Question

Choose the word that is most nearly the opposite in meaning of the word given in capital.
FACT
a) Fable
b) Story
c) Illusion
d) Fiction

Answer 1

Hint: Words that share opposite meanings are called antonyms. Every word has the opposite word.

Complete Answer:
The word fact refers to something that actually exists. A truth is known by actual experience or observation. The use of the word was first seen in 1530-40. The origin of the word is from the Latin ‘factum’. Let us look at it with the help of an example.
“Your fears have no basis in fact.”
Now, let us go through the meanings of the given options to find the opposite of Fact.
a) Fable: It refers to a short tale teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters. The use of the word was first recorded in 1250-1300 during the period of Middle English. The meaning of the word is similar to that of the given word i.e. Fact. Now, let us look at it through an example. “This biography is largely a self-laudatory fable.”

b) Story: It refers to a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader. In 1175-1225, the first use of the word was recorded during the Middle English period. Let us look at an example. “The characterizations were good, but the story was weak.”

c) Illusion: It refers to something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality. The origin of the word is Latin. The first recorded use of the word was in 1300-50. Let us use the word in a sentence for better understanding. “And we are under no illusion that this state of affairs is confined to one battalion.”

d) Fiction: It refers to a class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, especially in prose form. The origin of the word is French. In 1375-1425, the first recorded use of the word was done during the late Middle English period. The word fiction is the correct answer. It has the opposite meaning to the given word fact. Let us use the word to frame a sentence. “They hire other people to write their books for them, whether memoir or fiction.”

Note: You might get confused between the words illusion and fiction as they share a similar kind of meaning. So, to find the opposite meaning of a word, you must look at the meanings of the given options. If you are stuck in any of the words, you can always use a dictionary.