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Question

Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words. Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word. 

Some of the men are highlymisanthropic.

This question was previously asked in
CDS I 2019 Elementary Mathematics Previous Year Paper (03-Feb-2019)
The correct answer is

philanthropic

Understanding the Antonym of Misanthropic

The question asks us to find the word that has the opposite meaning to the underlined word, "misanthropic". Let's first understand what "misanthropic" means.

Defining Misanthropic

The word "misanthropic" comes from Greek roots:

  • 'mis-' meaning hate
  • 'anthropos' meaning man/humanity

So, "misanthropic" describes someone who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Analyzing the Options

Now let's look at the given options and see which one is the opposite of misanthropic:

  1. anti-social: This word describes someone who avoids social interaction or goes against societal norms. While a misanthropic person might be anti-social, 'anti-social' itself doesn't fully capture the idea of disliking humanity; it's more about behavior or interaction. It's a similar concept, not an opposite.
  2. philosophic: This relates to philosophy or being thoughtful and wise. It has no direct connection to liking or disliking people.
  3. atrophic: This term relates to atrophy, which is the wasting away or decrease in size of a body part or tissue. It is a biological term and is completely unrelated to a person's feelings towards humanity.
  4. philanthropic: This word also comes from Greek roots:
    • 'phil-' meaning love
    • 'anthropos' meaning man/humanity

    So, "philanthropic" describes someone who promotes the welfare of others, often through generous donations to good causes. This person has a love for humanity or a strong concern for human well-being, which is the direct opposite of disliking humanity.

Identifying the Opposite

Based on the definitions, "philanthropic" is the clear opposite of "misanthropic". A misanthrope dislikes people, while a philanthropist loves or cares deeply for humanity and its welfare.

Conclusion: The Opposite Meaning

The word opposite in meaning to "misanthropic" is "philanthropic".

Revision Table: Word Meanings

Word Meaning Relation to Misanthropic
Misanthropic Disliking humankind and avoiding human society. The target word.
Anti-social Avoiding social interaction; going against societal norms. Similar concept, not a direct opposite.
Philosophic Relating to philosophy; thoughtful or wise. Unrelated.
Atrophic Relating to atrophy (wasting away). Unrelated.
Philanthropic Promoting the welfare of others; having a love for humanity. Direct opposite.

Additional Information: Exploring Antonyms

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Understanding antonyms is crucial for vocabulary building and improving language comprehension. Many antonyms come from pairs of words with opposing roots, like "misanthropic" and "philanthropic", which share the root 'anthropos' (humanity) but have opposite prefixes ('mis-' meaning hate and 'phil-' meaning love).

Identifying antonyms often requires understanding the core meaning of a word and then finding a word that expresses the contrary idea. Context can sometimes help, but knowing root words and common prefixes/suffixes can be very useful.

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Important Questions from Synonyms or Antonyms

  1. Replace the question mark with an option that follows the same logic applied in the first pair. 

    Tranquil: Violent :: Belligerent: ??

  2. Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word in the given sentence.
    The nurse gave explicit instructions not to touch anything.

  3. Select the most appropriate synonym of the highlighted word in the given sentence.
    Even during the crisis, she remained phlegmatic, calmly analysing the situation without showing any sign of panic.

  4. Select the most appropriate synonym of the highlighted word in the given sentence.

    After weeks of healthy eating, I had a serious hankering for a juicy burger and fries.

  5. Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word in the given sentence.

    The company's decision to downsize was intended to increase profitability.

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