Vocabulary and terminology
This page contains explanations of University terminology, and a reference list of common errors in vocabulary.
University terminology
It would be hard for us to include a better guide to University terminology than has already been completed by the School of Humanities, so we recommend you consult their Glossary of University terms.
Vocabulary reference
Accommodation
alumna (singular female graduate)
alumni (plural form for graduates of any gender)
alumnus (singular male graduate)
benefited
biased
comprise (not comprise of)
cooperation (no hyphen)
dependant (noun)/dependent (adjective)
email (lower case and no hyphen)
enquire/enquiry (preferred to inquire/inquiry)
focused/focuses
fundraising
government (always lower case)
instalment
internet (lower case)
judgement (moral, academic etc)
judgment (legal decision only)
liaise/liaison
manoeuvre
no-one (hyphenated)
paralleled
postdoctoral (no hyphen)
postgraduate (no hyphen, whether as noun or adjective)
postholder (no hyphen and lower case)
principal (noun or adjective: chief, main, head)
principle (noun only: ethical standpoint)
program (computer applications only)
programme (schedule of events)
riveting
separate
stationary (not moving)
stationery (paper, pens etc)
supersede
till (not ‘til; not an abbreviation of until)
website/webpage (no hyphen and lower case)
Return to The University of Nottingham Style Guide