Question

Select a word that has a different meaning from the following group of words:
Perpetual, Perennial, Exact, Steady, Definite, Fickle
A) Steady
B) Perennial
C) Perpetual
D) Fickle

Answer 1

Hint: This word has synonyms like; variable, changeable, irregular etc. Therefore, to find the correct answer one can search for the synonyms of the suggested words. Synonyms are used to express the nuance or the different registers of speech or writing.

Complete answer:
To find the word with the different meaning, let us first understand the meanings of the remaining words in the group, i.e. Exact and Definite. The word ‘exact’ refers to something that is precise, and the word ‘definite’ refers to something that is specific or precise and not vague.

Let us now analyze the options and find the word with a dissimilar meaning.
Option A) Steady – It refers to something that is fixed, firm or stable. For e.g. It is very hard for me to hold the camera steady. This word has a roughly similar meaning to the words in the group. Therefore, this option is wrong.
Option B) Perennial – It refers to something that does not end or change and remains the same forever or for an indefinitely long time. For e.g. She has a perennial dislike for pets. This word has a similar meaning to steady, i.e. stays fixed or unchanged. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option C) Perpetual – It means the same as perennial, i.e. something that lasts forever or for an indefinite amount of time. For e.g. He has a perpetual zeal for music. Since it means the same as perennial it cannot be the odd word in the group. Thus, this option is also wrong.
Option D) Fickle – It refers to something that changes frequently, especially in terms of loyalty or affection. For e.g. Due to the fickle weather in my town, I can never go out without an umbrella. This word has an exactly opposite meaning to all the words given in the group. Therefore, this is the correct option.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (D) i.e, Fickle.

Note: Some other synonyms of the word ‘fickle’ are; changeable, variable, irregular, unstable etc. All the words given in the group have similar meanings except for ‘fickle’. Therefore, we can say that all other words i.e. Perpetual, perennial, exact, steady, and definite are synonymous with each other. To learn about all the synonyms of all the words in English, one can refer to a thesaurus.