat or urgency

Ex: The teacher warned the students about the impending exam .

perpetual [adjective]

continuing forever or indefinitely into the future

Ex: The museum has a perpetual exhibition of historical artifacts .

chronological [adjective]

organized according to the order that the events occurred in

Ex: The timeline displayed the events of the war in chronological sequence.

intercalary [adjective]

(of a day or month) added to a calendar to align it with the solar year or another astronomical cycle

Ex: In ancient Rome , an intercalary month called " Mercedonius " was occasionally added to the calendar .

permanent [adjective]

continuing to exist all the time, without significant changes

Ex: They moved into a permanent home after years of traveling from place to place .

ephemeral [adjective]

lasting or existing for a small amount of time

Ex: The happiness from winning the lottery proved to be ephemeral , fading quickly once reality set in .

perennial [adjective]

lasting for a long time or continuing indefinitely

Ex: The organization 's mission reflects perennial values that aim to improve the community for generations to come .

abiding [adjective]

enduring for a prolonged priod

Ex: She held an abiding belief in the goodness of people, regardless of circumstances.

imminent [adjective]

(particularly of something unpleasant) likely to take place in the near future

Ex: The doctor warned the patient of the imminent risk of heart attack if lifestyle changes were not made .

timeless [adjective]

remaining unaffected by the passage of time

Ex: The beauty of the old town has a timeless charm .

vintage [adjective]

(of things) old but highly valued for the quality, excellent condition, or timeless design

Ex: His vintage watch, passed down from his grandfather, was a testament to enduring quality and style.

retrospective [adjective]

referring or relating to a past event

Ex: The film is a retrospective view of the events that shaped the nation ’s history .

overdue [adjective]

‌not paid, done, etc. within the required or expected timeframe

Ex: The project deadline is overdue , and we need to catch up on our tasks .

futuristic [adjective]

having extremely modern, innovative technology or design, often resembling what might be expected in the future

Ex: The futuristic smart home featured voice-activated controls , automated appliances , and biometric security systems .

looming [adjective]

approaching or coming soon, often with a sense of concern or importance

Ex: The looming economic downturn prompted companies to cut costs.

primordial [adjective]

belonging to the beginning of time

Ex: The primordial instincts of survival are deeply rooted in the human psyche .

transient [adjective]

having a very short duration

Ex: The feeling of sadness was transient , passing quickly as she focused on happier thoughts .

lasting [adjective]

continuing or enduring for a long time, without significant changes

Ex: The monument was built from durable materials to ensure it would have a lasting impact on future generations .

periodic [adjective]

taking place or repeating at consistent, set intervals over time

Ex: The company performs periodic reviews of its policies to keep them up-to-date .

simultaneously [adverb]

at exactly the same time

Ex: The conference was broadcast simultaneously to a global audience .

temporarily [adverb]

for a limited period of time

Ex: The road closure is temporarily affecting traffic .

annually [adverb]

in a way that happens once every year

Ex: The company hosts a charity event annually .

initially [adverb]

at the starting point of a process or situation

Ex: I initially hated sushi , but now it 's my favorite food .

rarely [adverb]

on a very infrequent basis

Ex: It rarely snows in this part of the country .

instantaneously [adverb]

in an immediate manner with no delay

Ex: The software provided results instantaneously after the analysis .

indefinitely [adverb]

for an unspecified period of time

Ex: The construction project is on hold indefinitely until funding is secured .

invariably [adverb]

in every case without exception

Ex: Invariably , he greets everyone with a smile .

periodically [adverb]

now and then or from time to time

Ex: He periodically volunteers at the food bank .

succession [noun]

the sequence in which one thing follows another in time

Ex: In quick succession , three alarms went off , signaling an urgent situation .

precedent [adjective]

earlier in time, order, arrangement, or significance, often serving as an example or rule to be followed in the future

Ex: The company's decision set a precedent policy for handling future disputes.

aftermath [noun]

the situation that follows a very unpleasant event such as a war, natural disaster, accident, etc.

