Question

Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the word printed in italic bold in the sentence.
Decay is an immutable factor of human life.
a- Important
b- Unique
c- Unchangeable
d- Awful

Answer 1

Hint: A synonym refers to a word that is completely or partially the same in meaning as another word. Example- Protect is a synonym for defend. ‘Immutable’ refers to an aspect that is fixed and inflexible.

Complete answer:
The word, ‘immutable’ has been derived from the Latin word- Inmutabilis.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word, ‘immutable’. Now, let’s look at its usage:
Example- My aged father’s medical condition is immutable and cannot be cured with medicine. Here, we can comprehend that X aged father’s condition is unchangeable or flexible and cannot be cured with medicine.
Let’s decipher the meaning of the given options-
Option a- ‘Important’ refers to something that is significant and necessary. Example- It is important to brush daily. ‘Important’ is different in meaning to ‘immutable’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘Unique’ refers to something that is original and different from others. Example- Our company has come up with a unique design. ‘Unique’ is different in meaning to ‘immutable’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘Unchangeable’ refers to something that is fixed and cannot be altered. Example- Hereditary characteristics are unchangeable. ‘Unchangeable’ is similar in meaning to ‘immutable’. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option d- ‘Awful’ refers to something that is terrible or dreadful. Example- My friend’s car smells awful. ‘Awful’ is different in meaning to ‘immutable’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
The correct answer is Option ‘c’.

Note:
Some other commonly used synonyms of ‘immutable’ are fixed, inflexible, rigid, etc. While some commonly used antonyms of ‘immutable’ are changeable, flexible, variable, etc.