Question

Choose the word that gives the antonym of the word italicized-
In ancient India, scholars had no interest in political power or material growth.
a)Celestial
b)Psychic
c)Spiritual
d)Eternal

Answer 1

Hint: Material refers to physical objects or anything compromising of matter. Hence, the above-given statement means that the Ancient Indian scholars were not interested in Political power and physical objects like money, clothes, etc.

Complete step-by-step answer:

The word material has been derived from the Latin word- Materia, which means matter.
We know the meaning of the word Material from the given hint, let’s understand its usage:
Example- Herbivores can eat any plant material. Here, we can conclude that herbivores can eat materials or physical objects made from plants.
Let’s examine the given options to find the antonym or opposite of material-
a)Celestial- It refers to a heavenly body that is positioned in the sky or space. Celestial has a different meaning from material. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
b)Psychic- It is related to supernatural and paranormal phenomena. Both psychic and material have a different meaning. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
c)Spiritual- It refers to the characteristic of a person that keeps him unconcerned with material and physical aspects. It is the opposite of the material. Hence, it is the correct option.
d)Eternal- It refers to something that is immortal and imperishable. Eternal has a completely different meaning from material. Hence, it is an incorrect option.

Note: Anything that is in our senses and control is characterized by materialistic values, whereas religious aspects and the law of nature comes under the spiritual values.