Poverty and Social Issues (Part 3): Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS
Take your band score to the next level with this guide on poverty vocabulary for IELTS. Learn high-level words, definitions, and example sentences related to poverty and other social issues, ideal for Band 7.0+ in the writing, reading & speaking modules.
Table of Contents
- Poverty and Social Issues Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS: Education and Poverty in the Developing World
- Poverty and Social Issues Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS: Immigration and Social Inequality
- Extra High-Yield IELTS Vocabulary for Poverty and Social Issues TopicsĀ
- Exercises Based on Poverty and Social Issues Related Advanced Vocabulary for IELTSĀ
- Answer Key for Exercises Based on Advanced Poverty and Social Issues Vocabulary for IELTS
- More Exercises Related to Poverty and Social Issues


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Poverty and social issues are part and parcel of our society at large. As a result, it becomes an important topic for any exam discussion and you need to be aware of IELTS Vocabulary related to poverty and social issues in order to achieve an IELTS band score of 7+.
In this article, we have put together some additional exercises through which you will learn the vocabulary related to poverty and social issues. Check out the previous parts related to this topic for more such interesting exercises to learn these words in a fun way.
Poverty and Social Issues Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS: Education and Poverty in the Developing World
In IELTS Writing Task 2 essays, discussing global inequalities or education reform is a popular trend. Therefore, go through the table given below and boost your word power with the vocabulary set that reflects issues related to illiteracy, underdevelopment, and empowerment through education.
Word |
Definition |
Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
Illiteracy |
The inability to read or write |
Illiteracy remains a major barrier to development in rural areas. |
Innumeracy |
The inability to understand or use basic math |
Government programmes aim to combat both illiteracy and innumeracy. |
Initiatives |
Plans or actions intended to achieve a goal |
The government launched new educational initiatives to improve access in remote regions. |
Impoverished |
Extremely poor |
Impoverished communities often lack access to quality schooling. |
Emancipation |
Freedom from social or political restrictions |
Education is key to the emancipation of disadvantaged populations. |
Privileged |
Having more advantages due to wealth or status |
The privileged few often control access to educational resources. |
Trappings |
External signs of wealth or success |
The trappings of wealth mask the deep inequalities in society. |
Preoccupied |
Fully absorbed or distracted by something |
People living in poverty are often preoccupied with survival, not education. |
Intolerance |
Unwillingness to accept others’ views or beliefs |
A good education system fosters tolerance, not intolerance. |
Understanding |
The ability to empathize or comprehend others’ views |
Global peace requires mutual understanding between cultures. |
Irrespective |
Without regard to something else |
Every child deserves an education, irrespective of their background. |
Counterparts |
People in equivalent roles in different places or systems |
Teachers in developing nations often earn less than their Western counterparts. |
Empower |
To give someone the means to gain control or authority |
Educating girls can empower them to lead and make societal change. |
Aspirations |
Hopes or ambitions for achieving something |
Access to university can transform a student’s aspirations into reality. |
Generation |
A group of people born in the same period |
A better-educated generation can reshape national priorities. |
Unscrupulous |
Lacking moral principles |
Unscrupulous employers exploit the uneducated for cheap labour. |
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Poverty and Social Issues Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS: Immigration and Social Inequality
While learning from the IELTS vocabulary words list for Band 8 or 9 on poverty is important, it is also vital to learn words related to immigration, asylum seeking, displacement, and the effects of social injustice. It is especially useful for IELTS Writing Task 2 topics about migration, inequality, or globalization.
