Question

Choose the word which can be substituted in place of the italicized word-
A nation engaged in war cannot attain high levels of excellence in cultural field.
a) Bellicose
b) Belligerent
c) Imperialist
d) Democracy

Answer 1

Hint:There is a phrase given in italics. To substitute a phrase is to use a shorter phrase or a sentence in place of it.

Complete answer:
The given phrase is ‘nation engaged in a war'. We have to give a single word for this phrase. The word will mean the same as the phrase but won’t be this long. The actual meaning of the phrase is any nation that is in a war currently or is being out for it.
Now, let us examine all the given options to find out the correct answer -
Option ‘a’ is Bellicose. It is an adjective which means - demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight. For example: A mood of bellicose jingoism.
Option ‘b’ is Belligerent. It is an adjective which means being hostile or aggressive. It also means a nation that is at war or in any conflict.
Option ‘c’ is Imperialist. It is the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies.
Option ‘d’ is Democracy. It is a noun that means a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
As we have analyzed all the given options we can easily figure out the correct option. Here, the one word for the given phrase is – belligerent. Hence, option ‘b’ is the correct option.

Note:
Don’t confuse between ‘bellicose’ and ‘belligerent’. They both may sound similar but have poles apart meanings.