Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word.
The basic drive in the philosopher’s life was the pursuit of knowledge and of happiness.
(a)glorification
(b)communication
(c)quest
(d)dissemination
(e)examination

Answer 1

Hint: The word ‘pursuit’ refers to ‘the action of pursuing someone or something'. This word is usually used as a noun. The verb form of the given noun is ‘to pursue’. Another synonym of this word is ‘chasing’.

Complete answer: A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language, for example, ‘shut’ is a synonym of ‘close’, as they convey the same meaning as each other. Now, we know the meaning and usage of the given word. Let’s look at the given options:
(a)glorification - The word ‘glorification’ refers to ‘the action of describing or representing something as admirable, especially unjustifiably’. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(b)communication - The word ‘communication’ refers to ‘the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium’. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(c)quest - The word ‘quest’ refers to ‘a long or arduous search for something’. This word has the same meaning as the given word. This is the synonym of ‘pursuit’. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
(d)dissemination - The word ‘dissemination’ refers to ‘the action or fact of spreading something, especially information, widely’. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(e)examination - The word ‘examination’ refers to ‘a detailed inspection or study’. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note: Make sure to understand the meaning of the question and the word given. Go
through all the given options, and pick out the option that is closest in meaning to the highlighted word.