Understanding the Word Analogy: Fair and Cunning Relationships

The question asks us to find the word that completes the analogy: 'Fair' is related to 'Righteous' in the same way as 'Cunning' is related to '__________'. This is a word analogy question, which tests our ability to understand the relationships between pairs of words and apply that relationship to a new pair.

Analyzing the First Pair: Fair and Righteous

Let's look at the relationship between 'Fair' and 'Righteous'.

• Fair: Treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination. Just.
• Righteous: (of a person or conduct) Morally right or justifiable; virtuous.

The words 'Fair' and 'Righteous' are closely related. Fairness is a key aspect of being righteous. We can say they are near synonyms or that one quality strongly implies the other in a positive moral context.

Analyzing the Second Word: Cunning

Now let's consider the word 'Cunning'.

• Cunning: Having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion. Shrewd and crafty.

Cunning is often associated with trickery, slyness, and a lack of straightforwardness. It's generally used in a negative context, implying a skill used for selfish or dishonest purposes.

Applying the Analogy: Finding the Relationship for Cunning

We need to find a word from the options that relates to 'Cunning' in a similar way that 'Righteous' relates to 'Fair'. Given the options, the relationship seems to be about a characteristic leading to or strongly associated with a particular action, outcome, or concept.

Evaluating the Options

Let's examine each option:

1. Person: A 'Person' is a human being. While a person can be cunning, the word 'Person' itself doesn't describe an outcome or concept directly linked to cunning like 'Righteous' is linked to 'Fair'.
2. Personality: 'Personality' refers to the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that make a person unique. Cunning can be a trait of personality, but 'Personality' isn't the direct consequence or strong association of cunning in the way we saw with 'Fair' and 'Righteous'.
3. Deceit: 'Deceit' means the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth. Cunning is a skill or method often used to achieve deceit. There's a very strong cause-and-effect or means-to-an-end relationship here.
4. Character: 'Character' refers to the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Cunning is a trait of character, similar to personality, but again, it's not as specific an outcome or direct association as 'Deceit'.

Conclusion

The relationship between 'Fair' and 'Righteous' is one of strong positive association – fairness is a virtue closely linked to righteousness. Similarly, 'Cunning' is a trait strongly associated with 'Deceit'. Cunning individuals often employ their skill for the purpose of deceit. Therefore, 'Deceit' completes the analogy most effectively, maintaining a parallel structure to the first pair.

Based on this analysis, the word that best completes the analogy is 'Deceit'.

Revision Table: Analogy Concepts

Additional Information: Solving Word Analogies

Word analogies require identifying the specific relationship between the first pair of words and applying that same relationship to the second pair. Common relationships include:

• Synonyms (e.g., Hot : Cold :: Up : Down - Incorrect, Synonyms are like Hot : Warm)
• Antonyms (e.g., Hot : Cold :: Up : Down)
• Part to Whole (e.g., Finger : Hand :: Toe : Foot)
• Cause and Effect (e.g., Sun : Heat :: Exercise : Strength)
• Tool and User (e.g., Pen : Writer :: Brush : Painter)
• Action and Object (e.g., Read : Book :: Listen : Music)
• Quality and Characteristic (e.g., Brave : Hero :: Cunning : Fox) - Note: Here Cunning is a characteristic.
• Problem and Solution (e.g., Hunger : Eat :: Tiredness : Sleep)

In this specific analogy, the relationship between 'Fair' and 'Righteous' is close association of positive qualities. The relationship between 'Cunning' and 'Deceit' is also one of strong association, where cunning is often the means to achieve deceit, reflecting a consistent pattern of relationship type.