Ex: The aftermath of the war saw widespread devastation and a long road to recovery for the nation .

antecedent [adjective]

existing or occurring before something else

Ex: The antecedent conditions of the treaty set the stage for future negotiations .

precursor [noun]

someone or something that comes before another of the same type, acting as a sign of what will come next

Ex: The dark clouds were a precursor to the approaching storm .

forthcoming [adjective]

referring to an event or occurrence that is about to happen very soon

Ex: The politician remained tight-lipped about any forthcoming policy initiatives .

subsequent [adjective]

occurring or coming after something else

Ex: He faced subsequent challenges after recovering from the initial setback .

upcoming [adjective]

about to come to pass

Ex: The company is excited about its upcoming product launch .

preliminary [adjective]

occurring before a more important thing, particularly as an act of introduction

Ex: We conducted a preliminary survey to gather information about the market .

hierarchical [adjective]

relating to a system that is organized based on social ranking or levels of authority

Ex: The company 's hierarchical management style may inhibit innovation and creativity .

latter [adjective]

referring to the second of two things mentioned

Ex: The company offered two payment plans, and I opted for the latter option because it offered better terms.

consecutive [adjective]

continuously happening one after another

Ex: This is the fifth consecutive day of heavy rainfall in the region .

to sequence [verb]

to arrange items or events in a particular order

Ex: I sequence the steps in the process to ensure efficiency .

to foreshadow [verb]

to indicate in advance that something, particularly something bad, will take place

Ex: His sudden silence during the meeting foreshadowed unexpected news .

to alternate [verb]

to take turns doing something

Ex: The players alternated serving the ball during the match .

thereafter [adverb]

from a particular time onward

Ex: The company launched a new product , and sales increased thereafter .

to coincide [verb]

to occur at the same time as something else

Ex: The meeting coincides with his vacation , so he wo n't be able to attend .

to prolong [verb]

to make something last longer in time than it would naturally

Ex: They prolonged the meeting to discuss important matters .

to protract [verb]

to extend a period of time or duration

Ex: The illness protracted his recovery and delayed his return to work .

to linger [verb]

to intentionally prolong the completion of an action or process

Ex: The manager lingered in approving the budget , seeking further justification from the team before moving forward .

to span [verb]

to cover or last the whole of a period of time

Ex: The project will span the entire semester , from September to December .

to expire [verb]

(particularly of a time period) to no longer be valid or active

Ex: The deadline for registration has expired , so no more applications are being accepted .

bout [noun]

a short duration or episode during which a particular activity or event occurs

Ex: During his latest bout of creativity , he painted three new canvases in just two days .

chronicle [noun]

a historical account of events presented in chronological order

Ex: She read a chronicle of the city ’s development over the last century .

eternity [noun]

time that is endless

Ex: Love , they say , lasts for an eternity , transcending the boundaries of time and space .

solstice [noun]

either of the two times of the year when the sun reaches its farthest or closest distance from the equator

Ex: At the height of the summer solstice, communities gather to celebrate the abundance of sunlight, reveling in the warmth and vitality it brings to the world.

to retrospect [verb]

to look back on past events

Ex: Every year , on his birthday , Jack retrospects on the accomplishments and lessons from the previous year .

schedule [noun]

a plan or timetable outlining the sequence of events or activities

Ex: He adjusted his schedule to accommodate the unexpected changes in his travel plans .

synchronization [noun]

the state or process of two or more things occurring at the same time or working together in harmony

Ex: The concert required perfect synchronization between the musicians and the lighting technicians .

hindsight [noun]

the ability to comprehend and evaluate past events or decisions, often gaining insights that were not apparent at the time

Ex: Hindsight revealed that they should have invested in the stock market earlier.

concurrent [adjective]

happening or taking place at the same time

Ex: She 's juggling concurrent responsibilities at work , overseeing both the marketing and sales teams .

ACT Math and Assessment
Math	Arithmetic and Statistics	Geometry	Quantity and Partitives
Economics	Time and Order	Process of Actions	Scholarship and Innovation
Inclusion and Classification	Comparison	Importance	Praise
Evaluation and Criticism	Change	Status	Management of Items