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Question

The following question consists of a sentence with an underlined word/words followed by four words. Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word/words and mark your response accordingly.

It was a mystery as to where the young girl had acquired such a naive belief.

This question was previously asked in
CDS I 2018 Elementary Mathematics Previous Year Paper (04-Feb-2018)
The correct answer is

Wise

Finding the Opposite of Naive

The question asks us to find the word that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word "naive" in the given sentence. The sentence is: "It was a mystery as to where the young girl had acquired such a naive belief."

Let's first understand the meaning of the word "naive".

  • Naive: Lacking experience, wisdom, or judgment; simple; innocent; unsophisticated. A naive person is often easily fooled or believes things too readily because they don't have enough real-world experience.

Now let's examine the given options and see which one represents the opposite meaning of "naive".

  1. Credulous: This word describes someone who is too ready to believe things, especially on slight or uncertain evidence. This meaning is very similar to one aspect of being naive (easily believing things). Therefore, "credulous" is not the opposite of "naive".
  2. Childlike: This word usually refers to qualities associated with a child, such as innocence, simplicity, or wonder, often in a positive way. While innocence and simplicity can be part of being naive, "childlike" often lacks the negative connotation of poor judgment or being easily tricked that "naive" can carry. It is closer to a synonym or related concept than an antonym.
  3. Wise: This word describes someone who has experience, knowledge, and good judgment. A wise person understands the world better and is less likely to be easily fooled or hold simple, unsophisticated beliefs. This is directly opposite to lacking experience, wisdom, and judgment, which is characteristic of being naive.
  4. Innocent: This word can mean not guilty of a crime, or it can mean naive and unsuspecting. In the context of character or belief, it shares a similar meaning with naive, suggesting a lack of worldliness or experience. It is not the opposite.

Comparing the options, "wise" is the word that means having significant experience, knowledge, and good judgment, which is the direct opposite of being naive.

Analysis Summary

Word Meaning Relationship to Naive
Naive Lacking experience, wisdom, or judgment; innocent; easily fooled. Base word
Credulous Too ready to believe things easily. Similar meaning / Synonym
Childlike Resembling a child in innocence or simplicity. Similar meaning / Related concept
Wise Having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Opposite meaning / Antonym
Innocent Naive and unsuspecting. Similar meaning / Synonym

Based on the analysis of the meanings, the word opposite to "naive" is "wise".

Revision Table: Naive and Opposites

Word Antonym (Opposite)
Naive Wise

Additional Information on Antonyms and Vocabulary

Understanding antonyms is a key part of building strong vocabulary. Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. For example, "hot" is the antonym of "cold", and "up" is the antonym of "down". Knowing antonyms helps you understand the nuances of word meanings and use language more precisely.

When looking for an antonym, it's helpful to consider the specific context in which the word is used. In this sentence, "naive belief" suggests a belief that is perhaps too simple, unsophisticated, or based on a lack of understanding of how the world truly works. An opposite belief would be one based on experience, knowledge, and sound judgment – in other words, a "wise" belief.

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