The A to Z of alternative words

Original word

Possible alternatives

A

(an) absence of

no, none

abundance

enough, plenty, a lot (or say how many)

accede to

allow, agree to

accelerate

speed up

accentuate

stress

accommodation

where you live, home

accompanying

with

accomplish

do, finish

according to our records

our records show

accordingly

in line with this, so

acknowledge

thank you for

acquaint yourself with

find out about, read

acquiesce

agree

acquire

buy, get

additional

extra, more

adjacent

next to

adjustment

change, alteration

admissible

allowed, acceptable

advantageous

useful, helpful

advise

tell, say (unless you are giving advice)

affix

add, write, fasten, stick on, fix to

afford an opportunity

let, allow

afforded

given

aforesaid

this, earlier in this document

aggregate

total

aligned

lined up, in line

alleviate

ease, reduce

allocate

divide, share, add, give

along the lines of

like, as in

alternative

choice, other

alternatively

or, on the other hand

ameliorate

improve, help

amendment

change

anticipate

expect

apparent

clear, plain, obvious, seeming

applicant (the)

you

application

use

appreciable

large, great

apprise

inform, tell

appropriate

proper, right, suitable

appropriate to

suitable for

approximately

about, roughly

as a consequence of

because

as of the date of

from

as regards

about, on the subject of

ascertain

find out

assemble

build, gather, put together

assistance

help

at an early date

soon (or say when)

at its discretion

can, may (or edit out)

at the moment

now (or edit out)

at the present time

now (or edit out)

attempt

try

attend

come to, go to, be at

attributable to

due to, because of

authorise

allow, let

authority

right, power, may (as in 'have the authority to')

axiomatic

obvious, goes without saying

B

belated

late

beneficial

helpful, useful

bestow

give, award

breach

break

by means of

by

C

calculate

work out, decide

cease

finish, stop, end

circumvent

get round, avoid, skirt, circle

clarification

explanation, help

combine

mix

combined

together

commence

start, begin

communicate

talk, write, telephone (be specific)

competent

able, can

compile

make, collect

complete

fill in, finish

completion

end

comply with

keep to, meet

component

part

comprise

be made up of, include

(it is) compulsory

(you) must

conceal

hide

concerning

about, on

conclusion

end

concur

agree

condition

rule

consequently

so

considerable

great, important

constitute

make up, form, be

construe

interpret

consult

talk to, meet, ask

consumption

amount used

contemplate

think about

contrary to

against, despite

correct

put right

correspond

write

costs the sum of

costs

counter

against

courteous

polite

cumulative

added up, added together

currently

now (or edit out)

customary

usual, normal

D

deduct

take off, take away

deem to be

treat as

defer

put off, delay

deficiency

lack of

delete

cross out

demonstrate

show, prove

denote

show

depict

show

designate

point out, show, name

desire

wish, want

despatch or dispatch

send, post

despite the fact that

though, although

determine

decide, work out, set, end

detrimental

harmful, damaging

difficulties

problems

diminish

lessen, reduce

disburse

pay, pay out

discharge

carry out

disclose

tell, show

disconnect

cut off, unplug

discontinue

stop, end

discrete

separate

discuss

talk about

disseminate

spread

documentation

papers, documents

domiciled in

living in

dominant

main

due to the fact of

because, as

duration

time, life

during which time

while

dwelling

home

E

economical

cheap, good value

eligible

allowed, qualified

elucidate

explain, make clear

emphasise

stress

empower

allow, let

enable

allow

enclosed

inside, with

(please find) enclosed

I enclose

encounter

meet

endeavour

try

enquire

ask

enquiry

question

ensure

make sure

entitlement

right

envisage

expect, imagine

equivalent

equal, the same

erroneous

wrong

establish

show, find out, set up

evaluate

test, check

evince

show, prove

ex officio

because of his or her position

exceptionally

only when, in this case

excessive

too many, too much

exclude

leave out

excluding

apart from, except

exclusively

only

exempt from

free from

expedite

hurry, speed up

expeditiously

as soon as possible, quickly

expenditure

spending

expire

run out

extant

current, in force

extremity

limit

F

fabricate

make, make up

facilitate

help, make possible

factor

reason

failure to

if you do not

finalise

end, finish

following

after

for the duration of

during, while

for the purpose of

to, for

for the reason that

because

formulate

plan, devise

forthwith

now, at once

forward

send

frequently

often

furnish

give

further to

after, following

furthermore

then, also, and

G

generate

produce, give, make

give consideration to

consider, think about

grant

give

H

henceforth

from now on, from today

hereby

now, by this (or edit out)

