Question

Out of the given alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentence.
One who is well-versed in any subject; a critical judge of any art, particularly fine arts
a. veteran
b. philistine
c. dilettante
d. connoisseur

Answer 1

Hint:Read the given sentence and decipher what it conveys.Look through the given options and understand the meanings. Make sure to differentiate between ‘philistine’ and ‘connoisseur’. Then, choose the correct option accordingly.

Complete answer: In grammar, a substitute is used as a noun to refer to a
word that serves as a particular kind of replacement. When one word replaces an entire
phrase and still retains the original meaning, it is called a ‘substitute noun’. For example,
the phrase ‘the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial
way’ can be substituted by the word ‘serendipity’.
The only way to identify them correctly is to memorise them or use etymology to guess
them as accurately as possible.

Now, we know the meaning of the given phrase. Let’s look at the given options:
a. veteran - The word ‘veteran’ refers to a ‘person who has had long experience in a particular field', so this word does not have the exact same meaning as the given phrase. It does not mean the same thing. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b. philistine - The word ‘philistine’ refers to a ‘person who is guided by materialism and is usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values', so this word does not have the exact same meaning as the given phrase. It does not mean the same thing. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c. dilettante - The word ‘dilettante’ refers to a ‘person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge', so this word does not have the exact same meaning as the given phrase. It does not mean the same thing. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d. connoisseur - The word ‘connoisseur’ refers to ‘an expert judge in matters of taste', so this word has the exact same meaning as the given phrase. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
Therefore, option d is correct.

Note: The given description can be summarised by another synonym ‘savant’. This synonym should help you find the word that is the replacement for the given phrase.