Word |
Definition |
Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
Metropolis |
A large, busy city |
London is a global metropolis home to people from over 100 nationalities. |
Asylum |
Protection given to someone fleeing danger |
The country grants asylum to refugees escaping conflict. |
Cosmopolitan |
Consisting of people from many cultures |
Berlin has become a truly cosmopolitan city. |
Surrogate |
Substitute; one taking the place of another |
In their new country, the NGO became a surrogate family. |
Tangible |
Real and concrete; not abstract |
The threats to their lives were tangible, not imagined. |
Integration |
The process of becoming part of a new society |
Language classes help facilitate immigrant integration. |
Assimilation |
Absorption into a new culture, often losing one’s own |
Forced assimilation can erode cultural identities. |
Obligation |
A moral or legal duty |
Countries have a humanitarian obligation to support refugees. |
Sustenance |
Food and nourishment needed to live |
Many displaced people lack even basic sustenance. |
Sanitation |
The cleanliness systems for public health |
Poor sanitation in refugee camps leads to outbreaks. |
Starvation |
Extreme hunger due to food shortage |
Drought has pushed many communities to the brink of starvation. |
Malnutrition |
Poor health caused by inadequate food |
Children in war zones suffer from chronic malnutrition. |
Inferiority |
Feeling lesser in worth or ability |
Cultural shock can trigger feelings of inferiority. |
Oppression |
Cruel or unjust use of power |
The regime's oppression forced many to flee. |
Corruption |
Dishonest or illegal conduct by officials |
Widespread corruption prevents aid from reaching the needy. |
Inequity |
Injustice or lack of fairness |
Social inequity continues to fuel global migration. |
Deprivation |
Lack of basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare |
Refugees often face years of deprivation. |
Destitution |
Complete poverty; lacking all basic resources |
Many deported families return to destitution. |
Repercussions |
Negative consequences of an action |
Deportation can have serious repercussions for asylum seekers. |
Tensions |
Strained relations between groups or nations |
Immigration-related tensions can flare up in stressed communities. |
Find out how to use IELTS poverty and social issues vocabulary from experts!
Extra High-Yield IELTS Vocabulary for Poverty and Social Issues Topics
In order to express complex ideas in the IELTS Speaking test or understand texts involving migration policy, refugee crises, and social justice campaigns in IELTS Reading, it is essential to learn more than popular words and phrases. Therefore, in the table below, you will find a few high-level poverty and social issues IELTS vocabulary that will give an edge over the others.
Word |
Definition |
Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
Migration |
Movement from one region or country to another |
Seasonal migration is common among agricultural workers. |
Resettlement |
The process of helping people find new homes |
The UN supports refugee resettlement in stable countries. |
Diaspora |
People spread out from their original homeland |
The African diaspora has influenced cultures worldwide. |
Humanitarian |
Concerned with promoting human welfare |
Humanitarian organisations play a key role in crisis zones. |
Exercises Based on Poverty and Social Issues Related Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS
Merely memorizing definitions and example sentences isn’t enough to boost your IELTS band score. To truly master new vocabulary, it is essential to understand how to use each word naturally and accurately in context. The most effective way to achieve this is through focused vocabulary exercises.
With that in mind, the following exercises are designed specifically around poverty-related IELTS vocabulary.
The Role of Education in the Developing World
Levels of 1._______ [literate] and 2. _______ [number] remain startlingly high in the developing world, and will continue to be so until the West provides or sponsors new education 3. _______ [initiate], preferably also getting directly involved. A better education is a prerequisite should the 4. _______ [poverty] masses of Africa ever wish to hold any genuine hope of gaining their 5. _______ [emancipate] from the metaphorical shackles of poverty. Education 6. _______ [initiate] for young people as well as life-long learning programmes will also help to breach the gulf that separates the working classes from their ruling elite, a 7. _______ [privilege] few who enjoy the 8. _______ [trap] of Western wealth and the lifestyle that goes with it, while those in their midst are completely 9. _______ [occupy] with the daily struggle for survival. Furthermore, we must promote a culture of 10. _______ [tolerate] of corruption, and help to create a new 11. _______ [generate] for whom education rather than an 12. _______ [scruple] nature will reap the true rewards. Education will also help to bridge another gap; that of the cultural one which separates the West from its brethren in the developing world. The 13. _______ [poverty] slums and shanty towns are a hotbed of religious and political 14. _______ [extreme], but hopefully education will serve to create a better sense of 15. _______ [understand] between all the peoples of the world, 16. _______ [respect] of background. And this will especially be the case if the education programmes themselves are administered by Western professionals, who, in much the same way as they can teach a thing or two to their 17. _______ [counter] in the developing world, have also, no doubt, much to learn from them in the process as well. Cooperation between people from the different cultures of the West and the developing world will also, hopefully, help to reduce levels of prejudice, bigotry, xenophobia and racial 18. _______ [tense]. And, last but not by any means least, educating women will 19. _______ [power] them to claim their rightful place in the social hierarchy in up-to-now male-dominated cultures. Their 20. _______ [aspire] can shift realistically higher, and young female students can hope to go on to become tomorrow’s politicians, diplomats and political leaders, or whatsoever they choose.