herein

here (or edit out)

hereinafter

after this (or edit out)

hereof

of this

hereto

to this

heretofore

until now, previously

hereunder

below

herewith

with this (or edit out)

hitherto

until now

hold in abeyance

wait, postpone

hope and trust

hope, trust (but not both)

I

if and when

if, when (but not both)

illustrate

show, explain

immediately

at once, now

implement

carry out, do

imply

suggest, hint at

in a number of cases

some (or say how many)

in accordance with

as under, in line with, because of

in addition (to)

and, as well as, also

in advance

before

in case of

if

in conjunction with

and, with

in connection with

for, about

in consequence

because, as a result

in excess of

more than

in lieu of

instead of

in order that

so that

in receipt of

get, have, receive

in relation to

about

in respect of

about, for

in the absence of

without

in the course of

while, during

in the event of/that

if

in the majority of instances

most, mostly

in the near future

soon

in the neighbourhood of

about, around

in view of the fact that

as, because

inappropriate

wrong, unsuitable

inception

start, beginning

incorporating

which includes

incurred

have to pay, owe

indicate

show, suggest

inform

tell

initially

at first

initiate

begin, start

insert

put in

instances

cases

intend to

will

intimate

say, hint

irrespective of

despite, even if

is in accordance with

agrees with, follows

is of the opinion

thinks

issue

give, send

it is known that

I/we know that

J

jeopardise

risk, threaten

L

(a) large number of

many, most (or say how many)

(to) liaise with

to meet with, to discuss with, to work with (whichever is more descriptive)

locality

place, area

locate

find, put

M

magnitude

size

(it is) mandatory

(you) must

manner

way

manufacture

make

marginal

small, slight

material

relevant

materialise

happen, occur

may in the future

may, might, could

merchandise

goods

mislay

lose

modification

change

moreover

and, also, as well

N

negligible

very small

nevertheless

but, however, even so

notify

tell, let us/you know

notwithstanding

even if, despite, still, yet

numerous

many (or say how many)

O

objective

aim, goal

(it is) obligatory

(you) must

obtain

get, receive

occasioned by

caused by, because of

on behalf of

for

on numerous occasions

often

on receipt of

when we/you get

on request

if you ask

on the grounds that

because

on the occasion that

when, if

operate

work, run

optimum

best, ideal

option

choice

ordinarily

normally, usually

otherwise

or

outstanding

unpaid

owing to

because of

P

(a) percentage of

some (or say what percentage)

partially

partly

participate

join in, take part

particulars

details, facts

per annum

a year

perform

do

permissible

allowed

permit

let, allow

personnel

people, staff

persons

people, anyone

peruse

read, read carefully, look at

place

put

possess

have, own

possessions

belongings

practically

almost, nearly

predominant

main

prescribe

set, fix

preserve

keep, protect

previous

earlier, before, last

principal

main

prior to

before

proceed

go ahead

procure

get, obtain, arrange

profusion of

plenty, too many (or say how many)

prohibit

ban, stop

(to) progress something

(replace with a more precise phrase saying what you are doing)

projected

estimated

prolonged

long

promptly

quickly, at once

promulgate

advertise, announce

proportion

part

provide

give

provided that

if, as long as

provisions

rules, terms

proximity

closeness, nearness

purchase

buy

pursuant to

under, because of, in line with

Q

qualify for

can get, be able to get

R

reconsider

think again about, look again at

reduce

cut

reduction

cut

referred to as

called