Question

Choose the word opposite in meaning to the italicized word:
Though several meetings have been held, the members of the board have not been able to arrive at a consensus.
a)Conflict
b)Confusion
c)Crisis
d)Disagreement

Answer 1

Hint: The opposite of a word indicates that the two words do not share a similar meaning and are contrary (or different) to each other. That is you are looking for the antonym of the given word.

Complete answer:

We must first understand the concept behind the word consensus. What does the word mean?
It means ‘a general agreement’ (among people). For e.g. - They had a consensus between them, or they did not fight because they made a consensus before their partnership, etc.
 So now we know about the word and its usage.
Now, let’s look at the options that are given to us and find the word that fits the opposite. So
Option a, is a conflict that can be defined as serious disagreement, argument, collision or clash among people.
Option b, is a confusion which denotes uncertainty or being unclear about what is happening.
Option c, is crises that can be defined as a time of intense difficulty or danger.
Option d, is disagreement which means a lack of agreement or consensus among people. Therefore, this is the correct option as this represents the word that is opposite in meaning to consensus.

Note: Here, ‘option a’ and option ‘d’ both may seem as plausible solutions but before arriving at a conclusion compare the meaning of each and every word with the given word. then decide which one is the most appropriate opposite of all.