Immigration and the Developing World
sustenance | integration | obligation |
destitution | asylum | indigenous |
inferiority | deprivation | cosmopolitan |
tangible | metropolis | corruption |
sanitation | surrogate | oppression |
starvation | malnutrition | inequity |
repercussion | assimilation | deportation |
Most of our main 1.__________ in the West are now pretty diverse places. However, many 2. __________ seekers come from far less 3.__________ parts of the world, and it can be quite a culture shock for them when they arrive in their 4. __________ homes. Genuine 5. __________ seekers are, by definition, fleeing a 6. __________ threat to their very lives and should be afforded all the assistance and protection the state can provide once their status has been upheld and 7. __________ granted. This extends as far as helping then cope with the 8. __________ process, one of the most immediate barriers to successfully embracing which is, of course, often the language. But there are other factors which can make 9. __________ difficult, too. Many 10. __________ seekers carry the physical and emotional scars of 11. __________ . They may suffer from an 12. __________ complex of sorts, too, and feel overwhelmed by the perceived ‘sophistication’ of their new home. Of course, the state’s first 13. __________ is to provide them with adequate 14. __________ , shelter and 15. __________ . Many may be suffering from 16. __________ , or, in the worst cases, starvation. The effects of sleep 17. __________ may also be a concern if their recent past has been particularly traumatic and eventful. But, of course, these are the lucky ones – at least they get to remain in their adopted homes. If an 18. __________ application is rejected, then the applicant faces 19. __________ back to their country of origin. Sometimes, those seeking asylum know their claim will be rejected but go through the process nonetheless out of sheer desperation in the hope that it can buy them time to find some other way to stay in the country, which some manage to do, often illegally. But just because a case is rejected, that is not to say that the individual or individuals concerned will not face serious 20. __________ if they return home. For some, the door to the West is a tantalising jar agape, but not enough so as to gain entry. Instead, they are perhaps faced with the harsh realities of famine and 21. __________ , political 22. __________ or social 23. __________ back in their 24. __________ homes. The grim realities of 25. __________ and life on the very margins are all that await the most tragic cases of the rejected.
1. substitute | 6. injustice or unfairness |
2. unfair and cruel government of people | 7. the state of being without money, food, shelter or possessions |
3. large city | 8. relating to or originating in a particular region |
4. disposal of sewage and solid waste associated with native cleanliness | 9. food |
5. diverse and varied, having a global feel | 10. the feeling of not being as good as something else |
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Answer Key for Exercises Based on Advanced Poverty and Social Issues Vocabulary for IELTS
Now that you’ve taken some exercises to test your vocabulary knowledge related to the poverty and social issues, it’s time to check your score and see if you can use them effectively in IELTS Writing and IELTS Speaking.
The Role of Education in the Developing World
1. illiteracy | 6. initiatives | 11. generation | 16. irrespective |
2. innumeracy | 7. privileged | 12. unscrupulous | 17. counterparts |
3. initiatives | 8. trappings | 13. impoverished | 18. tensions |
4. impoverished | 9. preoccupied | 14. extremism | 19. empower |
5. emancipation | 10. intolerance | 15. understanding | 20. aspirations |
Immigration and the Developing World
(A)
1. metropolises | 6. tangible | 11. oppression | 16. malnutrition | 21. starvation |
2. asylum | 7. asylum | 12. inferiority | 17. deprivation | 22. corruption |
3. cosmopolitan | 8. integration/ assimilation | 13. obligation | 18. asylum | 23. inequity |
4. surrogate | 9. integration/ assimilation | 14. sustenance/ sanitation | 19. deportation | 24. indigenous |
5. asylum | 10. asylum | 15. sustenance/ sanitation | 20. repercussions | 25. destitution |
(B)
1. surrogate | 6. inequity |
2. oppression | 7. destitution |
3. metropolis | 8. indigenous |
4. sanitation | 9. sustenance |
5. cosmopolitan | 10. inferiority |
More Exercises Related to Poverty and Social Issues
Here are some additional links to help you learn more poverty and social issues vocabulary for IELTS:
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: POVERTY AND SOCIAL ISSUES (Part 1)
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: POVERTY AND SOCIAL ISSUES (Part 2)
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: POVERTY AND SOCIAL ISSUES (Part 4)
To conclude, learning advanced vocabulary related to poverty and social issues is essential for any IELTS candidate aiming for a Band 7.0 or above. These topics are deeply relevant in today's globalized world and are often featured in IELTS Writing, Reading, and Speaking. So, by practising and internalizing this vocabulary, you will be equipped not only to answer IELTS tasks confidently but also to engage with global issues in a meaningful way.
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