Question

Choose the word that gives the antonym of the italicized word.
I think it would be better if this paragraph is eliminated.
a- Added
b- Improved
c- Deleted
d- Shortened

Answer 1

Hint: An antonym or an opposite refers to a word that is contrary in meaning to another word. For example- Injured is an antonym for healed. ‘Eliminated’ refers to abolishing or putting an end to something or someone.

Complete answer:
 The word ‘eliminated’ has been derived from the Latin word- Eliminare, which means threshold.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word ‘eliminated’. Now, let’s look at its usage-
For example- The government has come up with a policy to eliminate class variation. Here, we can comprehend that a government, X, has come up with a policy to remove or put an end to class variation.
Let’s decipher the meaning of the given options-
Option a- ‘added’ refers to joining or putting in something. For example- The banker added some amount to my savings account. ‘Added’ is the opposite in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option b- ‘Improved’ refers to upgrading or enhancing something or someone. For example- We have come up with a plan to improve our foreign relations. ‘Improved’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘Deleted’ refers to eliminating or removing something. For example- The boss deleted all the corrupt files. ‘Deleted’ is similar in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option d- ‘Shortened’ refers to abbreviating or abridging something. For example- He shortened the length of his speech. ‘Shortened’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option. The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note:
Some other antonyms of ‘eliminated’ are; established, included, created, etc while some synonyms of ‘eliminated’ are; eradicated, excluded, waived, etc.