Question

Choose the word/phrase which is opposite in meaning to the italicized word/phrase in the sentence.
Democracy is a government by conciliation.
(a) Non-cooperation
(b) Dispute
(c) Confrontation
(d) Irritation

Answer 1

Hint: The question clearly states that we need to choose the option which means the opposite or is close to the opposite of the given word. Recall the meaning of the given word and the options and choose the most suitable one.

Complete answer:
 An antonym or an opposite refers to a word that is contrary in meaning to another word. For example- Thin is an antonym for chubby.
‘Conciliation’ refers to the action of reconciling or peace-making. The word ‘conciliation’ has been derived from the Latin word- Conciliatus, which means to assemble or unite.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word ‘conciliation’. Now, let’s look at its usage:
For example- The police tried to conciliate the angry rioters by spraying water over them. Here, we can conclude that the police tried to reconcile or calm the angry rioters by spraying water over them.
Let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘Non-cooperation’ refers to the refusal or failure to cooperate. ‘Non-cooperation’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘Dispute’ refers to arguing or quarrelling with someone. ‘Dispute’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘Confrontation’ refers to conflicting or engaging in violent behaviour. ‘Confrontation’ is opposite in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option d- ‘Irritation’ refers to feeling annoyed or infuriated. ‘Irritation’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option. The correct answer is Option ‘c’.

Note:
 Some other antonyms for ‘conciliation’ are; conflict, war, hostilities, etc while some synonyms for ‘conciliation’ are; reconciliation, acceptance, concession, etc.