Question

Choose the word which best expresses the meaning of the italicized bold part of the sentence-
“I have learned a great deal working in factories, and for a time I’ve been a weaver. Here are my testimonials, Mr. Davis.”
a- Credentials
b- Tokens
c- Testaments
d- Witnesses

Answer 1

Hint: A synonym refers to a word that is nearest in meaning to another word. For example, gentle is a synonym for weak. ‘Testimonial’ refers to a reference or commendation of a person’s qualifications and character.

Complete answer:
The word, ‘testimonial’ has been derived from the Latin word- Testimonium.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word, ‘testimonial’. Now, let’s look at its usage:
For example- The manager asked to get a testimonial from my previous company. Here, we can conclude that a manager, X, asked Y to get a reference or commendation of his character and qualifications from his previous company.
Let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘Credentials’ refers to the reference of a person’s character and qualifications. It is similar in meaning to ‘testimonial’. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option b- ‘Tokens’ refers to a symbol or emblem that represents something or someone. It is different in meaning from ‘testimonial’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘Testaments’ refers to testimony or evidence. It is different in meaning from ‘testimonial’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option d- ‘Witnesses’ refers to an observer or an onlooker who has seen a crime. It is different in meaning from ‘testimonial’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note:
Some other synonyms of ‘testimonial’ are; reference, recommendation, commendation, etc. While some antonyms of ‘testimonial’ are disproof, charge, assumption, etc.