Essential Vocabulary for TOEFL - Time and History

Here you will learn some English words about time and history, such as "century", "decade", "eternity", etc. that are needed for the TOEFL exam.

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before Christ [adverb]

marking the years before Christ's supposed birth

Ex:

era [noun]

a period of history marked by particular features or events

Ex: The Industrial Revolution ushered in an era of rapid technological and economic change .

millennium [noun]

a period of one thousand years, usually calculated from the year of the birth of Jesus Christ

Ex: The medieval cathedral took nearly a millennium to complete , showcasing exquisite craftsmanship .

millennial [adjective]

relating to a time span of a thousand years

Ex: The historian studied millennial trends in climate change over the past thousand years .

century [noun]

a period of one hundred years

Ex: The city celebrated its third century of existence last year .

decade [noun]

ten years of time

Ex: Over the past decade , the city 's population has doubled .

age [noun]

a period of history identified with a particular event

Ex: An age of economic prosperity followed the industrial revolution , leading to increased wealth and development .

chronological [adjective]

organized according to the order that the events occurred in

Ex:

eternity [noun]

time that is endless

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

eventual [adjective]

happening at the end of a process or a particular period of time

Ex: The eventual outcome of the negotiations was a mutually beneficial agreement for all parties involved .

annually [adverb]

in a way that happens once every year

Ex: The company hosts a charity event annually .

biannual [adjective]

taking place twice a year

Ex: The biannual sale at the department store attracts shoppers from all over the city .

indefinitely [adverb]

for an unspecified period of time

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

subsequently [adverb]

after a particular event or time

Ex: She gave a brief introduction and subsequently opened the floor to questions .

simultaneously [adverb]

at exactly the same time

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

beforehand [adverb]

at an earlier time

Ex: Parking permits expire at noon ; renew them beforehand .

frequently [adverb]

regularly and with short time in between

Ex: The manager frequently communicates updates to the team .

instantly [adverb]

with no delay and at once

Ex: Upon hearing the news , she reacted instantly .

former [adjective]

referring to the first of two things mentioned

Ex:

latter [adjective]

referring to the second of two things mentioned

Ex:

leap year [noun]

a year in every four years that has 366 days instead of 365

Ex: The next leap year will be in 2024 .

seasonal [adjective]

typical or customary for a specific time of year

Ex: She decorated her home with seasonal decorations for Halloween .

solstice [noun]

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

Ex:

continual [adjective]

happening repeatedly or continuously in an annoying or problematic way

Ex: The continual rain caused flooding in low-lying areas .

daybreak [noun]

the time in the very early morning when the first sunlight appears

dusk [noun]

the time after sun sets that is not yet completely dark

Ex: The garden took on a magical aura at dusk , with fireflies dancing among the flowers and the scent of jasmine lingering in the air .

solar year [noun]

the time span in which earth orbits the sun

lunar year [noun]

a period of 12 lunar months (the time span between two new moons), which is around 354 days

later on [adverb]

after the time mentioned or in the future

Ex:

prehistoric [adjective]

relating or belonging to the time before history was recorded

Ex: The museum exhibit showcased prehistoric fossils of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures .

primitive [adjective]

characteristic of an early stage of human or animal evolution

Ex: The discovery of primitive plants helped scientists understand ancient ecosystems .

civilization [noun]

a society that has developed its own culture and institutions in a particular period of time or place

Ex: Many aspects of Greek civilization influence contemporary philosophy and art .

historian [noun]

someone who studies or records historical events

Ex: The museum consulted a historian to verify the artifact 's origin .

medieval [adjective]

belonging or related to the Middle Ages, the period in European history from roughly the 5th to the 15th century

Ex: Historians often refer to the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance as the medieval period .

golden age [noun]

an idealized or imagined period of peace, prosperity, and happiness

Ex: People often look back nostalgically on the golden age of childhood .

archive [noun]

a place or a collection of records or documents of historical importance

Ex: The museum curator carefully preserved the old photographs in the museum 's archive .

origin [noun]

the point or place where something has its foundation or beginning

Ex: The origin of the word can be found in Latin .

anno Domini [adverb]

used to refer to a date that is after the birth of Jesus Christ

Ex:

monument [noun]

a place or building that is historically important

Ex: The Lincoln Memorial in Washington , D.C. , is a monument dedicated to the 16th President of the United States .

Common Era [adverb]

used with a date to refer to things happened or existed after the birth of Christ

Ex:

Essential Vocabulary for TOEFL
Family and Relationships	Stages of Life	Personal Characteristics	Feelings and Emotions
Appearance	Clothing and Fashion	Colors and Shapes	Education
Employment	Language and Grammar	The Human Body	Communication
Travel and Tourism	Transportation	Means of Transportation	The Computer World
Society and Social Issues	Healthcare and Medicine	Medical Examinations and Procedures	Physical Conditions and Injuries
Mental Disorders	Physical Disabilities and Illnesses	Geography	Space
The Environment and Weather	The Animal Kingdom	The Art World	Cinema and Theater
Music	Literature	Broadcasting and Journalism	Food and Restaurant
Diet	Agriculture and Plants	Point of View	Cause and Effect
Certainty and Doubt	Suggestions and Rules	Pride and Prejudice	Houses and Buildings
Hobbies and Games	Shopping	The Economy	The Business World
Success and Failure	Politics	Law and Order	Crime and Punishment
War and Peace	Religion	Biology, Physics, and Chemistry	Mathematics and Measurement
Engineering and Research	Athletics	Time and History